To hand feed baby cockatiels or not?

What you are talking about doing is called "co-parenting." There are a lot of people who think this is a great thing. I do not personally back up this method, but people who do it, are happy with the results.

I have been raising birds for a long time and I can tell you that if you do this, and the parents reject them for some reason, you must be prepared to hand-feed the babies. It is not any smell that you might leave on the babies that will upset the parents. It would more likely be the jealousy of you handling them.

If you have to hand-feed, it is possible, even when you have a full time job or school. Baby birds need to empty their crops once a day. Most breeders do this during their overnight time. They will feed the babies at bedtime, and then let them go 8 or more hours before they feed them in the morning.

You can make days the customary night time schedule most breeders keep. That's what I also do during the school year, as I am a teacher. I will feed them before I leave for school, around 7:30-8:00 am. Then I get home 3:30-4:00 and that would be their next feeding. They will have gone about 8 hours between these two feedings and that is not a bad thing. It gives their crops a good chance to completely empty. Then feed them around 8-9 pm, and again between 1 and 2 am. (Works for me, because I stay up kind of late)

Of course, it is different if you have to start feeding them younger than 10 days. I had some B&G macaws leave their nest box early in May and abandoned their eggs. I put them in the incubator and they hatched and I had to hand-feed from day 1 with them. I had to pack those little guys back and forth to school with me! I'm glad I only had to do that for a few weeks! Then school was out and I got to spend the summer with them at home all the time.

Cockatiels are excellent first birds for hand-feeding. They are generally very cooperative and easy to feed.

If you ever need any help or advice, you are certainly welcome to contact me. Good luck!

I got my cockatiel from a great breeder! She had been breeding for years. She had a great relationship with her tiels and would hold the babies when they were still in the egg. She didn't wait to hold them at all. I know this because I had picked out my Pete before he was ready to leave yet and she picked up her soon to hatch eggs and held it to my ear. You can hear them chirping threw the egg right before they hatch. So as long as your careful and your tiels love you don't wait. You'll miss out on a lot in ten days time.

Here's what I did:

I built a breeders box that had a removable lid. I would spy on the eggs and waited for them to hatch. After a few days I noticed the babies were strong enough to stand and poke their heads up looking for food so that's when I started feeding them.

After I fed them I put them back in their box for the parents to continue to care for as well. This made the babies just as friendly as if I had strictly handfed them and it was easy on me and my schedule. Anyone who argues or disagrees is just being ignorant.

They had 3 chicks and I had trouble parting with them.

I have heard a variety of opinions on this,and when or if you touch them depends on the Mom and Dads reaction when you do.Mostpeople begin touching them ASAP,but be prepared to feed them when you do,in case the Parents don't like it and abandon them.Keep your touching limited at first,and work up to a few minutes.

I am in a yahoo community for birds. You need to join a few and talk to some breeders. Its not an easy task and I dont know if I would personally attempt it. There is alot involved and you would have to be prepared for different emergencies or it could end in tragedy. Please check it out first.

id not do any, just in case something might occur. of course, it's your choice. i have to say i agree with ten days.

i would agree ten days is enough time to develop

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