Experienced hand feeders advice needed!

[rypie]

Ok. So Demi is 3 months old. Born in August. Tonight I'm going to be doing my first solo feeding. The bird man said that the formula should be at 104 degrees F. What are the Temps you guys feed your formula at? also he recommended 2 feedings a day. Once in the morning and once at night. Just curious to you alls routines and such with hand feeding. Thanks!

 

[Curious_Caique]

Safe temp is 104F to 110F, don't go out of those parameters if you can help it. Morning and night sounds good for a macaw of that age. Perhaps someone else has a different opinion though..
Did the breeder give you any lessons or anything?

 

[rypie]

Also her poop looked weird after her first hand feeding today. It is brown and looks like diarrhea. now I'm nervous

 

[Curious_Caique]

A formula fed bird's droppings are usually brown in my experience. What type of formula are you using?

 

[rypie]

Exact. And I will get a pic of his poo. Even though that is gross lol

 

[rypie]

 

[Curious_Caique]

It looks a bit more watery than normal. How long have you had this little guy (gal?)? Just double checking your formula is the macaw kind as well?

 

[rypie]

I just got her late lastnight. She hasn't been handfed before. This afternoon was her first time. This happened a couple hours after I brought her home from being handfed the first time. She will get another feeding tonight.

 

[rypie]

She also had some of a banana earlier and she has never had fruit before.

 

[rypie]

I also gave her an apple slice. Lol sorry just trying to get all the info in about her

 

[Curious_Caique]

I would assume the watery droppings are due to a slight amount of stress from moving then. How did she like the banana?
Sounds like you're on the right track.
Have you handfed birds before?

 

[rypie]

She loved the banana and the apple lol. I haven't hand fed before but I have a very experienced friend who owns a bird store and I went there to learn how to do it she also had her nails clipped cause they were horribly long and her wings clumped today. So it's been a stressful day for her. All that and her first hand feeding

 

[rypie]

Her new, cage also comes in tomorrow so she won't have to be in the travel cage. Which she hates

 

[Curious_Caique]

Okay. I think I understand now. She may eat formula out of a cup, there would be less of a chance of freaking her out or aspirating her. I feed all my older babies with a cup.

 

[dr1124]

This is my unlicensed, professional opinion:

I feed Max [da Macaw] by syringe twice a day now, until he tells me he is no longer interested. I use a meat thermo to get the *MIXTURE* I use to 102-107*F. This is solely off my own observations of his preferences.

Now, as to the mixture itself....
I don't trust anyone in the food industry. Between flavanoids and chemical cleansing/processing of things, I prefer to feed and eat "semi-organic". What that means to me, is to go to local farmers markets (supporting my community) and getting all kinds of vegetables and whatnot. Add in a rinsed can of soup beans, and sprinkle in powdered trail mix[by my food processor]. Enclosed is a pic of a fresh batch. Max goes absolutely NUTS over this concoction. Henceforth dubbed "Birdy-crack". Feeding him in this way, which I think I am overfeeding, runs me less than $45/month. Split between the fact I will eat what he won't before it expires - the ingredients never go to waste! Economical. :-D

The image is one whole day's feed for him, total of about 16 syringes. Swear he's overeating, but he takes as much as he wants until he says he's done.

 

[rypie]

And a full syringe is how many mls? I am trying to get an idea how much to feed her in each sitting.

 

[dr1124]

And a full syringe is how many mls? I am trying to get an idea how much to feed her in each sitting.

Max takes 4-8 syringes per session, of which mine are marked to 20ml. They can hold at least 30ml though. I pull the plunger back until it almost comes out of the lower half, lol - so probably 30-40 per syringe for him.

A cc and ml are the same thing, I'm pretty sure. But yeah, about 300g/day for mine. I give until he stops on his own: in the morning (10am) and evening (5-7pm, depending on time and whatnot).

 

[rypie]

Demi doesn't seem to want that much. She had only 20 or 30 mls at noon then she only at like 15 just a bit ago. I don't think she is getting the amount she needs. :/

 

[Curious_Caique]

Wasn't she just pulled from her parents? She's probably a bit stressed. That might contribute to her not eating quite enough. The key for now is to feed less, more often. She's not going to be very open to taking a lot of food right away if she's used to her parents feeding her.
Could we have a few pictures of her? She's not really used to people yet, if she wasn't handraised from a early age.

 

[rypie]