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Feeding Advice needed please

Kanroth

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Jacqueline Roth
Hi
Can anyone give advice please, we have had adult macaws in the past, but this is our firsy baby, our baby macaw is apparently 14 weeks old, we have had him since he was about 8 weeks old. When we collected him, the breeder told us to feed him 3 times a day, apparently 80 to 100 mil per feed. For the first couple of weeks. At firsy he head bobbed and flapped for every feed, then although he was still feeding well, he stopped the bobbing and flapping and just ate,(he has never asked fot food, we always just fed every 6 hours as we were advised) recently he is refusing food and turning away from the syringe, with coaxing he will eventually eat. We have offered fresh fruit snd soft vegetables but he has always sermed totally uninterested in either tasting or even playing with them. What are we doing wrong? We have tried to get info from the breeder, but he is spanish and speaks no English and we have no one else to ask. Also he fledged for first time about 8 days ago. would be greatful for any advice please x
 

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Zara

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BrianB

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Check his weight every day and pay attention to what’s in the bowl. If he isn’t losing weight and doesn’t seem lethargic then he’s eating and you just aren’t seeing it. You could also weigh the food before you put it in the bowl and dump it out and weigh it again in the evening. It isn’t a great way to keep track of what’s being eaten but you will know he’s at least in the bowl digging stuff out of it. Keep us posted.
 

macawpower58

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Macaws also drop their weight a bit right before fledging, which you mentioned he is doing.
Keep offering the feeds, how many feedings a day are you offering now?
They normally drop to two a day, and then 1 a day, usually before bedtime.
Mine stopped that last handfeeding at 8 months. Some go longer, others stop sooner.
Keep offering, and if not accepted don't panic.
Place your diced/chopped veggies, nut, pasta, beans, fruit and such and let him play with that food.
Some of it will end up inside. ;) The food also does not need to be soft.
Raw fresh fruit and veggies (like carrots, apples, bananas, sugar snap peas, etc...), are fun to tear apart for young birds.
 

Kanroth

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At the moment we arr still trying to get 3 feeds a day in yo him, 9am, 3pm and 9pm but any he eats is just because we chase him around woyh the syringe not because he seems to want it. We leave veg and fruit but he wont even touch it, im like a nervous 1st time mum lol
 

Toy

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Try fake eating some of the foods you are trying to fed him. If he sees you eat it he may decide it's OK to eat too.
 

macawpower58

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Try fake eating some of the foods you are trying to fed him. If he sees you eat it he may decide it's OK to eat too.
And not the formula! ;)

Try just offering a lunch and before bed feed.
Put his chop in the dish in the morning and just leave him til lunch.
See if that helps with the lunchtime handfeeding.
At almost 4 months, I'd think he's close to dropping that 3rd feeding.

I can't remember if I dropped the breakfast or lunch first, so take that into account.
 

Kanroth

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If he would show even a little intrest in food i would be less afraid of cutting out his lunch time feed. But so far he wont even look at or play with his food, I've offered bowls of chopped veg and also fruit. Ive even tied apple slices to string and hung in his cage to try get him to play with it. Is it ok to let his crop be completely empty at this age? He's fed at 9pm and then not again untill 9am so 12 hours without a feed at night, if i cut out his lunch feed he will go 12 hours during the day too would that be ok for him?
 

macawpower58

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Why not make a wellness checkup with an Avian vet? This way you'll get some advice on if his weight is good, or if he's underweight. The crop looks full in the photo you posted. Do you know his weight?

@Macawnutz hopefully Sarah stops by, she has a lot of info on feeding, and may have some advice also.

I do know the crop should empty overnight. I don't think a missed feeding will be terribly detrimental unless your baby has health issues. But, I also fed over 21 years ago, and my memory is spotty.
 

Macawnutz

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I was the same and used to chase my guy around the house with the syringe. :facepalm: OMG it was so stressful as all I wanted him to do was eat a little.
I would make an appointment with the vet just to make sure everything is okay. Babies OFTEN get little bacterial infections that go un noticed until they get bigger. Just keep offering and make sure bowls around him all have good food available.

Get a scale and weigh him every morning before the first feeding and after his first big poop. Write down the weight in grams so you know if you are getting into trouble with losing too much.
Soaked warm pellets are a good thing to keep in his bowl. Just change them often so they stay fresh.
 

BrianB

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My last baby green wing got to the point where she would beg for the hand feeding but fight me on taking it. One day she decided she wasn't going to eat anything at all, so I still made it and offered it, but she refused it. The next day she was very hungry and happy to eat what I gave her. It became a struggle to get her in a position where I could get the syringe in her mouth. Once I did that she would take it, but almost always spit it out. If I gave her 50ml, she would probably get 20ml in her crop and the rest she would splatter all over the place. I knew she was eating some on her own so when I got tired of the fight I cut her off. She would beg for it so I gave her a syringe with just a few ml of water in it. She didn't want that either. What she wanted was to go through the motions of being hand-fed, but she was eating enough on her own to sustain herself. She may be eating at night when you aren't seeing it. She could be sneaking a few bites here and there when your attention is elsewhere. I found that grapes make a good treat and bribe. Make a big production of eating one in front of him and if he shows interest maybe turn away like you don't care to give it to him. Then do it again and finally offer him one. When he takes it make a big fuss about it and praise him for eating it. Then try it with something else. Maybe a fresh green bean, or some other vegetable you have handy.

Keep track of his weight and as macawpower58 said, they will drop weight when they move from being hand-fed to eating on their own and when they start to fly. They are burning off fat reserves and starting to replace that with muscle. The weight may go up and down but it will start to go back up. If you're concerned then maybe a vet visit is in order.
 

Kanroth

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Thank you all so much for all your help and replys. Unfortunately i live on a small island of fuerteventura in the canary Islands and there is no proper avian vet here, but the normal vets do see several parrots. He went to the vet 2 days ago and we were told he was well and healthy, although we did mention he often pants, but he assured us thats ok for a young bird in such a warm climate. We weigh him this morning and he was 1050g
 

Zara

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Unfortunately i live on a small island of fuerteventura in the canary Islands and there is no proper avian vet here,
Oasis Wildlife have guacamayos. They´re in the homepage vid. See if you can find out which vet they use?
 

Kanroth

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Oasis Wildlife have guacamayos. They´re in the homepage vid. See if you can find out which vet they use?
Have already contacted Oasis, they did have a top avian vet Mikel Sabater working for them, but sadly it appears he has now left the island x
 

Pat H

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If he would show even a little intrest in food i would be less afraid of cutting out his lunch time feed. But so far he wont even look at or play with his food, I've offered bowls of chopped veg and also fruit. Ive even tied apple slices to string and hung in his cage to try get him to play with it. Is it ok to let his crop be completely empty at this age? He's fed at 9pm and then not again untill 9am so 12 hours without a feed at night, if i cut out his lunch feed he will go 12 hours during the day too would that be ok for him?
BE CAREFUL WITH THE STRING!!! They can hang themselves!
 

Pat H

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Our Umbrella still makes baby feeding noises and bobs her head when eating soft, porridge-like foods [grits, oatmeal, etc].
My baby birds [long time ago] when weaning, liked their beak held, which made them start bobbing. No food, just the contact.
 

tka

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I wonder if it's worth contacting Loro Parque and seeing if they know of any avian vets on the island.
 
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