[SunnyCockatiel]

Hi.. This is my second post of the night - or like ever here...

I have a question for you all... I am hand feeding 10 Cockatiels right now. I have one that needs to be weaned to seeds and he is picky. He doesn't want to eat seeds. He has no interest for it. I give him formula one time a day - a good amount. BUT, it seems he is only interest in flying or exploring. I've read that this is normal and his weight is good - BECAUSE OF THE MILLET. Seems that is the only thing he wants. I am afraid to take it away because I am afraid he won't eat.

I really need to learn how to get these birds on seeds. Um, Piper was born April 14th. The others really aren't ready yet.

Oh, I tried the tapping in a dish with the seeds under it and the formula on top trick. DIDN'T WORK.

I tried it again tonight. I tried to put his little beak in it - REJECTED.

UGH!

 

[atvchick95]

I've only hand fed a lovebird

but when she was about a month old i started mixing seeds in with the hand feeding formula, I used a disposable plastic spoon to feed her I also mixed in Oragnic baby food that was veggies (green beans, sweet potatoes etc) so she'd get the taste of veggies

Once i got down to one feeding a day I put her food in a dish in her cage she gets a mix of cockatiel seeds, along with Zupreem fruit blend pellets (more pellets then seeds) she gets both budgie and cockatiel size) she was diving right in after about the 6th time of getting seeds mixed in w/ her formula

 

[Laura]

Sounds like he is not ready yet and needs more time, six weeks is still quite young to be weaning, they should still be on at least two hand feedings a day morning and night at this age, you said he needs to be weaned on to seeds, is there a reason why he needs to be weaned on to them?

 

[Bea]

Do you have a gentle adult tiel that you could put in with the weaning bubs? Baby birds usually learn through watching others, so seeing an adult eating is the most helpful aid!

 

[Sophia]

I would say it is still a bit young to be weaning onto seeds, if any of them are like my Little bill (budgie) when he was little, and he was well past having to be weaned and he still made his mum and dad feed him!

I would leave him for a little longer, and just keep trying, and maybe do what atvchick95 said! Good Luck!

 

[Bea]

I just did some maths (surprising my brain hasn't exploded, i know), and my little Snickers is just 4 days older than your Piper. He left the nest box a week and a half ago and has been picking at seed since then (he was 5 weeks old at that point). He's still not eating on his own (at almost 7 weeks) but he is eating mostly on his own with just a few top ups from his parents. The first foods that Snickers ate on his own were mashed veggies, and mashed banana, closely followed by rice and cooked beans, so those could be some good foods to try. Soaked pellets are another good one.

 

[xxxSpikexxx]

I would try some mashed veggies aswell. I heard of people putting the food on a mirror, so it looks like two birds are eating. Iam not sure how well it would work though.

 

[morph]

hi sunny, most of the usual ways to coax the chicks to eat have been posted but I would just like to say dont put pressure on yourself to "learn" how to wean them as like kids they are all different and what works for one wont work for another. Patience and perseverance has always been the key for me and the chicks will feed independently when THEY are ready. Good luck

 

[SunnyCockatiel]

Thanks guys!!! I love this forum already! Okay, so here is the skinny, I breed, so I am trying to get them on seeds the right way. I know you can't rush it. BUT, it's just that I am so new at it that I hear if you don't start at the right time, they become spoiled to the formula and won't eat the seeds and you have a difficult time of trying to get them to do it. Ya know? So, I am going to keep trying. We are going to purchase some hemp this week and then, I am going to make a sticky treat with the seeds and hang it from the cage.... They love the millet and are attacking it. So, it's just the seeds. I don't blame them really... Have godiva chocolates (millet) or seeds? Um, tough choice! I left some watermelon in the cage yesterday and it hasn't been touched.

Right now, 8 are in one large cage. The smaller babies are learning from the bigger ones, so it's a good fit. I've been monitoring and they are doing good.

Time to go hand feed!!! That's an hour job in itself!

Just like a baby on diapers - when can we potty train? LOL.

Loving it though.