Weaning issue

[Aedhi]

*Help required*
My grey baby approaching 17 weeks. Dont want to wean. Just demand formula. Play with soft food and just make them pieces and throw away. Not interested in pellets as well. Tried skipping morning meal, but weight is falling tremendously, passing green poop ans some time few bubbles due to starvation, poop returns to normal once had formula, started giving 20cc again for last two days in the morning and dinner feed 40cc already in routine. How to successfully wean the babay. Soft food includes vegs, boiled chickpeas, mung beans, white beans, corn on the cob, millet spray, and alternate day time seed mix
Its stressful for me and my bird as well

 

[Britnicorn]

Skipping meals will only make them not want to wean even more. This is called forced weaning, which in most cases ends up having adverse effects (Bird not wanting to try new foods at all). Starving the bird to get it to wean (especially to the point of causing issues with poop) will only make it want more formula because that is the only food it knows.

Give the bird formula regularly, and offer new foods on top of that. Try soaking pellets in water until they fluff up a bit, then give to the baby. Soaking the pellets will make them have a texture that is closer to formula.

If you are stressed, your bird feels that and will also be stressed which won't help it wean at all. Realize that it is a baby, and needs special care and patience. I'm sure he will come around

 

[Aedhi]

Thank you for your reply, baby trying every new food, plays, shred and leave. Never felt a bit in crop, actually I feel I missed the right window to offer soft food, breeder’s advice was a misguide.

baby also peeling all seeds perfectly

at this stage how many feeds you suggest and at what ratio

cheers

 

[Britnicorn]

Thank you for your reply, baby trying every new food, plays, shred and leave. Never felt a bit in crop, actually I feel I missed the right window to offer soft food, breeder’s advice was a misguide.

baby also peeling all seeds perfectly

at this stage how many feeds you suggest and at what ratio

cheers

I know nothing about how often/how much to feed an African grey...

@Zara @Ripshod do you know?

 

[macawpower58]

Your baby is still young. 12-14 weeks (let me know if I'm wrong CAG owners) is the beginning of weaning for Greys.
So at 17 weeks you've still lots of time. Abundance weaning is just that, feeding when ever it's asked for. That is the type of weaning that will give you a emotionally stable adult bird. Forcing weaning too early (and every bird is different) causes many problems later in life.

For now keep offering small pieces of food, but make sure to handfeed first. A hungry baby has no interest in exploring new food textures, shapes and tastes. Babies make a mess when weaning, no way around this. They play with the food more than eat it.

Your baby is not on a schedule, let them wean as they want to. Trust, safety, feeling secure is more important than eating pellets for now. Handfeeding develops trust in you, develops security in that you are there to care for them. It is so important to be there. Many babies continue to want feeding because of the emotional need more than a dietary one.

Don't skimp at this stage. Now is the time while feeding to create that lifelong bond of trust. You'll miss these baby days in the future. Enjoy them now.

 

[Hankmacaw]

@Aedhi At your bird's age, it is very dangerous to his long term health to starve him. It could effect is liver and his heart when he gets older. If you don't have one, get a scale and weigh him every day in the morning before he eats and after his morning big poop. He should be gaining every day.

 

[Aedhi]

Skipping meals will only make them not want to wean even more. This is called forced weaning, which in most cases ends up having adverse effects (Bird not wanting to try new foods at all). Starving the bird to get it to wean (especially to the point of causing issues with poop) will only make it want more formula because that is the only food it knows.

Give the bird formula regularly, and offer new foods on top of that. Try soaking pellets in water until they fluff up a bit, then give to the baby. Soaking the pellets will make them have a texture that is closer to formula.

If you are stressed, your bird feels that and will also be stressed which won't help it wean at all. Realize that it is a baby, and needs special care and patience. I'm sure he will come around

Your baby is still young. 12-14 weeks (let me know if I'm wrong CAG owners) is the beginning of weaning for Greys.
So at 17 weeks you've still lots of time. Abundance weaning is just that, feeding when ever it's asked for. That is the type of weaning that will give you a emotionally stable adult bird. Forcing weaning too early (and every bird is different) causes many problems later in life.

For now keep offering small pieces of food, but make sure to handfeed first. A hungry baby has no interest in exploring new food textures, shapes and tastes. Babies make a mess when weaning, no way around this. They play with the food more than eat it.

Your baby is not on a schedule, let them wean as they want to. Trust, safety, feeling secure is more important than eating pellets for now. Handfeeding develops trust in you, develops security in that you are there to care for them. It is so important to be there. Many babies continue to want feeding because of the emotional need more than a dietary one.

Don't skimp at this stage. Now is the time while feeding to create that lifelong bond of trust. You'll miss these baby days in the future. Enjoy them now.

I am following and will follow your advice. Already started two feeds and delighted to see today he gained 2gms after falling weight for few days and now at 420gm Fortunately weight is under the normal range. Just wondering if shredding and and playing with food is just for fun or baby is eating something, if yes why I never felt in the crop. This morning rather feeding I tried offering spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes and spoonful of mashed apple. He took half of both.

 

[macawpower58]

Offering warm mashed food like the sweet potato and apples is perfect! It's like a bird being fed by it's mother, and yet teaches new tastes and textures. The more you offer like this, the better he'll get at trying new things.

I handfed my macaw from 5 weeks to 8 months. He slowly started asking for less feedings, slowly cut out a feeding here and there, until there was just a night feeding left. Somedays he'd ask for more, other days less. Then one day at around 8 months old, he just refused formula forever after. It's a long slow process.

The shredding and playing with food is a fun game he'll learn from. As he plays, he ingests small amounts, and learns the flavors he'll like/dislike in the future. Everything is a game with babies. I'm not sure why you can't feel it in his crop, he just may not be actually eating enough for you to feel. Be patient, he'll get there.

 

[Aedhi]

This morning, don't want to eat either mashed vegs, mashed apple, meshed lentils
Then I placed the bowl of steams vegs, attached is the picture, it shredded and thrown
Then I placed bowl of boiled Lentils/chickpeas/beans, nibbles few
Then finally I gave up and placed pellets with seed mix, munched on seeds pellets untouched, finally I hand fed him in the afternoon
Age today completely 17 Weeks

 

[Zara]

First feed the formula, then offer the other foods right after.
Don´t force him please, that is not the way to do it.

If he was on two feeds, then continue doing two feeds until he loses interest, or eats significantly less for a few days in a row.
After every formula feed, offer the adult foods, pellets, veggies , legumbres. A young bird is more likely to try the new foods right after formula.

 

[Aedhi]

He was on two feed and continued to be on two, I don't intend to skip the formula, rather offering mashed things before feed for him to examine
Just delaying the morning feed, before he was on morning and dinner

 

[Zara]

I don't intend to skip the formula, rather offering mashed things before feed for him to examine

do it the other way around, give the formula first. This gives them security, they know they are fed and don´t ¨need¨ the additional foods, makes them more likely to try new things.

Just delaying the morning feed, before he was on morning and dinner

You could push the morning feed to midday, and then keep the night feed. When he loses interest, or won´t accept the morning feed for a few days, then just feed before bedtime. The night feed is the last feed to be given to weaning birds - it´s imprtant they go to sleep with a full crop.

Be sure the pellets and fresh water are available all the time for your bird to eat during the day between feeds.

 

[Aedhi]

do it the other way around, give the formula first. This gives them security, they know they are fed and don´t ¨need¨ the additional foods, makes them more likely to try new things.

I will

You could push the morning feed to midday, and then keep the night feed. When he loses interest, or won´t accept the morning feed for a few days, then just feed before bedtime. The night feed is the last feed to be given to weaning birds - it´s imprtant they go to sleep with a full crop.

Be sure the pellets and fresh water are available all the time for your bird to eat during the day between feeds.

Pellets and water remains at all times, and baby sleeping with full crop
Just a question, doesn't it increases the dependency if feeding is done continuously during the juvenile age

 

[macawpower58]

No it doesn't. It's actually opposite.

A baby that has to beg for food, and wonder when and if food is coming, will remain dependent much longer.
A baby who is confident, with food security and no fears of going hungry will be first to venture out and explore.