I need some advice on a neglected baby budgie I received

[Britnicorn]

I fed her to this point just now(we got another air bubble dr said the air bubbles are from her gulping for food so fast because she’s so hungry) but she was still hungry. But her crop looks like it’s about to burst to me I only fed her about half a millimeter because her crop was still pretty full from the last feeding. I don’t know if I should be stretching her crop out more than this. @Zara

 

[camelotshadow]

Her crop is bigger than her abdomen. I think thats all you can do. Did she want more?
Maybe for her last feeding let her eat as much as she wants? Will be 6 hours.

Do I see a big air bubble on top? More air means less food

If it was me I'd wake up at 4AM & check her crop. If its empty feed her.

 

[Britnicorn]

Her crop is bigger than her abdomen. I think thats all you can do. Did she want more?
Maybe for her last feeding let her eat as much as she wants? Will be 6 hours.

Do I see a big air bubble on top?

If it was me I'd wake up at 4AM & check her crop. If its empty feed her.

Yes she ALWAYS wants more. I don’t know if feeding her as much as she wants is a good idea, not only is she dealing with a new formula ratio but now she’s dealing with eating more food... wouldn’t that be too much? I don’t know
I also don’t know if I should check on her at 4am, if I wake her up and her crop isn’t empty then she’d just cry for the next hour or so I think I’ll stick to what the vet said on that one

 

[camelotshadow]

Shes still very small for her age.

Yes she ALWAYS wants more. I don’t know if feeding her as much as she wants is a good idea, not only is she dealing with a new formula ratio but now she’s dealing with eating more food... wouldn’t that be too much? I don’t know
I also don’t know if I should check on her at 4am, if I wake her up and her crop isn’t empty then she’d just cry for the next hour or so I think I’ll stick to what the vet said on that one

Ask the vet tomorrow if you should let her eat as much as she wants or how to know how much?.

I think her crop looks big enough now but half is an air bubble. Its just her body is so small & i don;t think her crop should exceed the width of her abdomen.

Do you tap the tip of the syringe etc to release air?

 

[Britnicorn]

Shes still very small for her age.

Ask the vet tomorrow if you should let her eat as much as she wants or how to know how much?.

I think her crop looks big enough now but half is an air bubble. Its just her body is so small & i don;t think her crop should exceed the width of her abdomen.

Do you tap the tip of the syringe etc to release air?

Yeah I did... she still gulps for food like crazy when my syringe isn’t there. I think I’ll go to the vet tomorrow and see if he’ll teach me how to avoid it, because she’s so wild. I hope he’ll teach me, even though we are still in covid lock down :/

 

[Britnicorn]

I just fed her again, a little earlier than two hours because she was non stop crying, and she actually got her fill this time!! We are making progress

 

[Shezbug]

I gotta say how impressed I am with your ability to still function so well, make good decisions and stay calm under such stress and lack of sleep. You are a true champion and you are doing a marvelous job with this little one. You should be really proud of yourself

 

[Britnicorn]

I gotta say how impressed I am with your ability to still function so well, make good decisions and stay calm under such stress and lack of sleep. You are a true champion and you are doing a marvelous job with this little one. You should be really proud of yourself

Thank you so much!! I have not been staying calm by any means though Internally, I’m screaming constantly

 

[Britnicorn]

Welp, somehow my alarm didn’t go off for my 12am feeding I woke up an hour later with the alarm “going off” on my phone but no sound was coming from it lol! Guess I’ll start feeding at 4am to make up for it :|

 

[Feather]

Thank you so much!! I have not been staying calm by any means though Internally, I’m screaming constantly

That's relatable. That was me all through hand feeding my starling, too. Constant state of quiet panic...

You got this!

 

[Kassiani]

I gotta say how impressed I am with your ability to still function so well, make good decisions and stay calm under such stress and lack of sleep. You are a true champion and you are doing a marvelous job with this little one. You should be really proud of yourself

This...

I can only be part of your virtual cheering section because I have no experience or wisdom to share! Just know you really are doing wonderfully well during such a stressful time!!

 

[zoo mom]

As a nursing student many years ago one if my instructors said. "It doesn't matter what is going on inside of you, or how you feel about a situation. What matters is staying visibly calm and doing what has to be done."

 

[Zara]

But her crop looks like it’s about to burst to me

Thst´s a full crop. I would not feed more than that.

Maybe for her last feeding let her eat as much as she wants?

if you should let her eat as much as she wants

No. She can eat until her crop is full and no more.
If you don´t know, please stop posting these maybes because if OP takes this advice and overfills the crop there will be problems.

, somehow my alarm didn’t go off for my 12am feeding I woke up an hour later

An hour delay once is ok, don´t be too hard on yourself

Guess I’ll start feeding at 4am to make up for it :|

If this happens again, then feed at 1am when you woke, and then you can sleep until about 7am.

 

[Britnicorn]

Thank you all for the kind words, I really need to hear it.

Little update: when I woke up at 4 to feed her she want awake but I figured I’d feed her anyway. She didn’t seem interested at all, and in fact squawked at me like she was annoyed at me for trying. She looked like she was trying to sleep, so I put her back in the nest (a whole batch of formula wasted ) and stayed up until she started crying for food. She didn’t start crying until 6am sharp, and ate 1 and a half ccs so fast. She gets annoyed when I clean her up with q-tips but she has a sweet spot on the back of her head which she loves so much, it’s adorable

 

[Britnicorn]

I read somewhere that after the first week you have to turn the temperature of their brooder down by 5°, is that true? She turns a week old tomorrow so

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

What is your current temperature reading as well as the humidity? Can you take a photo of your container so we can see how you have it set up? She is still fairly naked according to your last photo. Your formula has more solids added to it and she needs the warmth to keep the crop functioning well ( including the correct humidity) I would keep it set as is if she is digesting the formula well and active when she is due another feeding. Every time you open the top of her container you can account for some loss of warmth and I wouldn't let the temp fall below 95. When you take her out of her container for feeding are you placing her in something warm to feed and returning her straight back to her container after feeding?

 

[camelotshadow]

What is your current temperature reading as well as the humidity? Can you take a photo of your container so we can see how you have it set up? She is still fairly naked according to your last photo. Your formula has more solids added to it and she needs the warmth to keep the crop functioning well ( including the correct humidity) I would keep it set as is if she is digesting the formula well and active when she is due another feeding. Every time you open the top of her container you can account for some loss of warmth and I wouldn't let the temp fall below 95. When you take her out of her container for feeding are you placing her in something warm to feed and returning her straight back to her container after feeding?

Thanks.

 

[Britnicorn]

What is your current temperature reading as well as the humidity? Can you take a photo of your container so we can see how you have it set up? She is still fairly naked according to your last photo. Your formula has more solids added to it and she needs the warmth to keep the crop functioning well ( including the correct humidity) I would keep it set as is if she is digesting the formula well and active when she is due another feeding. Every time you open the top of her container you can account for some loss of warmth and I wouldn't let the temp fall below 95. When you take her out of her container for feeding are you placing her in something warm to feed and returning her straight back to her container after feeding?

The temperature in this video only reads about 93° because we just did a feeding, but it never takes longer than a couple minutes to get back to what it usually says (96°) and the humidity is always 55-60%.
i also used to have half of the bottom off of the heat pad, but then I realized the outside doesn’t get as hot as the middle of the heat pad anyway, so where she lays is about the middle of the pad and the outside of her brooder is on the outside of the mat.
When I feed her I keep her on my hand, and the room we are in is about 83°. Her crop has been emptying about half way in between every feeding, and it was empty this morning!


i also think we had a good(but messy) feeding just now it’s hard to see but she only got a tiny air bubble this time, compared to the other times where her crop was almost half air but it’s getting better.

I tried contacting the vet today but the only vet there that cares for birds wasn’t there today, so I’ll have to call tomorrow

 

[Britnicorn]

(Sorry I took so long to reply, I’ve been doing school work in between feedings)

 

[Zara]

I would feed a little less than that to avoid overstretching the crop. You are constantly checking on her so it´s not like her crop could empty and you won´t notice.