25 day old baby macaw hand feeding

Shopping

Information

Find Answers

Site Info

Links

[?] Subscribe To This Site

25 day old baby macaw hand feeding

by ELSJE

How many times a day should a baby macaw be fed?? And how much food should he be getting each time you feed him?

Comments for
25 day old baby macaw hand feeding

Click here to add your own comments

Jan 13, 2012

Baby macaw
by: ELSJE

Thank you very much Linda we will do our best with this little bird we have an appointment with a avian vet this afternoon just to have him checked out as soon as we reach the age for him to start weaning I will def ask for help again

Jan 12, 2012

25 day old baby macaw hand feeding
by: Linda

CONTNUED FROM LAST MESSAGE:

I see that the first part of this has been printed, so I'll add what I couldn't last night.

I gave you all the particulars on the handfeeding, and please follow those directions so your Macaw is healthy. He cannot digest solid food now, so forget all about that.

I also strongly suggest you take him to be examined for any infections or physical problems wth an Avian Vet ONLY. Due to his young age and the stress of moving, he is in a very vulnerable place at this time, so an exam would be a very good thing. Have him weighed to see where he has with that.

The reason for the older weaning age is that the Macaws and Cockatoos mature more slowly than the smaller parrots which means they need more baby care in order to be emotionally/physically fit for the weaning process. They will be damaged both physically and emotionally if they are weaned too early. As for the breeder you got this baby from, she should be put out of business. Unless the person she's selling these birds to totally understands the weaning age for the Macaws, the babies will either die or be ruined and sickly all their lives. There is NO excuse for selling birds this young to just anyone who has the money. Macaws who are not handfed long enough become problem birds as they age. They have not had the full benefit of being mothered, and their ability to bond is damaged. These birds are destined for abuse and neglect all their long lives. It breaks my heart because I've been enriched by my friendships with the Macaws, and they are the Crown Jewels in the parrot world.

With that aside, you CAN do this, and it is going to be work. Once you get him onto a healthy handfeeding formula, things will be smoother. Do not give him any solid foods until he is ready to start the weaning process. It IS a process, so you'll continue to handfeed him same as you are now. As he begins to eat more solid food, he'll want less of the formula and you can start backing off one feeding a day and then go from there. Please wean him onto a high quality organic pellet like Harrison's found here because all seed diets with or without veggies/fruit are very poor diets that leave birds vulnerable to any infection coming their way. They do not develop properly either. Once you are to the point of starting the weaning process 5-6 months old, make sure you have the organic pellets which will need to be dampened with a bit of water to make them softer for the Macaw. There is also bird bread mix made by Harrisons that is a very good weaning food. Write back in when you're ready for all these things, and we can talk some more.

You are going to do fine with this and just remember you are his Mother now, and so be a good one. I envy you the joy of bonding with this precious bird and wish everything good for you and your baby bird.

Linda

Jan 12, 2012

BABY MACAW
by: Anonymous

the bird was a christmas present a lot of people told me to take the bird back until its bigger but the breeder never keep the bird for longer then 21days then she sells all of her baby birds

Jan 11, 2012

25 day old baby macaw hand feeding
by: Linda

Okay, I read all the answers, and I will attempt to tell you the CORRECT way to do this as I've fed many baby Macaws.

First use ONLY baby parrot handfeeding formula like Roudybush which is found here. Use a 60cc syringe and fill it twice or have two so you can have the other one ready to go. The 120cc's a meal is correct, and you'll need to feed him 3 times a day and if he's still hungry before bedtime like around 7-8pm, feed him again using maybe one syringe. He will tell you if he is hungry. Every 3 to 4 hours is a good timing. He does not need to eat during the night as he needs to sleep.

You will not BEGIN to wean this baby until he is around 6 months. Mother Macaws and Toos in the wild feed their babies all the way up to a year old while teaching them how to forage for food. So, at about 5-6 months, you can begin the weaning process. Though baby Macaws are large birds, their digestive tracts are still baby ones and cannot digest any whole food. Your bird is not even a month old, so do not start feeding any whole food of any kind as this can make him deathly sick. It would most likely just sit in the crop and rot. His food has to be warm enough so he can digest it. Heat it and use your wrist and inner arm as a barometer as to how hot food is. If it burns your wrist or arm, it will burn his crop. I believe around 101 degrees F is about right. Food at this age has to be heated or he cannot digest it. He is a Baby. Feeding with the syringe is the best way, and as someone said, they do a lot of violent head jerking, so his head has to be kept steady using your thumb and forefinger held around the back of his head and jaw line. You will have to practice with this, and always clean him up after each feed with a soft, warm damp cloth and use another one or two to dry him off so he does not get a chill. You'll get the feel for his ways as you're going to be doing this a LOT! If heating food in microwave, stir after removing and put finger in to make sure there are NO HOT SPOTS as these will burn crop.

CONTINUED IN NEXT MESSAGE...

Jan 11, 2012

Baby macaw
by: Anonymous

I feel you should not have purchased this bird this young if you have not done your research and practice on how to feed a baby parrot. Baby macaws can be extra difficult because of the way they jerk their heads so strongly. At his age I would agree that 3 times a day is appropriate..and if I am not mistaken about 120cc is a max crop.

The point is to try and wean them, not continually feeding them so they depend on you for months past their average weaning age... In the meanwhile you should be offering moistened pellets for weaning on as well as fruits veggies and water.

But as Tracie said, if this is not done properly your baby can go downhill very quickly. The reason your "breeder" does not want him back is so he does not have to take responsibility of the fact that your new baby is probably sick.. He got his money thats all he cares about.

Jan 11, 2012

BABY MACAW
by: Anonymous

we are unable to give the baby macaw back to the breeder they do not want it back... we have been to breeders and received the correct food for baby macaws the breeder that sold us the macaw confirmed that the baby should be fed every 3hours we changed it from normal parrot food to baby macaws it takes longer for the baby's crop to be empty? every one has a different opinion one breeder said that the baby should be fed 3 times a day

Jan 11, 2012

Hand feeding baby macaw
by: Tracie

Please take this bird back to the person you got it from. If they sold you a bird this young, then they probably do not care for their birds and it is not healthy. They should not have allowed you to take this bird without making sure you know how to feed it and have the proper food for it.

I am not a breeder, so hopefully a breeder will answer your question soon. Your bird will not live long and you can accidentally kill the bird if you do not know how to properly hand feed it.

Please read our To Wean or Not To Wean article written by an avian vet.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Parrot Questions