Baby macaw 7 weeks not sprouting feathers

[Laurasea]

PRACTICE with the syringe before you try to put even a drop of formula into a baby's mouth. Under the pressure of feeding your baby for the first time, you may find it easier to push a car with a fly swatter than push that little plunger ¼ inch with your thumb.

Several things will elicit a feeding response from a baby parrot. "Feeding response" is basically the bird bobbing its head up and down so that as the parrot parents regurgitate food into the baby's mouth it is bounced down the throat and into the crop. When the baby is displaying the feeding response, the opening to his trachea is closed and the mouth, throat, and esophagus are all opened so that food can flow all the way into the crop without the bird needing to swallow. Parrot parents feed by regurgitating partially digested food into the baby's mouth. When regurgitating, the baby bobs his head up and down to pump the food into their own mouth. As the parents lock beaks with the baby, the baby matches this bobbing rhythm causing the food to continue pumping from the parents mouth into the babies and on down into the babies' crop.

Hyacinth feeding baby in nest box; Huge Hyacinth Macaws gently feed this 2 inch high baby .Babies under 6 weeks old will normally have a strong feeding response. Babies that are fed very fast by an experienced handfeeder, or very slow by an inexperienced handfeeder may sometimes lose the feeding response. The fast fed babies can lose the feeding response because as soon as the response starts, an experienced feeder can shoot the food down the throat and right into the crop in one quick push of a syringe. After a while some babies stop producing the feeding response because the feeding is finished in 2 or 3 seconds. Slowly fed babies may lose the feeding response because they cannot hold their breath long enough or there is not enough force from the food to flow down the esophagus. Slow fed babies often begin to tongue and swallow the food just like an adult, but long before they begin picking up food and eating on their own. Anecdotal experience with several thousand babies at Hartman Aviary has shown that species most likely to lose the feeding response are African Greys, Lories and Cockatoos.

Handfeeding baby parrots can have many unusual triggers which prompt a feeding response that may go unnoticed, or be a mystery to the new feeder. The indoor nursery at Hartman Aviary is dark most of the time to simulate the dark nest box; simple triggers like the lights turning on, or the water running in the sink, start the babies to think about eating. For over 20 years we have used small red tubs to hold the formula, syringes and washcloths so when someone enters the nursery or walks by the outdoor nursery with a red cup, the babies take immediate notice. Establish a feeding routine immediately and keep with it.

By using our slow start first day feeding method you should not have a problem switching over from past handfeeding methods and triggers established by a previous feeding situation because the baby will easily adapt to your new method within 24 hours.

Picture of fingers next to soft pads;
Touching the soft pads at the commissure of the babies beak will usually start the feeding response.In addition to the parents head bobbing, they are also touching the soft pads at the commissures of the baby's beak with the tip of their own beak. The commissures of the beak are where the upper and lower mandibles come together. The soft pads are on the edges of the baby's mandibles at the same position as our molars would be if they were on the outside of our mouth. By placing your hand over the baby's head, with the tips of your index finger and thumb, you can touch the pads on both sides of the beak and elicit the feeding response.

Warm food touching the baby's tongue is also a trigger for the feeding response. With syringe in hand, it is time to feed! Gently hold the baby's head with your left hand (right hand if you are left handed). Your hand will be over the top and behind the head with your index finger and thumb gently touching the pads on the side of the beak. Do not hold firmly; you do not want to restrict the movement of the baby as he bobs for the food. Your hands will be following the baby's movements. To avoid injuring the mouth of the baby, place the side of the tip of the syringe against the index finger of the hand holding the head. This will keep the syringe from going further than the middle of the tongue. Both hands will work together to follow the head and aim the syringe at the same time while following the movement of the baby's head. Your hands will quickly learn to follow each other while following the movement of the baby.

older moluccan baby handfeeding; Place the tip of the syringe against your index finger to eliminate the possibility of injuring the baby's mouth.Insert the tip of the syringe about half way between your index finger and the tip of the beak and deliver the formula by lightly touching the syringe to the middle of tip of the tongue, and placing a drop of formula on the tongue. At the same time, applying a light amount of pressure with the index finger and thumb on the soft pads at the commissures of the beak will illicit the feeding response. As soon as the feeding response starts, push the food in as fast as the baby wants to take it. If you put the syringe in too far, you can cause him to gag, and not being in far enough his tongue will be in the way. Aim the syringe to shoot the food over the tongue and straight towards to back of the throat. Food directed at the roof of the mouth or down at the tongue, will not flow efficiently into the throat. This is exactly the same angle as if we were trying to squirt a stream of formula into a the back of a human's mouth without the formula touching the sides of the mouth.

It will soon be possible to feed the total amount of formula in less than 30 seconds (this does not apply the first day). Keep in mind that all babies will be different and it does not matter if your bird eats formula fast or slow, as long as you slowly work out a routine with him during the first few days.

Spoon feeders will want to put the tip of the spoon at the end of the tongue and pour into the mouth. The baby will use his tongue to move the formula to the back of his mouth and swallow. This is a much slower feeding method requiring more diligence to keep the formula warm. This method is a little problematic due to the inability to quickly start and stop the flow of food.

Keep in mind that the breeder you got the baby from is probably a better handfeeder than you are. Your breeder will feed this baby in seconds while it may take you several minutes. The baby will be used to holding its breath for as long as it took the last hand feeder to feed. Even though he may keep trying to eat as long as you are delivering the food, you need to stop after about five seconds. The feeding response may be so strong that the baby will sometimes keep trying to eat until he gasps for air and inhales some food. Some babies can hold their breath and continue the feeding response for more than a minute. After a few feedings, the baby will become accustomed to your feeding technique and will take the food as fast or slow as you want

 

[Laurasea]

Aspiration of very small amounts of food into the trachea is common, just as it is in humans. Normally, this inhaled food will be coughed up, just like in people, but large quantities, or small quantities repeatedly introduced, can cause pneumonia, bacterial infections and sometimes death. If you think the baby has inhaled a small amount of food, stop feeding and allow him to take the time to cough as long as necessary. I usually stop feeding and come back in an hour or even wait until the next scheduled feeding.

Some breeders believe that it is necessary to feed only from the left side of the mouth. This information is incorrect. They wrongly believe that since the esophagus is on the right side of the neck, you need to deliver the food from the left side to expedite the flow of food. In reality the opening of the esophagus is in the middle of the mouth and the food has to pass this point first. An exception to this is when a stiff gavage needle is used to slide down the esophagus to deliver food directly into the crop. In this case it will be necessary to slightly deviate to the birds right as the tip of the tube passes through the throat.

Inside of baby's mouth;Take a close look inside your baby's mouth and you will see it is the same on both sides. IMPORTANT! The four most common reasons for a baby not eating well when a new handfeeder takes over are: not using our slow first day program, pushing the baby off balance with your hand while putting the food in its mouth, feeding formula that is less than 104 degrees, and taking too long to feed.

3. Handfeeding Schedule -

 

[Laurasea]

Handfeeding Schedule - First Day in New Home
Feeding schedule for the first day with a new handfeeder

Some babies will eat anything, anytime; others will try your patience. This section is directed toward the difficult baby since most babies are cooperative and will not need much explanation. It should be noted that when the baby arrives at the new home the first day or two will be the most difficult. The baby will be in a new environment with new sounds, colors, smells, cage, mom, and a lot of stress. With a little patience they will adapt quickly and should be content by the end of day two.

IMPORTANT! A secret to every professional hand feeders success is to proceed slowly and do not worry. A baby moved from the breeder's nursery to your home are likely under a little stress that could keep him from eating well the first day. The easy solution is to start hand feeding slowly. This situation is very similar to bringing a younger baby from the nest into the nursery.

A gradual and progressive feeding schedule minimizes stress for the feeder and the baby. The feedings are quick allowing the baby, who will usually respond automatically with a feeding response, to experience the way the new feeder holds him and administers the food. The experience is over quickly before the baby or the feeder can become frustrated. A feeding encounter with minimal negative stress will be a positive learning experience. As an example we will consider that we have a 10 week old African Grey Congo who is eating 50cc three times a day. The breeder has fed the baby just before you picked him up and his next 50cc meal would be fed in 6 - 8 hours.

When you get home, place the baby in his cage for about one hour and allow him to calmly observe his new home. After waiting one hour you should feed the baby. Prepare the formula and then move the baby to the feeding area. You will not be skilled at holding the baby and getting the food in its mouth, and the baby will not be skilled at following your movements and getting the food, from you, into his mouth. Do not plan on this first feeding going perfectly, it is a trial. Since you are not experienced and the baby is in a strange place, the situation will be new for both of you.

Now that you have the formula mixed and ready to feed: move the baby from his cage to the feeding area, where you will feed him ONLY 1cc of formula. You will want to do this quickly, but only so fast as you can do calmly. You will have the syringe waiting, you place the baby where you will be feeding him, you gently hold his head, and you place the syringe in his mouth and without hesitation squirt the formula in his mouth, AND THEN REMOVE YOUR HANDS FROM THE BABY. This process needs to be as quick as you can do it in a calm manner. This is feeding time not play time, do not play with the baby; do not pet him or do any more touching than necessary to make him comfortable. After this first feeding, put the baby back in the cage for about 5 minutes so his brain can finish processing this strange new feeding experience. Then you may get him out and hold and play with him until 5 minutes before it is time for the second feeding which will happen when you have him home for two hours.

The baby's brain will interpret the experience this way, "something strange just happened to me, perhaps I was assaulted? But it only lasted a few seconds and now I have this food in my mouth that tastes good, and somehow I feel nurtured." Since the touching of the baby lasted only a few seconds and the taste of the small amount of food in the mouth lasts several minutes the baby's brain will process this as a positive situation and subconsciously begin looking for it to happen again. Even if most of the food ended up on the outside of the baby or the wall, all you need is a small drop in the mouth to be successful for this first feeding.

Breeders treat new babies arriving in the nursery in the same manner. Even though a professional breeder can easily feed a baby that knows him, he will never try to feed a baby fresh out of the nest a full feeding. He will always start with a few drops for the first few feedings.

Prior to the second feeding the baby needs to be left alone in his cage for at least 5 minutes to relax. You do not want feeding time associated with social or play time.

At the second hour repeat the same feeding process you used the first time with the exception of feeding two cc's this time. At hour three feed 3cc, and etcetera for the first day. If things are progressing well and there is only minimal stress on the part of the feeder or the baby, you can increase the amount of each feeding at a faster pace.

By the end of the first day, assuming you have had 8 or so somewhat successful feedings, you should now be able to get the syringe in the baby's mouth, the baby should be able to get his mouth on the syringe, and you will have fed a total of about 36cc's of formula.

As the day progresses, the baby will be getting hungrier and more motivated to figure out how to get the food in his mouth. Since you will be starting slowly, without the stress of knowing you need to get lots of food into the baby, you will gain the skills much faster. This method allows the new handfeeder to learn how to feed, while the baby learns how to be fed by the new feeder. With this approach, the baby will learn quickly.

Do not spend more than a few (2-5) minutes trying to feed a newly arrived baby. It is normal for some babies to have a more difficult time the first day or two in a new environment. Forcing a baby to eat formula he does not want can cause problems. As you become frustrated and the formula gets cold, the baby will begin to see you as a predator with a syringe. The result is a crying owner and a starving baby. You may soon find it impossible to feed the baby if he becomes intent on avoiding this stressful situation. Any time the baby becomes annoyed while feeding, you need to stop immediately and try again a little later. The baby will not starve to death by missing a few feedings.

If your baby is difficult to feed you may want to try, if possible, to feed the baby right where he is, whether in a brooder or in a cage. You may not want to disturb the baby by moving it which may take his mind off of the food.

Picture of Pedialyte; Feed small amounts of Pedialyte until you are sure the crop is empty.At Hartman Aviary, babies just arrived from the nest and new to the nursery are fed on a similar progressive schedule. Normally, they have been well fed by their parents and have a full crop of food, so instead of formula we start with a small drop or two of Pedialyte. Every hour or two we increase the amount of Pedialyte and then move to a Pedialyte/formula mixture after his crop has emptied. Once we are sure the crop is empty and food is moving through, normally about 8 hours after arriving in the nursery, we feed straight formula.

 

[Laurasea]

Baby parrots' hunger and nurturing needs are always changing just like ours. Figuring out when and how much to feed a baby parrot will be easy once you understand the 6 main factors.

A. Age and Weight Guidelines for Formula Amounts
Body weight can be a basic guide for how much to feed the baby. Generally, you will feed most species approximately 12% of their weight at each feeding. Very young babies and those about to wean will receive about 8 - 10%. (Example: A 6-week-old African Grey weighing 400 grams will need approximately 48 cc per feeding.) From approximately three weeks old and until the weaning process begins, most babies will need to be fed three times each day. These feedings do not need to be exactly 8 hours apart. The key factor is an empty crop. Once the crop is empty from the last feeding, you can feed again. A bird in this age range, being fed the correct amount of food, should pass all of the food through the crop in about 5 to 6 hours. This will allow about 2-3 hours for the crop to be empty before the next feeding. Keep in mind that even if the crop is empty, the intestines will still have food passing through. If you begin to see stools without a fecal portion, I.E., only urine and urates, then you may not be feeding enough at each feeding or waiting too long between feedings. The only time you should see this happen is in the morning, which is usually the longest time between feedings.

Feeding frequency is slightly different for each baby and may vary from day to day, you will easily learn the needs of your baby. The breeder and the formula instructions should give you a basic idea of how often your baby has been eating and should be eating for its age.
https://theparrotuniversity.com/arthandfeeding2

BIRD WEANING AGE (WEEK)
Amazon Parrot 12
Eclectus 12
Pionus 10
African Grey 12
Cockatoo 12
Cockatoo (Umbrella, Molucan) 12 to 14
Macaw (Mini) 12
Macaw (Medium, Large) 16
Quaker Parakeet/Monk Parrot 8
Indian Ringneck (Indian, African) 10
Lories 8 to 10
Conures (all) 8 to 10
Cockatiels 6-7
*These are typical weaning ages that may vary by plus or minus 2 weeks (or possibly more), depending on feeding volumes, health and other factors.

 

[mkrosella]

Where are you located in the world? In the US there is hand-feeding formula readily available so this is most often used for baby birds here.

The temperature of the formula is also super important that i's between 100-110 degrees F. If food is not served warm enough it can cause crop issues and stunt growth and make it hard for baby to grow property. Is the food you're serving warm enough? Also if it has no feathers it needs a place to keep warm, like a brooder that is temperature and humidity controlled. Do you have one of these, or where do you keep the baby? Without kept in warmer temperatures it can also stunt chick growth. And I don't mean being placed in a box with a towel over it, they need something like 85-95 degrees F around the clock until feathers come in. Are you keeping your baby properly warm?

I live in Pakistan. there is baby formula available by Kaytee.

is it possible for you to send me some videos on how to feed as I am still under the guilty conscious that I somehow killed my birds by aspirating the food into their lungs.

i have also been told that i fed them watery consistency. i am so upset that now i feel i would never be able to buy a baby parrot and so i am finding an african grey who has fully weaned off and eating on its own.


regards :red:

 

[mkrosella]

Handfeeding Schedule - First Day in New Home
Feeding schedule for the first day with a new handfeeder

Some babies will eat anything, anytime; others will try your patience. This section is directed toward the difficult baby since most babies are cooperative and will not need much explanation. It should be noted that when the baby arrives at the new home the first day or two will be the most difficult. The baby will be in a new environment with new sounds, colors, smells, cage, mom, and a lot of stress. With a little patience they will adapt quickly and should be content by the end of day two.

IMPORTANT! A secret to every professional hand feeders success is to proceed slowly and do not worry. A baby moved from the breeder's nursery to your home are likely under a little stress that could keep him from eating well the first day. The easy solution is to start hand feeding slowly. This situation is very similar to bringing a younger baby from the nest into the nursery.

A gradual and progressive feeding schedule minimizes stress for the feeder and the baby. The feedings are quick allowing the baby, who will usually respond automatically with a feeding response, to experience the way the new feeder holds him and administers the food. The experience is over quickly before the baby or the feeder can become frustrated. A feeding encounter with minimal negative stress will be a positive learning experience. As an example we will consider that we have a 10 week old African Grey Congo who is eating 50cc three times a day. The breeder has fed the baby just before you picked him up and his next 50cc meal would be fed in 6 - 8 hours.

When you get home, place the baby in his cage for about one hour and allow him to calmly observe his new home. After waiting one hour you should feed the baby. Prepare the formula and then move the baby to the feeding area. You will not be skilled at holding the baby and getting the food in its mouth, and the baby will not be skilled at following your movements and getting the food, from you, into his mouth. Do not plan on this first feeding going perfectly, it is a trial. Since you are not experienced and the baby is in a strange place, the situation will be new for both of you.

Now that you have the formula mixed and ready to feed: move the baby from his cage to the feeding area, where you will feed him ONLY 1cc of formula. You will want to do this quickly, but only so fast as you can do calmly. You will have the syringe waiting, you place the baby where you will be feeding him, you gently hold his head, and you place the syringe in his mouth and without hesitation squirt the formula in his mouth, AND THEN REMOVE YOUR HANDS FROM THE BABY. This process needs to be as quick as you can do it in a calm manner. This is feeding time not play time, do not play with the baby; do not pet him or do any more touching than necessary to make him comfortable. After this first feeding, put the baby back in the cage for about 5 minutes so his brain can finish processing this strange new feeding experience. Then you may get him out and hold and play with him until 5 minutes before it is time for the second feeding which will happen when you have him home for two hours.

The baby's brain will interpret the experience this way, "something strange just happened to me, perhaps I was assaulted? But it only lasted a few seconds and now I have this food in my mouth that tastes good, and somehow I feel nurtured." Since the touching of the baby lasted only a few seconds and the taste of the small amount of food in the mouth lasts several minutes the baby's brain will process this as a positive situation and subconsciously begin looking for it to happen again. Even if most of the food ended up on the outside of the baby or the wall, all you need is a small drop in the mouth to be successful for this first feeding.

Breeders treat new babies arriving in the nursery in the same manner. Even though a professional breeder can easily feed a baby that knows him, he will never try to feed a baby fresh out of the nest a full feeding. He will always start with a few drops for the first few feedings.

Prior to the second feeding the baby needs to be left alone in his cage for at least 5 minutes to relax. You do not want feeding time associated with social or play time.

At the second hour repeat the same feeding process you used the first time with the exception of feeding two cc's this time. At hour three feed 3cc, and etcetera for the first day. If things are progressing well and there is only minimal stress on the part of the feeder or the baby, you can increase the amount of each feeding at a faster pace.

By the end of the first day, assuming you have had 8 or so somewhat successful feedings, you should now be able to get the syringe in the baby's mouth, the baby should be able to get his mouth on the syringe, and you will have fed a total of about 36cc's of formula.

As the day progresses, the baby will be getting hungrier and more motivated to figure out how to get the food in his mouth. Since you will be starting slowly, without the stress of knowing you need to get lots of food into the baby, you will gain the skills much faster. This method allows the new handfeeder to learn how to feed, while the baby learns how to be fed by the new feeder. With this approach, the baby will learn quickly.

Do not spend more than a few (2-5) minutes trying to feed a newly arrived baby. It is normal for some babies to have a more difficult time the first day or two in a new environment. Forcing a baby to eat formula he does not want can cause problems. As you become frustrated and the formula gets cold, the baby will begin to see you as a predator with a syringe. The result is a crying owner and a starving baby. You may soon find it impossible to feed the baby if he becomes intent on avoiding this stressful situation. Any time the baby becomes annoyed while feeding, you need to stop immediately and try again a little later. The baby will not starve to death by missing a few feedings.

If your baby is difficult to feed you may want to try, if possible, to feed the baby right where he is, whether in a brooder or in a cage. You may not want to disturb the baby by moving it which may take his mind off of the food.

Picture of Pedialyte; Feed small amounts of Pedialyte until you are sure the crop is empty.At Hartman Aviary, babies just arrived from the nest and new to the nursery are fed on a similar progressive schedule. Normally, they have been well fed by their parents and have a full crop of food, so instead of formula we start with a small drop or two of Pedialyte. Every hour or two we increase the amount of Pedialyte and then move to a Pedialyte/formula mixture after his crop has emptied. Once we are sure the crop is empty and food is moving through, normally about 8 hours after arriving in the nursery, we feed straight formula.

please post some videos of feeding a baby parrot and then a parrot who is close to weaning please. i would be very grateful.

 

[LaManuka]

please post some videos of feeding a baby parrot and then a parrot who is close to weaning please. i would be very grateful.

Mkrosella, please be aware that NOBODY here recommends the removal of baby birds from their parents unless the parents have ceased to care for them or have become aggressive towards them. And we certainly do not condone the sale of unweaned baby birds because, as you can tell by the very lengthy posts above, unweaned baby parrots have very complex needs. So much so that even very long-standing bird breeders regularly run into trouble, as indeed you yourself may have experienced. The sale of unweaned babies is illegal in many parts of the world and should be stamped out altogether as it is unethical, irresponsible and endangers the life of the bird.

If you are in possession of an unweaned baby PLEASE either take it back to the seller or breeder until it has been properly abundance weaned and has been eating adult food for at least two weeks or more. Or seek advice and support from an avian vet NOW if one is available near you. Or ideally, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t buy an immature bird to begin with.

 

[rnurse]

Oh boy. I find that since I started feeding only formula now, he has been coughing a lot more. I will take some videos of his feeding. Sorry to hear about your parrot. I recommend you buy another one and try again. Keep trying.

 

[LaManuka]

My point appears to have been missed. Do not try again. DO NOT buy an unweaned baby bird as it can so easily end with heartbreak for the buyer and the bird being dead. Have the breeder raise the baby parrot correctly in the first place and there will be no need to “keep trying”! I cannot state this more simply - DO NOT BUY UNWEANED BABY BIRDS.

 

[Laurasea]

My point appears to have been missed. Do not try again. DO NOT buy an unweaned baby bird as it can so easily end with heartbreak for the buyer and the bird being dead. Have the breeder raise the baby parrot correctly in the first place and there will be no need to “keep trying”! I cannot state this more simply - DO NOT BUY UNWEANED BABY BIRDS.

Thank you Lamanku!
Do not buy unweaned baby birds!!!!
Members here who have done this report nearly 100% died! There is no bennifit and much harm in getting an unweaned baby!!!
If your baby is coughing go to an avain vet ASAP!

 

[rnurse]

My macaw started coughing with the Formula. I should take it to the vet

 

[Scott]

Oh boy. I find that since I started feeding only formula now, he has been coughing a lot more. I will take some videos of his feeding. Sorry to hear about your parrot. I recommend you buy another one and try again. Keep trying.

My macaw started coughing with the Formula. I should take it to the vet

It is possible your bird is aspirating from the forumula. Hand feeding technique is extremely critical, if incorrect it will lead to death. I highly recommend you visit an avian vet if able. If not, an experienced breeder is your only hope to save this precious macaw.

 

[rnurse]

I am stopping the formula for a bit and going back to fruits and oatmeal, the way I had him before. For a bit until I get him to the vet.

 

[Scott]

I am stopping the formula for a bit and going back to fruits and oatmeal, the way I had him before. For a bit until I get him to the vet.

Fruits and oatmeal are not sufficiently nourishing as main meals. A qualified vet is best able to make an informed determination for your macaw.