Emmy

Best Wishes on your special day Emmy

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

Anything you want to know please just ask and I'll help if I can. I have actually hand reared a zebra finch (Shadow) and also 3 Bengalese. If you go to 'Blogs' my story about that is there. The title is 'Hand Rearing Birds' there's photographs of the various stages of growth as well. Thought you may like to see this - This is a cockatiel egg I have in the incubator and the photo was taken on the 2nd day after It showed it was fertile (4th October 2016) 10th October 2016 Same egg on the 8th day of incubation Emmy

So glad it has worked out for you - that had worked for me before-- I think the hardest part for me was getting the string tied through the bars while all the time. 'talking' to the culprit and threatening if he didn't leave its mate alone and play with the string next time it wouldn't be the string getting tied to the cage it would be him Hope it continues to keep him amused. Emmy

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

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.

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

If you need any more help please just post. Emmy

Try tying some string to the cage and he may go for that rather than the female's tail. Use just ordinary parcel string cut 6/7 10cm lengths fold it in half and loop it through the cage wires. this has worked for me in the past. but If he then continues to peck at the female I would separate them. The female should be able to feed the three chicks on her own. Hope this helps. Emmy

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

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

Welcome to the forum Jam. Like Clare I have a variety of birds in my outside aviary including cockatiels and they get along fine.

Welcome to the forum Springy, It's so nice to hear rescue things like that happening - most people would probably think "It's only a bird" and walk on but those wee things have every right to a life too and I know you'll get a lot of pleasure watching him sitting in his cage 'singing' to you. Emmy

Sorry this is a bit late but I hope you had a nice day celebrating your birthday Emmy

How time flies-- and Cuddles is flying now too --from a perch and from the floor onto my hand (and my head) guess he needs a bit more practice at landing Post some new photos soon with him and his new toy () Emmy

Stephen its worth all the effort you should try it and if you want any information I'll help if I can. Latest update on Cuddles 12 days later from the photo above: Having our lazy afternoon time. "I'm not a 'little dinosaur' any more and I have started to eat millet."

Wishing you A Very Happy Birthday, and that you had a nice day celebrating. Emmy

This is the new layout I have for Cuddles-- no heating, large bird bath (no water in bath) fleece on the bottom covered with paper. It can now go in and out of the 'bath' area and goes in there to sleep with the little teddy Maybe just coincidence but it always comes out when it needs 'the toilet' (lol) so the bed area is always clean. (Wish they were all like that - but I guess that will change) Use a wire grid on top for safety and it lets air in CUDDLES From this (13th June 2016) (to this -14 days later ) (27th June 2016) Emmy

An update on the chick I'm hand rearing: 'Cuddles' is going longer between feeds and I'm now feeding it using a syringe All heating has been switched off in the brooder and the layout inside the brooder is changed too. This is to allow the chick to move about freely- so it can use its legs properly. (I'll be taking a photograph of the new layout tomorrow) It still likes to get petted after its been fed "Can I have some more please" (should have named it Oliver-after Oliver Twist) - this is going to be one spoiled chick. Emmy

Best Wishes on you rBirtdhay Paul Emmy

Cuddles hatched out in the incubator on the 13th June 2016 and has been hand reared from day one. Cuddles will be another permanent guest here (lol) Cuddles 4 days old link to you tube https://youtu.be/_vY185YqdYY Cuddles one week old link to you tube https://youtu.be/eqsLcT14LSw Emmy

Lovely birds you have there. They all look so contented. I really like their colours. Thanks for sharing your photos. Emmy

Welcome to the forum looking forward to reading your posts and wishing you good luck with your new set up. Emmy

Sorry I can't help with the identification Andy but would just like to say the are lovely birds. Emmy

Glad they survived Sarah Emmy