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Hi Everyone,

Picked up two cockatiel hatchlings today off a breeder who didn't want them. They had been with their parents up until this morning. One is 15 days old the other is 20 days old. (photos below). They are so cute, they're already getting mighty noisy demanding their food and have taken to the syringe with minimum fuss.

My nervous nellie question is about the 20 day old. Ever since we've picked him up we've noticed that he gapes. Not all the time, just now and then, especially when we take him out to feed. I assume that it's just a nervous thing, especially as he's a little older, but just wanted to make sure - it would be heartbreaking for the little bugger to die, even after just a few hours!

He's feeding well, he weighs 98grams and he took about 6 - 7ml in his last feeding. I know he should be on around 10ml but are starting off slow as he is use to his parents feeding little and often...

Does it sound like anything could be wrong or am I just a big bundle of nerves!

Omg I can not beleive the breeder let these babies go at such a young age. Shame on her/him!
Do you know how to hand feed babies? correct mixture of hand feed formula? right temperature? babies at that age have to be hand feed constainly.
I do not know why one baby is gaping. is he emptying his crop Ok? how is his poop? hand fed babies are prone to yeast infections and bacteria so easily.

Everything is fine! I've been raising birds (and wildlife from pink stage) for over 20 years, but not from this age with the parrot family. I actively sought out hatchlings to start with while my own aviaries are set up.

He's stopped gaping now, so I think it was just nerves. It was never enough to be dangerous, just like the occassional yawn, but I'm a bit out of practice and I guess it's just first time jitters!

gee 98 grams that is one big whopper of a bub
Good to hear you took them in, why did the breeder not want them I am wondering
Whereabouts in Oz are you?
I'm in hot WA

Hi hot WA! I'm in freezing TAS!

The older bird is a good size, there were only two of them in the clutch so no shortage in feed! The breeder is selling off all her tiels, I think she thought it would be easier to move them all without babies.

They're both little darlings. I was planning on maybe keeping one and selling the other. But somehow I can see them growing old together!

If I remember correctly, you will be breeding 'tiels, also.
You will totally enjoy having tame birds as breeders !

Ah beautiful Tasmania, planning to go there one day for sure
I can understand if a breeder wants to sell all her/his flock, but I can't understand why she couldn't have waited till the bubs had fledged
At least you've got them and it sounds like you're a real doting mum
Do you have any other birds??
I have one aviary with mum and dad tiel, their 4 babies and 1 stranger , a 7 month old whiteface male.
I am trying to sell the whiteface and at least one of the 4 babies, there are 2 males and 2 females and I am keeping the girls, both girls have such lovely personalities
One of them is a cinnamon, we named her Mocha, the other one a pied, called Gem, they are both gorgeous.
The two boys are a pearl and a pearl pied, I would like to keep the pearl pied for now as I like his colours and he has developed quite a nice song.
The dad, Noah, has completely stopped singing since I gave him his partner Meg , that was over a year and a half ago and it's a real shame as Noah has a beautiful song
I wouldn't mind keeping all of them at the moment as there is plenty of room in this aviary but I am worried about fights starting once that whiteface reaches maturity.
He is already quite a dominant boy, he likes the cinnamon girl and preens her but has a go at Meg for some reason, perhaps he knows she is spoken for
I had more birds in a double aviary but sold them last week and had the aviary up for sale which is now on hold and will be picked up this week.
Aviaries are always in high demand I have noticed, even this time of the year when lots of people are away, I still had lots of enquiries

Do you have a large property Aussieparrots?
And do you keep any other animals?

Sounds like you have your hands full!

I'm living in suburbia at the moment, but use to live on a 100 acre property in Queensland. Hoping to return to the land in 3 years once I've finished uni and I know where I'm going to be located for work (I'm training to be a teacher). Up in Qld I trained performance horses (dressage) and also had cattle, sheep, pigs, dairy goats & meat rabbits. Plus of course the mandatory chickens! I've raised/fostered/rescued/released just about every Australian animal (the only 1 that I haven't had are Tassie Devils).

I'm setting up two aviaries at the moment - one for Tiels the other for Indian Ringnecks. I've plans to expand to another aviary for Quakers later in the year.

My dogs have all been brought up around animals (known as babies) and they often act as nursemaids for the young ones. Hinza my GSD x Rhodesian is acting as a 'nanny' and the hatchlings are her personal charges - it's very cute to watch! Judah, my Dalmatian, is the older been there, done that dog, and he's very nonplussed about them at the moment, he likes them once they've fledged and they can ride on his back! He thinks they're more interesting then!

AussieParrots wrote: Up in Qld I trained performance horses (dressage)

jealous