- Joined
- 10/16/09
- Messages
- 90
- Real Name
- Tracy
How are you weighing? Sounds like a stupid and basic question but you did say you are new at this so establishing basics is where we are all starting. Basic questions/guidance is not meant to offend or insult you so please keep that in mind.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 ?
Best time to weigh is first thing in the morning before feeding, when the crop is empty. Put something size appropriate (that the baby can sit in) on the scale, zero the scale out then put the baby in. That will give you your most accurate weight. That’s your starting point for the day.
Keep a daily log of the weight, the amount fed and the number of feedings. If something is going wrong, you’ll start to see it in your notes first and the notes will be helpful if you need to see a veterinarian or seek help from others more experienced than you. A daily log is a simple task that just takes moments to do but can save you tons of heartache later. I think just about everyone else here will agree with this statement.
@Macawnutz gave you an excellent feeding schedule to start working with. The only thing I want to add in is that since you’ve been under feeding Aruan, he may not accept that much food at one feeding without fighting it or vomiting it back up. If he fights it, don’t force it. Make a note of how much he ate and how long it took his crop to empty about 75-80% Then feed the same amount. If he vomits, definitely stop! Make a note of how much he ate before vomiting and how long it took for the crop to empty about 75-80% then feed about 10ml/cc less than the last time (to prevent vomiting).
While you’re increasing his volume of food from what you had been feeding to what should ideally be feeding, you may end up doing an additional feeding for a day or two at most. If you stretch the crop too much, to fast it can create other problems so going a little slower in this circumstance is not a bad idea.
Another point is that the “10%” rule is not engrave in stone, it is a general guideline. Some birds do like a little less while some like a little more.
Lastly, to answer your question about sleeping. Baby birds sleep a lot, some more than others. Every bird is different though. This is something you can add to your notes. If you haven’t noticed, I’m real big on keeping track of everything.