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Baby Cockatiel Weight
Gain
By Eleanor McCaffrey, Copyright Notice: Text and photos on this page
may NOT be, copied, printed or reproduced
without permission of site owner.
Each chick should be weighed daily, right before the first AM
feeding, on a digital gram scale. Weight gain is one indicator of normal growth and
development. A healthy chick will gain weight every single day, even if it's
only a few grams. Baby cockatiels grow quickly and in appearance, they will seem
to almost double in size overnight. A chick that does not gain weight each day
or one that loses weight each day should be evaluated by
an avian vet. It's normal for chicks to lose a small amount of weight
when they fledge. Fledge is the stage in a bird's life when feathers and wing
muscles are sufficiently developed to sustain flight. Cockatiels
fledge and are ready for their first flight at 4-5 weeks of age. As chicks
become more
interested in flying, they may start to reject the entire
amount of formula in the syringe per feeding. (Not the same as 10-12 week old
weaning.) If there is a decrease in the amount of formula consumed per feeding,
divide the total amount that should be consumed for the day into smaller
portions and increasing the number of feedings per day. This will
ensure that the chick's daily nutritional needs are being met and any pre-flight
weight that was lost should be gained back. Allowing the chicks to play and fly
first and feeding them afterwards is another alternative.
 Peanut,
the chick in this picture weighs 35 grams and he is 14 days old. Both his
weight and development are below average for his age. Stunted growth can be
caused by a medical problem but the most common cause is under-feeding and feeding formula that is too watery.
The amount of formula per feeding is based on an individual chick's daily, AM weight.
(This is only one of the reasons why a record of each baby's daily weight
should be kept.) Chicks should be fed 10% of their body weight
at each feeding each day. Example: If a chick weighs
80 grams this morning, 80
grams x .01 % = 8 mls, or 8ccs of mixed formula for each feeding today.
If a chick is not eating the 8ccs of formula at each feeding you can calculate
the total amount of formula required for this day and feed smaller portions but
more frequently throughout the day. The total amount of formula for an 80 gram
chick on 4 feedings a day would be 8ccs x 4 feedings a day = 32ccs
for today's total. Feeding the chick slightly more than 6ccs of formula but with
an additional 5th feeding would also add up to the total of 32ccs for today.
Below is a typical cockatiel weight gain chart. Although each baby grows and develops at an individual rate,
growth should be very noticeable.
If your baby does not fall within average ranges and growth appears to
be stunted, please contact an avian vet immediately. Supplements available only
through a vet can make the difference between a healthy chick with a long
life span and an unhealthy chick that may never live past a few weeks or months
of age.
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Age and Average Weight of Cockatiel Chicks in Grams
- 3-6 days---5-12 grams
- 1-2 weeks 12-45 grams
- 2-3 weeks 45-72 grams
- 3-4 weeks 72-108 grams
- 4-5 weeks 80-120 grams
- 5-6 weeks 80-90 grams
- 6-7 weeks 80-95 grams
- 7 weeks to Adult 90-110 grams
(Source: Avian Medicine, Principles and Practices by Dr. Branson Ritchie, Dr.
Greg Harrison and Linda Harrison, 1997)
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Click Here to see Hand Feeding Video
Click Here for Breeding 1
Click Here for Breeding 2
Click Here for Photos: Chicks 1-26 Days Old
Thank you to all visitors to CC who have
shared photos of their birds with us.
Graphics Courtesy of
Graphic Garden
Country Patch Collections
Just Nana's
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All Graphics Copyrighted by Credited Artists and are Not Public Domain
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