Handfeeding Baby

Greys
Introduction
The handfeeding and rearing of a baby parrot can be a very rewarding
experience that any bird enthusiast will enjoy. Watching them grow and
change appearance almost daily never ceases to amaze and delight even
the most experienced of feeders. The following guidelines are the
essentials for a successful handfeeding program.

Formulas, Feeding Utensils, and Supplies

With the recent advances in avian nutrition there are a number of
commercially prepared handfeeding formulas. Market leaders at this time
appear to be Kaytee Exact, Pretty Bird International and Roudybush.
Kim's Aviary has tried and tested all of the above formulas and prefers
Kaytee Exact Handfeeding Formula for Macaws. It appear to give the
best weight gains and early weaning results. The other formulas will
produce acceptable weights and could be substituted.

The only supplements that should be added to a commercially prepared

formula are natural ones like Spirulina, Wheat Grass powder,
Lactobacillus Acidophilus (AviGuard or Ornabac) or Kyolic . These can be
found at most health food stores or mail ordered through bird magazines.
Do not add vitamins to formulas.

A glass measuring cup or small 4 ounce shot glass can be used to mix your
formula in. The easiest and most ready available feeding utensil is a spoon.
An ice-tea spoon works well. Place it in a vice and bend the sides up
slightly to form a funnel. Syringes can also be used but care must be
taken to clean them well. If you use a syringe, purchase a good bottle
washer and pipe cleaner so it can be cleaned thoroughly. Before using your
spoon or syringe, soak it in a disinfectant solution for about 15 minutes.

Good disinfectants like Wavicide or Nolvasan can be purchased from a

veterinarian or you can use bleach mixed 1 ounce to 1 pint of water. A
coffee cup can hold your disinfectant for soaking your feeding utensil in
between feedings. Bleach mixtures must be made fresh daily. Be sure to
rinse off the disinfectant from your feeding utensil completely before
using it.

Formula must be served very warm (about 105 to 108 degrees). A human
basil digital thermometer can be used to test the formula. Once you
become familiar with the correct feeding temperature of formula, you
can test it on the inside of your wrist before feeding.

Paper towels can be used to rest your baby on while feeding. If your baby
tends to slip, try using a cloth diaper or smooth towel under baby's feet
with the paper towel pulled up to his toes. Most food that falls while
feeding should be caught by the paper towel. Kleenex tissues make a good
face cloth for cleaning up baby afterwards.

Weighing your baby everyday on a gram scale will allow you to keep an
accurate record of growth, and is the best way to identify a problem
before it becomes visibly obvious. Failure to gain weight, very small
weight gains or any loss of weight in a baby that's not yet going through
the weaning stage means something is wrong. Gram scales (or postage
scales) can be mail ordered or found at many office supply stores like
Staples or Office Depot.

Mixing Formula
Mixing your formula using Kaytee Exact is an easy process. It is designed
to be mixed on a 1:2 ratio of formula to water. When measuring formula,
use these guidelines:

( 1 tablespoon = ½ ounce = 15cc )

Mixing On A 1: 2 Ratio
FORMULA WATER
1 tablespoon 1 ounce (30cc)
2 tablespoon 2 ounce (60cc)
Preparing Your Formula
1. Add the correct amount of water to your
measuring cup
2. Heat the water in your microwave until its
very warm
3. Add measured amount of formula and stir
4. Feed at correct temperature (105 to 108
degrees)
Amount To Feed At Each Feeding
AMOUNT AGE OF BABY
20cc - 30cc 3-5 weeks
30cc - 45cc 5-9 weeks
45cc - 60cc 9-16 weeks

The formula should have a consistency similar to thin catsup. Do not feed
a formula that is too thick. Water is important for proper hydration of
your baby. Babies will actually grow better on a thinner formula than one
that is too thick. If you have a gram scale, you can see the exact
consistency that you should be mixing the formula. Weigh out 7 grams of
formula to be mixed with each ounce of water when mixing on a 1:2 ratio.
The initial temperature of the water used to prepare the formula will
have an effect on the consistency of the finished product so its
important to measure your formula and water so you don't feed a formula
too thin or too thick.

Techniques for Handfeeding your Baby

1. Feed the formula mixture using your spoon or syringe by dispensing the
food along with the baby's feeding response (rhythmic bobbing motion).
2. Be sure to give the baby a chance to breath between bites of food. Do
not try and feed too quickly.
3. Continue to feed until the baby's crop is nicely rounded or on weaning
babies, until it refuses more food.
4. Do not overfeed, as this may result in regurgitation and possibly
aspiration, which could cause death.
5. Clean any spilled food off your baby.
6. Clean and disinfectant all feeding equipment.
7. Discard any unused formula. Always mix up fresh formula for each
feeding. Do not store mixed formula in refrigerator.

Feeding Schedule
Age In Weeks Number of Feedings Hours Between Time Frame
0-2 10 2 6:00am - 12:00am
2-3 6 3 7:00am - 11:00pm
3-4 5 4 7:00am - 10:30pm
4-5 4 5 7:00am - 10:30pm
5 - 10 3 7 8:00am - 10:00pm
10 - 13 2 12 9:00am & 9:00pm
13 - 16 1 24 9:00pm - 11:00pm
Use the above schedule as a guideline for feeding your baby. Babies grow
at different rates and should be treated individually. Some babies do
better remaining on 2 feedings per day until completely weaned. Be sure
your baby's crop empties completely at least once during each 24 hour
period.

Weaning Your Baby

After your baby reaches 8 weeks of age and has made the transition from
brooder to cage, it is time to begin introducing weaning food. Pellet food
is a safe food to start weaning your baby onto. We have found that Dr.
D's Plant-Pro pellets and/or Zupreen pellets are the best for weaning
babies. Weaning your baby to pellets may take a little longer than when
using a seed diet but I feel it is defintely worth the extra time it may
take. However, if you are having problems weaning your baby to pellets, go
ahead and wean to a seed, fruits, and vegetables diet and then later
convert your baby to pellets after it is weaned. If you choose to wean
your baby to seeds, do not give them before nine weeks of age because
your baby could swallow them whole and compact its crop. We have also
had problems with choking when trying to wean babies younger than 8
weeks of age to pellets so please consider not beginning weaning until 8
weeks of age.

Babies play with weaning foods for a few weeks before they actually
begin to eat them. At 8 weeks of age, your baby has not yet learned how
to perch (or is just beginning to), so place dry pellets in a ceramic dish on
the grating floor of the cage. Also begin introducing water in a separate
dish next to the dry pellets. Your baby will begin playing with the pellets
at this age but it is very unlikely that any will really be eaten yet.

At 9 or 10 weeks of age your baby will be placed on two feedings a day.

Your baby's crop should stay full until late afternoon from the morning
time feeding. Around 5:00pm, begin introducing warm, moistened pellets
to your baby. (Place 1 tablespoon of pellets in dish, cover pellets with
water, and warm in microwave. You may also use applesauce or banana
instead of water.) Also have a separate water dish next to the warm,
moistened pellet dish. Warm, diced, cooked vegetables and other foods
can also be offered as well but be sure your baby is learning to eat its
pellets, too. We usually begin offering other foods once a baby has
learned to eat pellets.

Check your baby's crop before the night time feeding to monitor how
much if any of the warm, moistened pellets your baby is eating. (The
baby's crop will feel like play-dough or harder if there are pellets in it.)
Do not leave moistened pellets or vegetables in baby's cage more than 4
hours to prevent spoilage.

At 13 weeks of age, your baby should be placed on one feeding per day
which is given at 9:00pm - 11:00pm. By this time, your baby should have
begun eating either dry pellets or the warm, moistened pellets. If your
baby is not eating either moistened pellets or dry pellets at this time,
then leave your baby on 2 feedings per day. Some babies can take longer
to learn eating skills.

Once your baby has been placed on one feeding per day, begin giving
warm, moistened pellets in the morning around 8:00am as well as the
afternoon at 5:00pm. Dry pellets and water should always be available as
well. Check your baby's crop at night before the night time feeding . If it
is very full with pellets that baby has eaten, then you can skip the night
time feeding. If you are not sure, then offer the formula but don't force
the baby to eat if the baby refuses.

As your baby approaches 16 weeks of age, it should be eating on its own.

You may have to supplement a night time feeding every other day or two,
depending on how much your baby eats.

Do not consider your baby weaned until it has a full crop of pellets every
night for two weeks in a row without supplemental feeding of formula. If
your baby is not showing signs of weaning by 14 weeks of age, a trip to
your veterinarian is in order. A mild yeast or bacterial infection can cause
slow weaning of babies.

Your baby can lose up to 15% of its weight during the weaning stage. Once
baby is weaned, its important to continue monitoring how much it actually
eats by feeling its crop and watching its weight until your baby is 5
months old. This is also a good time to start introducing baby to other
people foods but try and limit the amount to 1 or 2 tablespoons per day.
This way your baby will still be getting enough of the pellets needed for
proper nutrition and vitamins. You can also begin sprinkling Spirulina on
the dry pellets since you are not using the formula anymore.

Important Note: DO NOT WATCH YOUR BABY when it is eating its wet
or dry pellets. Babies usually will continue to beg if they can see you. So
Hide!

Remember that weaning time is a very stressful event in your baby's life.
Never try and force your baby to wean by withholding formula. Forcing a
baby to wean can cause psychological problems later on like feather
picking or screaming. Your baby is only a baby once so sit back, relax and
enjoy it!