btdaycare Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I have a five week old Timneh, when do I introduce veggies and fruits into his diet and how? He is currently eating 3-4 droppers full a time, feeding about every four hours till ten at night. Also when do I put him in a cage, how do I go from heated box to cage. He is currently housed in a plastic box with a heating pad under 3/4 of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I am by NO means an expert, but we got Dayo around the same age he is now a very healthy happy 17 week old. We introduced both his pellet and small fresh vegetables as soon as we got him home - he was very curious and moving around well, so we wanted to make sure he was acclimated to his food bowls and different textures/tastes. Just be sure to change/remove any fresh veggies after a few hours. (and keep them on the side of the box with no heat under it) As far as cage goes, if at all possible, but the box inside the cage for a few hours a day so he can get used to his cage. If the box will not fit (Dayos did not fiit lol) After about a week or two (once he was acclimated to us and a bit more comfortable and actually had some feathers lol) we lined the cage with newspaper and a towel and put some of his favorite toys in there and let him sit in there for a few hours at a time. Hope this helps! Would love t see some pictures of the baby!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) Introducing veggies is done with the items being in the formula from day 1. Right now, there's is a chance that any change in the formula may not agree with the bird and if illness or a bad reaction occurs it could cause a lot of trouble because of their extreme sensitivity to different things and the age of the bird. Commercial formulas don't have all the ingredients that should be in formula. The best formula is homemade. The formula I use has 11 ingredients in it. I make it myself. It's mixed in a blender. The end result is a creamy formula. The chicks grow up very healthy and robust. Those ingredients provide everything that a bird needs. In your case,introducing veggies and making changes in formula isn't good right now. Any veggies that are introduced should be done when the bird can actually eat them. At 5 weeks, a bird can only take formula, nothing solid. You would need to continue feeding what you're feeding right now. It's like a baby. A baby is given all nutrients in creamy baby food. Veggies would never be given to a baby externally. Fruit is something that's not introduced until much later on when the bird's system can handle it and giving fruit doesn't supply the bird with anything substantial. Any fruit given must be solid pieces. That goes for adult birds too. Fruit is given once in a while to break the monotamy of eating regular foods all the time. A bird won't get sick from eating fruit but there's nothing beneficial health wise. Fruit is basically acidic. As far a cage goes, that shouldn't happen until the bird is 7 to 9 weeks old and that should be only a partial thing. Slow introduction, a small cage, a perch next to the bottom of the cage, a little cup of water, a bowl to put some cereal and soft foods such as peas or leafy veggies is necessary but the bird can't be left in there all the time. The bird still needs warmth and a solid holder such as a small fish tank or similar item. A bird that young isn't usually sold untill the bird is near or totally weaned. The breeder is supposed to do that. Edited August 14, 2011 by Dave007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 great ideal! I think his box will fit in the cage and I can still plug in the heater too. Thanks for the ideal of using newspaper and towel in there. I stopped by the local hardware church today to get smaller plastic wire for the bottom of the cage but they didn't have any. Toys? all he has right now is his snuggle lion, what do you suggest for toys? I will send pictures soon. Thanks for you help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 Thanks Dave, I had no idea that fruit was of no value to them. I give my adult grey all kinds of fruit and of course he loves it, I will be pushing the veggies more now. Thank you also for the advice on feeding veggies, at what age do you suggest I start feeding him veggies? As far as his cage, what do you think of me cutting the end off of his current plastic box so he could still go inside and be on the side with the heating pad?(with the box set inside the cage). Would you care to share the ingredients in your formula? I am interested to know what it is in it. I won't be changing his formula to it as you said it would upset him, but I am curious. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I have a lot to learn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) Info concerning the great value of fruit has been passed from one person to another and it's finally tested for nutrition and there really is none. Fruit won't hurt but if a person does it because they think they're adding vitamins and minerals, it's not true. Veggies, the darker green the better is where all the vitamins, minerals, calcium is. The box--if your bird is actually 5 weeks old. it shouldn't have the ability to walk at any distance and it would fall over constantly. They stay in corners next to warm things such as the item you're using. It should be about the size of an old used 10 gal fish tank. The inside floor should be covered with a white or light colored soft towel. Have a few on hand because a baby bird will crap all over it. They're good to use so that the color and consistancy of droppings can be checked. The heating pad ( should be wrapped in a thin towel) goes under the tank set on low. The top of the tank should have a towel on it that will only cover it 1/2 way. That keeps the heat in. Opening one end is a bad idea at this point. The bird isn't going anywhere anyway. A large variety of green veggies, baby food and a special type of bisuit all mixed in a blender. Edited August 14, 2011 by Dave007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsjr Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 (edited) isnt 5 weeks way too young to send home? Does yours look like these two? are you testing how hot the formula is before you feed it to your bird? Edited August 15, 2011 by carlsjr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 isnt 5 weeks way too young to send home? Does yours look like these two? are you testing how hot the formula is before you feed it to your bird? This is a good one to make sure you do. I got one of those digital meat thermometers to measure the temp of Isaac's formula and it works great. Don;t take chances there for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 Here is my baby, head is a little heavy, he was in a mad dash to be cuddled, usually takes three droppers full and then rushes over in a head shoveling mode to be cuddled. Yes I test the temp of his food, I feed him at 105 degrees as suggested on formula canister. He is chirping and growling a lot, very vocal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 the breeder also had a four wk old Amazon with her. I fed them all before I left so she was sure I could handle feeding it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 I understand folks that it should have been weaned before I got it, lesson learned a little to late, but its here now and I just want help raising it. Any suggestions will be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Great looking baby! Maske sure you keep us posted:) I don't know anything about weaning a baby so I'll let someone else to comment;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 thanks, he looks a few weeks older than the nursery pictures of a six wk old,I wonder if the breeder got the birthdate wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 He does look a little older than 5 weeks, the breeder could have gotten the date wrong but he is a little cutie so keep us informed on his progress and continue to post pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 Quiana is now ten weeks old I believe. She is perching on a swing I have hanging in her box, not eating many veggies, I put moistened pellets and water in bowls and she has much fun knocking over her water but doesn't eat much of the pellets, she is slowing down on eating formula though. She spends a lot of time scratching the bottom of the box, stretching her neck and flexing her wings. She does not like my other grey near her. Any hints or tips for what else I should be doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Just keep offering the veggies as it takes some time for them to come to eat them. It is not unusual for the two of them to not get along, even though they are flock animals they tend to not like others like them or even other types of birds, you will just have to supervise when they are both out and about. Would love to see some pictures of Quiana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathykrik06 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 The breeder I got my Molly from won't let any of them go home until they were 100 percebt weaned Molly is 4 in a months old and weighs 428 grams I got Molly from a very knowledgable bird store in concord california called feathered follies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 she is almost 11 weeks old now and she is doing great! Barely eats formula, now loves veggies, trying some herbs today too, is now a good time to put her in a cage, I have hung a swing in her box for a few weeks and she constantly perches on that. I have also put her in a smaller cage and moved her next to my older grey but the cage is getting to small for her to stretch her wings which she loves to flap when I carry her or even while on the table. I put the perches at graduated levels and she goes to all of them very well. Learning to use that beak to climb! What a smart baby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 last night she flew! She always flaps her wings as I said above as I am taking her to the table..............well, she got lift off! Flew to the top of the cupboard and looked down at me like wow! what just happened! Moved her to her new home and she has spent the week exploring the cage and climbing up and down the sides and trying out the various perches. She knocked down a soft cloth toy, mop like, and now she likes to sit on it. I forgot she might like her Teddy bear she had in the original box so it goes in today. She is down to one formula feeding at night....she eats pellets, veggies, a little fruit and a dry mixture of seed and dried veggies and fruits. I love her little sounds she makes. She rushes to the door when I change her water and food in the mornings so she can ride around on my shoulder. Just amazing how big she got, seems she had a growing spurt last week and is almost full grown! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdaycare Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 its a boy! Just had him sexed today and he is now five months old and doing great! His weight was great, wings, beak, feet, all great! lol I feel like a proud mommy! Ok, make that grandma! I am just so happy he did so great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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