Help Perhaps I didnt clarify, My cockatiel is right at 8 weeks old

Please read my post again: Help am I making mistake with baby cockatiel. I dont think some understood that my cockatiel is going on 8 weeks of age.

actually, This is my 4th baby to handfed. And yes, there is something wrong with spoiling my pets. First, pets are to love and when you have something that is not willing to let you walk through the room without screatching and screaming, it becomes rather annoying. I love my pets, all of them. I am not willing to feed him from my lips. Just a personal preferance. :) He still wants mom to hand fed him, even though he eats his mellets, fruits etc..

He will even eat his formula from a small dish, AS LONG as my hand is holding the spoon or very close to the bowl. When I remove my hand, he begans to cry. I have studied cockatiels and my older tiel is 3 years old, and has a vocabulary better than my teenager. So, I do have experience with tiels, just baffeled at this one.

You situation sounds just like mine except I have sun conures. Some of them dont think they should wean off handfeeding even though they are eating everything else the beak can fit arround. I never force a weaning. They do all eventually wean. When I am feeding new babies some of the older already weaned like to come back for some spoon feeding. I think it remains a comfort thing. They do ask so politely it is hard to refuse. Older birds screeching get ignored, I only respond to a quiet voice.

You can offer very little formula just so he know mom still loves him if he is getting enough from everything else. In a young bird you can move the feathers on the crop aside and see what is in the crop, it is quite transparent.