Handfeeding question for baby Sun Conure

[BirdyByTheSea]

Hello. I am new to this forum. I came in search of some advice.

I have a baby Sun Conure that I am currently weening. He is old enough now to be eating on his own, but is still insisting on handfed supplements.

When I got him home from the breeder, he was on three handfeeds a day which I've whittled down to two....one in the morning and one at night while supplying him with plenty of Zupreem pellets, nuts, grapes, etc at all times. He is eating bits of the Zupreem pellets and has taken to grapes and nuts. I'm not sure if he is eating sufficiently to stop all the handfeeds.

I don't want to deny him anything, but am not sure if I should be more forceful and stop the handfeeding completely. The pack of baby handfeeding forumula is due to run out in the next few days anyway. Don't know if I should buy another pack, but feel he really should be eating on his own now.

If he doesn't get his morning or night handfeed, he starts screaming or starts the baby cry begging approach. He was sitting there this morning snacking on a nut, before he started screaming, so it's not like he's starving to death.

Any advice here would be most welcomed.

 

[erik7181]

Welcome to the fourum. I was in your same situation 5 months ago so I will give you the advice that was giveing to me. Keep feeding the formula till you notice he/she is eating so little of it. They will lose intrest in it almost completely or will eat a small amount. How old is your sun?
Erik

 

[greycloud]

Buy more HF formula. He is not ready to wean. Stopping before he is ready can result in health and behavioral issues. How old is the baby?
You can soak pellets in juice or water and warm it up. Put it in a low dish and start by offering it by hand as it site by the bowl. In time he will learn to pick at the food on his own.

 

[Bobby34231]

I agree with greycloud, he's not ready yet and offering soaked pellets makes it easier for him to get used to solid foods, you may also try millet spray (looks like a small branch with seed clusters on it) it doesn't have a lot of nutritional value, but gets the bird used to foraging for solid food, as Erik said the bird will let you know when its time by eating more solid food and starting to refuse the formula more and more often, many people are fooled when birds first start to experiment with solid foods, thinking they're eating they stop handfeeding, when many times the birds are just mouthing food instead of actually eating it, sounds like it won't be long now, just be patient and it will just be a great memory before you know it ...good luck, let us know how it goes.