Instructions
Take the baby cockatiel from his nest box approximately two to three weeks after he is born and put him in a brooder the night before you are going to hand feed him. Be sure the brooder is clean and disinfected. Warm the brooder to approximately 93 degrees Fahrenheit. Put some wood shavings, like pine, on the floor and then a layer of paper towels for the baby cockatiel droppings.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, water and hand sanitizer before making the formula. Make the formula in a sterilized glass bottle, using sterile or boiled water to destroy bacteria and parasites that could be present in tap water.
Check the temperature with a thermometer to make sure it's around 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make a fresh batch each time you feed the baby cockatiel. Use a syringe and do not put the syringe back into the formula after you have fed the baby. Feed him by inserting the syringe into the left side of his mouth and pointing the syringe toward the right, interior side of his mouth. Let the formula slowly drip into his mouth. Use a separate syringe for each baby.
Slowly feed the baby cockatiel so the formula is going into the crop where the formula will be moved into the digestive track. The crop looks like a little sack underneath his throat at the top of his breast. Do not overfeed the cockatiel. Feed the baby in small quantities. One site suggests feeding the baby 1 to 2 cc's for the first one to four days, every two hours. Feed the baby 2 to 3 cc's the next five to seven days for every three hours. Slowly increase the amount to 11 to 15 cc's once a day until the baby is 45 days old. Babies wean around 8 weeks old.
After the baby is fed, wipe any formula off his beak, feathers and skin with warm water. Also clean the inside of his mouth with a cotton swab and warm sterile water.
Before and after feeding the baby, sterilize and disinfect any syringes, spoons and glass bottles used to make the formula.
Source: ehow
Author: Kelly Smith
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