Cockatiel Egg and Chick Thread

[SnowyShiloh]

Good news is Phoenix's crop is a bit softer this afternoon. Bad news is partway through when I had him out, he started clicking when he breathed! I checked him again 10 minutes later and it stopped, but that's certainly not good. I wonder if he could have breathed in a tiny bit of food from his crop. I hope he doesn't get pneumonia.

The other chicks are doing well. I'm having a harder time differentiating between Teddy and Neeja because they hatched 1 day apart and the size difference between them is getting less noticeable. We think Kieran may be a girl because he's very hissy and apparently girl babies tend to hiss more. It doesn't mean he doesn't like me, hissing is a natural thing for little chicks.

 

[TinysMom]

Yeah - they're starting to get cuter...

 

[Pipp]

Funny... you know how when a song gets into your head? Or sometimes a movement? I found myself doing a weird little 'sway' while cooking, it seemed oddly familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it at first...

... and then I realized I was imitating the video of Arthur! :headsmack

PS: Good vibes for Phoenix!

sas :laughsmiley:

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Sas, that's so funny! They do the swaying I think to make themselves look more dangerous. Hilarious because the babies do it too (you can see Kieran swaying in the video).

Poor baby Phoenix isn't doing so hot. He's still clicking but it's quieter. I checked on him and his crop didn't have much in it but it was very doughy feeling again, which is bad. I decided to supplement him with some super watered down formula on the advice of the cockatiel breeder I've been in contact with. I don't want to try to feed him unless he genuinely is in danger and he is, so the risk of him aspirating is low than the risk of him dying without me trying to help. I nervously went about preparing the formula... Everything has to be sterile and the perfect temperature and consistency... Went to get Phoenix... and Poppet had just fed him! His crop is so full. Thankfully it doesn't feel doughy anymore since he got some fluids, but I'm willing to bet it will be doughy again here soon when the runnier food drains into his stomach. He's not actually dehydrated anymore, which is good, but the doughy food in his crop is dangerous. Since it appears the doughy food isn't draining into his stomach, that means it's just sitting there and will start to ferment and could grow yeast and other bad baby bird killing things. I'm going to be checking him every hour or so all night and supplementing him with the runny formula if his crop isn't full so we can hopefully dissolve the doughy food so he can digest it.

This may sound terrible, but I'm trying to emotionally detach from him in case he doesn't make it. Crop problems and breathing problems in a 2 day old chick are very bad things. I'll try everything to make him live but won't be surprised if he doesn't. At least we have 3 other healthy chickies.

 

[Nela]

Shiloh,

It's a natural reflex to want to detach ourselves from them when they are not 100%. After this, I don't think we'll be naming any of our pets with anything 'ash' or related to ash. :expressionlessHere's hoping lil Phoenix gets through alright. Keeping you all in my thoughts!

 

[hartleybun]

ray:

 

[landi]

Hope little Pheonix is ok his that chick 4 by any chance i am feeling it for you we got chick 1 around an hour ago from our 2nd clutch
leaseplease: little pheonix fight it

 

[LuvaBun]

Sending positive vibes for little Phoenix ray:

Why do those pictures of Kieren remind me of a vulture :?:biggrin2:

Jan

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Phoenix is still hanging in there! He's not dehydrated. And he just pooped on me. But his crop is back to being doughy and seedy. It's plump and fairly soft when he's just been fed, then goes doughy as it empties. None of the chicks looked like they'd been fed in a while and all but Kieran had slightly doughy, seedy crops. I really hope they aren't all developing a problem! However I just heard Arthur feeding them so I'd imagine they've plumped up again. The parents haven't eaten any millet in about 12 hours so it's rather concerning that they have millet in their crops. I will check them again in a couple hours.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Arthur and Poppet are being huge doofuses. They want to only eat bread and millet. They can have a little of those foods, but not as their sole intake! Silly birds are refusing to eat pellets or mixed up baby bird formula and aren't feeding the chicks properly. 3 of the 4 chicks have doughy crops because of the bread. I've cut back the bread big time but they're just screaming for it now and refusing to eat other foods (other foods that they've been eating consistently for years). They really need to cut it out or I'm afraid I'll have to take the chicks away from them and hand feed them! It would be so much better if the parents would do it right though.

 

[myLoki]

Silly birds! They need a good spanking! hehe... I hope they stop being spoiled rotten!

t.:tantrum:

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Babies still aren't doing so great! I weighed them for the first time last night, and did it again tonight. They should be gaining about 4-6 g every day. Kieran gained 4 g. Teddy and Neeja gained 2 and Phoenix gained 1 Come on, Arthur and Poppet! Feed your children properly! And GROW, babies!

Little Kieran is the only one who's doing well at this point. He's getting more alert and actually didn't do his baby dinosaur impression (the begging to be fed sound that is very reminiscent of what I imagine a baby dinosaur sounds like) that much when I had them out to weigh them. He was looking around. I'll bet he likes being able to see, his eyes are close to being completely opened. Teddy did plenty of hissing and dinosauring though.

 

[Nela]

Hang in there, Shiloh :bunnyhug:Sending you all the positive vibes I can!

 

[landi]

this might sound silly but whilst feeding ours eat what ever is going the loved mashed potatoes also for the chicks of ours that are growin and starting to wean we soak seed in water to soften it parents are loving it too

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Look at my handsome big boy, Kieran :inlove: He was so awake this evening! Usually he only stays awake for about 30 seconds.

I have a video of him and one of all the chicks together but Photobucket's being weird again.

Poor little Phoenix who only gained 1 gram in the past day. Sleepy baby.

I hope everyone gets better. Worry worry. I'm glad at least that Keiran is doing okay. He didn't gain as much as I would have hoped, but 4 grams is better than nothing.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Okay, here is the video of Kieran!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Oh, gosh. My breeder friend thinks Kieran has sour crop after watching a video of him. To cure it, you have to empty the crop by either sucking out the contents or holding the chick upside down and forcibly squeezing out the contents so it comes out the baby's mouth. There's a serious risk of the chick aspirating on the food. There's pretty much no way I'm going to do that myself so I'm going to call the vet when they open. Hopefully she's there today and has some experience with this sort of thing (I know she sees cockatiels because she's treated the parents before).

 

[Nela]

Geez! ray:They sure are keeping you (and us) on your toes!

 

[JadeIcing]

Oh man good vibes your way.

 

[hartleybun]

ray:ray: healing vibes and good wishes coming your way!