I think Carolyn is answering whether or not using your wrist was acceptable to check temperature, to which her response was that a thermometer was better as it is more reliable (in that you get an actual temp, not just an approximation of temp like when you test on your wrist).

Have you tried using a thermometer made specifically for checking temp of water/food (but not the kind for roasts, since I think those start at like 130 degrees or something?). I once saw on Alton Brown's show on the Food Network, that he prefers the kind you can hook onto the side of a dish or bowl since you can be sure the tip of the thermometer is sitting in the actual liquid you're testing as opposed to the tip sitting on the bottom of the dish. Just a thought that sprung to mind as I was reading over the thread.

Good luck!

thanks. If someone could post a link of a good (not very expensive) thermometer, that would be fine!
I have a sharp stick that has a head with digital display. I think its intended for meat and such but it starts as low as room temperature and lower (if you turn it on without inserting in anything, it shows you the air temperature) . The one I bought started to show very strange T at the day 2. It was 10 dollars at Walmart.

I just refer to the lady in a specialized bird store who bred birds all her life (she is in her 60s) who told me to always check on your wrist even if thermometer gave you the T because it can give you false T in case of failure (I agree).

don't get me wrong. I would never ever breed birds intentionally. I am too busy for this. We thought we had 2 boys (this is what we were told) who suddenly decided they want to mate. Shortly after she made a nest on a book case and started laying eggs. I gave her the box. I didn't know another option would be not to give her the box LOL she wanted to sit their at night too and I didn't like it. I had to fight to remove her from there.

I wonder if I should concentrate feeding those chicks who cooperate and leave others to the parents?

Chicks who are getting enough food from the parents don't need to be handfed unless you want to do it to socialize them to humans. Testing the formula temperature on your wrist is a nice double-check to using a thermometer, but it won't tell you what the actual temperature is and it only indicates how warm the surface is not the interior. You were already concerned that you might have fed the baby formula that was too hot using this method, which demonstrates its limitations.

does anyone know why my big birds are acting so strange - they don't come to eat food I serve for them anymore. Instead, they try to find food somewhere else, where its not the best - walking on the floor, getting inside the large cage where I have some supply of seed but not necessarily the freshest, etc.
They also play "frozen" game when they freeze for long periods of time doing nothing.

It seems to me that cockatiel parents prefer to get their food far away from their nest area. This is probably an instinctive urge to save the food closer to the nest for days when the weather is too bad for them to travel very far. All my parent birds prefer not to eat the food in their breeding cage if they can go somewhere out of the cage to get food, but they'll eat the food in the cage if I don't let them out.

Their main table with food is in the kitchen - far away from the breeding cage. Inside the cage there is only bowl with seeds and pellets (mixed together) and water (and they love to eat there!) I also have a "train" table in the living room (close to the breeding cage) where I offer food as well in hope they would eat more to feed the babies.

I am rather sick with (viral, I think) cold. Feeling miserable. Can they catch my cold?

Two older kids (of different gender) are in love. They act a lot like their parents in their courtship..... Anything bad possible?

You shouldn't let siblings breed with each other because there is a high risk of birth defects in the babies.

Most viruses attack only one species of animal, so our birds will not catch a viral infection from us.

Is it possible that they would want to mate at this age? They are almost 4 months old. I thought we are good until 1 year of age. I am aware of not letting them mate. I just thought it doesn't happen until they mature for this.