A baby cockatiel will last a day or two without food. When they first hatch they have some internal yolk that must be absorbed. As it gets hungry it will start peeping which will cause the mother or father to grasp its beak at which point they will begin a pumping motion and the mother or father will regurgitate food into the baby. At first you may not see food in the baby's crop as they are fed tiny amounts at first that digest quickly, so the baby may have been fed but you just can't tell.
Hand feeding, if necessary should be done by someone experienced. There is a lot involved especially when starting out with a day old chick. In most pet stores you can find several brands of powdered hand feeding formula that is mixed with water. It must be made at the right consistency and temperature depending on the age of the chick. The babies can easily be killed by aspiration or not being kept at the right temperature. You should contact someone local that has experience.
Do not be hasty to take the chick from the parents. Sadly some first time parents do not feed. Also, ill chicks will not solicit the parents to feed them.
Hand feeding, if necessary should be done by someone experienced. There is a lot involved especially when starting out with a day old chick. In most pet stores you can find several brands of powdered hand feeding formula that is mixed with water. It must be made at the right consistency and temperature depending on the age of the chick. The babies can easily be killed by aspiration or not being kept at the right temperature. You should contact someone local that has experience.
Do not be hasty to take the chick from the parents. Sadly some first time parents do not feed. Also, ill chicks will not solicit the parents to feed them.
