My cockatiel bit her baby and won't feed it. What should I do?

Question

Hi, my 2 cockatiels laid 9 eggs over the course of a month and 1 hatched yesterday. It is her first time laying eggs and she bit the baby. Now she allows it to stay in the nest but she doesn't feed it and instead just sits on the other eggs. What should we do? Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

First time and young parents may not know what to do with a baby and may need assistance from you. It may also be that she is still focused on the unhatched eggs instead of the baby. Purchasing a syringe and some baby bird formula (most pet stores will carry this) is best. The formula should have instructions for how much to feed and how often depending on your bird's size, age and breed, however most baby birds will need to be fed frequently. You can check how full they are by looking at the crop, which is a sort of "balloon" just under the chin that is usually more visible before their feathers come in-- when full, it will fill up, and when hungry it will be empty. If the baby doesn't seem to be getting fed enough, stepping in with supplementation can help. If the mother and father are picking on the baby heavily, or kicking it out of the nest completely, you may need to move him to a separate cage that is kept warm with a nest and heat lamp, and provide all feedings yourself.

My cockatiel bit her baby and won't feed it. What should I do?

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