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I need some advice on a neglected baby budgie I received

Zara

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RE the apple sauce or ACV, it won´t hurt her to add it, so even if there´s no probs at all, she can still have it added to her formula.

Itchyness could be low humidity, check your hygrometer, if all is well, it could be the feathers starting to grow (hopefully!).

Don´t water down the food. Feed as per package instructions. She is over 5 days now so the ratio has changed again. She is very small for her age, there´s no denying it. She´s also very scrawny. So it´s super important that when you feed her, it is at the correct temperature. Over feeding can lead to stretched crop and crop stasis. So only feed her ´til she is full, don´t ram more food in because we want her to gain weight. The best way for her to gain weight is keeping food in her crop steadily throughout the day. Keeping the brooder at the same temp is also really important, inconsistent temperature in the brooder can lead to problems.

How are things now? Has she eaten well?

I just want to mention, it´s normal you have all of these worries. But when you handle her and feed her, do it like you have raised hundreds of other babies before and everything is perfectly fine. Emiting the calmness will help the baby remain calm.
 

Britnicorn

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RE the apple sauce or ACV, it won´t hurt her to add it, so even if there´s no probs at all, she can still have it added to her formula.

Itchyness could be low humidity, check your hygrometer, if all is well, it could be the feathers starting to grow (hopefully!).

Don´t water down the food. Feed as per package instructions. She is over 5 days now so the ratio has changed again. She is very small for her age, there´s no denying it. She´s also very scrawny. So it´s super important that when you feed her, it is at the correct temperature. Over feeding can lead to stretched crop and crop stasis. So only feed her ´til she is full, don´t ram more food in because we want her to gain weight. The best way for her to gain weight is keeping food in her crop steadily throughout the day. Keeping the brooder at the same temp is also really important, inconsistent temperature in the brooder can lead to problems.

How are things now? Has she eaten well?

I just want to mention, it´s normal you have all of these worries. But when you handle her and feed her, do it like you have raised hundreds of other babies before and everything is perfectly fine. Emiting the calmness will help the baby remain calm.
Thanks so much! Her humidity has been good all day, so I don’t think it’s that.

It’s currently 3am (last feeding was at 12am about, it went good) and she’s crying. I’m not sure If I should go check on her or not because the vet said to leave her alone from 12-6am
 

Zara

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If you can peek from a distance through the window, just to check she´s not stuck would be ok. Don´t let her know you are there though.
If she is in the right place, just leave her be.
 

Britnicorn

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If you can peek from a distance through the window, just to check she´s not stuck would be ok. Don´t let her know you are there though.
If she is in the right place, just leave her be.
She’s good. I think she looks plumper too :D
I’m going back to sleep :roflmao:
 

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Zara

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is it okay to use a wet q-tip to get it off?
Yea ;)
If it´s stuck on hard, hold the wet Qtip on her, then gently wipe, then dab, then wipe and so on until it´s gone. Don´t pick it off or wipe hard. Gotta be real gentle.

Once her feathers come in, take good care to clean her up after feeds or it will dry like cement and be a nightmare to get out later on.
 

Britnicorn

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I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but I think it might get here sooner than I think. I’ve been hearing the term “weaning cages” a lot, is it a good idea to get a smaller cage for Phoenix to be in when she gets a little older? I currently only have a pretty large cage, but if I need to get a small cage so she won’t hurt herself I most definitely will. Any good sized cages for young parakeets?
 

Zara

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You don´t really need one if you kit out the larger cage nice.
She can´t go into a cage until her feathers are fully grown and preened open.
Once that happens you can put her ¨brooder¨ inside the cage on the floor without the lid. Line the cage floor with a non pilling fleece blanket. Stick a perch in the cage but not too high up, maybe half way up. And a couple of toys. Once she is comfortable manouvering around the cage, you can add more stuff.

How is she doing? I´m on the edge of my seat waiting for those eyes to open!
 

Britnicorn

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You don´t really need one if you kit out the larger cage nice.
She can´t go into a cage until her feathers are fully grown and preened open.
Once that happens you can put her ¨brooder¨ inside the cage on the floor without the lid. Line the cage floor with a non pilling fleece blanket. Stick a perch in the cage but not too high up, maybe half way up. And a couple of toys. Once she is comfortable manouvering around the cage, you can add more stuff.

How is she doing? I´m on the edge of my seat waiting for those eyes to open!
Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve just heard people say to get shorter cages so if they climb up and fall they won’t hurt themselves, but I guess the blanket would be enough to have a safe landing?
I also can’t wait for her eyes to open!!

She’s doing great! I haven’t seen a single air bubble yet today. One thing I’ve noticed though is that her crop emptied real fast in the mornings. I was feeding her about every hour and a half (sometimes hour and 45 minutes) instead of every two hours, but then it starts to slow down after noon and I have to start waiting every two and a half hours for it to start emptying at all. Is that something I should be concerned about?
 

Zara

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If the cage is very tall you can block the top portion by cutting a large piece of cardboard and putting it in the cage, hold it in place with dowels if you still have those for the cage.
 

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Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve just heard people say to get shorter cages so if they climb up and fall they won’t hurt themselves, but I guess the blanket would be enough to have a safe landing?
I also can’t wait for her eyes to open!!

She’s doing great! I haven’t seen a single air bubble yet today. One thing I’ve noticed though is that her crop emptied real fast in the mornings. I was feeding her about every hour and a half (sometimes hour and 45 minutes) instead of every two hours, but then it starts to slow down after noon and I have to start waiting every two and a half hours for it to start emptying at all. Is that something I should be concerned about?
Hi Britney, when her crop emptied faster in the mornings was that because you diluted the concentration of the formula on the previous feeding? I don't know why it would take longer after noon unless there is a change in the temperature of the brooder... like when you take the top off to feed her. Minimize the amount of time you have the lid off. You have your formula prepared, slide the lid back enough for you to give her feed inside the container, wipe her off and then pull the lid back to it's position. When you weigh her how are you doing that?
 

Britnicorn

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Hi Britney, when her crop emptied faster in the mornings was that because you diluted the concentration of the formula on the previous feeding? I don't know why it would take longer after noon unless there is a change in the temperature of the brooder... like when you take the top off to feed her. Minimize the amount of time you have the lid off. You have your formula prepared, slide the lid back enough for you to give her feed inside the container, wipe her off and then pull the lid back to it's position. When you weigh her how are you doing that?
Nothing changed, I didn’t change the formula and the temperature of the brooder was always the same, I don’t keep the lid off for more than two minutes tops.
I have a little plastic plate that goes over the scale, I heat It up by letting hot water run over it in the sink and dry it off before weighing her, and I put a paper towel down on it too.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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Nothing changed, I didn’t change the formula and the temperature of the brooder was always the same, I don’t keep the lid off for more than two minutes tops.
I have a little plastic plate that goes over the scale, I heat It up by letting hot water run over it in the sink and dry it off before weighing her, and I put a paper towel down on it too.
Good... keeping her in a consistent temperature around the clock is what she needs. Minimize any time you have her out of the container... in a minute she can get chilled even in your hand because her body that isn't touching you is exposed to the air temperature. I don't know how fast the plastic plate can cool off after you dry it and put it on the scale but if you think it isn't warm enough for the time it takes to weigh her you can take a look at the photos on page 8 Zara posted on how she weighs her chicks.
 
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