Tiffany, when you were a baby.... your mother warmed your food. These babies also need warm food. Please go ... today... and buy a digital thermometer. When you mix the food the breeder gave you... is it lumpy or a smooth consistency when it's mixed? The temperature of the formula when you feed it should be AT LEAST 105-107 degrees Fahrenheit. If it's too hot you can burn the crop... Please get a digital thermometer today.
This is the issue with feeding food that isn't the proper temperature for young birds. For them.... Cool food can take longer to digest, the longer it sits in the crop the higher the possibility fungus and bacteria can grow in the crop... resulting in Crop Stasis.... which means the crop cannot digest food properly -to save me time from typing a ton of information.. I've copied and pasted this information for you. It's imperative you do this or this baby could get sick very quickly.
I have appointments to go to today so I hope someone else can follow up about a better place for you to keep this young bird in instead of a wooden crate.
What are Crop Stasis? Hand-fed chicks commonly have issues with crop stasis and impaction. With this condition, your bird’s food is not moving through the digestive tract as it is supposed to and it creates a barrier that eventually stops anything from getting through. If not treated right away, a secondary bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection may occur and that will shut down the digestive system completely. This is very serious and needs immediate veterinary care. The impaction of the crop is usually from formula separation, which is caused by neonate formula being too cold or not mixed completely. Some cases of crop stasis are from the chicks ingesting materials such as bedding or other items that block the crop from draining properly. A visit with an avian veterinary professional is needed to confirm this. Crop stasis (crop impaction, sour crop) refers to the reduction or complete stoppage of the flow from the crop to the rest of the digestive tract. This is similar to intestinal obstruction in humans and can be just as dangerous. In fact, if not treated in a timely matter, this condition will lead to death.
It can affect any sex, age, and breed but is mostly found in neonates (chicks) and juvenile birds under six months old. This may be caused by a number of different factors, including dehydration, infection, or feeding the chicks with formula that is too cold. Some of the signs may be recurrent diarrhea, regurgitation, or you may be able to see a full crop that is not emptying. Complications include secondary infection, hypoglycemia, severe dehydration, or aspiration of food. Any one of these can be fatal for your bird. Symptoms of Crop Stasis in Birds The most obvious sign is a full crop, but there are several other signs you may notice such as: Crop full for an extended period of time (over 24 hours) General ill appearance Lack of appetite Frequent regurgitation or vomiting Inactivity Dehydration Fluffing up Diarrhea Agitation Depression Types Crop Stasis is a term used when the crop is slow to empty, but some food and water is getting through Impaction is what follows, which is a complete blockage of the crop from the rest of the digestive tract; this is a life threatening emergency Causes of Crop Stasis in Birds There are many causes of crop stasis, some of which include: Dehydration Ingesting foreign material Infection Overfeeding (this can stretch the crop) Formula that is too cold or not mixed right Environmental temperature too low Heavy metal toxicity Diagnosis of Crop Stasis in Birds If you think your bird has crop stasis, it is important to get it checked by an avian veterinary professional. They are more familiar with all things avian and are better prepared to treat this condition. Because crop stasis can be fatal if not treated right away, it is better to see a veterinarian as soon as you think there is a problem. Do not wait longer than 24 hours because an infection caused by the material in the crop can become infected quickly.