Concerned about nine-day-old chick's development!

Dozi

Member
Apr 3, 2022
52
174
England
Parrots
Cockatiels:
- D'ion
- Bobbi
- Milo
- Chui
- Astro (Coming soon!)

Conures:
- Omei
Hey all- so I've become quite concerned about this chick. This is how she currently looks;

Head Eye Jaw Dog breed Carnivore
Eye Jaw Gesture Eyelash Fawn

Rat Organism Rodent Fawn Adaptation

Rodent Rat Fawn Terrestrial animal Snout

I have no prior experience when it comes to chicks or their development, however she seems to be a bit far behind when compared to others of this age;
Organism Art Bird Font Terrestrial animal
Hand Animal feed Finger Fawn Recipe


Am I right to be concerned? Is there anything that I can do to help the chick? She's the only one of the clutch who has survived- one egg was infertile, the second was damaged and (unfortunately) didn't make it after a wax seal, the third hatched but starved on day 2 and the fourth was DIS (couldn't get through the shell). She's from the first egg that was laid. This is the pairs first clutch. This is the diet that I feed to the parents;

  • Sweet Potato
  • Butternut Squash
  • Sweetcorn
  • Carrots
  • Kale
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Peas
  • Rice
  • Eggfood
  • Pets At Home Cockatiel Seed Mix
  • Probiotic Supplement
For the first couple of days, this chick kept wandering away from its parents in the nest- the parents, being new, also weren't sure about how to take the chick under their wing. Every few hours I would manage to help the chick back towards its parent, however. Could this have had an affect on the chick? The parents have since become better at taking her under their wing and I hear her being fed quite regularly. She makes begging sounds when she is hungry and is able to walk while holding her head. She does gain weight and size every day- but her feet, beak, eyes and wings appear under-developed. I do try and keep as many wood shavings as possible in the box, but the parents keep pushing them away and so I have to replace them each morning and evening.

I have hand-rearing formula if you think that it needs to be used. I hope, though, that everything is fine! I'm very new to this and so I'd be quite afraid of messing up should I need to rear the chick.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
I've little experience with chick's. It does look undeveloped...
Maybe this has something that will help

 
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