need some guidance or a little experienced help

[aunali9]

Hi guys. I live in Pakistan where due to the lax legal approach towards bringing in animals to the country through smuggling means that to ensure you don't end up with an I'll bird or one with behavior problems, you end up having to buy a baby African grey. The banding process and all isn't reliable either. I understand and completely agree that getting a baby bird before its weaned can be very dangerous but that's the only way any parrot can be purchased here. I wanted to know if there is anyone around with professional or hand feeding experience here whom I can direct some general questions towards. I have been feeding my 5 week old bird myself since the last one week and I think I've been doing alright. The breeder is some one I know well and I purchased the bird after many visits and guided practice.

[katana600]

i wish i could help but like most of us on the forum have not had experience in this area. There have been threads from time to time on this forum that you might find useful. It may also help if you post under the health room with a "help feeding five week old" or something to that effect so someone more experienced will see it more quickly.

[aunali9]

i shall do just that then. thank you katana.

[Dave007]

Hi guys. I live in Pakistan where due to the lax legal approach towards bringing in animals to the country through smuggling means that to ensure you don't end up with an I'll bird or one with behavior problems, you end up having to buy a baby African grey. The banding process and all isn't reliable either. I understand and completely agree that getting a baby bird before its weaned can be very dangerous but that's the only way any parrot can be purchased here. I wanted to know if there is anyone around with professional or hand feeding experience here whom I can direct some general questions towards. I have been feeding my 5 week old bird myself since the last one week and I think I've been doing alright. The breeder is some one I know well and I purchased the bird after many visits and guided practice.

 

Ok, what general questions do you have?

[aunali9]

Well I wanted to know if some of his behavior was normal among other things. After I feed him he stretches his neck out and makes sliding movements with his lower jaw/beak. He started walking around more on his claws than his knees today so I'm guessing I'm doing something right. But a lot of times I find him using his beak or head as an assist in getting up. Plus he is very quiet... I expected him to be noisy. He makes sqwaking noises in the mornings or if a new sound startles him around the house like the first time he heard the TV come on. I want to know if I should make the formula in a greater quantity because a week back he refused to eat more than 18ml of formula. Today he was still holding his beak open like when he's hungry even after the full 20 that I make. Should I just let him feed till he refuses further? And his poop is like one solid turd with a very small amount of white stuff around it and a bunch of fluid. Is it a good means of knowing he is doing well? And his dark grey wing feathers are out now, but at the breeders they dropped some formula on him while feeding him and it dried. So should I use a warm wet cloth to clean that off? The rest of him is all fuzzy and furry now but his back is matted with formula.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I'm so glad Dave showed up. I was just about to suggest asking for help from Dave. You are in good hands. Nancy

[Dave007]

Well I wanted to know if some of his behavior was normal among other things. After I feed him he stretches his neck out and makes sliding movements with his lower jaw/beak. He started walking around more on his claws than his knees today so I'm guessing I'm doing something right. But a lot of times I find him using his beak or head as an assist in getting up. Plus he is very quiet... I expected him to be noisy. He makes sqwaking noises in the mornings or if a new sound startles him around the house like the first time he heard the TV come on. I want to know if I should make the formula in a greater quantity because a week back he refused to eat more than 18ml of formula. Today he was still holding his beak open like when he's hungry even after the full 20 that I make. Should I just let him feed till he refuses further? And his poop is like one solid turd with a very small amount of white stuff around it and a bunch of fluid. Is it a good means of knowing he is doing well? And his dark grey wing feathers are out now, but at the breeders they dropped some formula on him while feeding him and it dried. So should I use a warm wet cloth to clean that off? The rest of him is all fuzzy and furry now but his back is matted with formula.

 

 

 

1------After I feed him he stretches his neck out and makes sliding movements with his lower jaw/beak.

He's cleaning the inside of the lower beak----normal

 

2------He started walking around more on his claws than his knees today so I'm guessing I'm doing something right. But a lot of times I find him using his beak or head as an assist in getting up.

You have a very very young bird. As he gets a bit older he'll use claws even more. The same thing goes for the beak and head. Those areas are the common things to use when getting from one spot to another---very normal.

 

3---- Should I just let him feed till he refuses further? And his poop is like one solid turd with a very small amount of white stuff around it and a bunch of fluid.

Yes, keep feeding him until he refuses the food. As he gets older, (much older) he'll start to refuse a whole feeding. That's the time to eliminate one formula feeding. Using this method is called*abundance feeding*. Let the bird tell you when he doesn't want formula, not the other way around. Don't put time limits on the weaning process---1 bird may take approx. 16 weeks to wean, another may take approx. 28, 30 weeks etc etc.

 

4---*And his dark grey wing feathers are out now, *

Wonderful

 

5----And his poop is like one solid turd with a very small amount of white stuff around it and a bunch of fluid.

Parrots and other birds shi-t and piss at the same time, most of the time. The solid turd is feces. the white material is called urates, the clear fluid is urine. Sometimes you'll see more urine than feces and or just the opposite----normal

 

6------So should I use a warm wet cloth to clean that off? The rest of him is all fuzzy and furry now but his back is matted with formula.

Yes, use room temp water and gently wipe the crud off. The breeder should have done that before selling the bird.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Dave007

[aunali9]

Alright! Thanks a lot for the help Dave! Are you a vet or something btw? Can I pm you in the future if I need help with anything? This was more informative and explained better than anything I could find online. Being a doctor myself I'm too well aware of the accidents that infants experience so I'm kinda freaking out about the baby parrot. He looks a lot more fragile!