HELP! Baby Cockatiel does not want to eat

[Alexhhh]

I bought a baby cockatiel a week ago, the seller said he was about three to four weeks old. The problem is, it doesn't beg for food and wants to eat if it is not very hungry(like 8 hours no food, if it begs it only eat 3ml). I'm still using the seller's formula and I follow all the instructions, I have to use a syringe to force it to eat, if I use a spoon and insert into its beak it would just eat 2ml and step back, I really don't know why it doesn't beg for food and doesn't want to eat, it is still growing and looks healthy as I force it to eat the formula every day, I searched all websites and cannot find the answer unless the formula I got from the seller is bad, I did contact the seller and he told me that I'm lucky to have a baby cockatiel that does not beg for food because some babies don't stop begging, he asks me to keep forcing it to eat. Meantime, a guy from another forum said that the seller is fooling me because begging for food is its nature, if a bird does not want to eat much it means it is ill, the seller definitely knew this baby was not okay and is never going to admit that there is an issue with his bird, he believes that I should return the bird immediately if possible. However, I was been asked to pay cash only and he didn't give me a receipt, he refused to let me pick the bird the reason was I will scare those baby cockatiels which will cause them to die, he also said he selected the biggest one in the nest but seems not true by comparing to similar age cockatiels online. I don't know what the real reason that is causing it to loss appetite and what to do now, please help!

[maxollie]

Hi, and welcome to the community!! Through no fault of your own, you have been scammed by a person who was only looking for cash money, and was not telling you the truth at all. No breeder or person should ever sell a baby cockatiel until the bird is at least 12 weeks old, is able to perch and fly, eat seeds, drink water, and eat fresh veggies and fruits, and not need to be handfed at all.

Your tiel needs to be fed a good handfed formula from the petshop. It is canned powder with lots of good nutrients in it. You will need to feed the baby every 3 hours. And one feeding needs to be right before bedtime, about 7 pm. You can put a few seeds in a couple of the feedings, but mainly formula for at least 10 days, because there is no doubt in my mind that this baby has been starved. We must never limit the food of a baby bird. We can only imagine what would happen to a human baby if we did not feed it so it does not die.

If possible, I suggest you call an Avian vet in your area, and take the baby into the office for a wellness check. The vet will tell you exactly how to feed it, when to feed, and what to feed. Baby birds can starve very quickly, so, get your baby to the vet asap!!

Now, in reality, the seller, should have not sold the bird to you, and should be held responsible, but in this case, have nothing more to do with the seller, and seek help from the Vet, so that the baby will live and thrive, and be your best friend.

Please keep us posted. Go to youtube and search for feeding baby cockatiels. There are great videos there. Your baby still stands a chance to live and thrive, but you must begin feeding him as I suggested, until you can get him to a vet, and get good sdvice from the vet.

It is sad to think in this big world we live in, this has happened to you and the baby. In the future, if you were to find a breeder, go to the aviary, see all the birds, and their parents, look for cleanliness of the aviary, the health of the birds, and a breeder who will allow you to pick out a baby, and then keep the baby for at least the 12 weeks I mentioned, have you come back, and get the baby, and have a 30 day guarantee window, if for any reason the bird is not thriving, you can take the bird back.

It is NOT about money!!!! It is about the life of a precious baby bird!! Shame on that seller!! There are some people who should never have or sell pets of anykind!! And this seller is one of them!!!