My grandma is going to show me how to handfeed :)

[LittleBirdies]

So Ducky is down to a couple feedings per day and he's mainly eating big boy food. He isn't eating much formula when it is offered. My grandma offered to show me how to do it though. I'm very excited! I will be doing it with a spoon, not a syringe.

I'm excited to be a part of helping wean Mr Ducky . I know this is not necessary to help him bond to me or anything, but I think it's a neat skill to learn and I love learning new things, especially animal things.

 

[melissasparrots]

Its great you are learning to hand-feed. It sometimes proves useful when you have to give birds medicine. However, please don't take Ducky home until he is fully weaned and has been eating on his own for at least 2 weeks. The stress of changing homes tends to set weaning birds back. For a little guy like a conure, it might set him back a week or two and you may end up having to do more hand-feeding than you think. For larger birds, being moved before they are ready can set them back months. You might be confident that you can handle it, but the fact remains that the reaction is caused by stress which can be reduced by just leaving him with your grandma until he is done. Maybe if you want to hand-feed you can just visit your grandma a lot and take part in some of his regular feedings at her house.

 

[LittleBirdies]

I won't be bringing him home until he is weaned. I meant she will be showing me at her house. And unfortunately it will be longer than expected for him to be weaned I just found out .

 

[webchirp]

It will be worth the extra time for him. I had to handfeed Chya with a spoon. She had regressed and the pet store didn't notice. She was a sick little sunnie for a long time.

 

[LittleBirdies]

Yeah my grandma said it's definitely not worth risking him dropping the weight and me not noticing or any other kind of complication that could arise. I am not an expert by any means so I do want him to be healthy and ready before I get him.

It just kind of stinks because I thought it was going to be sooner and it keeps getting put off longer and longer....for all I know he's another month out at this point. I'm kind of disappointed . It was supposed to be any day now and now its....whenever....I don't know now . I know it seems silly but I have just waited so long and now it feel like this whole thing is taking so long! I've been visiting him for a while now. I just want to bring him home now lol.

 

[Heather F]

Aww, he'll be home soon enough. Better to give a couple of extra weeks to have a happy healthy little guy. At least you can visit him. How old is he now?

 

[LittleBirdies]

Thanks everyone. He is about 8 weeks now @Heather F. He has fledged already and I visited him today ♡♡♡, and he was eating his big boy food much more than previous days! He was eating those veggies like a champ!!! I'm so proud of him.

His younger sibling, whose about 2 weeks younger, has been eating big bird food better than he has which is crazy. That's the pineapple who sleeps on his back like a goober .

I got some of Ducky's food though and went by the younger and older one's cages and they were eating, I hoped it would encourage him to, and he started ravenously eating once he noticed everyone else was doing it! I'm so excited! He's getting there! I think it will be here soon at this point. I can't wait!!!! He has been eating the big bird food but not as much as he was supposed to be, until now. If he keep this up it won't be long!!! Yeah!!!!!

 

[Jaguar]

Yeah my grandma said it's definitely not worth risking him dropping the weight and me not noticing or any other kind of complication that could arise. I am not an expert by any means so I do want him to be healthy and ready before I get him.

It just kind of stinks because I thought it was going to be sooner and it keeps getting put off longer and longer....for all I know he's another month out at this point. I'm kind of disappointed . It was supposed to be any day now and now its....whenever....I don't know now . I know it seems silly but I have just waited so long and now it feel like this whole thing is taking so long! I've been visiting him for a while now. I just want to bring him home now lol.

You are going to have him for the next 20+ years... a few more weeks to ensure he's healthy and well adjusted isn't so bad.

 

[LittleBirdies]

@Jaguar I don't think it will be that long for one thing, hopefully lol. And, even so, it is so bad!!!! You have no idea how horribly long this wait seems lol.....

 

[Jaguar]

@Jaguar I don't think it will be that long for one thing, hopefully lol. And, even so, it is so bad!!!! You have no idea how horribly long this wait seems lol.....

Py conure lifespan seems to be from anywhere from 15 to 25 years - so you could be in it for the long haul. And I do know how long it seems - I felt like I had waited forever for Miles to wean too He was 9 weeks old, regressed, and had to be spoon fed or 2 weeks after I brought him home.

 

[LittleBirdies]

Oh I meant I don't think it will be that long for him to wean . And did he go back to the breeder when he regressed or did you spoon feed him?

 

[Jaguar]

Oh I meant I don't think it will be that long for him to wean . And did he go back to the breeder when he regressed or did you spoon feed him?

Oh, gotcha! I spoon fed him once in the evenings, but made sure to use the same formula as the breeder. I think it was for comfort more than anything else, since he was definitely eating his seed/pellets/veggies in the mornings.

 

[Heather F]

It sounds like he's getting close