Just bought a 9 week old eckie need help !!!

Hey guys just bought a male eclectus, he's only 8-9 weeks old and bought him baby food ( the one you have to mix with hot water ) ... I need help guys because I don't know how much to feed him, how much baby food I have to put into the cup, and how long I stay feeding him this baby food for .. Someone please help !!!

( photo below is what previous owner gave me )

Do you know how to feed him properly because if your feeding with a syringe and you dont do it right you can kill him....if I were you I would use a spoon to feed him the formula...I have hand raised baby budgies and finches but never an ekkie so I have no idea how much they should take but I do know from the budgies that each bird is an individual in as much as it consumes and you stop feeding when the crop is nicely full not hard just sort of firm...do you have any breeders near you or an avian vet? I sugest you get somebody to teach you how to feed your baby correctly like a breeder ir an avian vet. How did you manage to get a 8-9 week old Ekkie ? Did someone sell it ? Is it used of being hand fed. How long has it been since your Ekkie had its last meal...is it eating other things apart from formula. I hope somebody who has experience hand feeding Ekkies comes on soon to answer you.

In the event that you cannot get any help this video will help but I would sugest that instead of using a syringe that you use a spoon.I have always used a spoon and never used the syringe. Although I know how to use the syringe I just never felt comfortable using it.
[ame="https://youtu.be/X76C2QtkEsA"]How To Handfeed and Wean a baby Bird | Best Guide ! - YouTube[/ame]

I hope all goes well for you and that you get someone who can teach you to feed your baby .

Also if you use a spoon it needs to be shaped like this...if you have to shape your own spoon make sure there are no sharp edges on it before you use it.
https://www.google.ie/search?q=feed...=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=twoGCsS9mvfuSM:

Yes guys I know how to feed it from the syringe but I'm going to buy a spoon becuase it just looks easier, only thing I need help with is how much I have to give it the formula and when do I start feeding it fruits and stop feeding it the formula, and I'm getting told two tablespoons of the formula with warm water 3 times a day untill it is arohnd 10-13 weeks. My baby is only 8-9 weeks old.

AmateurEckie said:

Yes guys I know how to feed it from the syringe but I'm going to buy a spoon becuase it just looks easier, only thing I need help with is how much I have to give it the formula and when do I start feeding it fruits and stop feeding it the formula, and I'm getting told two tablespoons of the formula with warm water 3 times a day untill it is arohnd 10-13 weeks. My baby is only 8-9 weeks old.

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I haven't hand reared an eccy, but I;ve hand reared an Alexandrine with a spoon successfully. I fed him every 4-5 hours. I fed him until his crop was full. I made sure the food was luke warm.
I'd suggest the same thing, maybe see a vet if you can and they can help you out.

Hi and welcome. When they say spoon, the spoon can be made with any stainless steel spoon by bending the sides up. Formula should be warm to you , not hot. Figure around 105 degree F. Make veggies and soft , cooked stuff like sweet taters finely chopped available in a cup, all the time. He will get curious and maybe try some.

He is so young we are all surprised a breeder let him go, at 8 to 9 weeks. You have a lot of reading to do, to make youngun stays healthy and well. Doing well by asking a lot of questions.

What are you doing for cage? For toys? Water dishes? Bedding? Do you have a vet, should be an avian vet. Has he seen one yet... best time is when he is well, so a 'wellness' base line is established. Recommend you start a daily journal, record everything.. what he eat s what time he gets up, how he likes to go to sleep.... you get the idea.
There are a lot of smart experienced folks here, together we will get your baby on the good road. My name is AL, what's yours?

I just got my baby but she was 16 weeks...about the avg. age for an ekkie to be released to an owner but some breeders here in the states will hold them even longer--up to 7 months. I know that AU breeders often sell them very young, not sure why but i wish you the best with your new bird. I am still feeding mine formula (by spoon) at night. She is not fully weaned but she is eating a chop mix in the morning and her dinner is fresh fruit. I would encourage you to feed formula for the next few days just to insure your bird is getting enough nourishment while you make the transition--past the panic stage.

Chop small. Babies are just exploring food and cannot manage is ably as an adult can. My baby still cant manage to hold food with her foot, she can only take a bite of something, the rest will fall to the ground. Even with almonds, she cant manipulate it in her mouth (the whole almond) so small is best. As far as consistancy, think runny crepe batter or a slushie for texture, slides down easily. Temperature is important--when they are young the temp of the food influences their body. I would switch to a bent spoon as soon as possible (personal opinion here) so that your baby has more control over the feeding process. They should be able to gulp on their own at this point so you will have fewer potential issues with aspiration.


You may also want to supplement the fresh veggie chop with small (cockatiel size) pellets mixed in as an inducement to eat. While WHAT they eat is important, at this age so is HOW MUCH they eat. Until you get things sorted, I'd go with quantity over quality. A week of imperfect diet wont hurt your bird nearly as much as being malnourished. FYI, my girl is nearly 5 months and is still not weaned, though she eats a healthy amount on her own. I keep up her formula as insurance that she's getting enough to eat because she can still be picky about what she eats and doesnt always eat as much chop as I think she should. Also be cognizant about proportion of proteins, fruits, veggies, and pellets--but that can come later. Best of luck and welcome to the forum. I have found it to be an invaluable resource!

Someone mentioned housing. I'd keep your bird in a smaller cage (sleeping cage) for another few weeks. Babies are clumsy and dont have great skills--yours is probably just learning to perch. They fall. Falling a foot to the floor of the cage is much less harmful than falling 3-4 feet. Wait until the mobility is greater before you move to an adult sized cage. I just moved Liesl to her "big girl" cage two weeks ago, and she still misses a step every now and then and crashes. If you dont have a small cage, pad the bottom of your cage with towels so if your baby does fall it has a nice cushion. Not one towel, TOWELS plural. Think as if it were you.

AmateurEckie said:

Yes guys I know how to feed it from the syringe but I'm going to buy a spoon becuase it just looks easier, only thing I need help with is how much I have to give it the formula and when do I start feeding it fruits and stop feeding it the formula, and I'm getting told two tablespoons of the formula with warm water 3 times a day untill it is arohnd 10-13 weeks. My baby is only 8-9 weeks old.

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Hey what happened how did you go?