Questions about raising newborn parrots..

Jan 16, 2019
444
110
Maldives, H.Dh Kulhudhuffushi
Parrots
White-faced 'tiel (Cookie). Pied Budgie (Pepper).
My father is a bird breeder and just managed to successfully breed cockatiels for the first time. So far only one of the eggs hatched. The rest are in an incubator.

So, the parents abandoned the chick. It hatched yesterday and my father brought him in last night.
My questions are;
Will it be okay for the chick to stay in an incubator (temporarily)? The chick is currently being kept in an incubator at 37.6C. We will prepare a brooder for him soon.
This question isn't really related to the 'tiel but it still has something to do with newborn chicks. Getting another parrot (from another specie) to foster the chick? My father recently did this with a lovebird (raised by budgies) and s/he'll be going to his/her new home sometime next month. My father did try and do this with the 'tiel but they didn't feed it so he brought it back in.

Here's a pic of it
yoiNCG6.jpg


Also, after my father brought it back from the budgies, I noticed a red mark on his crop that wasn't there before. It isn't visible when his crop is empty. Any idea what it could be?
8CMWIC6.jpg
 

itzjbean

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2017
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Poor baby!

Looks like the budgies rejected/ attacked the baby -- hence the red spot. It's best to keep in a brooder but an incubator is okay for now -- the worry is the air flow and in a closed up incubator there isn't much air flow, so that's why a brooder is recommended, which has specific humidity and temperatures to keep. Hope your dad has lots of free time, this baby will need around the clock (24 hour) cae for a few weeks. These weeks are very important as tehse guys are so fragile. It's important to keep all your feeding equipment clean, sanitized before each feeding and it's important to weigh the baby once a day -- to ensure it's actually gaining weight. Youo'll need a gram scale for this.

Does your dad have handfeeding experience? A lot of people breed but not a lot of people hand feed, so if the 2 of you are inexperienced it could make for a troubling next few weeks for you. The main things are going to be keeping track of growth, keeping the baby warm and fed properly. Formula should be at 100 degrees F but not exceeding 110 degrees F. Consistency should be very thin at this point and will thicken as they age. Kaytee handfeeding formula is recommended, with 10ml syringes or smaller. You could even use a dropper as of right now since the baby is so tiny. Best of luck to you, and your dad.
 
OP
ChocolateChipCookiez
Jan 16, 2019
444
110
Maldives, H.Dh Kulhudhuffushi
Parrots
White-faced 'tiel (Cookie). Pied Budgie (Pepper).
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
Thank you very much for the advice!

Both my father and I have experience with hand-feeding birds though I think I've fed birds more than he has. I've noticed that it takes around 4 hours for his crop to fully empty and I have a feeling that it's because he's in a incubator. I'm in charge of feeding him but my dad feeds him at night since I have school (though sometimes I wake up late at night and can't fall asleep so I get up and feed him)

I have a kitchen scale and I'll begin using to that to track his weight.

Also, my brother has experience with feeding birds as well.
 
Last edited:
OP
ChocolateChipCookiez
Jan 16, 2019
444
110
Maldives, H.Dh Kulhudhuffushi
Parrots
White-faced 'tiel (Cookie). Pied Budgie (Pepper).
OP
ChocolateChipCookiez
Jan 16, 2019
444
110
Maldives, H.Dh Kulhudhuffushi
Parrots
White-faced 'tiel (Cookie). Pied Budgie (Pepper).
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
And we just got more. One of the 'tiel eggs hatched so that's another bird to raise. And the other one that hatched is a English budgie + Australian budgie mix. That one will probably go out into the aviary to be raised by budgies.
 
OP
ChocolateChipCookiez
Jan 16, 2019
444
110
Maldives, H.Dh Kulhudhuffushi
Parrots
White-faced 'tiel (Cookie). Pied Budgie (Pepper).
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
The baby 'tiel passed... I came back from school yesterday and he was dead.

As for his sibling, my father tried to see if the budgies would raise him but that didn't work. He's still alive but hasn't been fed for over 24 hours. I've tried to feed him but it's hard to get him to open his beak. I managed to get some food into him and I'll try again soon. He barely makes any noises and when he does, it sounds very weak. I feel that he won't be able to survive but he will in sha Allah.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
I'm so sorry. I saw you read all I posted for the person with tge GCC that was begging. I hope that will help you.

Itzybean has raised chicks, she posted once in yiur tgread, but maybe you could private message her abd ask for more detailed advice.

I'm so afraid to offer advice eith new born chicks, but now I feel awful tgst I didn't try and help you. I haven't raised chicks, only hand fed some that were hospitalized , and we had an incubator... coukd yiu follow the links I put in tgr otger post? And printing and keeping a folder of all thst info so its easier to refer to.

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/87298-my-baby-conure-making-noises.html
 
Last edited:
OP
ChocolateChipCookiez
Jan 16, 2019
444
110
Maldives, H.Dh Kulhudhuffushi
Parrots
White-faced 'tiel (Cookie). Pied Budgie (Pepper).
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
Thank you for your reply.

Sadly the younger chick passed away as well. He died not long after I fed him so I believe he was aspirated. I never knew that hand raising newborn parrots would be this hard...

There's still one more egg left and this time we're going to syringe feed it. I fed the other 2 with a spoon and that might have contributed to their deaths...

We're going to be incredibly careful with the last one and hopefully he'll make it.
 

itzjbean

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2017
2,572
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Iowa, USA
Parrots
2 cockatiels
Aw, so sorry to hear about the chicks passing. Newborns are so delicate even experienced hand feeders can have difficulty.
 
OP
ChocolateChipCookiez
Jan 16, 2019
444
110
Maldives, H.Dh Kulhudhuffushi
Parrots
White-faced 'tiel (Cookie). Pied Budgie (Pepper).
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
An update on the new chick!

He's 3 days old now and very healthy. He has a huge appetite and eats more than his 2 siblings did. I have a feeling that he'll make it to adulthood.

Also, I know that it's a bit too early to tell but I believe that he's a lutino. He has much lighter eyes than his siblings and I think that his father is also a lutino. His mother is a pied but I'm not so sure about his father. His body has a very very light creme colour on them. His feathers are significantly darker than the other 2 lutinos we have (both of them males).

I'll try and post a picture of the chick soon!
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
good news. Remember temperature is one of the most important things.
 

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