Is my bird weaning?

[Martin93]

Hi

My eclectus is now 8 and a half weeks old.
After a difficult start with handfeeding things finally worked out and he would eat his formula, but now he is starting to reject it.
He will growl at the spoon, attack it sometimes and tries to run away.
I try to feed him but this'll result in him screaming and jumping from my lap so i cant really feed him anymore. only time he'll let me feed him is at night time before sleep.

Is this the result of weaning?
What should i do? accept that he wants to eat less? or keep force feeding him?
I put some food in his cage so he can try and eat it and sometimes he eats a little. but not much of it.

 

[Sandy19]

I wouldn't try to force feed him because that could lead to aspiration. I mean I think it could, but I'm not an expert. I'd ask the vet or someone who knows about that.

Peanut started re-fusing her morning and afternoon formula by backing away from it. She would take the evening feeding, however, like your bird. I just kept offering it to her without forcing it until she re-fused the feedings all together. While I did that I made sure I offered her a variety of other foods she could pick and choose from. Assorted fruits and vegetables, some seeds and pellets. That way they have a choice and are not just stuck with the same boring food everyday.

 

[dhraiden]

Leave food for him to eat. Ensure the formula is the right CONSISTENCY to prevent aspiration, as Sandy said. Everything cut down to a size that is easy to safely take a bite out of.

Check my reply to your other post.

 

[Martin93]

Leave food for him to eat. Ensure the formula is the right CONSISTENCY to prevent aspiration, as Sandy said. Everything cut down to a size that is easy to safely take a bite out of.

Check my reply to your other post.

Thanks i read your other post i'll look into that!

 

[Martin93]

Someone told me that a baby bird should ask foor food by screaming or flapping his wings.

My bird has not once done that since i have him. I always feed him when his crop is empty, sometimes i wait a little longer to spread it out evenly but never more than about an hour.

But what could be reasons that he is not asking for food?
Also multiple people who handle young birds told me that mine is very calm. Other sources told me that he is calm becouse he is an eclectus parrot and it's just how they are.
Also the way he's eating is not like you see in other young birds, they shake their head heavily while being fed to swallow (i believe its called feeding reflex?) mine is not doing that either he just swallows what i put in his beak.

Anyone can answer these questions for me please? I've got an appointment with the vet on tuesday and he is gonna take some blood and check his crop.

 

[dhraiden]

Let the vet determine whether its behavior is normal or a deviation thereof.

Leaving food for the bird, the point of which is - it will eat on its own what it wants.

Cursory Internet search gives that, for electus birds, wean time is between 8 and 11 weeks.

Let the bird eat on its own food that will not present a risk of aspiration. Do not force-feed unless vet determines it absolutely necessary. You mentioned Vet said the weight was good.

Please try to ensure the Vet you are seeing is one that specializes in Avian biology, it goes without saying.

 

[Martin93]

Let the vet determine whether its behavior is normal or a deviation thereof.

Leaving food for the bird, the point of which is - it will eat on its own what it wants.

Cursory Internet search gives that, for electus birds, wean time is between 8 and 11 weeks.

Let the bird eat on its own food that will not present a risk of aspiration. Do not force-feed unless vet determines it absolutely necessary. You mentioned Vet said the weight was good.

Please try to ensure the Vet you are seeing is one that specializes in Avian biology, it goes without saying.

it is kinda hard finding a good avian vet, i found one but that guy spoke a foreign language and could not even properly understand what i was saying so i looked for another one, the breeder i got the bird from advised a vet he always goes to but its not a AAV vet... guess the best thing to do now is first wait the results of his blood test and crop.

oh yea also i've been looking for some soft foods he could try to eat.
Corn, Peas, sunflower seeds, cucumber, apple.
Are these good to start with? any other suggestions?

 

[Martin93]

He really refuses to eat anything, whenever i try to give him something he'll get nervous i think and starts running away from me and he spits out what i've given to him on the floor. He now lives on one meal a day... only before bed time.

There are multiple foods in his cage now and all he does is sometimes play with it and chew it but he does not swallow any of it, he used to but now he just stopped eating.

I know he's fledging and needs to lose some weight but this is stressing me out now.

He still is very active, he runs around following our lovebird and he's biting pretty much everything he comes across to play with it, so he does not seem weakend or sick at all.

 

[Martin93]

Advised by the vet i'm force feeding him now at least twice a day until his crop is full, he's not eating anything on his own.
I hate the struggle i have to deal with and i'm afraid that he will be scared of me becouse of this.

I've found an interesting post from someone claiming to have the same problem with eclectus chicks as i have now: https://mysmelly.com/Archive/EclectusChicksRefusing/cgdgr/post.htm

this guy is not the first one telling that eclectus parrots are very hard to feed at a certain age, some may do fine, but some are a hell to go through.

Is there anyone on this forum who has experience in raising eclectus chicks who might be able to help me out?

 

[1812june]

Hi. I have an eclectus baby, he is just over 3 months old now. I got him when he was 6 weeks old, and I have been hand feeding him. I still am, but only two times a day now, and not very much ( around 24 ml, sometimes less) as he eats on his own.

I started with very, very small meals when I first got him, but often, to get him used to handfeedings, and not stress me or the bird out. After just a coupple of days, things went great, and he did the head bobbing thing, and took around 50ml, 3 times a day. After each meal, I let him taste different wegetables, just tiny pieces, to get him used to different tastes.

However, I did get the same problem that you seem to be having now.. suddenly, out of nowhere, he started to get angry on the suringe, and didnt want any food. I had read about this, but still, it got me a bit stressed out..

I kind of forse fed him. I made sure he had vegetables and different foods in his cage at all times, but I gave him 3 smaller handfeedings ( maybe around 12ml-24) depending on how "angry" he got.. I bought the smaller suringe ( 6 ml), because it was easier to get it in his mouth.. also the head bobbing thing, had completely stopped..

He did start to fledge after beeing like this for a while, so that was probably the reason..
However, this behaviour lasted until maybe 2 weeks ago. Now he is back doing the head bobbing, wanting his food. He flyes good now, and can fly and land mostly where he wants to.

He eats on his own, but Im not sure if its enough.. so I will continue the handfeedings until he doesnt want them anymore..

I hope things go well for your baby. It is not fun when you are worried, but hopfully, he is fine.

Good Luck


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[Martin93]

Hi. I have an eclectus baby, he is just over 3 months old now. I got him when he was 6 weeks old, and I have been hand feeding him. I still am, but only two times a day now, and not very much ( around 24 ml, sometimes less) as he eats on his own.

I started with very, very small meals when I first got him, but often, to get him used to handfeedings, and not stress me or the bird out. After just a coupple of days, things went great, and he did the head bobbing thing, and took around 50ml, 3 times a day. After each meal, I let him taste different wegetables, just tiny pieces, to get him used to different tastes.

However, I did get the same problem that you seem to be having now.. suddenly, out of nowhere, he started to get angry on the suringe, and didnt want any food. I had read about this, but still, it got me a bit stressed out..

I kind of forse fed him. I made sure he had vegetables and different foods in his cage at all times, but I gave him 3 smaller handfeedings ( maybe around 12ml-24) depending on how "angry" he got.. I bought the smaller suringe ( 6 ml), because it was easier to get it in his mouth.. also the head bobbing thing, had completely stopped..

He did start to fledge after beeing like this for a while, so that was probably the reason..
However, this behaviour lasted until maybe 2 weeks ago. Now he is back doing the head bobbing, wanting his food. He flyes good now, and can fly and land mostly where he wants to.

He eats on his own, but Im not sure if its enough.. so I will continue the handfeedings until he doesnt want them anymore..

I hope things go well for your baby. It is not fun when you are worried, but hopfully, he is fine.

Good Luck


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I'm really glad to hear that i'm not the only one and that things worked out for you! give me hope that mine too will be allright and this is just a process some eclectus parrots unfortunatly go through...

I think i'm going to buy a syringe with a tube so it will be easier and safer to feed him, becouse now i'm afraid i will aspirate him like this.

Today i gave him a bowl of cooked corn, peas, beans, peanuts and sunflower seeds and he was sort of interested in that, i cant tell for sure if he swallowed anything yet but he has been chewing a lot of it and its all destroyed now, he is now 9 weeks old so i hope in the coming week i'll see him swallowing on his own.

Thanks again!

 

[1812june]

Hi again.
Well, if you only feed him formula once a day, but he keeps pooping during the day, most likely he is eating some on his own. The formula poop is much wetter, while poop from his food ( atleast with my bird) is firmer and darker colour ( depending on what he eats)
So keeping an eye on what comes out, can give you some clearity ;-)


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[Martin93]

Hi again.
Well, if you only feed him formula once a day, but he keeps pooping during the day, most likely he is eating some on his own. The formula poop is much wetter, while poop from his food ( atleast with my bird) is firmer and darker colour ( depending on what he eats)
So keeping an eye on what comes out, can give you some clearity ;-)


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i did notice some very small poops sometimes and not as wet as the bigger ones, so that might indicate he is eating small amounts on his own? I try to feel his crop multiple times a day but it always feels empty, but maybe the small amount of food he might eat is to few to feel?
Anyway i'm feeding him morning and bedtime now.
I hope he will eat more on his own soon.

Thanks again!

 

[Martin93]

He is still rejecting to be fed, and still not eating a lot, if any.
I'm not sure if he is really eating, i can see he is chewing a lot of stuff like seeds, nuts, beans, but i never really feel anything in his crop unless i feed him. But he still is very alive and happy so i'll asume its all okay, also the vet told me he looked healthy and active, strong and fatty body. now i know he's supposed to lose weight but he is 430gr now, he weighed ~485gr, is he still supposed to lose weight?
I'm feeding him 30ML formula in the morning and before bedtime.

Almost 10 weeks old now.

 

[1812june]

Im not sure about the loosing weight part.. sounds like he has lost a lot, but he still sounds like a big boy though.. he is heavier than mine, mine is not yet 400 grams..

I found the weighing part a bit difficult, because if he just moves a little bit, the weight changes, so you have to be very careful on where you place him..

My bird didnt lose much weight 10-20g maybe, but he just stopped gaining..

Also, I think maybe feeling the crop, isnt the best way, atleast not now when he is just starting to learn to eat on his own, because I think they maybe just eat small bits and peaces all day long, they dont eat it all at one, so that the crop gets full, the way it does with handfeedings..

Im no expert though..


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[1812june]

Hi.
Just wondering how your little guy is doing?


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