Handfeeding green cheek conure

[AndreasB]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and didn't find time yet to introduce myself.

In the past i have bred budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds and green cheek conures. I have also succesfully handfed some budgies. The last 2 days i noticed my green cheek conure couple abandoned their last chick. The rest (3) flew out already but this last cinnamon is still in the nest and didn't recieve food since yesterday. He is screaming like crazy but the parents completely ignore him. I don't have any suited foster parents for the moment so i took him out to handfeed him on my own. But hell he bites like crazy. I tried to give some of the usual formula (nutribird) but he doesn't like it at all and only wants to bite me or (try, because he can't yet) to fly away. Should i persist and try to feed him while he is aggressive or will he be more gently when he gets hungrier and do i just have to wait a moment? I didn't get a chance to weigh him yet because he doesn't sit still.

Kind regards,
Andreas from Belgium

[Wolf]

I haven't raised baby birds but have noted that when other animals get as hungry as this bird must be that they are rather aggressive about getting to the food, often grabbing the person trying to feed them in their desperate attempt to get food. I would imagine this is much the same.
I don't know how to hand feed him, but I think that once he gets enough food in him he will calm down. I would probably use a plastic syringe and time it so that I could squirt a small amount of food in his mouth when he tries to bite it, so that he gets the taste and realizes that you are trying to feed him. Pajarita will be along soon and is much more experienced than I am and she does know about this type of issue and will help, I am sure.

[AndreasB]

He got some formula in his mouth but he didn't swallow ir and he wasn't nibbling tot taste it. He was just really angry and scared.

[Pajarita]

Well, they don't 'nibble' the formula and they don't 'taste' it either, they just swallow it so if he is not swallowing, there is something else going on (crop impaction? sour crop? AGY?). Please take him to an avian vet asap or he will die. This is the kind of thing that one should not waste any time asking for help online because nobody can really help except a doctor.

[AndreasB]

She is not tame, although this morning she was stepping on my hand without screaming or biting. But she still didn't eat. Then i wwrapped her in a towel and was able to feed her about 1cc. The formula is from nutribird i use 1 part nutribird 2.5 parts water and it is between 38°C and 40°C it cools quickly and i think that might be a problemen. I'm not going to chase here ( got the DNA test yesterday) siblings to weigh them. They look healthy and are feeded by the parents. This is the youngest with 2 days difference i think. Finding a new home shouldn't be a problemen since outdoor breeders don't always want tame birds. She is sitting straight in her cage now and still looks okay. Not noisy but grooming herself etc. I'll tried tot feed again at 1am. I don't now of any gold avian vets nearby. I went to a local vet recently with a conure that couldn't lay here egg but she had no idea what she was doing.

[liz]

Was she raised by both parents? Is she still begging from her parents?
Any time you are not sure about something check with the forum but if you are told to take it to the vet you better get on it.
If it has been days and she is still alert then she is eating something. Scrambled eggs should not be fed often but I think this is a good time to offer them. I have not seen a bird that will turn them down.
Volunteering at the zoo I learned that a couple drops of sugar water will raise their sugar level and create an appetite.

Please do not give her to a breeder. That is an awful life. She will eventually loos her fear and be a pet.

[Pajarita]

Well, although there is usually no need with parrots, it's always best to replace the eggs as they are laid with fake ones until the entire clutch is finished to ensure that all the babies are born the same day.

If the parents are not feeding her, there is something going on - why didn't you ask for, at least, a CBC when you had the DNA testing done?

[Erithacus]

It is quite normal for the green cheeks to abandon their youngs. Mine did that. I had successfully raised 2. I couldn't save those too young ones.

Always keep the formula warm at 42C. And keep the baby warm in a brooder.

These are the 2 abandoned pineapples. Both are siblings from different clutch. One is 6 months old the other is a year old. The older one had sour crop when I pulled him out for hand feeding. I managed to flush it out.

[liz]

They are adorable. I see you also give coconuts. I gave Myrtle a whole coconut and she is in the process of ripping the hull off.

[Erithacus]

The coconut is used a food container.