Baby cockatiel can't fly,because of big stomach, why?

Question

I have 2 baby cockatiels who are pets and I raised hand fed- One is doing fine, but the other was taken care of by a friend , who I think overfed it? Now ,it's belly is big, and it wants to fly , but can't because of it's belly, will this go away?Otherwise ,it's doing fine, walks all over and eating real cockatiel food, yet sometimes need alittle cockatiel babyfood-I'm very concerned , as I feel badly for it- I think the person I had caring for them for 4 days, while I was away fed it to often?Anyone know what I can do for it? Thank-you-

Answer 1

If its gone past the weaning stage and is eating solids then you can now remove the hand rearing formula,

Cockatiels are one of the worst birds known for begging for food when they dont need it!

If your worried about removing it from handrearing food all together, take if off, and continue to measure its weight for a few days, its not uncommon for birds to shed weight when they come up to start flying,!

Its big belly could be due to as you say over feeding, but there could be something else, (it may have been dropped on its stomach) or something like that. If your really worried get it to a vet who can check it over.

Also you can by millet spray on a stick, avoid feeding this kind of thing if its too "fat" As it will only get worse, also consider weaning him onto pellets which are better for him to have than normal seed, and hopefully this may cause him to lose some of the podge on his stomach!

Make sure you offer it plenty of fresh fruit and veg in its diet as seed alone is no good,

Here is a short list of some fruits, veggies, and other foods: broccoli, spinach, kale, chard, peas, string beans, corn, carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, peppers, tomatos, cellery, hard-boiled or scrambled eggs (with no seasoning), apples, pears, bananas, grapes, mangos, papayas, cherries, apricots, kiwi, melons, pineapple, pasta

Make sure all are chopped small enough for him to eat, You can give him one thing from the list chopped up, or a mix of stuff from the list chopped up

At 7 weeks - Adult.. the cockatiel should weigh 90-110grams. and also They should not lose more than 10% of their top body weight during fledging.

This is a great site that is just for cockatiels, it has every bit of information that you could use when rearing them.

http://www.cockatielcottage.net/

Good luck with him!

Answer 2

First off if the baby is eating regular seed then stop feeding it formula...it doesn't need it! Some tiels are stubborn to wean and will keep begging for the formula, but force it to eat the seed (again, only if it's already eating on his own). This will reduce the belly bloat. Secondly, are you sure his flight feathers have come in yet?? This could also be why he isn't flying. You didn't say how old he was. As long as the babies are healthy and happy, don't worry so much about them...but please do work on the belly bloat.

Answer 3

My aunt and I have raised birds (of all kinds), it sounds as if your "baby" may have a tumor. Some are not deadly but can inhibit the bird from flight. Or, it could have bloat from feedings that were too close together and the food didn't have a chance to digest properly (ie' gas). Did you burp their crops after you fed them? Sounds weird but it's necessary. I would recommend a vet due to the possibility mentioned above, just to be safe.

Answer 4

It is logically for the 4 months old babies to each much more and they will ask more and more. They have to growth with their body, they organ and the brain development........ all of these need a lot of nutrients for developing. Therefore, you no need to doubting whether his is adnormal with the others. My cousin who's 2 month's old, she took 4 bottles of 8oz milk.

Answer 5

seems to me that the tiel needs to be seen by a vet. Maybe she aspirated it and something is going on that you are not seeing inside it.

Get it to a vet. Birds harbor things that you don't see until it's to late. Bacterial and fungal infections are common in birds.

Answer 6

Well if you are really concerned take it to a vet who is expieirenced with aviary . I would call them and ask them if maybe there is something they can tell you over the phone if not then I would definately get it to the vet . good luck .