My poor baby Percy.
I've had him nearly for a week now, I love him to pieces. I noticed when I first got him he was having trouble eating alot of the food, but I figured he might just be unsettled. But I kept noticing he was having troubles, so now he only eats sunflower seeds (considering the breeder told me his diet would ALL be pellets and fruit/veg) because he can't eat anything else
I went out to work yesterday (I work late afternoons/evenings), Percy was crying and getting upset because he couldnt find any sunflower seeds and was so hungry...so we did some research, turns out, he's TOO YOUNG to be fully weaned, he still tries and eats things as if they were off a spoon, which explains so much and why when I get him out to do training he's so eager to please and scoffs the treats...I got him out this morning, and he was himself very sweet...then he started looking for sunflower seeds and was biting and screaming I feel so aweful right now.
We soaked the pellets and chopped up fruit tiny to encourage him to eat this morning...he's having abit but he really just hasn't got the ability to break things down with his beak...
So I'm going to get some rearing mix and got back to a step that he could handle and gradually introduce pellets again (eventually). I love handrearing, don't get me wrong, but when I SPECIFICALLY asked the breeder, about weaning/diet/insurance - he gave very broad answers. I asked for a list of fruit and veg he's used to getting, I got the response "he should eat all food and veg" ... dude you rear so many birds, I don't think I can just put any fruit and veg infront of him and expect him to eat it. He was supposed to be fulled weaned, eating pellets and he comes with pellets and 2 GIANT bags of sunflowers seeds, and he can't break down the pellets. All he can eat is the sunflower seeds so the poor little guy doesn't have much of a choice, I ofcourse cus him fruit and veg and cook carbohydrates for him but he needs the m cut so small but I know he needs the extra nutrition from pellets. I asked for him to be sexed, offered to pay more for it to be done...it wasn't done. They told me which insurance company they use, but that's no good if anything happens, I can't say "he is insured...but I haven't got a clue what policy it is/what it covers".
So I took out a new policy just for him that I'm in control of - the best one. I'm just so frustrated and upset...I've been trying so hard to do everything right
and to make sure he's healthy. I'm just so scared that he'll go anorexic and really go down hill if this doesn't get sorted out now. He's becoming increasingly anxious and loud, I have no problem with the noise, but it's the sounds of being upset and hungry not of happiness 
So I've soaked his pellets, cut up lots of fruit nice and small, given him brown rice and some sunflower seeds in the soaked pelltets to encourage him to taste/accidently taste
We're going to see our avian vet tomorrow to talk diet plans, get an overall check over and to get him DNA sexed.
*deep breathes*
It's just so stressful, I see him stressed and so I get stressed, then he knows I'm stressed so gets anxious..it's just such a nasty rut
I've had him nearly for a week now, I love him to pieces. I noticed when I first got him he was having trouble eating alot of the food, but I figured he might just be unsettled. But I kept noticing he was having troubles, so now he only eats sunflower seeds (considering the breeder told me his diet would ALL be pellets and fruit/veg) because he can't eat anything else
I went out to work yesterday (I work late afternoons/evenings), Percy was crying and getting upset because he couldnt find any sunflower seeds and was so hungry...so we did some research, turns out, he's TOO YOUNG to be fully weaned, he still tries and eats things as if they were off a spoon, which explains so much and why when I get him out to do training he's so eager to please and scoffs the treats...I got him out this morning, and he was himself very sweet...then he started looking for sunflower seeds and was biting and screaming I feel so aweful right now. We soaked the pellets and chopped up fruit tiny to encourage him to eat this morning...he's having abit but he really just hasn't got the ability to break things down with his beak...
So I'm going to get some rearing mix and got back to a step that he could handle and gradually introduce pellets again (eventually). I love handrearing, don't get me wrong, but when I SPECIFICALLY asked the breeder, about weaning/diet/insurance - he gave very broad answers. I asked for a list of fruit and veg he's used to getting, I got the response "he should eat all food and veg" ... dude you rear so many birds, I don't think I can just put any fruit and veg infront of him and expect him to eat it. He was supposed to be fulled weaned, eating pellets and he comes with pellets and 2 GIANT bags of sunflowers seeds, and he can't break down the pellets. All he can eat is the sunflower seeds so the poor little guy doesn't have much of a choice, I ofcourse cus him fruit and veg and cook carbohydrates for him but he needs the m cut so small but I know he needs the extra nutrition from pellets. I asked for him to be sexed, offered to pay more for it to be done...it wasn't done. They told me which insurance company they use, but that's no good if anything happens, I can't say "he is insured...but I haven't got a clue what policy it is/what it covers".
So I took out a new policy just for him that I'm in control of - the best one. I'm just so frustrated and upset...I've been trying so hard to do everything right
and to make sure he's healthy. I'm just so scared that he'll go anorexic and really go down hill if this doesn't get sorted out now. He's becoming increasingly anxious and loud, I have no problem with the noise, but it's the sounds of being upset and hungry not of happiness So I've soaked his pellets, cut up lots of fruit nice and small, given him brown rice and some sunflower seeds in the soaked pelltets to encourage him to taste/accidently taste
We're going to see our avian vet tomorrow
to talk diet plans, get an overall check over and to get him DNA sexed.*deep breathes*
It's just so stressful, I see him stressed and so I get stressed, then he knows I'm stressed so gets anxious..it's just such a nasty rut
I've never handfed a bird before, so I'm afraid I can't give any advice. When Afie came home, the breeder said she might need comfort feeding, but she never did. Poor Percy. That breeder sounds awful! 
