'billie': Record Of Cockatiel Chick's Development After Hatching
Some of the information here has already been posted in a previous 'Blog' but I decided to start at the beginning from the day Billie hatched and this photograph was taken approx. 5 minutes after Billie had hatched out from the egg.
(As I don't know the sex of the chick yet to make things simpler I'll refer to Billie as - he. )
For the first 9 hours I left him in the incubator along with the nine Chinese Painted Quail eggs that hadn't yet hatched out.
At 9pm that evening I transferred Billie to the brooder:
The brooder is a large plastic box with a lid, an air vent at one end and a fitting for a light bulb at the other end. This was fitted with a 60 watt red light bulb, which is left switched on 24/7 to provide some of the heat required.
Setting up the inside of the brooder:
First a large towel was folded to fit the base of the tub then that was covered with a non slip material.
For the first two weeks, inside the brooder, I'll be using a large bird bath -lined in a similar way to the tub- this helps to keep the chick contained and also helps with the heating. Inside this bird bath I also use a hand size wheat filled microwave pouch which I heat for 30 seconds and this is wrapped in a piece of fine sheeting and a dent made in the middle where I place the chick. I then cover the chick with a small cushion made from gauze and filled with soft wool nesting material. This is placed on top of the chick to represent the mother keeping it warm after hatching.
This is the first time I have also used a dog warmer pad, this is sold for dogs that have health problems and need a constant source of heat to relieve pain. It is heated in the Microwave for 6 minutes and it keeps warm for 10 hours, I put this underneath the bird bath- The dog warmer pad is vey handy especially for during the night.
Also in a corner behind the bird bath, (opposite side to the light bulb )--I've placed a tub of water ( I add a sheet of paper towel into the tub to absorb some of the water in case it spills) This creates some moisture inside the brooder.
Billie is now 'fluffying' up and is getting covered in yellow down.
Feeding: I am using NutriBird A21 hand rearing food by versele-laga (green lid) and I make up a fresh batch every feed. Day 1-2 it is one portion of hand rearing food to 6 portions of water.
As Billie gets older the proportions of food /water will change - the mixture will finally look like a creamy custard and he will be fed this until he gets introduce to millet spray.
At the moment I'm using a crop tube to feed him but and as he gets older I'll either use a syringe or a special feeding spoon.
Day 1: I fed him ever 2 hours - during the night as well just to make sure he was OK
.
Day 2: Time between feeds was lengthened to 2 1/2 hours / 3 hours -still getting fed during the night as well.
Day3: Now that the portion of hand rearing food has been increased I'm trying to increase the length of time between feeds to 3- 3 1/2 hours but it will all depend on how long it takes for Billie's crop to empty. Before feeding him its something I always check -if there is food in his crop I leave feeding
him until a little later. So far everything is going to plan and he is taking the food without any problems.
Some photos of Billie:
1. January 18th: Day two.
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2. January 19th: Day 3.
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Tuesday January 20th 2015.
Billie has put on weight (2gm) since hatching. He is coping with a longer interval between feeds too and is becoming more active.
A few more photographs taken this morning:
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Wednesday, January 21st 2015.
New photograph taken today: getting stronger too. Increasing the strength of the hand rearing food.
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Thursday, January 22nd 2015
This afternoon I stopped using the crop tube/syringe to feed Billie. I am now using the 'feeding spoon' and Billie is having no problems with being given the food this way.
This is the feeding spoon I use:
Billie now weighs 11g - weighed just under 5g on 17th January -day of hatching.
New photograph taken this morning:
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Friday, January 23rd 2015
I think there will be a big change in Billie within the next few days. Noticed late last night that Billie's eyes are beginning to open.
This is a link to short video clip of Billie being fed by the feeding spoon:
!.30pm today waiting to be fed:
Tonight after being fed at 6pm Billie weighed 20g 
! 
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Monday , January 26th 2015
This is Billie tonight just after his last feed, moving about a lot more now and eyes are fully opened.
Billie now weighs just over 30g.
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Tuesday, January 27th 2015
Billie has just been fed (now weighs 40g) loves to get petted and then cuddles in and sleeps. 
Feathers are now beginning to appear on Billie's head.
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Wednesday, January 28th 2015: (the start of the12th day from hatching).
Using a normal syringe to feed Billie - for alternate feeds.
Noticed this morning tail feathers beginning to appear and a few more on its head too.
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Thursday January 29th 2015 (day 13 since hatching)
This is the 1st time I haven't had to feed Billie during the night - 6 hours between last night's 11pm feed to 1st feed this morning 5a.m.
(Photo taken last night after his 11pm feed)
This photo taken this morning showing the beginning of feathers developing on Billie's breast.
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Friday January 30th 2015 (beginning of day 14 since hatching)
'Billie' is two weeks old today and what a transformation has happened in that short time.
Billie does not need to be fed during the night now (last feed at night approx. 11pm and 1st feed next morning approx. 6am--( by then, by his actions, I believe he would be able to eat a 'horse' 
)
After you have seen this video link I think you will agree with me that I have a lovely cuddly new addition to the family. 
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Saturday January 31st 2015 (day 15 since hatching)
Billie now weighs 72g
I have changed the bulb inside the brooder from a red 60watt bulb to a clear 40 watt bulb.
I'm using the dog warmer pad at night time only and the small wheat bag inside the 'bird bath bed' during the day.
I have had to put him into a 1litre plastic container when feeding him now. He was jumping out from the previous one.
Today I may remove the 'bird bath bed' from the brooder for a while to see how Billie copes with more space and I may put in a millet spray just to see what happens.
Billie in the 1litre tub:
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Sunday February 1st 2015 (day 16 since hatching)
This was the longest Billie has gone between feeds. His final feed last night was at 10.35pm and his first feed this morning was 7.15am (that was my fault - too late going to bed last night -sorting out the diamond doves) this hasn't done him any harm - but he definitely was hungry lol He now weighs 87g It's amazing how quickly the 'feathers' are all forming now. He's beginning to look like a little hedgehog lol.
Short video: Billie having a little walk lol
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Monday February 2nd 2015 (day 17 since hatching)
I'm just hoping I don't have another day like today. It has just made me be more aware just how much Billie means to me.
It started this morning with Billie appearing to be hungry but after the first taste couldn't take any more and his crop was quite swollen in fact it looked like he had just been fed and he hadn't been fed since last night. Thinking he may be needing a bit more room to move about, and at the same time keeping the temperature stable in the brooder, I re-arranged the heating and used a heat pad that can keep the temperature at the level I wanted.
This made no difference to Billie and he still wasn't taking any food - he did actually take a tiny bit off the feeding spoon but that was it! It was becoming obvious he wanted to eat but couldn't . His crop was very swollen too.
Next step was to 'phone the vet for an emergency appointment and I was lucky to get one for 6.20pm tonight.
The vet said his crop was full of air and Billie also had food in his crop that hadn't been digested.
What the vet did was to make Billie regurgitate some of the food from its crop (to me it would have been the same as making Billie vomit) I didn't see the next part being done because He had to take Billie into another area but the vet explained what he had done. He had used a hypodermic syringe to extract air from Billie's crop I'm not sure if he said he had removed some fluid as well.
I had been making the mistake of letting Billie eat until he was full. I was advised not to feed him again this evening nor during the night but to wait until tomorrow morning just give him a little food no more than 5ml and don't feed him again until his crop is empty even if Billie is begging for more. Vet reckon every 3hours would be OK.
The vet did say Billie was a bit stressed after what had been done (no wonder) but just to keep him quiet and warm. Well the good news is Billie looks OK now and his crop is not distended.
I'm just so lucky having such a good vet so near to where I live.
But one thing is certain, I don't want to go through another day like today.
I've just taken this photo of Billie tonight - what a difference from this morning :good:
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Tuesday February 3rd 2015 (day 18 since hatching)
So far so good, I was up at 5am checking on Billie and he was begging for food but I didn't give in 
and I waited until 7am before I fed him.
My problem then -- I was a bit confused re the amount of food the vet recommended at each feeding - I know he said no more than 5gm but did he mean 5gm of formula before adding the water or 5gm with the water added-that makes a big difference so I decided I'd weigh Billie before I fed him and weigh him at intervals during the feeding until he was 5gm heavier then stop. It was difficult to stop feeding him because it was obvious he was still hungry but whenever the scales showed he weighed 5gm heavier I stopped feeding him.
It's very difficult to be 100% sure his crop is empty before feeding him again so I'm going to feed him every 31/2 --4 hours and just to be sure and I'll just keep weighing him before and after feeds. I wont be feeding him during the night. I'm hoping Billie will cope with that.
He had a long snooze cuddled up in my hand this afternoon -not sure who enjoyed it most- me or him
Update 11pm: Billie is not looking good. He was hungry at 10pm and after the first little drop of food from the spoon he seemed to be having difficulty and his crop started to swell again. The sad thing is he was hungry. I've now got him in his warm box inside the brooder and pray that he'll settle down until the morning and hope that he has had enough food during the day to keep him going. I'll phone the vet first thing to ask for advice and get an appointment. Just wished I knew what has suddenly gone wrong when he was doing so well. I'll be checking on him regularly during the night.
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Wednesday February 4th 2015 (day 19 since hatching)
I've just phoned the vet and I'm taking Billie down at noon today. I've confirmed the amount of food he recommended me to give Billie, but what I don't like is each time Billie was fed yesterday his crop started to swell up (not with the food) it was like he was having difficulty swallowing . About 8am I managed to get Billie to take just a little of the formula using the syringe but the same happened.
Last night I really thought he wasn't going to make a recovery, but I'm just so glad I can get him to the vet in about two hours time to try to discover what is actually happening - This time round it just cant be Billie overfeeding.
Just wondering if Billie could have been taking in too much air when he's feeding when he has been really hungry?
Update: 2.30pm: What a difference after the visit to the vet. I was glad I had been doing the correct thing re the feeding - Billie's to get 5ml (one teaspoonful) of prepared formula and no more at each feed. Before I give it to Billie I have to add just a tiny drop of olive oil to the mixture -just a drop from the end of a needle -I used a cocktail stick then used that to stir the formula and I fed him using the syringe. (I'm sure vet said the oil would help to break up the surface tension inside its crop)Another thing the vet said was to wait until Billie was actually begging for food - where its neck would be fully stretched that way any air he may take in can be expelled.
Very lucky that Billie did beg for his food and he 'scoffed the lot' he wont get any more now for at lest another 2hours. and he's now sound asleep in his cosy bed.
The vet did say anything could still happen. Although I knew that I didn't like hearing it being said.
One thing for sure if I hadn't found this wonderful vet Billie would never have survived.
I'm exhausted so I'm going to sit down and have a coffee and put my feet up for a hour or so! I'll update this again tonight.
Update 6.15pm
Billie had a 2nd feed at 4.30pm and once again I was lucky to get him wanting to beg for to be fed.
I didn't handle him much and put him straight back into the warm bed in the brooder and he has slept since then. I checked on him just now and once again he is begging for food (see attached photo which was taken just now at 6.20pm) but there seems to be still some food in his crop so I'll check again at 7pm just to be sure the crop is empty. The vet did say not to worry if it was longer between feeds and that Billie wouldn't starve (lol) better to have the crop completely empty.
Just keeping my fingers crossed that adding that tiny drop of olive oil does the trick.
(I do have two more photos of Billie before he went to the vet - I'll post them here but if its not allowed Gary please let me know and I'll delete them.)
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Thursday February 5th 2015 (day 20 since hatching)
The beginning of this day has been a nightmare!! Because Billie hadn't fed since 8.30pm last night I set the alarm to check on him at 2am. I got a shock!! He was sitting very still, all huddled up, didn't move when I touched him and he was VERY cold. I really thought he had died. When I lifted him into my hand I thought I felt him move a little and for a moment, because I was so upset, I just couldn't think what to do. I knew the most important thing was to get him warm but it would take too long for the incubator to heat up so I popped him inside my top so he was next to my skin and kept him there until I fixed up somewhere to get him the extra heat he needed.
I reheated the dog warmer pad and the small hand wheat bag. but even that wasn't enough so I also heated the large wheat bag as well. I had to make sure Billie didn't have direct contact with these so I made up a 'bed' by putting a sheepskin rug onto an easy chair and put the dog warmer pad onto the rug then putting the wheat bags around the heat pad and then covering them with material and paper towels and he has been kept warm like this since then. I have had to keep reheating the wheat bags to keep the temperature at a high level. From time to time I have taken him onto my hand and 'talked' to him and he responded to that.
About 4.30am a wonderful thing happened he started begging for food. I felt I had just been given a million pounds and what was even better he actually stretched his neck to be fed. He had 1 teaspoonful of the mixed up formula plus that tiny drop of oil he would have taken more but I didn't give him any more.
From then he has been in the 'bed' I made up and again from time to time I hold in my hand.
He had another feed at 7am, once again begging for the food and stretching his neck to be fed-- I hope I'm not tempting fate saying this- but so far no excess swelling of his crop.
1st photo putting him in the new bed.
2nd photo after his 7am feed
Guess there's no sense in me going to bed now but I don't mind so long there is a chance Billie will get over this blip
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Saturday February 7th 2015 (day 22 day since hatching)
Missed two updates but how things have been the past two days I was beginning to think there would be no more updates. Billie has been ill again. His crop wasn't emptying and he seemed to be becoming dehydrated.so its been a case of more nights without sleep. I have been given lots of advice from one of our new members (fetchingfinches) and tonight Billie is looking a little bit better but he's 'not out of the woods' yet. So I'm hoping everyone who reads this will keep their fingers crossed that he can get over this 'blip' - well better correct that - not a blip for me its a nightmare and I'm worried sick. (he's been getting baby apple puree, probiotics and tiny drops of olive oil with his formula.) What I couldn't find was rehydration fluid that could be given to babies.
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Sunday February 8th 2015 (day 23 since hatching)
Another bad day for Billie. Feeding has been very erratic and he has been sick too - very glad he survived that. I'm giving him probiotics (mixing up the solution and using that to make up the formula instead of sterile water. He is not getting the apple puree/water now and I'm not putting the drop of oil in his food.
20 minutes later
This is something I'd hope I would never have had to post:
I'm really very upset at the moment because Billie was sick again and this time he didn't make it.
15 minutes ago Billie died in my hands and I've just buried him.
In some ways I'm blaming myself because I fed him the same way I did with the other nine I had hand reared. I let him feed until he didn't want any more and that worked up until last week when I had to take him to the vet. So I may have overfed him. I'm really going to miss him he was such a lovely little thing.
So sadly this blog ends here but I thank you all for your support and interest in Billie.
Emmy
This is the last photo of Billie taken this afternoon.
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