Advice- 3 month (15 week) old Macaw **Sad Update**

[ArcticFox]

Sorry to be asking so many questions in general- I swear I am trying to find the information myself, honest! But a lot of what I find contradicts itself, leading to confusion and we don't meet with the vet until Monday. All of my experience is with adult rescues.

My questions are regarding a Blue & Gold Macaw- age 3 months/15 weeks, hatch date 7/14. For the record, I prefer pets be weaned before leaving the breeder but we somewhat stumbled into this situation as our neighbor got in over their heads with a baby and needed to re-home her after only a week.

In your experience how many feedings do you recommend a day? The petstore she was initially purchased from had her on one feeding a day as of about 2 1/2 weeks ago but she acts and willingly takes more often feedings. They wont say if they were trying to wean early or not. I do believe a baby should wean at their own pace and my daughter nursed for as long as she wanted (yes I know she's person and bird is bird- limited baby experience here! LOL) and I do somewhat intend to do the same with Koko.

She is a very curious bird and we are encouraging that. She has little interest in toys so far- is she just not developmentally there yet? She is curious about her ball and likes to watch me play with it.

Little to no interest has been shown in adult food, though it is offered all day. In other news- this has peeked my 3 year old's interest in vegetables so that is a win. Again, is she just not at the age yet? She has no interest in water but her droppings look good so I'm assuming- like human babies she gets all her fluid needs from the formula as well. We do still offer water all day in a few locations, changed 3 times a day.

Any tips for working with a young one who can't yet be rewarded with treats? She steps up on request about 50% of the time. She is scared of the scale and so we have yet been able to get an accurate weight.

I'm having trouble finding a developmental timeline for what to expect with her. I wish there was a "what to expect in the first year" for macaws, like I had for my baby!

 

[Macawnutz]

If she has no interest in food she needs 3 feedings a day.

What are you feeding her? How much and how often? What does she weigh in grams? Is she flying yet? Pictures please.

 

[ArcticFox]

Can't get a weight yet, she wont stay on the scale long enough- we are working with her on that.

No flight, the store she originally came from clipped her wings when they sold her to our neighbor- though we intend to allow them to grow out. Harness, step and scale training are our current goals but I'm a bit lost without the treat motivation I normally have with adults.

3 times a day matches what she has been wanting- so that makes me feel better.

She averages about 30cc's a feeding, though sometimes more like 45. At the store that was housing her for my neighbor(same store she came from but they wouldn't take her back permanently) she was doing about 45-55cc's once a day. Again, she has no interest in food and seems to not know what that big ol' beak on her face is for.

Edited to add: She's on Kaytee exact formula. Currently we have been doing 3 times a day as we were fallowing Koko's lead and once seemed like not enough.

 

[Macawnutz]

You have to get a weight. Put a towel over the scale or set her in a box or something to get it. Her feedings sound VERY low.

Would she eat more? Try 50-60cc three times a day. Are you sure she is not eating anything else?

 

[ArcticFox]

We have tried, she just panics and moves around and it can't get a accurate reading. :/ We continue to work with her on it though but it is slow going. I don't think it is something the breeder and petstore did with her so it is totally foreign.

She hasn't eaten anything else while in our care- with the exception of some millet maybe. We continue to offer lots of options throughout the day. She's used to this one feeding schedule and was a bit confused when we introduced the two other feedings- though she wanted them and was crying for food the petstore ignored it and had her on only one. I think us allowing it confused her.

If we can't get her to take more at a time- would adding an additional 4th feeding be acceptable?

As she settles in more I assume she may start taking more or experimenting with foods- she came to us Wed night and seems to have settled fast all things considered. She's still timid in some ways but I don't expect her to be fully settled for a week at least- even with how fast she has been moving.

By the way- Thank you a million times over for the advice and help so far. I'm really clueless in may ways about babies. I wish breeders didn't choose to sell them before weaning and to a makes me even sadder.

 

[Hankmacaw]

3 months is still a baby, baby. My Jasper didn't wean until 7 1/2 months. Millet is of no nutritional value to her, macaws don't shell seed and they probably just go right through her. Try some warm mashed bananas, or small chunks of veggies like bell peppers, or pieces of fruit like peaches, pears, apple or papaya.

She is probably quite confused about all of the moving around, but keep trying to get her weight. What kind of scale do you have?

 

[Macawnutz]

Yes, four feedings. Every four hours until we have a better handle on how she is doing. 8am 12pm 4pm 8pm

As much as she wants in the way of CCs. Are you making the formula as the bottle states? Good consistency and temperature?

 

[ArcticFox]

The scale we have is a bit weird- I'll admit. It's an actual mini version of a baby bucket scale from when my daughter was born as she was premature and had some feeding issues so it's medical grade. Koko doesn't perch well yet so we don't have the perch on it but she doesn't trust it at all. It's slow work working with her on it- I'd go so far to say it is probably the only thing I have encountered that she doesn't like at all.

As for food- she seems to have no clue how to eat using her beak and currently shows no interest in anything but formula. The millet is more offered as something familiar and something super easy to rip up. She has access to cooked apples, chunky mashed carrots, slightly mushed banana. In another bowl she has access to small chopped veggies (my daughter has eaten half the bag of chopped veggies i initially made LOL)

She shows no interest at all in foods not given in syringe. Hasn't even picked any up to play with it but we still offer on a rotating schedule in addition to a very small bowl of the seed mix they offered her all day at the store (no interest in that as well- though she picked up a cracker once so its a start)

We mix exactly as directed on the container- test temp whit a candy thermometer, store bowl in warm water while feeding, stir and check temp before drawing a new syringe. I'm a bit paranoid about doing it right, hence why I'm asking so many questions.

 

[Macawnutz]

Buy some zupreem naturals pellets, soak them in warm water until they are soaked through. Pour off the water and add new hot water to warm them. Pour off the water again and try to feed her them. It make take a few days for her to get familiar with them. Also offer them dry.

 

[greys4u]

Let us know how it goes at the vet Monday, you have a very beautiful baby and Thank You for taking her.

 

[ArcticFox]

Early afternoon update: She still wont give the scale anything but the stink eye, but she is allowing me to extend each wing for five seconds without any fight or complaint- a minor win in preparing for the harness. Changed to feeding every 4 hours, 4 times a day. First feeding of the day she only took about 30cc's and refused more. second feeding she took about 35cc's. She again seems confused by having more feedings but she certainly isn't complaining.

She's not honking as much and settled more. She was content to sit in my lap for hours getting petted and watching me play video games with periodic working on stepping up on command and allowing me to extend and raise her wings.

As she has had a lot of change in the last week I have opted to not introduce pellets for a week- rather, I am soaking the cookie/cracker bits from the food she is familiar with. She still hasn't eaten any but she did beak them a bit when I had them in my hand while rubbing her beak- so I consider that progress.

Thank you again everyone. Having you all has put my mind at ease. Aggressive angry cockatoo- no problem. Sweet little baby- double and triple check EVERYTHING!

 

[zoo mom]

No advice just good luck and thank you for taking this baby in.

Stupid bird store selling an unweaned baby to an inexperienced newbie bird owner.

 

[Rolanda]

You are so dedicated to her. GOOD for you. You won't be able to get away from her EVER!!! LOL

 

[Macawnutz]

What is the full diet you intend on feeding?

If the food she is familiar with is not nutritionally adequate AND she is not eating it I would switch it now.

 

[ArcticFox]

Goodmorning everyone.

She took about 40 ccso at the last feeding last night. she doesn't want to take more then that and pushes away.

She's never seen fruit, vegetables or pellets. all they had been offering through the day was a commercial parrot mix of seedstuff, nuts and crackers.

I have never had trouble switching a bird to pellets aafter they start eating fresh foods. I intend to switch her to pellets after she's settled more.

In the past I havery done about 40% of the diet pellets and the rest fruits, vegetables, grains and just focused on a primarily fresh diet rather than a processed one.

Because so much of her diet is going to be fresh foods I'm more worried about introducing those.

She took a nibble out of a soaked cracker last night and she nibbled a bit of mashed banana mixed with formula. she seems to not have the slightest idea how to eat without he syringe. she settled for smashing the side of her beak into the spoon.

 

[ArcticFox]

I'm looking into pellet brands to find who has the best option for macaws. we fed the IRNs and the 2.... oh goodness it started with an L and they had the little seed balls they sold too. forgive me- I just woke up lol we used those seed balls to transition to pellets with the evil 2, he had the hardest time getting over the idea that loose seed was the only food.

I'm wanting to find out of something is better though as I'm no longer limited by being in Alaska and the expense of shipping.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Harrison's followed by Roudybush and Zupreem Naturals (never the fruity) are generally considered the best pellets for any bird. The Lafebers Nutriberries are 60% pellets and considered by most as a very good supplemental food.

Your bird is still a baby and you must have patience with hand feeding her with a syringe.

 

[ArcticFox]

When she starts refusing we just clean her up and let her down for about 10 minutes then offer again. she's never really taken that second offer though.

Please don't think I'm frustrated with her- I'm amazed rather how fast she's adjusting and opening up to us in general. I worry as I know so much can go wrong so easily with syringe feeding is all. I worry- she's a baby and I'm a mommy I may not have made her like I did my daughter but yep- she's my baby now too lol

AND she looked hilarious with mashed banana on half her face and beak. I was just happy for any interest at all.

 

[ArcticFox]

Morning feeding check in- She only took about 5cc's so we are going to give her a break and try again in about 15 minutes after I have a cup of coffee. In the meantime offering some small chopped veggies and her familiar bag mix.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Was her crop empty? Is she acting normal. Maybe a trip to the vet for a checkup would be wise.