How do i know my babies ages and what to feed them...

Hi. Im just new being a mom to my 3 little blue nape parrots... I got them this morning from a seller in a market. He doesn't know their ages. Pls help me. I dont know what to feed them. Thanks.

I would introduce them to fruits, vegetables and a good brand of pelleted food.

Where are you located? It is rare for me to read about purchasing birds at a market.

this is wrong on so many levels. never purchase babies that you do not know how to properly take care of, leave it to the more experienced bird owners. It's quite complicated on how to take care of a young chick when you are experienced.

IMO I would sell them to a qualified breeder who knows how to properly take care of these chicks.

Thank you for your reply... Im from the philippines. How old do you think they are? Should i use food processor and feed them thru spoon? How many times should i feed them? Thanks in advance for the replies....

Hi crimson. You're right. I should have not purchased them because i dont know anything about birds. Do you know that when i gave birth to my first child, i don't know anything about them as well. But since i have a heart for babies, they grew up well. I researched and asked for the opinions of the experts. When i saw those birds, i felt bad and felt no choice but to buy them. They are in a small box with so little holes and they are all wet because of the rain. The old man is selling the birds because they have nothing to eat. Now that its my responsibility to take care of them, i come to this forum to ask for a little help thru your advice on how to take care of them. If anyone of you who wants to buy the birds here in the Philippines and wants to take care of them, I will be much happy and thankful.

Again, if anyone of you who can help me on how and what to feed them and would probably know their ages, i will be very much thankful. God bless!

I would assume you can't find handfeeding formula for parrots in the shops where you live. I would suggest cream of wheat cereal mixed with mashed fruit (maybe baby food). Food needs to be no hotter than 105F . I would try feeding with a small spoon. You could also leave a small dish with water and another with chopped veggies and fruit. It's hard to guess their age but i'd guess 6wks maybe older. Do they fly yet? they should start trying foods on their own soon but will depend on you to feed them until they "wean" at about 12 wks. Do you have a digital kitchen scale that weighs in grams? Keeping track of their weight every AM before feeding will help in being sure they are eating right and healthy. They should "beg" when they are hungry. I'm not sure how the old man fed them so try the spoon , a small syringe , or even off the end of your finger. I work in the Philippine Island every spring (Jan/Feb) at the power plant near Quezon, i love the people there. Good luck and ask questions if you have them.

Thanks so much henpecked! Im really starting to worry until i read your reply. You're a life saver. Yes! I will do everything you suggested. I have all that you mentioned.
They are trying to fly.... i tried giving them banana, they ate it. Are they really noisy? im not irritated with their sound, just worried that they need something...
My mom is from quezon... Again, thanks.

Naiobie, I did some hand feeding of Diamond, now aged a little over 4 months.

Feel the proper area on the throat to see how full the crop is. I used a syringe, so I knew how much I was giving him.

He knows how he should be fed and handled, down to the last detail like which side of his face you insert, and how he sits and is swaddled in your lap.

If he's eating solid food on his own, it's easier. He knows how to swallow and what to do with food placed in his mouth, but can't eat enough on his own yet — in the wild he can't forrage and find enough to feed himself yet, and with a food dish he might not be getting it all where it's supposed to go Once past that awkwardness, I think their instinct is to get a certain percentage of baby food even though that have all the solid food they want available without working for it.

Re noise: are they still making only one particular sound, their "baby sound"?

I commend you for rescuing these three babies, even though you're new to birds. Your heart is in the right place, and I have confidence that you will do right by them.

The people on this board are the best, and will support you any way that they can.

Those looks like Blue Naped Parrots which is found in your region. The old man probably stole them from their nest which is very wrong to do. Do your local authorities not control stuffs like that? IF they were taken from the wild like that, they should be released back into the wild. It's people like the guy your buying from that is killing off the wild population and the more people that buys them, the more he is going to continue to do so. IF your local authorities would do something about it, turn him in!

I know your trying to do something good by rescuing them, just remember IF they were taken from the wild, they might be carriers of parasites and diseases you have no idea about. And also please do refrain from feeding so much sun flower seeds (from your photos). If you really want them to do well, please do contact your local wild life agency so they can rehab them and turn them back into the wild where they belong as I highly doubt they were bred in captivity.

naiobiezacchea said:

Hi crimson. You're right. I should have not purchased them because i dont know anything about birds. Do you know that when i gave birth to my first child, i don't know anything about them as well. But since i have a heart for babies, they grew up well. I researched and asked for the opinions of the experts. When i saw those birds, i felt bad and felt no choice but to buy them. They are in a small box with so little holes and they are all wet because of the rain. The old man is selling the birds because they have nothing to eat. Now that its my responsibility to take care of them, i come to this forum to ask for a little help thru your advice on how to take care of them. If anyone of you who wants to buy the birds here in the Philippines and wants to take care of them, I will be much happy and thankful.

Again, if anyone of you who can help me on how and what to feed them and would probably know their ages, i will be very much thankful. God bless!

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Naiobiezacchea- I must apologize for being so bold with my comment. I was upset with my own issues here with a bird that was severely injured earlier this week, then I sat down and read your comment, so I was a bit 'sour'

I agree with Mikeytn.

I don't really have anything to ad other than I wish you the best of luck with raising them, they are truly gorgeous and deserve a good life.
You have a good heart