Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

[Bokkapooh]

He is a bit under developed for being 11 weeks old. He should be fully feathered, no blood feathers seen and about to fly.

Are you offering solids yet? I began to offer solids at 10 weeks old for Mera my scarlet macaw when she was a baby. I got her at 8 weeks old too. And she was fully feathered (no down or bald spots seen) by the time she was 9 weeks.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Oh - at 10 weeks old for Mera, she began to eat less formula, about 30cc three times a day. Hardly begged and flapped a ton. So I put a plate of mix veggies and fruits with a tablespoon of dried oatmeal and sprouts and dried Harrison pellets all mixed together on this plate. Twice a day. On the bottom of her cage.

She began to fly at 11 weeks old and hardly ate formula for two weeks.

Then she started asking to be fed more again. And eat all or most of the solids I gave her. She only dipped about 100 grams in weight. From 950 down to 850 if I remember correctly. And she weaned at 5.5 months.

Took her almost two years to get to an adult macaw weight. She is almost 6 and weighs 1250 grams or so now. She hormonal right now and eats likes she is is starving.

 

[chad84]

I live in the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago to be exact. A long way from USA.

Robert refused to feed this morning. So I gave him the antibiotics on an empty stomach. Then I left him with some fruits he ate at 7am. At 12:30pm when I got home he stood still and didn't greet me. So I decided to make a large 150cc formula. He ate 2x 60cc and begged for more for a total of 140cc. I am so happy. Now he is following me around scratching me with his foot and nibbling me with his beak for the last 15mins. He is so active now. Very happy. 1st time I ever heard him so vocal. Sounds like he is quarrelling.

 

[chad84]

He is a bit under developed for being 11 weeks old. He should be fully feathered, no blood feathers seen and about to fly.

Are you offering solids yet? I began to offer solids at 10 weeks old for Mera my scarlet macaw when she was a baby. I got her at 8 weeks old too. And she was fully feathered (no down or bald spots seen) by the time she was 9 weeks.

He got plucked in the nest when he was younger. So the feathers now growing back. Nothing I can do but love him and be patient with him.

 

[aooratrix]

He got plucked in the nest when he was younger. So the feathers now growing back. Nothing I can do but love him and be patient with him.

Ah, that explains it. I wondered.

 

[macawpower58]

I was wondering too. Chaos at fledgling age was pretty much fully feathered. I thought maybe this little one was younger than was thought.

Good to hear why he's not fully feathered.

Also good to hear he ate a big lunch! These babies can give us heart attacks from all the worry they bring. I know I was always on the verge of an anxiety attack when my GW was a baby.

 

[BlueThroatMacaw]

Did ziva pass @aooratix

 

[aooratrix]

Yes, she did. It's obviously still raw for me. She passed on December 23rd, but let's not hijack this thread.

 

[chad84]

I was wondering too. Chaos at fledgling age was pretty much fully feathered. I thought maybe this little one was younger than was thought.

Good to hear why he's not fully feathered.

Also good to hear he ate a big lunch! These babies can give us heart attacks from all the worry they bring. I know I was always on the verge of an anxiety attack when my GW was a baby.

Tell me about it. Always worrying about Robert the GW. Love him so much.

 

[chad84]

He ate 110cc tonight. I am understanding how to invoke his feeding response now even if he isn't begging. I show him the syringe and he opens his beak, then I use my thumb and index where his beak joins. And as soon as I touch his tongue, he bobs his head. So happy. Food is fed at 108 degrees for 1st 60cc and then 107.2 degree for 2nd 60cc.

Enjoy the pics below. I have so many more I wanna show you. He did alot of things from yesterday to today.

Been a few days since he ate his due. happy to see that nice round crop.

 

[iamwhoiam]

You have gotten great advice so I have nothing to add just wanted to tell you that Robert is a very cute baby. Congratulations on adding him to your family.

 

[Macawnutz]

 

[aooratrix]

Yay, Robert! Good to hear. And he'll perceive your increased comfort level, which is a good thing!

 

[chad84]

I am uploading some pics. A before and after.

Before: 850g and 8 weeks old (when I got him as gift)
He was raised by parents and was not hand fed



After: 1052g and 11 weeks old (3 weeks of formula)
Started hand feeding after never tasting it and loved it

 

[aooratrix]

Wow! That head looks HUGE in the first pic! Feathers look good, too. I think it's great that he was parent-reared for so long: nobody feeds better than good parrot parents and his gut flora should be excellent.

 

[camelotshadow]

 

[chad84]

Hello to my friends! Robert has been full of energy even though he was pumped with antibiotics for the last few days. He still is refusing formula and only eats about 50cc a day. I offer him bananas and veges every time I feed him. He seems very content and very demanding at times. Always begging to come along when the wife and I leave the house. I ordered zupreem pellets to mix with his hand feed and also to offer to him moist as weaning food. It seems like he is almost ready to wean as his interest in non formula food has been awoken.

After eating 50cc, he would usually start quarrelling and running from the syringe. Is this at all normal?

Also, my wife has been complaining that all I do is talk about Robert and that I kiss him up so much. She also said I don't do that to her as much. Truthfully I have been spend ALOT of time with Robert. But I also give much more time to my wife. Seeing that he is a free range companion and he has no cage, he poops everywhere. I normally clean it up very quickly. The wife also complains that the house smells weird because I don't mop the tiles often enough. I always wipe up his poop as soon as he drops it. But I try to mop at least once a week.
She told me don't make her regret the decision to get a macaw. She is under some stress with her studies these days. I hope I don't lose Robert. I shed some tears this morning when she said maybe I should give him back if the house continues to smell funny.

All my life I have wanted to have a parrot pet/companion. I begged for it since I was a young child. So now that I have Robert, I can't let him go.

 

[macawpower58]

I just can't imagine a baby of that age not in smaller secure protected place. Does he get in trouble? Chewing cords and such?

Do you have a cage for him? GW juveniles can be very, very destructive. If there's no cage, do you have a macaw proof area in your home?

He will get bigger, start flying, and use that beak on your furniture to devastating effect.

He is so cute. Better to keep the wife happy and start mopping more!

 

[chad84]

He has a secure area in my man cave that he has 24/7 access to. He retreats there when he is sleepy, tired or feel threatened. Strange enough he doesn't really get into trouble. He only listens to my wife when she scolds him. He has made some enemies in the house, he hates the kettle, clothes iron, a stuffed toy frog and shoes. So every now and them he starts a battle with them but has damaged anything yet. He loves to chew on cords, pipes, rugs and just about anything that his beak can hold. Nothing destroyed so far.

I plan to go home early today and mop. Gonna try and mop every single day. Whatever it takes for the place to smell clean for her. *salutes*

 

[macawpower58]

He will do damage! Just wait until those wings work, and that beak gains full strength.

I had a chair with rungs up the back. My GW was sitting on the back of it one day, I turned my back for a few minutes, and he bit one clean through!

I then had a chair with a rung going up the back with a huge hunk taken out. It no longer met in the middle. I took a photo, but for the life of me can't find it.

You will need a VERY Macaw proof place as he grows bigger and stronger, or your wife will put you both outside in the doghouse!