Formula feeding

[Caledon]

My grey is just over 4 months old. The breeder gave me a small Baggie of formula because I was asking about comfort feeding. At first she would not take it and would eat her chop very nicely. She has eaten 2 pounds of Harrison pellets and we've had her for a month. She does not like chop any more and I've been giving her skewers of veggies daily and apple slices every 2nd day. She likes this.

Ive been offering her the formula 4-5 times a week at around 8 pm. I give her a very small amount, maybe three or four teaspoons full. She usually turns away before the bowel is empty. I must admit I enjoy feeding her this way. I've tried oatmeal, and she runs away. I've tried baby food, sweet potato, and she runs away.

The formula is almost gone. Should I buy more? Will this hurt her?

 

[vinnyb123]

My t2 is six months old and still eats his formula in a bowl as well. 2 times a day. It will not hurt them if they continue to eat it. Just keep introducing other foods. I just spoke to my vet today worried about the same thing. Your baby will let you know when they are finished. There are some people here that give formula to their birds for years as comfort food. It is better for your bird to wean themselves instead of forcing them to wean. You will have a more confident bird in the long hall.

 

[Caledon]

Thanks. I was concerned that formula, plus the Harrison's pellets would be too rich. I'll buy a bag tomorrow.

 

[kimmie99]

HMMM we're getting Kenzie today - she's approx 2 months old (I'll find out exactly when I get her as I'm not sure on that age). I was told she's down to 1 feeding and therefore can come home with us so I'm not sure if they meant formula or what! I do know they have/suggest this Pasta & Bean mix for us to give her 1 x a day (Pretty Bird Birdie Banquet or Goldenfeast cooked mix). I think it has oatmeal in it too.

Do you just put the formula in another bowl?

 

[Caledon]

I mix the formula up with hot water in a very small bowel and offer it to her on my regular coffee spoons. She knows what I'm doing when I mix it up and gets very excited. She eats it from the spoon, very efficiently I might add. Lol. She only eats two or three and then she turns away. I offer her this around 8 pm when she is the most cuddly.

My breeder said she was fully weaned and he was not formula feeding her for a good week. She came to us at just over three months. She eats well on her own and has never indicated that she was hungry. I do it as a bonding thing because I read about it on this board. I tried offering her other warm alternatives but she does not want it. Some members on here have said they comfort feed their birds for years.

What I've done for his bird is amazing, lol. I baked birdie bread, made chop, cooked a bean mix and bought veggies that I don't normally even look at. The chop and the bread are not appreciated by my bird but my dog does.

 

[Bokkapooh]

HMMM we're getting Kenzie today - she's approx 2 months old (I'll find out exactly when I get her as I'm not sure on that age). I was told she's down to 1 feeding and therefore can come home with us so I'm not sure if they meant formula or what! I do know they have/suggest this Pasta & Bean mix for us to give her 1 x a day (Pretty Bird Birdie Banquet or Goldenfeast cooked mix). I think it has oatmeal in it too.

Do you just put the formula in another bowl?

OH NO!

At two months old she needs 4feedings a day!!!!!! MINIMUM!

You'll need to learn how to handfeed with a syringe or spoon. And quickly. Do you have an avian vet?

 

[kimmie99]

OH NO!

At two months old she needs 4feedings a day!!!!!! MINIMUM!

You'll need to learn how to handfeed with a syringe or spoon. And quickly. Do you have an avian vet?

Then she's got to be older than that. She was just weaned off 2 feedings a day so I'd imagine she's not 2 months old. I'll find out today. Worse case (and I hope not) is that she has to stay longer until she's on regular food. I'll keep everyone posted!

 

[Bokkapooh]

You don't wean them but allow them to wean themselves. Your baby is going to need more than 1 feeding a day especially if she was force weaned down to 1 feeding.

 

[kimmie99]

I mix the formula up with hot water in a very small bowel and offer it to her on my regular coffee spoons. She knows what I'm doing when I mix it up and gets very excited. She eats it from the spoon, very efficiently I might add. Lol. She only eats two or three and then she turns away. I offer her this around 8 pm when she is the most cuddly.

My breeder said she was fully weaned and he was not formula feeding her for a good week. She came to us at just over three months. She eats well on her own and has never indicated that she was hungry. I do it as a bonding thing because I read about it on this board. I tried offering her other warm alternatives but she does not want it. Some members on here have said they comfort feed their birds for years.

What I've done for his bird is amazing, lol. I baked birdie bread, made chop, cooked a bean mix and bought veggies that I don't normally even look at. The chop and the bread are not appreciated by my bird but my dog does.

Oh I SO KNOW what you mean as to what we do for our pets! I know when DS first got his bearded dragon - what I went thru. Making my skin crawl just thinking of all the sordid insects. 1000's of crickets (DD would handle them, not me), superworms, maggots - YES MAGGOTS but she LOVED THEM, silkworms, hornworms and yes - ROACHES! That took me sometime to get over - keeping roaches. I absolutely HATE them but was persuaded that the kind they eat are NOT the nasty American or German kind! So I brought home a 100 mixed (Dubias and Madagascar hissers). She never liked them so I had DD help me box them up and I shipped them to someone - FREE just to get rid of them. 7 lbs of roaches! And my cats, while not as gross/creepy, I do only feed them raw chicken (along with supplements).

 

[kimmie99]

You don't wean them but allow them to wean themselves. Your baby is going to need more than 1 feeding a day especially if she was force weaned down to 1 feeding.

She wasn't forced weaned. They let them wean themselves and she's down to 1 a day. Not sure where I got the age of her (probably DD and she probably assumed). They said they let all their babies wean themselves and not them humans forcing them!

 

[Bokkapooh]

Im only letting you know, if she is indeed 8 weeks old. Or even 12 weeks old (I assume your profile picture is her, she looks 10-12 weeks on the photo), she may not really be down to 1 feeding a day.

She may ask for more feedings when she is home with you. And she'll need them. If she is 8 weeks old, she will need atleast 4 full feedings a day.

If she is closer to fledgling age, 12 weeks of age, she is probably down to 1 with the breeder/petstore, but once she is home, she may regress and require more.

Sometimes breeders dont tell their customers this very important info. If you dont have an avian vet right now, I suggest you find one. Its very important to have an avian vet, especially if you are doing any type of handfeeding

 

[yvette]

Do you have a hatch certificate with the date she was hatched??

 

[kimmie99]

When I go to pick her up today I will get all that information. Yes my avatar is her from 2 wks ago. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let her go if she was requring more than 1 feeding a day, they are a reputible breeder/shop (not a petstore so to say, all they deal in is birds though), plus DD volunteering there, she sees a lot that's going on.

 

[yvette]

You must be soo excited for your baby to come home!!

Post pics!!

 

[kimmie99]

You must be soo excited for your baby to come home!!

Post pics!!

BEYOND EXCITED! I never realized just HOW MUCH I missed our Carlos until seeing & holding Kenzie. If we didn't have such a crappy sick policy at work, I'd call in sick tomorrow JUST so I could be with her all day! But I'll have Saturday & Sunday!

 

[vinnyb123]

Please get a scale too!!! This is most important when bringing babies home. You can tell if they are eating or just picking. You want a gradual increase in weight with about a 5% decrease when they are weaning down. If you see a constant weight drop continue hand feeding. I put my formula in a bowl warmed up. He just eats out of the bowl. Sticks his face in and yummy yummy. My JoJo actually is gaining weight while weaning because he is recall training as well. He is getting stronger and more agile while flying for hours.