Worried new mom, please advise

[MackDaddy]

I'm the owner of an unweaned 9 week old Harlequin Macaw. I purchased him from a friend that bread him. Before you jump on me for having an unweaned baby, it couldn't be avoided. Unfortunately my friend was in an accident and unable to care for him or his mates. I had visited him daily since he was hatched and hand fed him daily when I was there. I brought him home on Saturday. When I picked him up I was told he was eating 100cc three times a day and that he was eating on his own as well. Since I've had him he is eating every 4 hours. He sits there bobbing his head looking all sad and his crop is empty. He doesn't eat much on his own. If we offer him food from our hands he will play with it and occasionally eat it though. I'm not sure how much babies at this age really play. Mack doesn't play much he spends most of his time sleeping or just looking around. He is very vocal though. We have some lengthly conversations. I'm concerned that he is not doing well only because he doesn't seem interested in much activity. The only time he will happily come out is when we are feeding him. He sees the syringe and comes a running. He will occasionally play with his toys but not often. Someone suggested that he may be stressed from the move and missing his mates and that he may just need to "adjust" to his new environment. I'm hoping this is true. However I read the tragic stories of inexperienced owners hand feeding and now I'm paranoid that I'm damaging him. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm madly in love with this little guy and don't want anything to happen to him.

 

[rikkitikki]

I'm sure people will be on soon with help. I know nothing about this stuff, good luck with him

 

[KimKimWilliamson]

I have never hand fed a baby, but I would suggest weighing him regularily, before each meal maybe. That way you can ensure he's getting enough to eat, and not too much, etc. Also, when he opens up wide for the syringe, check for mucas, lots of saliva, discolouration of the back of his throat, a sour odour....all of these can be signs of crop infection.

Otherwise, I hope someone with more experience comes along soon

 

[Mythreeiggys]

If his crop looks empty (or close to it) and he is acting hungry, feed him. I have a schedule for my babies but if they are hungry before then, I feed them. Three times a day is good but if he/she wants more, it won't hurt. Have you tried soaking pellets in warm water and offering it that way? Also, what is the temp of the formula when you are feeding?

At this stage, he's probably not going to be very active all the time. He may have his moments but mostly he will sleep, eat and poop...lol.

 

[suncoast]

Welcome,

Do you have an avian vet that can look him over and give you an evaluation? Is he gaining weight? Does he sound weezy? Is he pooing and perching okay?

I asked the Mods to put this in the 911 section so you can get some help right away.

Ginger

 

[Lobby]

I have never had a macaw but I would say either give him more food at his feedings or feed him more often. I am reading a book about cockatoos right now but when it comes to feeding babies I would consider them close enough to the same as macaws.

In the book the author tells a story about a breeder that was having some babies raised by the parents to save to increase her breeding stock. One of the fully weaned hens got her leg caught in some rope. She had to be separated from the flock for evaluation. When she was returned to the flock, because of the stress of being removed from the flock, she required being fed by her parents for a few days again before she weaned herself again.

So how does this relate to you? In times of stress, such as moving to a new home, birds will often go back to wanting to be hand fed for reassurance. Since your guy wasn't weaned in the first place but just starting to explore eating on his own my guess is that he is no longer eating at all on his own. There is a theory that if you keep food in his crop at all times (for the most part) your fid will grow up to be a very secure fid. This is a very desirable thing. Hopefully someone with macaw experience will way in on this.

 

[suncoast]

He is still a baby at 9 weeks and you need to continue feeding him every 3-4 hours. This is a critical time for him and you need to make sure his nutritional needs are met. What kind of hand feeding formula are you using? Roudybush is the best.

Ginger

 

[mrstweet]

I second what everyone else says. From what I've read on here every 3-4 hours their crop should be filled and then you let it empty totally at night. Welcome and congrats on your new baby!

 

[Coco's Momma]

Welcome, Lisa, and congratulations on your new baby! I would love to see pictures. I bet he is too cute for words! I wouldn't be expecting him to really play at all at this age; he is still so young. You'll be hand feeding him for quite some time to come. I hope you enjoy the forum, and look forward to getting to know you and the baby!