baby caique help

[WendyN]

I know I feel like I worry too much about everything

You are in good company!
Fortunately there are many with so much experience and knowledge to help!

 

[iamwhoiam]

It's nice that you have him out with you a lot but he might be tired and good idea to put him in the brooder and let him get some sleep in there.
Baby birds like to snuggle and sometimes they just want comfort, sometimes warmth and sometimes they are tired and want to sleep.

 

[Marcoaaron]

Thanks for the advice iamwhoiam, I will definitely let him sleep more throughout the day. I need to remember he's still a baby.

 

[BirdManDan]

It seems like the breeder adopted him out too soon. Feedings can continue to be every 3-4 hours so it could very well be he is hungry still. Try slowly increasing the number of feedings but leaving the quantity the same or maybe 5-10cc more at each feeding. Increase to 4 feedings to see if that satisfies if not go to 5 feedings and so forth till it seems to keep him satisfied all day. It may take 6-7 feedings a day. Let his crop empty completely for at least an hour bedtime, but otherwise feed him when whis crop still has a bit in it during the day.
When we used to breed, we kept the babies in an insulated incubator with a light bulb to keep the temp a little warmer along with a thermometer. You can use a cheap styrofoam chest as a temporary incubator.

In reference to the poop, you need to remember that he is being feed a formula so his poop will typically be exactly like what you showed us. In my experience it is nothing to worry about.

 

[Irishj9]

My babies don't cry NATURALLY

They cry for a reason

That poop IS NOT NORMAL

Also I suspect baby is cold. He needs about 30C temperature. And moisture or you will burn his skin

 

[WillowNMurphy]

I know I feel like I worry too much about everything

worrying a lot is better than not worrying at all, wishing odin stays well.

 

[Irishj9]

Y

I called a local parrot shop "A parrots cove" and I was told that baby caiques are extreme cry baby's naturally. And that they will keep bobbing for food even when their crop is full. Seems like a behavioral issue to me. We both might be wrong but that's the advice he told me. Of course I explained to him how I'm feeding him 3 times a day 15 ml each time etc.

Forget 15 mil. Youre not administering drugs. Feed till the baby's crop is very obviously full. And feed a consistency that looks like yoghurt. Fill the baby till he looks uncomfortably full to a human. Stuff that child till he stops begging.

He must draw off the spoon or syringe. No forcing or it will go down his lungs.

If he's not begging then the food is too hot or too cold. They're very picky about food temperature at that age

Too hot is the worst. Physical damage to fragile throat tissue.

 

[Irishj9]

Feed at 105Fto108F

They will quickly refuse food as it cools towards 100F. In a couple of minutes

 

[Irishj9]

Oh and my guys including Thumper. Never continues bobbing when he was full. They turn their faces way from the spoon like a human baby.

THEN they're full

 

[Laurie]

Oh and my guys including Thumper. Never continues bobbing when he was full. They turn their faces way from the spoon like a human baby.

THEN they're full

You can overfill them. The parents really stuff them amazingly full but the food is less liquid so does not pose as much of an aspiration risk. Better to feed a little less more often then to overstretch the crop or aspirate.

I know you know what you are doing. I'm just adding the info for those who do not have experience. I like to write down my "doses" just in case of problems but it practice I do it mostly feel and observation. And the babies don't cry if warm and well fed (usually).

Say hello to Thumper and the mad gang

 

[Marcoaaron]

Sorry for the late reply .

My babies don't cry NATURALLY

They cry for a reason

That poop IS NOT NORMAL

Also I suspect baby is cold. He needs about 30C temperature. And moisture or you will burn his skin

I assume you are raising a clutch of caiques which is way different than raising a single caique from a previous owner who only fed him wet Cheerios.

And a full crop seems to be a generalized term what's full in your book could be a slightly stretched out crop for others. He has such an elatice crops since day one that he can go over 25 ml and will keep eating until his crop bursts. And I don't want to even play around with "well ehh that kind feels firm but it seems slightly soft still maybe he needs more food (25ml later)"

I've fed him by his weight as the avian vet instructed me to do so as well as other caique breeding guides.

Update guys:
He is reaching week 9 more or less could be off by a week ( last owner gave me a week estimate not an exact hatch date).
He now weights 150g
He is starting to tone down the screaming, very social now. Now he is fully feathered, but I am not sure if he is ready for a cage with a low perch and a sealed cardboard bottom. I tried it today for a while and he was already climbing the cage rails up to the very top but seemed to have trouble climbing down . So I took him out shortly after that. What do you guys suggest? He is way to active for the small old handmade brooder and I don't know if I can walk out for an hour or two with him being in the cage.

 

[Marcoaaron]

I have also heard that caiques tend to have aspiration problems when eating. This kind of throws me on the edge of feeding his crop until it's extremely expanded. I understand that you only feed them when he gives you a feeding response but even after that I bet you he'll take 45 ml if I give it to him, and I feel that this crop will no longer hold any more food pushing it through his esophagus. a few weeks ago I made the mistake of overfeeding him with 20 ml when he only weigh 115 grams and I can see that his esophagus was plump where the food started to seep out from his crop.

 

[jennluna]

Isn’t he old enough now that you can start letting him feed himself from a spoon? You don’t have to do all the work if he can help. My WBC that I just brought home is technically weaned but still likes comfort feedings. He scoops the food right out of a spoon.

 

[Marcoaaron]

Isn’t he old enough now that you can start letting him feed himself from a spoon? You don’t have to do all the work if he can help. My WBC that I just brought home is technically weaned but still likes comfort feedings. He scoops the food right out of a spoon.

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Good thing you brought that up Jennula, Odin is eating slightly damped Harrison fine high potency pellets straight out of a stainless steel small feeding bowl. I also feed him a few small dry pellets and he has learned to eat them. I still feed if formula because he doesn't eat enough of them as he kinda nibbles and eats small amounts.

 

[jennluna]

That’s a good step to weaning with the dampened and dry pellets. You can do the same thing with the hand feeding formula. Let him eat that from a spoon also. Less things to worry about if you’re not syringe feeding, but I know you’re doing the best you can.

 

[Laurie]

Isn’t he old enough now that you can start letting him feed himself from a spoon? You don’t have to do all the work if he can help. My WBC that I just brought home is technically weaned but still likes comfort feedings. He scoops the food right out of a spoon.

View attachment 279942

9 weeks is still a little ways from weaning. He can eat all he wants on his own and from a spoon but he will likely still want to be syringe fed. This is totally different than crop feeding all the feeder is doing is dropping it in his mouth like a parent would and the baby still tastes and swallows it on his own.

Handfeeders who spoon feed would be using a bent spoon curved up on the edges and tipping it into the baby's beak to funnel it into the baby's mouth. At this age, he still needs assistance in feeding or he will not eat enough. Until he fills his crop on his own with weaning foods he'll still need the handfeeding.

Sorry for the late reply .

Now he is fully feathered, but I am not sure if he is ready for a cage with a low perch and a sealed cardboard bottom. I tried it today for a while and he was already climbing the cage rails up to the very top but seemed to have trouble climbing down . So I took him out shortly after that. What do you guys suggest? He is way to active for the small old handmade brooder and I don't know if I can walk out for an hour or two with him being in the cage.

Until, he starts to fly you are better off to put him in a large bin with solid sides or a very short cage with a padded bottom. I usually let mine play in the cage supervised so they don't fall. Once they start flying I feel better about putting them in a large cage so they can practice their climbing and flying skills.

 

[Chanette]

I called a local parrot shop "A parrots cove" and I was told that baby caiques are extreme cry baby's naturally. And that they will keep bobbing for food even when their crop is full. Seems like a behavioral issue to me. We both might be wrong but that's the advice he told me. Of course I explained to him how I'm feeding him 3 times a day 15 ml each time etc.

Baby caique requires alot of attention, my caique is 3 months and still like to be hand fed, she's so spoiled and she wants to be on me all day, and when I lock her in her cage, she will look at me with sadness in her eyes...but one I leave her in her cage for 5 mins, she will start to pay with her toys. My caique will sleep on me all day if I let her lol, and she's 3 months and already mimicking. Just do ur best and use a heat lamp until he get a lil bigger, they love the heat bad...when he gets a lil bigger it will be a more easier for u, but when u have a caique u have to know how to say no sometimes, because those lil things can really walk over u lol

 

[tka]

Hi and welcome to AA! This is an old thread - the original poster was last seen in June 2018, so I imagine that this baby is long since weaned.