hand feeding - hiccups and crying

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hand feeding - hiccups and crying

by Susan
(Pa. )

I just brought a home a 3 month old Goffin. I am hand feeding her formula, she hiccups for hours after feefing. Why? I am really concerned. She also cries non-stop.

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hand feeding - hiccups and crying

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Sep 16, 2011

Baby parrot crying and hiccups
by: The Avian Vet

My first recommendation is to take the bird back to the breeder so it can be weaned properly. You should not hand feed your own bird. The weaning time is the most stressful time in a birds life and your bird is starting off on the wrong foot. Hand feeding your own bird will lead to significant behavioral problems and will affect your relationship negatively. I have attached an article that will explain this in detail.

To Wean or Not To Wean article

Birds cannot truly have hiccups since they do not have a diaphragm. So there is a problem of some kind but I don?t know what that problem is. Can you describe what she is doing? She is crying because she is hungry or she is demanding attention. Are you weighing her daily to be sure she is getting enough food? How many times daily are you feeding her? How much formula are you giving? What is the temperature of the formula? What formula are you using? Are you offering her food in her cage?

I recommend that you set up a phone consultation with me so we can help you get her weaned, that is if you do not take her back the breeder to be weaned. Let the breeder feed her and you visit her for the next couple of weeks until she is weaned, then take her home.

Dr B
Find an Avian Vet

Sep 15, 2011

hand feeding - hiccups and crying
by: Linda

Your baby needs to be examined immediately by an Avian Vet in your area. If you wait to do this, you may be looking at a dead baby.

If you are heating the formula enough and feeding with a syringe, there should not be hiccups or gas. Feeding formula too cold will not only cause hiccups and gas but an infected crop will result.

When you take baby to Avian Vet have him checked for both bacterial and viral infections because these are common with babies moved way before they should have been moved. Cockatoos need to be handfed longer than other birds, and moving them when still handfeeding can be dangerous.

Get a weight on him while at the Avian Vet to make sure he's gaining weight. You need to have a gram scale because baby birds have to be weighed every day, weight written down, and if you see a day without gain, you are likely seeing a sick baby.

Please don't delay taking him to Avian Vet and make sure you are feeding a high quality formula and getting it warm enough. Babies cannot digest luke warm to cold food, and it causes an infection in crop that kills them, so please move on this right away.

I love the little Goffins, and I'm very sad and sorry you are having this problem. If he were mine, he'd be bundled up and off to the avian vet right away.

Let us know what avian vet says and how you and your baby are doing. I will keep you both in prayers that you have time to get him diagnosed and treated. Babies don't last with infections, so I'm very concerned.

Linda

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