I recently bought a baby love bird

[cracker]

I don't know if it was a good decision or not, but he's only 5 weeks old. I thought I was going over to buy a weaned bird, but apparently the lady I met from the internet was selling 5 week old love birds. He can barely walk; let alone flap his wings. I call him "he", because I have no idea what his sex is.

Anyway, I bought him cause I just instantly fell in love with how he was comfortable sitting on my hand without trembling while the other birds seem a bit intimidated and were visibly trembling. Plus, his parents have beautiful coloration of sky-blue and white.

She sold me the formula that should last well over 3 weeks. I keep the formula and any left over mix refrigerated. I mix just enough for it to last a day.

When I brought him home, I put him in a box with a clean black t-shirt as bedding. He had a small amount of formula mix for dinner and again for morning. I gave him a small piece of bread and he's chewed on it a little bit, but I'm not sure if he's actually swallowed any of it.

While he is a little jumpy when I walk over to him, he does generally enjoy being held and he seems to have become a little attached to my black t-shirt. I normally where a black t-shirt, so he charges and plants his head in my shirt, or the black part of my shorts.

I was wondering if I should start giving him seeds and other foods (like fruits, vegetables, rice, etc.) now, or if I should wait a week before I try. Because he didn't seem all that interested with the bread and he doesn't seem to recognize seeds as food.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome, I wish the best for your baby!

Please read:
http://www.parrotforums.com/breeding-raising-parrots/19049-hazards-buying-unweaned-baby.html

For help,:
https://theparrotuniversity.com/arthandfeeding1#basics

 

[GaleriaGila]

Good luck to you both.
Glad you found us for advice and support.

 

[BruceTheQuail]

Hi, when the birds arent fully weaned it is critically important that they are getting the right amount of nutrients, especially calcium. Birds pretty much grow to full size in the first 3 months, and that has a tremendous drain on their bodies. If they arent getting what they need they can end up with all sorts of issues later in life.

This site is awesome, but I wonder whether you might get more info from a dedicated lovebird site, like "lovebirds plus". I used it frequently when I was getting used to the lovebirds and they have all sorts of forums including ones for rearing the chicks.
I havent hand reared any myself, but I'd be keeping on with the formula until well after the bird is fully fledged. Our babies (parent raised but we handled them) would tend to be fed by mum and dad until they were about 12 weeks old, though they'd browse with the seed when they are fully fledged. Unfortunately our main hen is a "plucker" (she plucks her chicks, pretty common with lovebirds and challenging to stop) so I cant remember when that is, but I think it is around 2 months or so, maybe 10 weeks.

 

[Meikasbirdhouse]

I wouldn't offer bread at all...unless you've baked it specifically for your bird using bird safe ingredients.
I would offer a small plate of cooked rice and quinoa, scrambled eggs and mashed sweet potato...baby birds need protein for their muscles to grow. Sit with him and the plate of food and have him stand in it....he will explore the food...keep offering the syringe handfeeding formula until he tells you he doesn't want it anymore.