Weaned, Suddenly.

JDlugosz

New member
Jun 25, 2013
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Parrots
Bronze Wing Pionus
Diamond had been munching on pellets while waiting impatiently for dinner, if the dish was placed where he was waiting — the corner closest to the food-prep area. After getting his ration of baby food, he would eat more pellets if he was still hungry, before turning in to roost for the night.

Monday he was given fresh food a bit before his feeding time, during the window when he wished it was dinner time already. He enjoyed chopped fruit and stuff from the garden. I thought about whether to give him baby food at all; upon seeing the stuff, he was "sure, I want some of that too" as opposed to hyper and maniacally focused on it. I felt his crop to make sure not to give him too much.

Tuesday was the first time Diamond was left alone since he came home. We left earlier than his normal feeding time, but gave him fresh food. I weighed the bowl before and again when I returned, and he had only taken 7g.

Today (Wed) I was going to give him baby food. He was impatient and could not hold still, but not as vocal as he had been. Now the surprise: he took the syringe, and when I started it, he spat it out with an emphatic "bok!" Concerned, I asked Tao if it was maybe too hot? But more likely it was too cold. She warmed it up to the correct specification and tried again, and Diamond would not take the syringe at all. He would walk away from it. Total reversal of his former behavior!

He apparently wanted fresh food, not baby formula. Upon giving him some chopped plumb, egg white, and brown rice, he ate the plumb and about half the egg, and then no more.

Not what I expected. I thought parrots would continue to eat baby food even after being weaned, as a comfort/bonding/lazyness thing.

—John
 

crimson

New member
Oct 8, 2012
3,223
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Ontario,Canada
Parrots
Senegal-Martini,1 pineapple conure~ Kahlua,1 GCC~ Flare, spl/b, 4 Lovebirds Halo,Tye-Die,Luna,Violet,8 Cockatiels,Num Num&Tundra,8-Ball&Angus,Magnet&Sunkist,Pearl, Blush, 1 gouldian finch, 7 canaries
It can happen at any time, and quite quickly too, as you have found out.

all of a sudden they make up their mind they don't want the formula any more.

one of my baby cockatiels was weaned in four days. that was it.....no more.....secretly I said 'yay!'

When I feed my other baby cockatiels, some of my birds will wait patiently for a yummy tasting, others like my Senegal Safari, will scream at me for some, they all still love the formula.

yours will too, but right now he finds other foods more interesting and tasty.
 

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