Tamara Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Ok, so i know this is about Greys, which i have LOL Gabby is doing great! I havent been on here for a while. She actually said her first words a few days ago. Ill post that up in a bit. Right now i am handfeeding a baby cockatiel. She is 20 days old, but doesnt have any feathers. I got her at 14 days old and at 17 days had to bring her into the vets to get her tummy pumped as it was not going down at all!! I now have her at the right temperature, and right humidity, her crop goes down half way, sometimes a little more than half way in 3 1/2 to 4 hours. We rub her crop every hour, and can see that it is doing its thing moving and stuff back and forth by itself. My question is, how often should the crop empty??? I have heard 24 hours, i have heard 3 hours. Is it ok that it isnt emptying all the way, yet still empties some?? After every feed (Which i try every 4 hours and only give her from 1-2ccs depending on how much her crop has gone down) we message her crop. Then every hour on the hour, more if we can, we message. The vet told me that i didnt have her at the right temp and to just make sure the crop drains........and it is, just not as much as i have read it should. Any advice would be awsome!! I am so greatful for this sight!!! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamara Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Also, her crop isnt hard or green or anything. I feed her formula a little more watered down, and so her crop is squishy and feels like it should. Just thought you all should know LOL I have looked up sour crop and all that kind of stuff so i wanted to make sure you knew that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) Well, first off you're talking about tiels. What tiels and most other parrots have in common as far as feeding is that the crop should be empty before the next feeding is given. Doing that guarantees that the bird is getting the same exact amount of formula as the previous feeding. With some birds, the crop stays fuller for a while. The next bird may swallow quickly. All are different. Personally, I think that interfering with the swallowing time isn't a good idea. It's very easy to see the difference between a empty and full crop. I can show you pictures of empty and full crops. ****After every feed (Which I try every 4 hours and only give her from 1-2ccs depending on how much her crop has gone down) we message her crop. Then every hour on the hour, more if we can, we message.**** I have no idea why you're doing that. Did someone tell you to massage the crop?? Doing that may cause a bird to choke. A bulge in the crop should stay just like that----a bulge that very slowly disappears. It needs no coaxing or pushing or massaging unless something drastic is happening. So far , you mention nothing that makes me think that something drastic is happening. A bird who's being fed will eventually refuse formula when it gets full. That's nature at work. Will you continue to eat after you're full?? My question is, how often should the crop empty??? I have heard 24 hours, I have heard 3 hours. Is it ok that it isnt emptying all the way, yet still empties some?**** There is no set time. The crop should be visually empty before the next feeding. If you're giving 4 feeding, the you need to stay at 4 feedings. You should be feeding just because the crop is empty. You need to follow a set pattern. Any baby bird will show that 's hungry by moving around a little. A bird who's been fed will go to sleep and eventually wake up and become restless and will move around a bit. That sleep time is the time the food in the crop is slowing going into the stomach. Concerning the amount of formula given at each meal---I don't know the amount of formula that a tiel gets. That's something you have to ask your vet about. He knows the age, size of , type of formula and the amount of feedings the bird should be receiving and how to feed the bird. He should also be telling you what to do and more importantly,what not to do. You should be questioning him and cover the whole thing with him. That's what he's being paid for. The info you've been hearing or reading is very general and even worse, contradictory. ***The vet told me that I didn't have her at the right temp and to just make sure the crop drains.....**** I'm sure he didn't tell you to push formula down it's throat after being fed. Formula that goes into the stomach takes time. 2 pictures below-- 1-----2 birds with empty crops 2-----2 of the same birds with full crops It took 2 to 3 hrs for the bird's crops to empty. I didn't push the food down their throats. Where's the third bird?? He was still sleeping and a bird who's been fed and is sleeping afterward shouldn't be disturbed. They were all fed at the same time. The birds are awake and are looking and waiting for their next feeding. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/CopyofCopyofCHRIS1-1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/May22b-1.jpg Edited May 23, 2011 by Dave007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDS5607 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I agree with everything Dave said!! Good job, Dave ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamara Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 Thank you for ur replies the vet told me to message her crop every hour. Lol and I meant to say that he told me not to feed her until the crop is empty. Her crop feels and looks like it should. Just doesn't empty all the way between feedings. So I was wondering if that is something I should be worrying about. My vet is "on vacation" of all times to leave lol. Darn it. So I was hoping for all your inputs on it. Thanks again!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malikah Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 What temp and humidity are you keeping the brooder at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 More information would help us to help you, a partial picture may not result in the best answer. Dave has givien you great advice, there is also a Tiel specific site that may be another resource for you Tieltalk.com http://www.birdsnways2.com/chats/ncs/ncschat.cgi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Great pics Dave! Thanks for tshowing the difference for those of us that hVe never seen that before in such a light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamara Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 Thank u again everyone. But My beautiful baby pearl went to heaven this morning. I don't know where I went wrong. I've been crying all morning thinking what I could have done better at.........we had her a week today. A short period of time I know. But our lives evolved around her all week. It's so hard letting go........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I am so sorry Tamara, sometimes its just not meant to be, don't dwell on what was but maybe handfeeding is best left to those with experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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