How much do you feed a 6 week baby macaw?

[Blue's mom]

Hi.

Glad you got a scale, that it very important. Even more important is to have a thermometer to check the temperature of the formula you are feeding which as already stated should be around 105f/40.5c.

Weight the baby first thing in the morning “when the crop should be empty” and use that as your daily feed guide Of roughly 10% feed. Some babies like a little less and some a little more. The crop should never feel very tense from being over filled or filled so much that the baby vomits it back out immediately after feeding.

As for giving water during the day, well, at this point they get their water in the formula. You don’t see mama birds carrying buckets of water back to the nest so supplemental water is not necessary. That being said, after each feeding, you can offer a couple cc/ml’s of water (even mixed with some ACV) to clean out residual food left in the mouth to reduce any other potential problems with yeast.

At this age you can also start offering pelleted foods, small diced veggies, crumbled nuts and other bird treats but hold back on fruits still. You want to offer stuff the tongue can explore basically.

Hi thank you so much for the information I will definitely do this. As for the ACV, how much do I mix in the water? Do I warm the water and feed him?

 

[Itsr2r]

Hi thank you so much for the information I will definitely do this. As for the ACV, how much do I mix in the water? Do I warm the water and feed him?

I use about a half cc of organic ACV into about 5cc warm to room temp water. I usually don’t use all of it, it’s just to clean up the mouth Then the rest to clean up any dribbles around the face.

How are you feeding? Crop tube? Syringe? Cup? Spoon?

 

[Macawnutz]

This is the average weights/feedings for a BG macaw

 

[Blue's mom]

I'm feeding with a

I use about a half cc of organic ACV into about 5cc warm to room temp water. I usually don’t use all of it, it’s just to clean up the mouth Then the rest to clean up any dribbles around the face.

How are you feeding? Crop tube? Syringe? Cup? Spoon?

Syringe

 

[Itsr2r]

This is the average weights/feedings for a BG macaw

I was trying not to point out the being severely under weight for a 6-7 week old part.

 

[Macawnutz]

I was trying not to point out the being severely under weight for a 6-7 week old part.

Well, we kinda have to guess age a little but for someone worried about overfeeding and feeding too many times a day knowing the baby is underweight is helpful. While the book is only an average it gives you some sort of idea when you have nothing else to go on.

Babies gain quickly when you get the rhythm down and do the right things.

 

[Itsr2r]

Well, we kinda have to guess age a little but for someone worried about overfeeding and feeding too many times a day knowing the baby is underweight is helpful. While the book is only an average it gives you some sort of idea when you have nothing else to go on.

Babies gain quickly when you get the rhythm down and do the right things.

Oh I absolutely agree. This baby seems well enough feathered to be in the 6-7 week mark easilly. No matter, that weight with that amount of feathering was the give away.

“Blues Mom“, are you sure sure your baby was completely on the scale and that the scale was zeroed out before putting the baby on? They can be difficult to weigh if not sitting in a basket or bowl to keep the feet from sliding off. Remember, an accurate weight is important.

 

[Macawnutz]

Oh I absolutely agree. This baby seems well enough feathered to be in the 6-7 week mark easilly. No matter, that weight with that amount of feathering was the give away.

“Blues Mom“, are you sure sure your baby was completely on the scale and that the scale was zeroed out before putting the baby on? They can be difficult to weigh if not sitting in a basket or bowl to keep the feet from sliding off. Remember, an accurate weight is important.

Are you familiar with the formula? I am not and while I'm not a fan of switching I really want to suggest a high fat formula like zupreem.

 

[Itsr2r]

Not specifically a question that was asked here but doesn’t Higgins make a “high energy” formula specifically for macaws? I’ve never used Higgins products so not familiar.

just came back to edit once I saw your post. Lol. Guess we are on the same page.

I think I used Zupreem once many years ago but I’ve been a fan of Mazuri High Energy for years now and as an emergency back up will use Kaytee Exact macaw formula.

 

[Mizzely]

Yes Higgins makes a Hi-Energy version of their formula.

HIGGINS inTune Hand Feeding Hi-Energy Bird Food, 5-lb bag - Chewy.com

Buy Higgins inTune Hand Feeding Hi-Energy Bird Food, 5-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

 

[Macawnutz]

Not specifically a question that was asked here but doesn’t Higgins make a “high energy” formula specifically for macaws? I’ve never used Higgins products so not familiar.

just came back to edit once I saw your post. Lol. Guess we are on the same page.

I think I used Zupreem once many years ago but I’ve been a fan of Mazuri High Energy for years now and as an emergency back up will use Kaytee Exact macaw formula.

I did really like weaning from zupreem high fat onto zupreem naturals pellets. The zupreem natural pellets soak up water like no other and the warm soaked pellets seem to be the easiest transition during weaning.

I'm a Harrison's fan but my macaws hated the Harrison's formula. They would have starved.

 

[Mizzely]

I did really like weaning from zupreem high fat onto zupreem naturals pellets. The zupreem natural pellets soak up water like no other and the warm soaked pellets seem to be the easiest transition during weaning.

I'm a Harrison's fan but my macaws hated the Harrison's formula. They would have starved.

I could be wrong but I believe Zupreem no longer makes their baby formula.

 

[Itsr2r]

I did really like weaning from zupreem high fat onto zupreem naturals pellets. The zupreem natural pellets soak up water like no other and the warm soaked pellets seem to be the easiest transition during weaning.

I'm a Harrison's fan but my macaws hated the Harrison's formula. They would have starved.

I get that! But I little trick I use when I’d have leftover formula from each feed was to squirt it out into long strips, low bake/dehydrate it then break it up into chunks and crumbles. WorkEd like a charm.

 

[Macawnutz]

I could be wrong but I believe Zupreem no longer makes their baby formula.

You look to be correct. Wonder why? I guess I would use this then. KAYTEE Exact Hand Feeding Formula Baby Macaw Food, 5-lb bag - Chewy.com

 

[Blue's mom]

Oh I absolutely agree. This baby seems well enough feathered to be in the 6-7 week mark easilly. No matter, that weight with that amount of feathering was the give away.

“Blues Mom“, are you sure sure your baby was completely on the scale and that the scale was zeroed out before putting the baby on? They can be difficult to weigh if not sitting in a basket or bowl to keep the feet from sliding off. Remember, an accurate weight is important.

Hi I weigh him again this morning and he's 617g .... so my baby isn't 6-7 weeks.? .. I feed him at 8am and I wait for his crop to empty out before feeding him.... I don't know.. for his second feeding... his crop takes a few hours to empty...

 

[Blue's mom]

You look to be correct. Wonder why? I guess I would use this then. KAYTEE Exact Hand Feeding Formula Baby Macaw Food, 5-lb bag - Chewy.com

I was looking for that brand but it's not available for me.... I weigh him this morning before his first feeding n he's 617g... he also sleeps after his feeding..? Is that normal ?

 

[Anna&Aruan]

Hi I weigh him again this morning and he's 617g .... so my baby isn't 6-7 weeks.? .. I feed him at 8am and I wait for his crop to empty out before feeding him.... I don't know.. for his second feeding... his crop takes a few hours to empty...

His crop doesnt really have do empty completely after every feed, the recomended is to have it empty at least once every 24h, which usually is making sure his crop empties after his night feed/before his morning feed.
It is good to stick to a schedule, with my tiel i would feed him four times a day the same time every day (i'm not sure about maccaws tho), the only time i would change his feed time would be if his crop wasnt empty in the morning, otherwise, he would eat at the same time as usual, even if his crop isnt completly empty, but of course you dont want to feed him if his crop is too full, as it can result in yeast infection, but a little of food shouldnt do any harm.

Oh well, i guess anything to do with baby parrots is a bit delicate, the room cant be cold but not too warm either, the food has to be hot but not too much, before feeding the crop dont need to empty completly but cant be too full, they cant be too skinny but neither too fat... they are delicate and can be hard to take care of but for sure fill our life with joy

 

[Macawnutz]

I know exactly where you are and am tagging a person that might be help to you now and later.

Let's see if we can get him here as he always seems to help me out when someone needs it.

@chad84

 

[Macawnutz]

I want you to feed him every four hours. 60ml of formula every four hours totaling 4 times a day. So say

8am 60cc
12pm 60cc
4pm 60cc
8pm 60cc

8am 60cc....

Do that for 24 hours and let's get his weight. You have to weigh him in the morning after the first poop of the day and before you feed him.
Formula should be 105 degrees F so if you didn't get a thermometer yesterday get one today. Too cold and you get yeast, too hot you burn his crop.
You want to make the formula as directed on the package. Too thin and there is no nourishment, too thick and you get yeast.
We only want his crop to empty overnight. During the day he can stay fed and not worry about how empty it is.
Keep things clean around him. Keep him very warm. Do not reuse formula make new every time. Weigh him every morning and write it down.

 

[Zara]

(This thread is for @Blue's mom ´s macaw youngster. I´ve moved the cockatiel chick conversation to a new thread so this one doesn´t get derailed/confusing. )

Also, to add to Sarahs comment above, don´t use microwaves to prepare formula. Use a kettle to boil water, allow it to cool a little then mix it into the powder.