Urgent HANDFEEDING

[Kodigirl210]

Yup there is still food in there. If you palpate gently on the neck you can feel if the area is even all the way across. There might be a light bump or ridge if there is a little to no food in there. If it is a larger bump then there still a bit of food. You want to make sure it’s almost empty or empty because if there’s still formula there-weird as it sounds it may get stuck and not move and then gradually it will grow as more and more doesn’t move out to what is called sour crop. Sour crop can also manifest in smell. If the baby’s breath smells terrible then there is probably an issue. You can use a drop or two of apple cider vinegar mixed in with the formula to help get things moving again if this happens.

As long as the crop is empty do a late feeding. The baby should have food in its crop to keep it through the night. And your right pooping is a good thing!

 

[Lbond664]

Empty this morning! Looks like we are on the right track here! He didn’t eat much this morning but lots of poop overnight

 

[Zara]

I second everyone else, If the crop is empty at night before bed, feed him.

I hope your friend lets you keep the little guy after all of the work and time you´re putting in. You clearly really care about him.

 

[Lbond664]

I do too. I’m going to talk to her later today and see I’m sure she will ask for money which is fine I’ll pay it at this point I don’t think she was taking good care of him looking back to the day I got him he wasn’t really active head was down. Now his head is up and he’s walking around.

 

[Kodigirl210]

Sounds like things are going well. Now that you have an empty crop to start with-Scooter should get about 12% of his body weight at each feeding. So at 27-30g he should get about 3.2-3.6 mL.

Also since the crop was empty this morning you now have a great reference to know how it feels when it’s empty, as opposed to partially full to full or over full. As long as you palpate very very gently it will not hurt him & it will help you gain experience.

I’m not sure where your located but in So Cal parrotlets go from $95-$125. Make sure if she asks for the price of the bird she doesn’t try to rip you off. Especially since you are putting all the work into him & she literally just abandoned you both.

Here’s hoping he keeps thriving & growing!

 

[Lbond664]

NY usually 150-350 depending where you get them based on what is online but I’m hoping she will do a little cheaper since I had to go out and buy new formula and supplies she said she left it in the freezer but I couldn’t find it. What do you guys use to clean everything? I’ve been wiping everything down with off brand Lysol or Clorox wipes and rinsing very good before use. Using bottled water to mix formula and I’ve been washing my hands really well

 

[Kodigirl210]

Lysol and Chlorox wipes are dangerous to animals because of the chemical compounds. Soap and hot water. I also use an apple cider vinegar rinse because it is a natural disinfectant. There is also a vet cleaner that is available at Amazon that we use to sterilize and regular bleach with soapy water if it is a particularly dirty area that needs to be cleaned. Just be sure to rinse the area really well when you are done washing it.

F10SC Veterinary Disinfectant (200ml) by F10 SC Amazon.com : F10SC Veterinary Disinfectant (200ml) by F10 SC : Pet Health Care Supplies : Pet Supplies

 

[Lbond664]

Oh no! But good to know I always have acv on hand!

 

[Lbond664]

Some stuff I read was to sanitize everything before use. Some sites suggested Clorox and Lysol wipes

 

[Kodigirl210]

Yeah it’s weird but when the wipes fist came out Lysol donated some to a zoo and the animals started get sick and dying. I never use those in areas where my animals roam. Also make sure whenever you clean the area it is well ventilated as the birds are very susceptible to fumes. Don’t worry. Parronts here will help you become the best parront ever lol

 

[Lbond664]

My fears are slowly disappearing now that he’s eating well. Everyone says something different so it’s hard someone told me he should be at 90-95 degrees some 82 he has pin feathers at this point and I’m going to ask the exact hatch date if she remembers

 

[Kodigirl210]

You can get all kinds of information on the web. It contradicts and confuses. That’s why I like forums. You can usually get a straight answer to a question & not worried someone is being paid to put it out there.

There will always be a little negativity here and there because we tend to like our animals more than people - but I’m all about helping anyone who wants to learn and all about learning from anyone who wants to teach.

 

[Kodigirl210]

I asked. Recommended temp is 85 degrees. Also I don’t if you said or not but if you could put a stuffed animal that can’t be pulled apart in with the baby it will give him some comfort and something to snuggle with.

 

[Lbond664]

I have a little stuffed animal in there’s he seems to like to snuggle up with it! His weight seems high to me for a 3 week old parrotlet.

 

[Kodigirl210]

Not to worry. He will even out as he goes on. It will also provide a good cushion when he moves from formula to solid food. Birds tend to naturally lose weight during the transition.

It is important to find out what his hatch date is so you can start introducing solid food to him. No need to rush but at the same time no reason to wait if he is old enough. Most of us practice abundance weaning. Basically introduce to solid food and let him eat that but keep up the formula as long as the baby will take it.

 

[Zara]

Sorry, but I must chime in here and say, Please post a picture of him with his soft toy!

I use apple cider vinegar to clean my feeding gear and also for my adfult birds water feeder bottle thingys The first solid thing i introduce to my chicks is millet on the branch. I just pop it in there with them

 

[Kodigirl210]

We introduced using water-soaked pellets, blueberry and papaya.

 

[Lbond664]

At what age do you start putting Millet and soft foods in there? Another thing is..I check on him quite a bit whenever he sees me lift the towel he pokes up and opens his mouth

 

[Zara]

I usually start at 5 or 6 weeks but I have lovebird chicks so that may be different for you as yours are similar but smaller.
I feed formula til they wont eat it anymore

 

[Kodigirl210]

I think you can start anywhere from 4-5 weeks and they usually wean around 8 weeks. He will take longer because he is by himself so there is no competition for food & no one to show him how. It’s mostly there just to be there in the beginning. Around week 5 or 6 you can start trying to hand feed him bits of the soaked pellets. Just have to make sure you break them up really well so the baby doesn’t accidentally swallow a big lump.

As for opening his mouth, it’s reflexive. He knows when the stuff covering comes off he gets fed. It’s important to make sure he’s crop is empty before feeding each time. As long as it’s empty before each feeding it won’t hurt to feed him more than the scheduled 3x. It can actually help him speed up getting ready to wean through the abundance method. Even though she is much larger I fed Sif as many as 5x a day. Just make sure he has food in there at the last feeding for the night.