Hi parrot lovers,
I'm a miserable owner of a 5 months old scarlet macaw, Amon, living in Skopje, Macedonia.
Please, read this part, before you decide to snap at me for not leaving the job of weaning, for an experienced person:
My bird was supposed to be imported, and fully taken care of by a "professional".
Little did we know, parrot got here illegally, the "professional"was feeding the chick with egg and biscuit, and leaving the bird unattended for most of the day. The moment we got suspicious (when the guy was not responding for weeks, being everywhere but with parrot, and then suggested ripping off parrots tail so it grows longer) we took the bird away from him.
The actual problem, without the backstory:
Recently she started refusing formula. Because we knew absolutely nothing about weaning the macaw 2 months ago, and because the guy who was taking care of the parrot is a complete idiot, we have no previous data on parrot's weight gain. She's now measured every day, in the morning and keeps solid 800 - 820 grams. I tried to search for weight gain tables online, but there seems to be nothing on the topic after the parrot turns 10 weeks old.
Current Situation
Amon has been on proper, store bought formula for Aras with the higher fat content for 1,5 month now. She looks healthy, no missing feathers, no big beak layering. She is also fully fledged.
She eats quite a lot on her own, but there is no way of telling how much, because she's also making a huge mess. She used to get fed 3 times a day, now she still begs at the same times, but then flies away (except for the evening feeding). In bowls I provide her with water, seed mix, fresh fruit and vegetables, one warm meal (like baked pumpkin, beans), sprouts and formula, that she licks off the bottom of a bowl. She also get's a lot of toys made from food.
I don't want to force feed her, but I'm also concerned, that amount of food that she's eating herself is not enough.
Is this weight enough for a 5 months old scarlet? Do you have any recommendations on what to read on this topic?
I would appreciate any advice.
TL;DR We got scammed. Now parrot is 5 months old, fledged since 2 months ago, weaning and weighing around 800 grams (measured AM, before eating). We need a proper weight chart for scarlet macaw this age, and all the advice you can provide.
I'm a miserable owner of a 5 months old scarlet macaw, Amon, living in Skopje, Macedonia.
Please, read this part, before you decide to snap at me for not leaving the job of weaning, for an experienced person:
My bird was supposed to be imported, and fully taken care of by a "professional".
Little did we know, parrot got here illegally, the "professional"was feeding the chick with egg and biscuit, and leaving the bird unattended for most of the day. The moment we got suspicious (when the guy was not responding for weeks, being everywhere but with parrot, and then suggested ripping off parrots tail so it grows longer) we took the bird away from him.
The actual problem, without the backstory:
Recently she started refusing formula. Because we knew absolutely nothing about weaning the macaw 2 months ago, and because the guy who was taking care of the parrot is a complete idiot, we have no previous data on parrot's weight gain. She's now measured every day, in the morning and keeps solid 800 - 820 grams. I tried to search for weight gain tables online, but there seems to be nothing on the topic after the parrot turns 10 weeks old.
Current Situation
Amon has been on proper, store bought formula for Aras with the higher fat content for 1,5 month now. She looks healthy, no missing feathers, no big beak layering. She is also fully fledged.
She eats quite a lot on her own, but there is no way of telling how much, because she's also making a huge mess. She used to get fed 3 times a day, now she still begs at the same times, but then flies away (except for the evening feeding). In bowls I provide her with water, seed mix, fresh fruit and vegetables, one warm meal (like baked pumpkin, beans), sprouts and formula, that she licks off the bottom of a bowl. She also get's a lot of toys made from food.
I don't want to force feed her, but I'm also concerned, that amount of food that she's eating herself is not enough.
Is this weight enough for a 5 months old scarlet? Do you have any recommendations on what to read on this topic?
I would appreciate any advice.
TL;DR We got scammed. Now parrot is 5 months old, fledged since 2 months ago, weaning and weighing around 800 grams (measured AM, before eating). We need a proper weight chart for scarlet macaw this age, and all the advice you can provide.