Feeding babies

[Ilse]

I am a new owner (actually, he belongs to my son) of a really adorable seven week old baby. He seems to adapt well to his environment: he is lively, and clearly intrigued by our slightly older cockatiel baby. They interact well, they ''kiss'' and it seems as if the cockatiel teases him. He seems to thrive, although he has not gained more than about 20g over the past week.

The pet shop owner told me to feed the baby twice a day on Avi-plus, a cereal-like product. I let the baby guide me regarding the amount, which ranges between 70 ml and 90 ml per feed, but I don't feed him in the mornings until his crop has emptied. I use a syringe with a tube. Even though he seems to flourish, I am concerned that he might not get enough nutrients. When do I introduce fruit, and do the babies have any preference? I shall be most grateful for some guidance. Thank you. Ilse Opperman

[BMustee]

Well, first and foremost he needs to be on a good formula. I have never heard of the brand you are using so you may want to see if he would like the Exact hand feeding formula. You should also be giving him pellots and fruit & Veggies. He may not eat it but keep it in the cage all the time so he can play with it. I'm a little worried about the comment you made about letting the baby tell you when he is full. Baby birds can and will ask for MUCH more food than they need at a time and that can cause the crop to stretch out which can lead to slow draining and sour crop. At 7 weeks he should be eating around 40-50 cc per meal. I really hope that you have a Large grey because I can't imagine 90cc's fitting into a normal sized crop. The crop should feel full but not firm...it should have a little give to it. I'm guessing you have never hand fed before...did the shop show you the proper positioning of the syringe and the proper temp the food should be?