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What you need to know when you are buying a parrot
After the first close acquaintance with Cockatiel parrots, I am ready to talk about what pitfalls I came across when choosing and buying feathered pets. Here are the main signs for choosing a bird: a healthy bird is always vigorous and active, has an even plumage and a clear look.
I have not met excellent shops, which have specialists in different types of animals, birds and fish. In most cases, sellers are not much different from consultants in clothing stores. The goal is one - to sell as soon as possible.
A certain disadvantage is that the birds that are sold through stores are deprived of the possibility of flying. Parrots can stay in a cage for several months and wait for their finest hour. They are less sociable, and more difficult to make contact. Most people involved in breeding parrots love their birds and take care of healthy offspring. However, there are those who breed birds only for profit and sell weak and sometimes sick birds.
Do not take chicks younger than 40-45 days by then the immune system is developed and the baby can better handle the stress.
They should grow up and get stronger. Chicks need a certain temperature and care. Being together with other chicks, they can also warm each other.
Our chicks are not afraid of people: the first month of their life, after leaving the nest, they spent in close contact with humans. They make a good contact, sit on the finger, and are accustomed to the characteristic sounds of the apartment: loud music, vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, etc.
The ability to fly freely all day and breathe fresh air on the balcony keeps the chicks in great physical shape.
They spend the night in a cage and understand when it's time to sleep and do not brawl in confinement. In the morning, if there are curtains in the room, they will calmly let you sleep until 9-10AM
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Important to know
for those who want to feed the baby birds themselves:
AGE (Days)
FEEDING
Feeding Dose
TEMPERATURE REGIME
1 - 5 Days
Every 2 Hours
1 - 2 CC
1 - 2 Days 35-36.5C 95-98. F
5 - 7 Days
Every 3 Hours
2 - 3 CC
3 - 7 Days 35C 95.5F
8 - 14 Days
Every 4 Hours
4 - 6 CC
8 - 14 Days 33C 91.4F
15 - 24 Days
Every 5 Hours
7 - 10 CC
15 - 24 Days 31C 87.8F
25 - 35 Days
3 Times Per Day
10 - 12 CC
25 - 30 Days 25-30C 77-86F
35 - 50 Days
2 Times Per Day
10 - 12 CC
After 31 days 24-22C 75.2-71.6F
Hand Feeding Instructions
1. Take baby formula and mix warm tap water until it become the consistency of creamy pudding or a loose cake batter.
1. NEVER feed more than 10-12 cc per feeding.
2. Cool/cold formula can contribute to slower crop movement and other crop issues.
Check the temperature (about 105 degrees) and then feed.
(95-105 degrees is perfect)
Never save, reheat and reuse formula.
Always mix fresh formula for each feeding.
3. Hold the head firmly. Feed from right to left, watching the tongue to make sure the
baby is swallowing before you feed more formula.
DO NOT TRY TO FEED MORE THAN BABY CAN SWALLOW,
because it can increase the risk of aspiration.
4. Keep track of the weight of your baby. Always weigh the bird when it is empty.
Weighing is also your diagnostic tool to make sure things are fine.
Sometimes a baby may appear fine, but start dropping weight rapidly.
If so, this is a sign of a problem.
5. At the fledgling age you may notice the baby has lost a few grams.
This is normal, especially if you've noticed that they are flapping their wings and trying to fly. Once they've taken their first flight, they should start gaining back the lost weight.
6. Some words of caution. Never let a baby fly with a full crop.
Allow them to fly before you hand-feed them. If they fly with a full crop and crash land this can cause aspiration if they hit their crop. When this happens the food is forced back up the neck, and if inhaled results in aspiration or respiratory problems.
7. When hand-feeding, a good measure against possible aspiration is to have
a firm grip of baby's head, and to always feed the formula into the RIGHT side of the mouth.
8. When they are down to 2 feedings a day, I will move them into a cage.
I've learned that the babies are more apt to try new foods once a feeding is skipped.
Once I see the babies nibbling and eating more on their own,
I will start decreasing the morning feeding down 1 cc per day.
Once down to 0, they are down to 1 feeding a day (at night).
9. Once I start seeing the baby/babies nibble on millet seed, I will decrease the middle feeding by 1cc per day, down to 0 cc. At 0 cc, I will then skip the middle feeding.
It is less confusing or traumatic to the baby.
Do not place them under air condition vents
Do not place them directly near a window.
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