Many pictures that feature birds in nests show baby birds with their mouths wide open begging for food, but baby birds don’t always do this
This article looks into why your baby cockatiel may not be begging for food.
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Baby cockatiel not begging for food:
Human babies cry when hungry and baby cockatiels will open their beaks and beg for food when hungry, but not all birds will do this.
This is why your baby cockatiel may not be begging for food:
The bird is cold:
Your baby cockatiel’s body temperature can affect their mood and whether they beg for food or not.
If the bird is chilled, if it is too cold, then the bird will not want to eat any food.
If the bird is cold and already has food in its crop then the food will not be digested because the food is too cold.
If the crop is not empty the bird will have no need to beg for food
What to do:
Chilling can be very dangerous for these little birds, if the bird is left unattended, and gets too cold, then the cold can kill the bird.
If you think that your bird is chilled then set a heating pad on low and leave the bird on the heating pad.
This should warm the bird up.
The bird should start to feel better and start to move around, as normal, 20 minutes into being on the heating pad.
Your bird’s body will soon move food from the crop into the stomach, and the bird will start to beg for food.
The bird is ill:
A baby cockatiel who is sick will look and feel sick.
One of the signs that a baby cockatiel is sick is a loss of appetite and this will look like the bird not wanting to eat.
The other symptoms that you may notice in your sick bird are weakness, self-isolation, sneezing, coughing, change in poop, and the bird may stop singing.
What to do:
Your bird may be sick with any of the many illnesses that affect cockatiels.
Figuring out what your bird is sick with, at home, can take up a lot of time, time that you’re bird simply does not have.
This is why it is recommended that you contact your nearest vet, or nearest avian vet, if you suspect that there is a problem with your bird.
The bird dislikes the food:
Another of the reasons why your bird may not be begging for food may be that the bird doesn’t like the taste of the feed that you’re giving it
What to do:
If you can’t immediately give your bird a different feed then try to feed the bird the feed in the morning.
Early in the morning is when the birds will be the most hungry and will be more likely to eat whatever you give them.
If the above doesn’t work, you can feed the bird temporary food until you can get a different feed for the bird.
Make sure that the foods that you do feed the birds are healthy, the young bird needs a balanced diet.
Include foods like vegetables and fruits.
Add a sprinkle of a good avian vitamin and mineral powder to the bird’s food. This will ensure that the bird gets all the nutrients it needs.
You can also try mixing some fruits and vegetables into your bird’s feed to see if it makes the feed taste better.
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