Update on Baby & Pictures

[Joe&Young]

Just wanted to update everyone on how "Baby", though we have yet to name him/her, and some pictures. Does anyone have any ideas on what type of a tiel Baby is?

If you take a good look on the wings, you can see the remnants of the styptic powder we had to apply to the wings to stop the bleeding. Baby is still very uncomfortable about the mistings, so i'm very careful to make it short and sweet.

Baby has started eating the seeds and millet. At first, I had millet everywhere, just so I knew Baby was eating something. Now, I've been mixing some in the seeds with the pellets. Though I put fresh fruit in her cage every day, Baby still will not eat it. Baby does pick at the seed dish though. I usually give her strawberries, blueberries, oranges, nectarines, grapes, apples, banana, and mango.

Any ideas on other fruit that I'm not offering her would be greatly appreciated, since I'm very worried about Baby's daily fresh fruit and veggie intake...which is none right now. I even take it in my fingers and offer it to Baby many times a day. Baby will just back up and have nothing to do with it. Also, any ideas on veggies would be greatly appreciated.

As for Baby coming out of her shell, it's very slow progress. Baby usually sits on the perch in the cage, or on the seed or water dish. Baby does not move hardly at all. I'm worried about her feet and Baby getting enough exercise. Baby will step up on my finger now...about half the time. But will immediately step down on the perch again. Baby is such a sweet little thing... I wish I could help her out of her shell.

I guess right now, because of her refusal to even try fresh fruit, I'm more concerned about Baby's diet.

Also, Baby's original owner purchased a very small cage when she bought Baby. Hardly any room for toys or anything. I want to put her in a cage about 4 times the size she has now, but I'm worried about Baby being tramatized even more. I just want Baby to have the room for different size perches and toys..and more room to stretch. What do you guys think? Wait on the new cage???

[catschair]

My tiels love cooked beans, barley, corn, etc. They also like broccoli, romaine and the "southern greens" mix from Trader Joe's. They actually took to fruit flavored pellets very quickly from seed, and have great fun figuring out which color they are going to pick out and eat that day (some days we just put all of the bananas in the water dish). Is there a way you can connect the two cages so she can venture into the big one, but retreat to her "home" cage if it feels safe? Sounds like she is coming along -- what a beauty!

[Tiki]

Hi Joe,

Tiffany told me about this thread. I read your other thread too. It is just heart breaking what this little angel has been through. You have a beautiful little pearlie tiel who looks just like my Maui. He's too young to tell if he is a boy or girl. If it's a boy, when he molts about 8 months from now, he will take on the nornal colour of a wild tiel.

Tiels don't usually eat fruit, though there are some exceptions. They love broccolini, corn (especially thawed frozen corn because it is juicy, sprouted mung beans, celery, whole grain toast. Even a young tiel will always take millet.

The wing clipping is horrible! It looks like he has been picking at it. It could get infected and he needs to be looked at by an avian vet. Where abouts in the Pacific Northwest do you live? There is a link to avian vets in the "Get Help" forum. You can PM me if you don't want to put your city in public.

I am going to contact a couple friends of mine who are more expert than I am in bird health care-Joel and Gary. I don't want to get into medical treatments because I am not qualified to do so. They are not avian vets, but they do have a lot of practical experience in hands on bird health care.

[Kevin]

Of my tiels they loved lettuce & carrots as well...

[habs71]

Sydney loves carrott tops, broccoli, bok choy, corn..frozen thawed as Tiki said. He does not care for green beans or peas..picks those up and either drops them to the bottom of the condo or through the bars to the floor.

On the advice of our AV he gets very little fruit..

Tiels do not adapt to new things easily, so it may take some time and patience. Again, according to our AV,.... "most birds take upwards of 2 weeks seeing a new food every day before first investigating and/or playing with the food and then actually trying to eat it. Above all, be patient with your bird when it comes to new foods."


Skip

[Doyle'sMommy]

What a sweet baby! I would wait a week or so and let the baby get used to you more and then start looking for a cage. My Princess is not a fan of much of anything besides her seed and millet. The first few weeks I let her eat whatever she wanted because I just wanted her to eat something. Two months later I am starting to worry about her diet and getting some healthier foods to her. The only way I have been able to get her to eat veggies is by hiding them in bird bread- she loves the kind with peppers in it! Also she will occasionally try foods that she sees me eating (she got so excited about spaghetti that she hopped in my bowl, lol). And all the advice I have been given is that tiels are big copycats, so if s/he sees your other birds eating veggies and pellets, she might try them too. Please keep us updated on her! Good luck!

[Joel]

Originally Posted by Tiki

".......I am going to contact a couple friends of mine who are more expert than I am in bird health care-Joel and Gary. I don't want to get into medical treatments because I am not qualified to do so. They are not avian vets, but they do have a lot of practical experience in hands on bird health care.

Tara is always too kind, no expert here by any means. I do have some fairly good experience so I will first echo her advice to see a good experienced certified A.V. asap - since the bird seems to have obviously had a terrible looking wing clip job. Let the vet check Baby out.

Regarding the diet, my Tiels don't take much to fruits either. They do like fresh frozen veggies (mixed and warmed slightly) and fresh raw veggies. They also love Zupreem Fruit Flavor Pellets (although I am not really a fan of pellets in general). I give crackers without salt, a good quality whole grain bread, scrambled or well done eggs, a good healthy fresh seed mix, cuttlebone, spray millet, good quality F.S. Lighting is a MUST IMO, unless your Baby gets daily adequate outdoor direct sunshine - not thru window glass. Good luck.

Oh yeah, IMO I would get the new roomy cage asap and I would also not clip Baby in the future but rather train to come to you when called - also take all necessary safety precautions to prevent injury & escape.

[bb100]

I just read "Baby's" story and I feel so bad about the hack job. Poor baby must be soo traumatized. Others gave you good advice so I just wish you both the best!