My baby Cockatiels egg just hatched!!

Mizzy

In the Brooder
9 Years
Jul 15, 2010
25
3
22
Ooltewah
This will be my first time hatching cockatiel eggs. I have raised baby chickens, but that's it. (well, and 3 little rugrats lol)

I have everything ready to hand feed when the time comes or if one of the babies gets rejected for some reason. Right now the first of 4 eggs hatched. One naked little bird is sitting under the male bird ugly as ever lol.
My question is when is it safe to pick the babies up? Do I need to weigh them? I know when you hand feed, you need to weigh every day to check weight gains or loss (hopefully not loss) The male bird is not very happy with me peeking in. The male and female are not friendly at all. So I just left well enough alone. I had read on some sites though that you should come in and check the babies out and hold them each day, but it never says when to actually start doing that?
 
The best thing you can do is let the parents take care of them.I would not disturb them very much.After the babies are a couple of weeks old,you can handle them for very short periods of time.If you plan on hand feeding them,let the parents take care of them for 2-3 weeks,then you can take over.But when you do,they will be all yours.Good luck with the little ones!
 
Ohhh great, Mine are sitting on the eggs this will be the second day, please keep us updated, and if you can a pic would be nice
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Thanks Kenn, I'll leave them be then. I did check them to see if they were pink and doing ok, but if I open the box, the male bird gets really mad and steps all over them. I did sneak a quick picture (not very good since it was dark in the box, but you can see some pinky things in there lol)

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Thats the male bird. He seems to be doing the most work with taking care of the eggs and feeding the baby. The female just kinda squawks at him all the time and eats lol. And if they are both in the nest box and I open the lid, she bites at him like he did something wrong lol...

I'll have to post more pictures when they are a bit bigger. And good luck with your babies Nava
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looks good but i warn you dont go into the box unless the parents arnt in it, and for now just leave them in the box but when they open there eyes you can start to handle them a little bit each day for socailiztion. do you know how to handfeed? also if you do feed there babies please abundnce ween them here a good artical on it
http://www.itsagreysworld.com/articles/abundant.htm
http://forums.avianavenue.com/breeders-boulevard/481-how-hand-feed-baby.html-this
is how to handfeed properly

good luck and have fun...they grow fast! i just stoped feed paco and violet
 
Congratulations. My babies are just 7-8 weeks ahead of yours. Many of your questions were mine. Both parents were very protective in the begining. I let the parent tiels take care of the babies and they did a great job. Better than I could have. Papa bird did most of the feedings, and still is to this day. The babies are as big as he is but they still gang up on him and hiss to be fed. It's like the female is saying I layed those eggs now you take care of them. The babies are all flying around. I play with them every day and they will come to me for treats. Millet for sure and seeds. They are on a pellet diet. I suggest to let the parents feed them and when they get to be 3 weeks or so hold them for short amounts of time. Dont forget the parents and give them treats as well. Let them know that they are still your pets.
 
I used to breed cockatiels and I let the parents feed them for the first bit, but watch them, sometimes they will start plucking the babies (to get them out so they can have another clutch). I also usually at least partially hand fed them after a few weeks so they would be tame. WE handled them after about the first week.
 
Quote:
Usually the male will feed in the day or night and the female the other time. she may be doing all the night feedings.
 
Congrats! on your baby cockatiels that must be quite amazing to see. But yes try not to get too close to the nest box, the parents might abandon them if you do.

Good Luck!
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