Baby Lovebird help.

[KathieL]

My Lovebjrds hatched only 1 baby. He or she is 8 weeks..fully feathered, can fly, but will not feed it's self. I have tried hanging a millit spray in it's cage and also in the adult birds cage, side by side hoping it would learn by example....it did nibble at it a bit but not really eating. I have tried finely chopping corn and oatmeal...no go. I have to continue to force feed it baby bird formula to not lose it. Any suggestions would be thankfully appreciated. KathieL

 

[Zara]

Hello,
Did you wean the baby yourself or did the birds parents?

Remember, the best time to offer the adult foods is right after the formula feed. Don´t force the formula, your bird has to eat voluntarily or risk aspiration. If your bird refuses to eat and loses weight, you should gavage feed (get a professional to teach you how to do that).

I have moved this thread to the Nursery forum for you. (comment court is for site comments)

 

[KathieL]

Hello,
Did you wean the baby yourself or did the birds parents?

Remember, the best time to offer the adult foods is right after the formula feed. Don´t force the formula, your bird has to eat voluntarily or risk aspiration. If your bird refuses to eat and loses weight, you should gavage feed (get a professional to teach you how to do that).

I have moved this thread to the Nursery forum for you. (comment court is for site comments)

The parent began being "not nice" to the fledgling. It has never voluntarily opened it's beak to feed. I am very careful not to force too much food at a time and gave not had any difficulty in giving it the food it needs to survive....It just shows no interest in feeding itself. It is very tame, can fly pretty well already, loves to bury itself in my had cupped against my chest....and will fall asleep in my hand when I "pet" it. I have never had them lay and hatch any eggs before. They hatched two, this one first and maybe five days later another which didn't survive.

 

[Zara]

I am very careful not to force too much food at a time and gave not had any difficulty in giving it the food it needs to survive....

I really advise against that. They can easily aspirate.
Try offering the formula on a small spoon instead. Be patient and try to let her eat on her own without being forced.

Aside from offering the foods after the formula, be sure to have bowls around the cage with seeds or pellets in.
8 weeks is the average weaning age, but not all birds read the instruction manual. I had a chick wean at 22 weeks. Try not to worry so much about the timeline, as long as your bird is eating, everything is ok

Stange the second egg hatched 5 days later.

 

[KathieL]

I really advise against that. They can easily aspirate.
Try offering the formula on a small spoon instead. Be patient and try to let her eat on her own without being forced.

Aside from offering the foods after the formula, be sure to have bowls around the cage with seeds or pellets in.
8 weeks is the average weaning age, but not all birds read the instruction manual. I had a chick wean at 22 weeks. Try not to worry so much about the timeline, as long as your bird is eating, everything is ok

Stange the second egg hatched 5 days later.

He or she began eating some seed on it's own tonight.....and it was after I had fed it formula...yea!

 

[Zara]

Hey, how are things going?