My baby bird won't eat on his own!

[helen]

Hi, i've had my grey since he was 8 weeks old. He was eating three times a day from the formula. At 9 weeks I started putting fresh vegetables, seeds, and pellets everyday. At first he was playing with his food, and then he started eating little itsy bitsy pieces. He stayed like that for 2 more weeks. Then at 13 weeks i asked the breeder and she told me to start feeding him 2 times a day, morning and at night. After i started feeding him twice a day, he started playing with his food again, and up until now at 16 weeks old, he is still crushing his seeds but he doesnt eat them. He always waits for me to feed him, warm pellets, and one time formula. He's losing weight, he is 355 grams now, and if i didnt feed him, he doesn't eat on his own. 4 weeks ago i went to the vet and i tested his drop and he had nothing wrong with him, the vet told me he was weening. Is this right or wrong, am i doing the right thing? Thanks, sorry for the long story.

[Jayd]

{Feel-good-000200B9}{Feel-good-000200BB}Greetings from another "NEWBIE"B) I made a post on Bird Food about our Spock's eating and diet called Spock's Diet so he lives long and prospers. Spock's the same age as your baby. Maybe you'll find something interesting! A Karma to you for having a little shade of Grey.

Maggie <br><br>Post edited by: Jayd, at: 2009/05/18 07:00

[Jayd]

:unsure: Me again, Is your baby flying? Maggie:side:

[helen]

yes he began to fly when he was 12 weeks ,but the breeder recommend me to clip his wings ,so i did

[helen]

yeh i forgot, the day the beeder clip his wings he began to stop eating ,this the time cliping wings and feeding him two time a day i feel like he getting very sad at this day.

[Jayd]

:)Cuddle your baby, lots of luv, Try different foods,perch the baby on your fingers and move your arm up and down to give his wings exercise! THE BABY WILL FLY AGAIN. There's a lot of good people here to help you...{Feel-good-00020114} Maggie

[helen]

thank you maggie, did you think that i shouldnt clip his wing again ? im fraid to fly away by mistake.

[Jayd]

:unsure: Read the posts here regarding "CLIPPING" and read all you can from all sources you have access to before making up your mind.It's a decision only you can make....{Feel-good-000200BB} Maggie

[Tycos_mom]

Clipping your babys wings at such a young age is very bad for them the need to fly to build proper mustle in their body's Its kinda like cutting your arms off before they even develop. your bird needs its wing to become a confident bird many times when a Grey is clipped to young the becaome nervous and narotic please do not clip him again €until he has good flying skills its very important for them to be fledged properly. Your baby should have never been clipped until it was completly weaned.<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2009/05/18 10:20

[helen]

ok, so if i didnt clip his wing did he is going to eat by him self again? today i wake up in the morning i gave him two table spoon of warm oat meal and he begin to eat it by him self that what he eat, som thing similar to formula, and for seed he is not eating and vegetable to,just little bit of soak warm pellet if I offer him with spoon not by him self, he wont eat it by him self what should i do please help he is keepe loosing weight,and i know i did mistake to except an unweaned bird i didnt know it was too hard to weaned parrot, but im doing my best.

[CarolandFamily]

Helen -if your baby is NOT eating then I think you need to contact a Vet and see what they say. I would also contact your breeder too. Don't second guess on what you should be doing. Birds are so tiny and they have a fast metabolism you don't want him to get sick. Don't wait for a right or wrong answer on the forums PLEASE get him some help and contact the vet.

[Eckobird]

Hi Helen, welcome to the forum!

 

If your baby is losing weight and not eating on his own yet I would suggest putting him back on 3 feedings a day. You need to reduce the feedings when he is refusing it himself. You can't just stop one feeding if he was still eating it before, he needs to refuse it, its called abundance weaning. Some babies take longer to wean than others. The average weaning is 14-16 weeks but I heard some can take up to 20-24 weeks to wean. Please keep offering him the fruits and veggies and try giving it to him in variety. Have you tried to cooked the veggies? Maybe he will like them warm. Oatmeal is also good so keep giving him that. I also have a baby grey, he is 15 weeks old. I noticed he doesn't like cold things so I give him warm stuff, like cooked veggies, baked sweet potatoe, oatmeal, beans, brown rice, etc.

 

Anyways, please keep us updated on his progress and don't hesitate to ask anymore questions! Is your baby a Congo or a Timneh? What was his weight before you dropped the 3rd feeding? You said he is 355 grams now and thats kind of low, it depends though maybe he is a small grey.

[helen]

my baby is congo and his weight was 370gram , thank you for your advice every body ,im going to call his vet know and tell him about this problem , but his vet did do drop test and blood test from 4 weeks ago it was normal nothing wrong ,he tell me he is weaning this the hard time for him .but im going to give him phon call again and see what he advice me .

[Jayd]

Helen,

Your baby should be eating formula. Exact Macaw or ZuPreem Formula Plus because Greys need the extra fat. I would feed him three times a day formula, hot.(105 to 109 degrees) I would supplement this with a "smash" of mashed sweet potatoes, peanut butter, butternut squash (baked til soft), banana. Serve warm around 103 to 105 degrees. Either spoon it or let your baby eat it. at all times, keep a little pellets, seeds and water. In the afternoon, put a bowl of fresh veggies rinsed in a apple cider vinegar water bath. Veggies could include chopped leafy veggies such as kale, swiss chard, carrot tops, romaine, collard or mustard greens, then, two or three pieces of lightly steamed carrots, include a couple of sugar snap peas, chopped chayote squash, zucchini and yellow squash (everything rinsed in the cider vinegar water solution.) Spock is 15+ weeks old and this is his daily diet. You will have some waste but like caitb said also, this is abundance weaning. Concerning clipped wings, the general rule is to not clip the baby's wings until they have flown 2 to 3 weeks and can fly, land, etc. excellently. the clip should be a light clip so the grey can glide to the ground. How long did you let your baby fly before you clipped him? Spock eats so few pellets or seeds its almost a waste to give them!

Jay<br><br>Post edited by: Jayd, at: 2009/05/18 19:18

[helen]

I let my baby fly for 10 days , and the breeder told me you should clip his wing befor he starts flying,so he wont hurt him self ,possible broken neck or leg if he hit the window or miror or if he didnt pershed right ,so i told her to clip his wing fearing from all those problems possible happen later.

[Jayd]

How was the flying, did he fly a lot? I'm sure it's ok, next time if you want to clip the baby let him fly longer... I think if there's no medical reason, a little warm food and the time taken to hand feed (love) will help... Jay

[Jayd]

:woohoo:One more thing.. Be Happy, your baby can since your emotions!!! {Feel-good-00020114} Jay

[helen]

i called his vet today and he said i should put all his food with his bowl at the cage to let him eat it bye him self,and i have to walk a way and dont shaw him my self and see what going to happen ,and he told me if he keeping loosing weight so take appointment for him and bring him to the office.

[Jayd]

Whats your baby's name? Timneh or Congo? Be Happy...Jay{Feel-good-000200BB}

[helen]

No he didnt fly a lot,and his flying was very bad at that time,he wasnt know how to perch good ,he was trying hard to pershesing good but he get failed and fall down on the floor .

[helen]

he is congo grey ,but his name is cookie.

[Jayd]

http://www.greyforums.net/components/com_joomlaboard/emoticons/dizzy.png Have you tried Birdie muffins? 1 box Jiffys corn bread mix, 3 eggs with shells crushed, 2 small jars baby food (I use corn and sweet potatoes, Use what you like!) You can add soffen pellets/seeds, veggies whatever you like no milk,mix bake and serve warm or room temp...Maggie...

[Eckobird]

Hi Helen,

 

Maggie and Jay have given great advice! I recommend you do the smash they mentioned, also the birdie bread. Are you going to start feeding him 3 times a day? So the vet told you to put food in the cage and walk away? I don't understand what walking away has to do with it. Your grey obviously still needs the formula so I hope your still giving it to him. You should probably make a vet apt anyways. Have them do a culture and sensitivity test to make sure your baby doesn't have a crop infection.

 

Please keep us posted.

-Caitlin

[helen]

ok,im going to do appointment and im going to feeding him three time a day,and smash birdie bread to see what going to happen thank you very much i hope every thing is going to work fine im going to be in touch and tell what going to happen,and ia went to the stor and bought jiffy corn bread,and sweet potato and my best .

[helen]

hi,i give the birdie muffin he liked alot and make all his food worm the sweet potatoe and i boiled the brockley little bit to more soft, and he liked too, but stil not eating the seed that he have.