Emmy 528 Report post Posted September 28, 2016 Some time ago I decided to tape up the entrance to the cockatiels' nest box in the outside flight because I didn't want them to breed any more this year. A while ago when I was checking everything was OK in the outside flight I opened their nest box to make sure everything was dry and OK and that's when I had a shock!! Instead of an empty nest box I was faced with an angry 'dad' who obviously didn't want to be disturbed as he was sitting on 4 eggs Bambino with the 4 eggs What had happened to the tape on the entrance to their nest box??? It was then that the 'penny dropped' I remembered just as I was about to tape it up I received a phone call and had to come out from the aviary. Later that day I had found the roll of tape in my pocket and I had convinced myself I had taped up the entrance (one of those 'senior' moments ) Now I just have to wait to find out if 'Bambino and Toots' will feed their chicks this time round. In the past every clutch they have had they have stopped feeding the chicks before the chicks could feed themselves and I have had to hand rear every one of their chicks. Fingers crossed this time will be different. The 4th chick hatched the day after this photo was taken Emmy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare L 175 Report post Posted September 28, 2016 Hi Emmy, Good luck with that?? Hope all goes well with them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted September 28, 2016 Thanks Clare, I have discovered one of my other cockatiels ( bully boy) is trying to stop Bambino and Toots getting to the food in the inside flight ( I feed them all in the inside flight) so to make sure they are getting enough food to feed their chicks I have put some seed + millet spray and some egg food inside the nest box (but away from the chicks). Couldn't think of any other way to solve the problem as it's not possible to remove 'Big Boss' ) Emmy 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare L 175 Report post Posted September 29, 2016 Good idea, hope it works? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted October 5, 2016 Putting the food into the nest box wasn't really a good Idea I think they overfed the youngest one (if that is possible?) It's crop was full to bursting and its stomach was bulging too. I had a feeling it wasn't digesting its food. The next morning I found it had been pushed to the side of the nest box and it was cold and hardly moving. I brought it in and put it into the incubator and it came around and after that I gave it 2 / 3 drops of electrolyte solution then I put it into the brooder while I made up some apple sauce (this has worked in the past) but when I went back to get the chick sadly it had died. The other three are just lovely the oldest one it two weeks old today two weeks old just about two weeks old youngest Emmy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted October 7, 2016 This morning about 11am when I checked on the chicks in their nest box in the outside flight - I discovered they hadn't been fed and no food in their crop. Before, at this time in the morning their crops had always been full. I wasn't prepared to take a chance that the parents would come back to feed them, so they are in the house now and being hand reared using the hand rearing formula. So far they are taking the formula from a syringe with no problems -could be they were just so relieved to get some food it didn't matter how they got it. Just shows how things can change in a short space of time. Just thinking it's just a good job I had already decided not to go to Stafford because if I had arranged to go I would have had to cancel it now I have three babies to feed Emmy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted October 9, 2016 On 10/7/2016 at 22:58, Emmy said: Just thinking it's just a good job I had already decided not to go to Stafford because if I had arranged to go I would have had to cancel it now I have three babies to feed Just wished I could have been to Stafford today, but now I've just to sit and dream what I would have been doing IF I had been there !?! What would that have been??? Don't have to think twice about that -- spending money but I'm still spending money there today my friend is buying things for me Hope everyone has a nice time there. So far my wee 'babies' are doing OK. Emmy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaveP 32 Report post Posted October 12, 2016 Nothing new there then Emmy back to the hand rearing it must be second nature now. You would just have come home from Stafford with more birds to sneak in so maybe a blessing lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted October 12, 2016 I really missed going to Stafford Dave, but my friend did managed to get what I wanted - not birds!!! The smallest of the three chicks isn't doing so good just now. I had to take it to the vet on Monday to get its crop emptied, I know how to do this but I'm very apprehensive to do it myself because it would be so easy to make a small mistake and it could easily die. I had thought it was perhaps sour crop but I was told the vet found that a few seeds had been stuck in its crop from the time when it had been getting fed by the parents . Now it has to be fed very small amounts of formula but often. So it has been getting fed every hour ( but not during the night) gradually increasing the amount of formula and the time between feeds, but at the moment its not looking too good. All three are still in the brooder with the temperature increased. This is the wee one just back from the vet on the 10th October after getting its crop emptied How's your cockatiels doing Dave, any of them 'Talking' yet ? Emmy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaveP 32 Report post Posted October 15, 2016 Hi emmy they are doing grand but have transferred them into aviary and they seem to be enjoying flying around more than in the living room. They are very accurate flyers now but didn't cope too well when let out the cage in house. Patch as I called him tells me he is a cheeky boy and other interesting noises. Spot chatters but not speaking ,but she is more vocal being outside she was very quiet in the cage. They are both very good joiners and have removed most of the corners from aviary wood .lol Will need to get across to see you before the winter weather creeps in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted October 30, 2016 Sadly the wee one died but the other two are just adorable - if they hadn't been ordered I think I would have kept them. They are still getting the formula but just 3 times a day now and they are eating seed and greens as well a cuttlefish plus the occasional bit of a rich tea biscuit. Guess they will soon be giving me lessons on the computer (lol) It's not ending with those two though, two other pairs have eggs in nest boxes one has 4 eggs and the other pair have 3 eggs (one of those three eggs hatched out today.) Cuddles the one I hand reared from when it hatched out in the incubator is whistling tunes now so it's going to be a 'talker' too. Mad house this is with Bobby the parrot chatting away, then Tiko the Baraband parrot joins in and now Cuddles! no need for CD's in my house Emmy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
