Need help first time hand feeding Eclectus

[SilleIN]

A few things I would like to add. If you are using a syringe, make sure to change sides to avoid a crooked beak.

Also it would be an idea to put a damp wash cloth under the towel at each feeding. The heat lamp you are using is very good for chickens and sick parrots, but a little too dry for a baby parrot. Maybe you would be better off with a lid with holes in it. That way the heat from the lamp is not as direct and drying as now.

Please also measure his weight every morning before his first feed. Be sure he is gaining weight every day. A good idea is to write it down and then calculate the percentage of weight gain. It should be relatively steady. If he suddenly differs, you have a faster chance at doing something about it.

The thickness of the formula has a great effect on the babys weight gain. If the weight does not rise steady, try a slightly thicker formula, but be sure not to make it too thick, as this will cause the baby to not properly empty the crop.

When I hand rear parrots I use syringes. I use the inside of my wrist to feel the temperature of the formula. It takes some training, but it's faster, than a thermometer. Also please recheck temperature for each bite. I find the formula cools quite rapidly. I use a cup of boiling water to reheat the formula during feeding (I usually also have more than one bird at a time). When the syringe has reheated, make sure to take in some air in the syringe and shake it well to avoid hot spots in the formula.

If you are sure, that all the parameters are correct and the baby still refuses formula, I mix some coconut milk with their formula. This usually makes them gulp it right down

Please update us of your babys progress.

 

[itzjbean]

Good work on the brooder, hopefully that will keep him warm now. But it should not take that long to feed him. Most birds have a very strong instinct to eat. If he doesn't, it is probably he fault of the formula. How are you making sure the temperatuer is correct? As said, it should be no less than 100 degrees F. I'm guessing he/she probably isn't eating fast because the formula is either too cold and may not be the right consistency, to be honest.

 

[Martin93]

itzjbean:
I try to keep the formula at around 40 degrees celsius as suggested on the bag of the formula and i use a thermometer to check temperature every minute.

So i went to the vet today and the guy there told me the bird seems to be fine.
I got a free check up planned in 14 days to see if things have improved.
I also think its strange that my bird does not seem to show any signs of appetite like i see on youtube videos but he is gaining weight and the vet said that as long as he's gaining weight there is no problem right now. he did not think it was a yeast infection since he had no slime in his beak or mucus on his nostrils.

But i've been thinking, Eclectus parrots are known to have a slower digestive system than most other birds, maybe that has something to do with his crop emptying slower? and therefore not being as hungry? And again it has only been 6 days now since the bird left his mother and maybe he still has to get used to getting fed by a syringe, especially since i started with a spoon the first 3 days.

Well.. i dont really understand whats going on, if anyting at all. but the bird seems to be quite happy honestly, he likes to communicate with the cutest sounds and he likes to cuddle and he is even interested in strangers.
Also what i think is quite remarkable is that he climbed on a perch i bought for him today, i was just gonna show him and tell him how awesome this perch is and stuff but then he just climbed on it (slowly) but he's only 6 and a half weeks old, is that really young? or normal for his age?

Here is the picture by the way

Oh yea and i would be very interested to know how much an eclectus parrot is supposed to weigh at 6 / 7 weeks and how much weight should he gain if he gets older?
I've been keeping track of his morning weight (empty crop) since 3 days now:
May 13th: 442 gr
May 14th: 455 gr
May 15th: 460 gr

 

[SilverSage]

Looking for slime is not the way to check for yeast; any avian vet worth his salt would immediately order gram stains to check for yeast and bacteria; there are symptoms but sometimes the symptoms don't show up before it's too late especially in a baby that isn't naked anymore.


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[SilleIN]

I just calculated the daily percentage of weight gain. He is only gaining 1% pr day. I am usually looking for at least 3% weight gain and preferably 5-8%.

I know of 3 major factors for too slow weight gain:
1. illness
2. too thin formula
3. baby being kept too cold

I am surprised the vet, you went to didn't take a swab of the crop. There is no other way to detect a crop infection, than to swab the crop and grow the bacteria/yeast. Is the vet an avian vet? We have great vets here, but only a handful avian vets, who have the expertise to handle parrots and their illnesses.

Have you read my previous post? If not, please do so. I have tried to list a lot of topics, you need to eliminate, to ensure the health of your baby. I really want to help, but must admit, I am a bit worried about your baby.

 

[Martin93]

I just calculated the daily percentage of weight gain. He is only gaining 1% pr day. I am usually looking for at least 3% weight gain and preferably 5-8%.

I know of 3 major factors for too slow weight gain:
1. illness
2. too thin formula
3. baby being kept too cold

I am surprised the vet, you went to didn't take a swab of the crop. There is no other way to detect a crop infection, than to swab the crop and grow the bacteria/yeast. Is the vet an avian vet? We have great vets here, but only a handful avian vets, who have the expertise to handle parrots and their illnesses.

Have you read my previous post? If not, please do so. I have tried to list a lot of topics, you need to eliminate, to ensure the health of your baby. I really want to help, but must admit, I am a bit worried about your baby.

Yes i read your previous post, thanks!
This morning he weight 460gr so no weight gain today...
But again my question is there like a chart or something to indicate if he has a healthy weight?
Also when i fed him this morning i tried to give him some soft oatmeal with a spoon, he reacted to that by making sounds and wanting a second spoon but after that he started resisting again...

I've been doing a lot of internet research about crop infection and i found that there might be an alternative to medication. apple vinegear, this is what i found:
Natural Treatment / Treating Chicks and Adults with Yeast
(Consult with your vet)

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar:
Some breeders swear by raw apple cider vinegar and their recommendations are to add a drop or two of raw apple cider vinegar to the handfeeding formula to establish a normal pH balance in the gut. Apple cider vinegar naturally promotes acidity in the digestive system thus encouraging the growth of healthy bacterial flora ... Vinegar: A Natural Approach to Avian Management (PLEASE NOTE: HEATED vinegar emits toxic fumes similar to carbon dioxide. Bird owners have lost their pets by adding vinegar to their dishwashing cycle, or used it to clean coffee machines. )
Organic apple cider has natural enzymes, minerals vitamins and essential acids that help keep yeast under control. It is frequently referred to as natures 'antibiotics' that is more of a probiotic (because its an antiseptic). The dilution that a breeder recommended was approximately 1/4 cup of vinegar to one gallon of distilled or filtered water. (Do not use spring water as it may counteract with some of the enzymes). NOTE: Some birds can be sensitive to vinegar, so make sure you talk to your holistic vet before you start this or any other regimen of natural origin.
One vet recommended the following dosage for early treatment or preventative for candida: 1 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar per 16 oz water.
For yeast infections on the skin, soak a qtip in vinegar and apply every day for about three weeks. This usually clears things up.


Should i try this??


Edit:
I went to an avian vet btw

 

[Martin93]

Looking for slime is not the way to check for yeast; any avian vet worth his salt would immediately order gram stains to check for yeast and bacteria; there are symptoms but sometimes the symptoms don't show up before it's too late especially in a baby that isn't naked anymore.


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So would you have any other suggestions for me? should i just wait and see these 14 days like the vet suggested or not?

 

[Martin93]

So i just spoke with the breeder and he says i'm feeding him all wrong, first of all i dont need to fill his crop with 50gr each feeding but just give him some until he doesnt want anymore or about 2 tablespoons of food. also not formula but seed food and vegetables, no fruits becouse they rot real easy and can cause sour crop.
also the 10% of body weight he said is not for evey parrot. they all are diffrent he said.
So i guess i'm gonna buy him some diffrent food and start feeding him a little less and make him want to eat / be little hungry.
If he starts losing weight and still won't eat i'm going back to the vet.

 

[itzjbean]

All I am going to say is, good luck with this baby, and I really hope it survives this whole ordeal. I hope you understand why we here are all very concerned for this baby, as you took it on not knowing how to care for it or handfeed or without a brooder or lamp -- but I'm hoping you are learning from this experience and it will help you be more educated in the future. Please keep us updated with the baby.

 

[Martin93]

All I am going to say is, good luck with this baby, and I really hope it survives this whole ordeal. I hope you understand why we here are all very concerned for this baby, as you took it on not knowing how to care for it or handfeed or without a brooder or lamp -- but I'm hoping you are learning from this experience and it will help you be more educated in the future. Please keep us updated with the baby.

I'll keep this post updated or i'll make a new one, but i would like to note one thing, everyone who is handfeeding had to do it for a first time. like i do now, i really want to learn and i am serious about it and it's not like i had 0 knowledge about handfeeding too, thats why i came to this forum becouse i noticed my bird is not responding in a normal way to feeding.

 

[itzjbean]

All I am going to say is, good luck with this baby, and I really hope it survives this whole ordeal. I hope you understand why we here are all very concerned for this baby, as you took it on not knowing how to care for it or handfeed or without a brooder or lamp -- but I'm hoping you are learning from this experience and it will help you be more educated in the future. Please keep us updated with the baby.

I'll keep this post updated or i'll make a new one, but i would like to note one thing, everyone who is handfeeding had to do it for a first time. like i do now, i really want to learn and i am serious about it and it's not like i had 0 knowledge about handfeeding too, thats why i came to this forum becouse i noticed my bird is not responding in a normal way to feeding.

I know everyone has to start somewhere. But there is a difference between buying a bird, and buying an unweaned baby bird. I hope you realize you took a huge risk in taking on this young baby without the right help or knowledge!! You had no idea about keeping the baby warm until WE on the forum told you so. How is that not negligent on your part? This baby is still not in the clear yet, I am hoping it will be okay.

It wouldn't be such a huge deal if this baby were so young. 6 weeks is very young for an Electus and it is a very delicate age for them, as they are just beginning to wean and explore their surroundings and figure out what being a parrot is all about. You were not prepared to care for this baby properly, and this is something you can't just 'learn on the job'. I mean no disrespect, I only care for the wellbeing of this baby you took on. You do not seem to think this is an issue, but it is! You should have done more research before diving right into this, but I digress. Please keep us updated on the baby and we'll try to offer our best advice.

 

[Martin93]

All I am going to say is, good luck with this baby, and I really hope it survives this whole ordeal. I hope you understand why we here are all very concerned for this baby, as you took it on not knowing how to care for it or handfeed or without a brooder or lamp -- but I'm hoping you are learning from this experience and it will help you be more educated in the future. Please keep us updated with the baby.

I'll keep this post updated or i'll make a new one, but i would like to note one thing, everyone who is handfeeding had to do it for a first time. like i do now, i really want to learn and i am serious about it and it's not like i had 0 knowledge about handfeeding too, thats why i came to this forum becouse i noticed my bird is not responding in a normal way to feeding.

I know everyone has to start somewhere. But there is a difference between buying a bird, and buying an unweaned baby bird. I hope you realize you took a huge risk in taking on this young baby without the right help or knowledge!! You had no idea about keeping the baby warm until WE on the forum told you so. How is that not negligent on your part? This baby is still not in the clear yet, I am hoping it will be okay.

It wouldn't be such a huge deal if this baby were so young. 6 weeks is very young for an Electus and it is a very delicate age for them, as they are just beginning to wean and explore their surroundings and figure out what being a parrot is all about. You were not prepared to care for this baby properly, and this is something you can't just 'learn on the job'. I mean no disrespect, I only care for the wellbeing of this baby you took on. You do not seem to think this is an issue, but it is! You should have done more research before diving right into this, but I digress. Please keep us updated on the baby and we'll try to offer our best advice.

Ofcourse i knew to keep the baby warm... but some gave me better alternatives. but how should i be more prepared then? I've been reading a lot on how to keep baby eclectus watched video's asked people who got them. i got him a nice box with a source for warmth and got special food for him. also i practiced 2 times on handfeeding too on a tame cockatoo. so honestly i did not think i was that bad prepared

 

[Martin93]

Okay so today something good happend, i believe he was crying for food!

Yesterday when i spoke to the breeder he told me he probably does not like his formula and also that eclectus are one of the hardest and most stubborn parrots to handfeed.
So he suggested a special mix of diffrent foods to combine and try feeding him that, so yesterday as his final feeding of the day i gave him some and he seemed to like it and he ate some of it without struggling. Also the breeder advised me that i should not feed him the 10% of his body weight each feeding but less and just feed him more than 3 times a day (as long as his crop is empty).

So far he seems to respond to that pretty good! when i fed him this morning he was making noise an ate his new food from the spoon, he could not wait for me to give it to him.

Lets hope it stays this way

 

[Martin93]

So here's a update for those who still care about this.

The bird is doing pretty good, he is eating better, he probably had to get used to being fed by hand. He is growing pretty fast and his feathers are coming in niceley.

He seems very playfull and i think he is trying to fly sometimes. He wil start flapping his wings while holding tight on the perch. Usualy after doing so he goes into some hyper overdrive and starts running around biting stuff and do some jumps.

I've been to the vet 2 times now and he keeps saying that the bird is healthy.
He did think it was kinda strange that it takes longer for his crop to empty compared to other birds but he told me that as long as he's not losing weight i should not worry, he is gaining weight still so i guess thats good, he's about 480gr now.
Oh yeah and the vet gave me nyastine becouse i was a little anxious about it being yeast infection so lets see if that does anything.

Just a question, any suggestions to why his crop might take little longer to empty?
Example: if i feed him 25 grams of food it takes about 6 hours to empty, while other people tell me it should take 4 hours. its not like it takes him a day to empty after one meal but its just little longer.
Might this still be some sort of illnes / dissease? Or just normal?

 

[Sandy19]

I handfed my Senegal and it took about 6 hours for her crop to empty. I fed her formula 3 times a day at 9am, 3pm and then again at 9pm. I don't know much about baby birds, but 6 hours between feedings and her crop emptying was normal for her.

She also did the thing where she held onto the perch tight and flapped her wings and within a couple of weeks she took off flying. It actually caught me by surprise because out of the blue she flew across the room in right into the wall.

 

[Martin93]

I handfed my Senegal and it took about 6 hours for her crop to empty. I fed her formula 3 times a day at 9am, 3pm and then again at 9pm. I don't know much about baby birds, but 6 hours between feedings and her crop emptying was normal for her.

She also did the thing where she held onto the perch tight and flapped her wings and within a couple of weeks she took off flying. It actually caught me by surprise because out of the blue she flew across the room in right into the wall.

ouch right into the wall, i'll keep an eye on my bird then so it doesn't happen to him.

Feeding is going a lot better execpt for today very resistant and he keeps walking away, he seems to want to go back to his cage i think... anyway he's stuffed now i hope his next feeding he'll be more calm and less resistant.

 

[Sandy19]

I knew baby birds eventually fly, but I guess I was thinking it would be a gradual thing like flying short distances at first. That wasn't the case. One day she couldn't fly and the next she took off on my arm and flew across the kitchen into the living room and right into the wall.

So if you haven't clipped its wings then now wouldn't be the time to be running ceiling fans and make sure you have your windows covered.

 

[Sandy19]

Also if you haven't read this yet it says that Electus can be particularly difficult to hand feed. So maybe nothing is wrong with your baby bird, that's just the way it is. The reason I read it is because I was thinking about getting an electus, but then I decided that's not a good idea and I should just be content with the bird I already have. I don't need two birds no matter how cute they are.

http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/52737-so-you-think-you-want-eclectus.html

 

[adz1984]

Feeding is going a lot better execpt for today very resistant and he keeps walking away, he seems to want to go back to his cage i think... anyway he's stuffed now i hope his next feeding he'll be more calm and less resistant.

I'm not an expert but I have read that birds start to refuse food and lose weight while fledging, they also start to do that while beginning to wean which could be the time for your bird, I suggest reading up on how to properly wean and fledge a bird if you haven't done so already.

 

[Martin93]

Feeding is going a lot better execpt for today very resistant and he keeps walking away, he seems to want to go back to his cage i think... anyway he's stuffed now i hope his next feeding he'll be more calm and less resistant.

I'm not an expert but I have read that birds start to refuse food and lose weight while fledging, they also start to do that while beginning to wean which could be the time for your bird, I suggest reading up on how to properly wean and fledge a bird if you haven't done so already.

Hm so all the growling and running away from the spoon is probably normal?
Meaning i should be feeding him less now and allow him to lose weight, he is still gaining weight now, this morning he was at 493gr, also the vet said that he is a pretty fat baby.

Do you have any good material i could read on the weaning process?