Afraid store is sending my bird home too soon

I went to visit "Birdie" today - he is perching!

As of last Thursday, they were estimating Birdie to be 7-8 weeks old and to need another 4 weeks to be fully weaned. (I keep asking them to get me his actual hatch date - this seems to be an impossible request).

Today, the owner of the store told me that I should be ready to take Birdie home this weekend.

What????

How did we go from 4 weeks to this weekend?

Birdie JUST started perching today. His tail feathers aren't completely grown in. Neither are the feathers around his neck. He isn't coordinated enough to step up. Today was the first day I saw him try to flap his wings a little - just once.

According the owner, he has been eating veggies and pellets. I've seen him eating a warm mixture of soft foods like sweet potato and soft monkey chow. He was nibbling on some pellets today but not in a way that made feel as though he was really eating them.

The owner also said that Birdie didn't want his hand feeding this morning. She also said that she wants a "feisty" bird like and Illiger's to go home as soon as possible so he gets handled more often.

Do I have the right to question my bird's readiness to come home?

I know all birds wean at their own pace, but does 8-9 weeks seem early for an Illiger's?

I just get the feeling that she is rushing my baby out the door.

Of course, I could be over-reacting so wanted to get your opinions!

Thanks!

You are absolutely NOT overreacting here!! Baby should NOT go home for at least another 4-6 weeks, or until he's been abundance weaned. It really sounds like they're rushing him way too much.

Are they weighing him regularly and keeping track of his progress? Just because he skipped a meal this morning, doesn't mean he'll skip it again tomorrow morning. And it surely doesn't mean he'll be weaned by the end of the week. Many baby birds skip a meal here and there, only to want to make up for it the following day, or the day after that.

Shawna, does baby come with a health guarantee? If so, what type of guarantee is it? And they should be able to provide you with his hatch date, unless they lost his paperwork??

IF they continue to push you to take him home (too early), and your mind is made up that he's YOURS, then have them teach you how to handfeed properly. More than once or twice. I'd say at least a dozen times, until you're comfortable with it. (If you want to go that route that is)

You know, I was so STUPID not to ask about their health guarantee.

I was not a naive buyer this time around... why did I let my happiness at finding an Illiger's cloud my better judgement? I'm starting to regret getting my baby from this store.

I think I need to get tough tomorrow.

NO! You are certainly NOT stupid!!!

Most stores offer some type of health guarantee, just make sure you have it in writing. Be persistent with them. This is YOUR baby, and he's in THEIR care, so THEY are responsible for his well being until you take him home. The most common health guarantees will give you 48 hours to have baby checked out by an avian vet. Of course if you run blood panels, you won't get those results in 48 hours, however, as long as you can prove you had baby checked within given time period, and (God forbid) something comes back, then you are covered under the guarantee. Make sense?

Yes - makes perfect sense.

I don't think a baby nibbling adult food and refusing one feeding means he/she is weaned yet! I would insist Birdie stay until he/she can perch and is maintaining weight on adult food (and no more hand feedings). A bird will still bond even if it has been weaned for a few weeks. Heck, 20,30,40+ year old birds who have been abused and neglected bond to new owners! To suggest a baby won't because it didn't go home early is ridiculous to say the least. I know some people enjoy finishing weaning a baby (my parents actually weaned 2 of theirs from a few weeks old, totally inexperienced might I add), but personally, I wouldn't even consider it. Too much to go wrong in inexperienced hands, and people now understand weaning a bird yourself has absolutely no bearing on it's ability to bond or to be a wonderful companion.

No, one missed feeding is no where near weaned and ready to go home. Babies will go back and forth one day to the next as Wendy said in her post for quite sometime as they are weaning. I really hope they are offering lots of different food choices. Have they already clipped the baby even though it can't perch? Please say no...

Thanks everyone for letting me know I'm not over reacting!

And yes, Labell, I hate to say it, but they clipped my baby's wings yesterday. I was so upset. Had to remind myself that they will grow back and I can work with him to become a confident flyer when he gets home.

i just need to remember that things the store is doing now shouldn't cause any permanent damage. It just makes me a little sad thinking he could be getting a better start. I feel guilty somehow, but he would be getting this treatment whether I bought him or someone else did.

Oh No! I just hate that pet stores and breeders do this..before the baby is even perching!? GRRRR well a macaw is very resilient and as long as they didn't do a hard clip it shouldn't effect his confidence too much.

If you end up with any questions or need advise quick I am in CT too so I will help in any way I can. I would even teach you to hand feed if it were to come to that. I hope they won't force wean him but it sounds as if they are already trying. Weaning is an art imo and it should never be rushed! Macaws are big snuggle bug babies and should not be rushed through hand feeding and weaning for any reason.

Hi agree.

They're rushing this. Sampling solid foods for the first time doesn't mean he's ready to wean, and its a virtual certainty hell regress if you cut him off too soon.

This one is sold, let's get another one in here... Push product people!

Thank you all for your support!

Now I have to decide how to handle this with the store. Can I refuse to take him home when they want me to unless they teach me how to hand feed? Can I insist on seeing their records for how much he's eatong every day, how much he is being hand fed and his daily weight? Can I insist that they provide me with his exact hatch date and who the breeder was?

I don't want to become combative with the owner/ manager, but I need them to know I have concerns.

I do think you should voice your concerns. Taking over hand feeding typically voids certain parts of a health warranty because there are so many mistakes that people can make. So I wouldn't make that decision lightly and they really must show you and teach you more than once to make sure you are comfortable and confident however this should not effect the disease part of the health warranty if they have one and I would find out as soon as you can the specifics of any health warranty that they do have. Depending on what they tell you I would encourage you to make them fully wean him and make sure he is abundantly weaned and not force weaned as this can and does effect babies through their lifetime.

I never take hand feeding lightly but I am concerned with how they are handling this baby and question their motives in saying that he would be ready by this weekend is just crazy.

Typically when I feed a baby that is going to a new home I tell the new owners that I will be keeping the baby for at least a week or two past weaning because there can be a regression period and I always want to make sure that a baby is eating well on it's own for a while after it refuses formula in case of any set backs.

I'm sorry this is happening Shawna. How come they can't even produce such basic information as the hatch date! I mean, they're in the business of selling baby birds.. That is ridiculous, and irresponsible of them if they don't have it. It's not your fault either... We naturally expect a business such as this to be professional and competent.

I hate to hear of breeders and stores who do business like this!!! The baby is clearly not ready to go home. It's only about the money, which is sad when you take into account that the 'product' is a living, breathing, and GROWING baby!! I was so happy to hear that the store I got Mink from cared enough (even for the small birds like English budgies), to see that she was eating all kinds of food on her own for a couple weeks and holding weight before they let me take her home. They even asked me to bring her back in 3 days for a weight check! I sure wish more bird stores did business like that.

RavensGryf said:

I'm sorry this is happening Shawna. How come they can't even produce such basic information as the hatch date! I mean, they're in the business of selling baby birds.. That is ridiculous, and irresponsible of them if they don't have it.

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They generally buy from bird brokers, and if the broker doesn't give them hatch information, and they can't get ahold of him, or he doesn't get back to them...

They can't answer that question.

So that's how. The eggs aren't hatched in house. They wouldn't know.

They take over hand feeding.

BUT cutting the hand feeding short/force weaning just because someone purchased the bird, and this is your opportunity to cut a few corners... THAT'S WHAT I OBJECT TO!!!

I'm frustrated to say the least.

Shawna, I don't know how far you 2 gals are apart, but if I were you, I'd take Laura up on her offer. She knows what she's doing - 110%

labell said:

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If you end up with any questions or need advise quick I am in CT too so I will help in any way I can. I would even teach you to hand feed if it were to come to that. ......

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Laura, I don't tell you this nearly often enough: You're the BEST!! :smile015:

The other thing you can do is if you let them wean him and you still feel like they rushed it find out what formula they fed him and buy a bag.

Take a teaspoon from home and wrap a towel over it while bending the bottom to resemble a mommy birds bottom beak. (the towel just keeps the metal from the pliers from messing up the metal spoon and makes for a smoother edge).

Heat up some water on the stove almost to boiling and mix up the formula in a small bowl or cup (I use a cup since the thermometer needs to be able to stand in it) Stir, Stir while watching the digital thermometer temp when it gets to 108 you can start feeding the baby from the bent spoon. This eliminates the risk of aspiration and since you will be using a digital thermometer constantly checking temps it will make sure you don't burn the baby's crop. You will want to only feed until the temp on the formula gets to about 103 and no lower so (108 to 103) then stop and throw the left overs away.

Giving him a little first thing in the morning will stimulate him to eat his big bird food through out the day and a small amount at night will comfort him. Then you and he will be in control of weaning and be assured that he is abundantly weaned and not forced without all the risk of syringe feeding.

If it comes to having to hand feed on my own, I will definitely ask for Laura's help since she so generously offered. Part of me feels like getting my baby the heck out of there no matter what they say today!

I don't know what I'd do without you guys! Thank you so much for your kindness and support!

JerseyWendy said:

Shawna, I don't know how far you 2 gals are apart, but if I were you, I'd take Laura up on her offer. She knows what she's doing - 110%

labell said:

......

If you end up with any questions or need advise quick I am in CT too so I will help in any way I can. I would even teach you to hand feed if it were to come to that. ......

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Laura, I don't tell you this nearly often enough: You're the BEST!! :smile015:

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Far?? in Ct? No such thing! I lived there for 45 years, Drive an hour in any direction and you are out of state!
All that aside, so sorry about the stress they are dumping on you! Just focus on your baby, this garbage is only a few weeks/days, baby is for the rest of your life!