Yeah, he could go the night. Right now he's getting fed at midnight and again at 7, so we're almost there.

Yay! I'm so glad you can get sleep soon. You must have a really close connection with this baby.

I suspect that parent-fed babies often go longer than the 8 hours in the handfeeding schedule. My birds have about a 10-hour night when they're breeding and I don't think there's any feeding in the dark once they get past the tiny-baby stage.

The chick is SO cute and adorable. I'd love, love to adopt him.
Oh, well, at least I have the pictures to look at.

Welp, it finally happened--we got an infection in our crop. I fed him at 7 on Friday, his crop had barely emptied by midnight, and I sat up with him all night. Tried to feed him a little vinegar, but by about 2 AM his feeding response had vanished. His crop started expanding with bubbles and I got him to the vet when they opened at 7 on Saturday. He seems to be doing fine now, but they had to flush his crop (it looked all mucous-y, like snot) and give him some Baytril and subq fluids. I have the tools now to flush his crop again if need be, but fingers crossed he started emptying normally again once the sick contents were gotten out.

He's started to nibble on millet and fine pellets. He's also starting to get his adult voice. Still sounds like a baby most of the time, but now and again he'll start calling and sound like an actual adult cockatiel.

He's also figured out how to get out of his basket, so we've had to make a little "jail". I have a cage set up for him, but am keeping him in the basket for the next day or two for easier monitoring.


Had to get a crop bra because the infection caused bubbles that stretched his crop:


But he's doing surprisingly well!


He's much, much darker than Pippin:

Oh, I'm sorry he has an infection in his crop. I'm so glad you got him to a vet and found a solution. He got so much bigger! I know he will pass this stage soon and will grow up like any other cockatiel. "Small beginnings usually have big endings." I don't remember where that quote was from.

I found the quote. I worded it wrong. But you get the point.

You did an amazing job getting him to this point without infections. Crop infections are a major problem with handfed babies, and some of the issues he had in the very beginning (like getting chilled) are exactly the type of stresses that tend to lead to yeast infections. He's grown up very well and looks adorable in his little blue bra.

This reminds me of a conversation somewhere where someone had to put a crop bra on a baby. We were imagining the bird years from now lying on a psychiatrist's couch saying "When I was a baby they made me wear a bra. And I'm a BOY."

Oh, my! He has grown so big. I'm so glad you were able to resolve the crop infection.

I tried to get a video of him doing his cute "babbling" chirps, but the instant he saw me he started begging. He was right, it was time for him to eat.