How long did it take for your macaw to wean?

[Fruits]

Hi guys, I have a male harlequin macaw who's coming up on his 1st birthday real soon (next Sunday!!) and he is STILL eating from the tube so to say... Not that it is too worrying as I've heard some macaws can take up to 2 years to wean? But just wondering when it was your guys macaws finally said no to the bottle?

Attached is the little ding dong on Christmas lol

 

[BrianB]

The average for my green wing chicks and harlequins has been around five months. Red fronted macaws wean faster, but they usually go three and a half months.

How many feedings a day is he still taking? How much other food is he eating, and what kind of foods are you offering him? Pellets, nuts, fresh vegetables, and fruits?

 

[Fruits]

The average for my green wing chicks and harlequins has been around five months. Red fronted macaws wean faster, but they usually go three and a half months.

How many feedings a day is he still taking? How much other food is he eating, and what kind of foods are you offering him? Pellets, nuts, fresh vegetables, and fruits?

He gets one a day in the afternoon. Sometimes he asks for a morning feed so I give him that too. He's on pellets, chop and birdie bread with nuts in it, but still for some reason loves his formula. The pellets I leave in his cage all day. The other stuff I just have until he stops touching it.

 

[Macawnutz]

My blue and gold would still like to be syringe fed if I offered it.

I found much success with soaking his pellets in warm water and allowing them to get warm and smushy. Offering that when he wanted feedings seemed to aid weaning.

 

[Fruits]

My blue and gold would still like to be syringe fed if I offered it.

I found much success with soaking his pellets in warm water and allowing them to get warm and smushy. Offering that when he wanted feedings seemed to aid weaning.

Lol he already makes soup with his pellets. I'll try doing that when he wants to eat and see how that goes.

 

[Holiday]

It took a full year for my RFM to wean. And I was in no hurry whatsoever She's 100% well adjusted, doesn't pluck or scream.

 

[expressmailtome]

My blue-throat took almost 8 months.

 

[BrianB]

You could start offering less. Maybe reduce it my 10%, then add something new and interesting to his other food. Try that for a week or two, then take it down another 10% and add something else new. You could also water down the formula. He's clearly getting the majority of his nutrition from the rest of his diet. Slowly reducing what he's getting from the formula might alter his drive and increase his appetite for pellets and chop. I'm all for making the formula boring and the other food more exciting and interesting. Slow and steady should do the trick.

 

[TikiMyn]

I don't have a large macaw, but my yellow collared macaw was completely weaned by about 7 months, fairly long for such a small one I think. He like yours gradually took less and I only did morning/evening or when he begged a lot. I often gave him a little bit of formula, and then gave a normal bowl or plate with food, and handed him little pieces. If he eats well I think I would try BrainB's approach above. It does not sound if he has trouble eating, or do you think he does?

 

[Fruits]

I don't have a large macaw, but my yellow collared macaw was completely weaned by about 7 months, fairly long for such a small one I think. He like yours gradually took less and I only did morning/evening or when he begged a lot. I often gave him a little bit of formula, and then gave a normal bowl or plate with food, and handed him little pieces. If he eats well I think I would try BrainB's approach above. It does not sound if he has trouble eating, or do you think he does?

I don't think he does but I do notice he doesn't eat a lot. He would always have an empty crop by around 4 pm everyday (as that's when I usually give him his formula).

My blue and gold would still like to be syringe fed if I offered it.

I found much success with soaking his pellets in warm water and allowing them to get warm and smushy. Offering that when he wanted feedings seemed to aid weaning.

I also tried this but he did not care one bit about that. Not sure how to go about it.

Is it weird that it's taking so long for him to wean or is it a normal thing for macaws?