Hi everyone

[JosienBB]

One thing to know is that round cages are not good for birds. So you may want to find him a different cage as soon as you can.

Welcome to the Avenue.

 

[JosienBB]

Also, dowel perches are not good for their feet either. Natural wood perches or branches are much better

 

[Princessbella]

To make sure that Zipper is eating, you can get one of those gram scales at a Walmart and weight him every day. If he starts losing weight, he is not weaned. You can go to your local pet store and get hand feeding formula and either use a spoon or syringe. Here is a you tube video. If Zipper is hungry, he won't bond to you. If he is not weaned, sees that syringe and goes crazy, he is hungry. I had the same problem with Bella. She was 7 weeks old and was not weaned and when I figured it out, and gave her that syringe, she was a happy baby. The packaging has instructions on how thick the formula has to be for their age.

 

[Zipper15]

I was mistaken with the seeds that I was given by the pet shop. It's not budgie seeds its small parrot seeds. I'll be going down the street a little later on today to see if my local bird seed shop is open. Zipper is eating the seeds provided but is avoiding the sunflower seeds. I know I shouldn't put my hand in the cage with zipper as that will frighten him/her but I had to this morning due to zipper having its foot snagged. He/she is a little shaken up after the ordeal it just went through so I'm hoping it will be OK and calm down i will be keeping a close eye on it now. Thank you I wasn't aware that the cage zipper is in would frighten him. I will look into getting a different cage once I notice its getting slightly bigger or once zipper is used to me and being handled.

 

[TwoTinyTrees]

what a cutie patootie Zipper is!!

 

[Zipper15]

Thank you it was love at first sight

 

[fluffypoptarts]

How did Zipper's foot get caught?

 

[fluffypoptarts]

About eating if Zipper isn't weaned. Be careful, because it can look like he is weaned but he could still die if he isn't getting the proper nourishment.

 

[Zipper15]

Zipper is scared of the swing that was in the cage when I bought it so I took it out and I woke up this morning to find zipper had its leg snagged in the loop where the swing would normally hang. I ended up putting the swing back in so that it doesn't happen again. I just witnessed Zipper eating the seeds provided but not much as I said I will be going to the local bird seed shop to get better seeds for zipper. As of right now Zipper is having a good old squawk at nothing so I'm responding back

 

[Happynme]

I think with his age /weaning being in question it would be best to at least see if he will take some formula. They likely just pulled him from his parents and threw him in a cage with seed and he may be eating it...but it may not be ENOUGH to substain him. KINDA like if all you ate was poptarts all day and night. Eventually youd get ill from lack of nutrition.
Im sorry he got his foot stuck. Poor lil zipper. Hes just having a rough start. Im thankful your here and we havent run you off with all our do and donts. Unfortunatley people have found out the hard way and lil birds died because they simply didnt know any better. You coming here shows you love your little guy and im proud of you for hanging in there even while we are throwing so much info at you at once.
I have an idea that may could help...do you know if there are any lovebird BREEDERS near you? Im sure one of them would be happy to take a peek and help guess age and could teach you how to handfeed if little zipper ends up needing it.
He may be weaned...and we may be completely wrong on it. But so much safer to buy a 8.00 bag of hand feeding powder (you add water to it) and him go nope i dont want that. Than for the little guy to be eating seeds best he can but still be hungry and go downhill. If you could handle him without tramatising him id suggest feeling his crop every hour for a bit to see if its empty or full but you most deffinatly cant do that with him being so jittery and frightened.
Good luck with the little guy.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

@Happynme is 100% right.

 

[Happynme]

@Happynme is 100% right.

Only because sooo many AA folks helped me when I came here clueless...ha

 

[Happynme]

Also if he doesnt want the formula you can make a kinda sticky dough with it and roll into wild bird seed and feed the little wild birds outside with them.

I also thought since you said he dosent go after the sunflower seeds...he may not know how to hull them (remove shell and manuver seed out) yet. Which leads me to REALLY question what this shop did with this little guy. It all truly just depends on what is done in the begining. Some baby birds wean quickly and brilliantly and some baby birds take forever. Happy slowly weaned but she was also hulling seeds at 5weeks and deff sunflowers seeds by 7 weeks. Truly no way to know for sure till he tells you yep i want that formula or nope dont want it. And it just occured to me..if this shop took him from his parents and put him in a cage WITHOUT feeding him formula...HE WONT KNOW WHAT IT IS. sooooooo Then that leaves you having to hold a frightened lil baby bird and pry the little beak open and squirt a small amount in..if he is hungry and realises hey this is FOOD....a couple more trys and he should open up on his own for you. And then you can proceed as normal. I sure wish one of us could come help. Its overwheming for you im sure. And deff not what you thought would happen im sure.

 

[Zipper15]

Definitely not something I thought. Generally speaking I always thought that baby/adult birds are always weaned before they go on sale I guess I assumed wrong which does generally happen to me. I may have been overwhelmed with a WHOLE lot of information but it's good to be overwhelmed so I know what to do with such a small bird and being a first timer with owning a bird. Im glad I have joined this forum its going to be such a big help for me and Zipper so that we can bind and be lifelong friends. I can only imagine the fright poor Lil zipper was in being snagged as I felt frightened and scared that I wasn't goingt to be able unsnag zipper. Unfortunately I don't have any one I know that have bred loves and wish I did now that I know I have a lot to do on my hand with such a small baby. I'm going to have to keep an eye out around my crappy town for love breeders and if there are any to see if they can help me along with raising such a precious gem. At the moment Zipper seems happy chirping away at nothing sitting by the window enjoying the day light. I thank everyone who has gone out of their way to helping me and giving me advise on my new family addition.
This is the seed the pet shop have given me to feed Zipper with if it's not the right stuff please do tell me and I will see my local bird seed shop tomorrow after work

 

[Happynme]

That seed mix looks alot better than some ive seen. Id post it on the food thread as alot of people with more experince in food area frequent there. I just got happy on a healthier seed mix myself recently.
Im very sorry your feeling overwhelmed and I wish I could help more.
I know how scary it is when theyve gotten themselves stuck somehow...happy once got her toe wedged between the bars of her cage and a food bowl. I was able to get her out but it liked to have scared me to death.
Im glad you were able to free zipper and he isnt hurt. I think hes got a very sweet new mom and im sure with vet care and getting his food cage.ect figured out you will soon have a very happy healthy lil lovie and will be telling us all about his bonding with you.

 

[Zipper15]

My darling Zipper has finally conquered his/her fear of the swing inside his/her cage. He/she will now swing on it all day. It has only started today. I am so happy to see he/she has faced its fear of the foreign object that is inside its cage. Sorry for the excitement but its a new milestone from my precious gem

 

[Zipper15]

Such a proud momma here

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Looks like little Zipper could use some toys (and of course a different cage). The bar spacing looks too wide on they cage for him as well, in addition to it being the wrong shape (which was mentioned already, I think).

 

[Macawnutz]

 

[expressmailtome]

Welcome!

Matt