How to clean a dirty cockatiel nest with delicate baby birds inside?

As long as the parents are caring for the babies, I would leave them to do their own thing. I wouldn't move or touch the nest while the babies are still young. Once they're a bit older and moving about, you can then clean the nest, or clean it in between clutches. Having baby bird food and a syringe on hand is always a good idea in case you need to step in, notice they aren't thriving or growing well, or the parents aren't caring for them.

It's possible that is the baby bird poop. Most often the parents will take care of cleaning and can do a sort of technique where they press the stool to the nest wall to keep it "cleaner". I wouldn't disturb the babies until they are actively coming out of the nest and exploring on their own, which you can then use to remove the nest and clean it safely without injury a baby.

First time and young parents may not know what to do with a baby and may need assistance from you. It may also be that she is still focused on the unhatched eggs instead of the baby. Purchasing a syringe and some baby bird formula (most pet stores will carry this) is best. The formula should have instructions for how much to feed and how often depending on your bird's size, age and breed, however most baby birds will need to be fed frequently. You can check how full they are by looking at the crop, which is a sort of "balloon" just under the chin that is usually more visible before their feathers come in-- when full, it will fill up, and when hungry it will be empty. If the baby doesn't seem to be getting fed enough, stepping in with supplementation can help. If the mother and father are picking on the baby heavily, or kicking it out of the nest completely, you may need to move him to a separate cage that is kept warm with a nest and heat lamp, and provide all feedings yourself.

Thanks for reaching out about Arco. Cleaning the cage should be okay but leave the nest area alone. Incubation time is around 16 days. Provide plenty of high energy foods so the parents can raise the babies. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about your cockatiel. If she has laid eggs in a nest, allowing her to incubate the eggs will most likely result in a favorable result. Incubation is around 16-21 days, after she starts sitting on the eggs. Handrearing new hatches is difficult and should be left to experienced bird handlers, as they easily aspiration, are subjected to chills or overheating. Allow the mother to care for them. If you want to incubate and rear yourself, you will need to purchase an incubator and brooder, suitable for cockatiels. The recommendation is to allow the hen to raise them. After fledging, you can start to handle the babies to allow acclimation to humans. Good luck.

If Fluffy is old enough (10-12 weeks), then remove her/him to a different cage. This will prevent the interference of parenting of the newer chick. A certain amount of grooming/preening between birds is normal between birds, but it can become excessive if a bird is ill, stressed or neglected.

No the smell won't but the nest should be kept clean if full of feces/urine. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.