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Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

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Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby chad84 » Mon Aug 01, 2016 1:32 pm

Thank you. I will stop harassing him like that. AND I will stop touching his body like that. I will stick to his head. Thank again!
chad84
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 80
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Flight: Yes

Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby Pajarita » Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:35 am

Thank you for considering my advice! This is one thing that I noticed about you from the start - and it's a GREAT thing when it comes to parrot keeping because, with them, we all have to first unlearn before we can learn how to properly handle them as they are sooooo different from the pets we are used to (namely, all domesticated mammals).
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby chad84 » Sat Aug 20, 2016 7:04 am

Good morning friends! How are you guys? Sorry for not updating in a while. School has me so busy.
(warning long post)

STATS

Age: 7 months

Weight: 930g (he is getting much thicker and looks more like an adult but no weight gain, just less fatty and more muscular girth)

Plumage: Molt began 1 month ago, feathers dropping all day and hundreds of pins growing, no tail or wing feathers dropped yet

Illnesses: None

Appetite: Huge

Wean: Started 2 months ago, eats formula and solid food

Formula: Harrison's juvenile Morning and evening, 30ml each meal

Food: Harrison's High Potency Pellets, 2 bowls of fruit, 1 bowl of vegges, 1 bowl of sunflower seeds (his favourite), 1 bowl of water, 1 bowl of assorted nuts (1 macadamia, 1 Brazilian, 10 pine)

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PRINCE ROBERT
by Chad

The alarm wakes my wife and I at 5 am. As the lights go on, Prince Robert becomes vocal (no speech yet, just sparse words), takes a massive dump, then flies down from his perch unto our bed. He pulls the covers from over us and cuddles up begging for playtime. Sometime we pretend to be still asleep and he flies to the curtains above our bed and flaps his powerful wings in our face while screaming loudly. We are forced to 'wake up' as he may wake the neighbours at 5 am. We pray and then play with him for about 30 mins. As I exit the bed, he follows me and then stops at the edge of bed quarreling with 1 foot reaching up as he begs to come along. One would think he can't fly right? Once he is picked up, he flies off to all the areas of the house. He flies and flies until he reaches the kitchen. That's when it all starts.

We then prepare his food as detailed above in stats. His food takes about 30 mins to prepare every morning. During that time makes mischief with everything in the kitchen. And If you stop him he will protest and quarrel, then 2 mins later, he is back to mischief. We love Robert so much...eh hem... Prince Robert! His food is then placed in his cage and we begin making his formula. My wife prepares the cage while I prepare his food. Teamwork! As soon as I pick up the cup his formula is made in, he quickly jumps to my shoulder and silently looks on. This makes me nervous like when a manager comes looking over your shoulder. I guess he wants to ensure I don't forget any steps. Lol.

Up until 5 weeks ago, Robert was drinking 90 ml of formula x3 times a day. That is a decrease from 120 ml x4 times a day just 2 months ago, just before he became interested in solid food. He started refusing his morning 90 ml. He would literally take his foot and push away the syringe and protest. Most lunch times I cannot leave work/clients to come feed him. So I dropped his lunch time meal and after 2 days he decided he wants his morning meal as lunch time is no longer on the table. 1 week ago, he decided he only wanted 30 ml of formula morning and evening. Most days he would watch me make it and then refuse to eat it. Mind you, his formula is only made when he asks for it. So I make it, he watches the entire process then runs away as it hits the syringe. So at that point I turn to the sink to empty the syringe and wash up his utensils, and guess what? He jumps into the sink and opens his mouth with a feeding response! I feed him and he then begs to go to his cage so he can each his 'real' food. These games he plays. Beg for formula, watch me make it, runs from me, refuses to eat, then begs as I proceed to throw it away.
It seems he doesn't really want formula again but just wants the security that he can get it whenever he needs it. He maybe wants to know that I didn't forget about that aspect of our relationship. Because he begs for formula at the strangest time sometimes. Then when I make it, he eats 1 ml (yes 1) and then laughs and begs for playtime again.

By the time we reach home on evenings, he is protesting to come out of the came. He paces up and down the cage silently. When he is inside, he screams and screams for 1 min as if upset we came home so late. We give him some solid food when he devours and then he begs for formula by doing the head bob on my shoulder and crying in my ear. He doesn't play with night time feeding. No games at night. He sits silently on his perch in the kitchen and anxiously waits. The food disappears at the back of his throat. He then starts crunching his beak and begs for play. After 5 mins of play, he rudely interrupts, jumps down from his perch and goes to our bedroom. I put his perch in there and he slowly drifts off to dreamland.

Sometimes he haunts in the room for something to run through his beak, destroys it then falls asleep. He sleeps with a fan on him all night. Is that okay? Also he like the AC on at 26 deg Celsius.

Enjoy the 2 pictures below.

After the hunt, he destroys his prey
Image

Sleepy time
Image
chad84
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 80
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Flight: Yes

Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby Wolf » Sat Aug 20, 2016 7:58 am

I missed replying on your last post, but I am glad that Robert is doing so much better, such a big improvement. Thanks for keeping us up to date. I am not positive as to what Roberts adult diet should be and will do some checking to find out and try to get back to you. But I always get a bit concerned when a parrots diet includes a lot of sunflower seeds. The only other thing that I would probably try to change is the formula. Based on what you are saying, I would try to reduce it to just once a day and probably put it in a bowl for him. It sounds to me as you mentioned that most of his desire for the formula is a security thing.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
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African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby Pajarita » Sat Aug 20, 2016 10:11 am

Awww, he is doing WONDERFULLY, Chad! I also think that his asking for formula is his 'security blanket' kind of thing. And I would imagine that making it just to throw it away is quite expensive and a bit frustrating, too :D Why don't you try using a jar of baby cereal mixed with some pureed fruit instead of formula! As long as it's warm and of a thick creamy consistency, it will satisfy his need for assurance from Daddy and Mommy and it would be much easier on you. BUT, please make sure there is no iron added to it and that the iron percentage is low (the closest to 2 you can get it).

I also think that he might be better off with not so many sunflowers. I don't have anything against them per se but they are very high in fat so I make sure my birds don't get too many of them. Why don't you try something like a cockatiel seed mix? It has a few sunflowers as well as a few safflowers but it also has little seeds like millet which would satisfy his need for seeds while taking him a long time to eat (they are tiny) and I think that, in the long run, it will be healthier for him because he is already getting super high fat and protein with the High Potency pellets and the nuts.

Thank you soooo much for the update! We love to get them and most especially when the news are so good!
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby Wolf » Sun Aug 21, 2016 8:50 am

Since Bird Woman has experience with birds of this type she could possibly be a good source of information here.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Location: Lansing, NC
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African Grey (CAG)
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Flight: Yes

Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby chad84 » Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:51 am

Hi guys. Been about 3 months since we last communicated. Robert is almost 11 months old and he is 3 months into his first molt. Its progressing nicely. His colour look great.
Robert is doing well. He loves Harrison's High Potency! He gets fruits and vegetables, also some nuts. My time is slim these days.

Here are some videos and pictures from when he turn 9 months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0llHQxnHR4w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOHcTXJ3ErM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JAO03utKfk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqsL7qrTvFk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZhrYz4y2mY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M2chDnm5sQ


Image

Image

Image

Image
chad84
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 80
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Flight: Yes

Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby liz » Sat Dec 17, 2016 8:27 am

He is really special. I don't know what it means in bird language but a furry critter that offers his belly is showing a lot of trust.

Rainbow used to peel his grape completely before eating it. Myrtle was not that patient and just tore into hers like Robert. Rainbow now copies Myrtle.

When Myrtle was sucked off my shoulder by the wind while sitting on my shoulder the only thing that saved her was that she is a strong flier. I watched and could do nothing to help as I watched her battle the wind. She was blown into my neighbors yard and managed to grab a twig on her tall tree. A young man in the neighborhood that I had never seen before came to help me get my cat out of the tree. He was a little shaking when he found out it was a bird. He climbed up and spread his body weight on the small branches. He reached out for her but she would not go to him until I told her too. She grabbed his hand then climbed to his shoulder to get down. I ever saw that young man after that.

I would offer his formula in a small bowl. Maybe his is in the "me do it myself" stage.

My birds eat not share with Myrtle she will try to take my plate. They eat more if they can steal it from me. They could have the same thing and still come after mine. My Momma was having breakfast in bed. She shared a piece of toast with Rainbow. When Momma was almost done eating he saw another piece of toast on her dish. He put his down. Walked over and slid hers out of her plate and back to where he was standing. He put her piece of toast down and put his foot on it then went back to eating the first piece.

I give my birds all the same food. I chop it small for the Cockatiels and leave the pieces big enough to pick up for the Amazons.

I knew nothing about birds when I got a very social Rainbow who taught me the ways of Rainbow. All of my knowledge came from this forum. Myrtle was a confined and neglected bird in a small cage. I left the door open and she climbed the side of the big cage I had for her. Being really ignorant of bird sign language when I would go to talk to her she would put a foot up in defence. To me that looked like she wanted a foot tickle. I said tickle tickle and tickled the bottom of her foot. She must have thought I was crazy but the one foot in the air became a tickle tickle. When her feathers grew in she was less afraid and would fly to anyone in the family then asks for a tickle. It blows the mind of those visiting to have a bird land on their shoulder and ask for a tickle tickle.

I give my Amazons a cashew with their breakfast. For supper I have restricted the sunflower seeds in their plate but add an almond still in the shell. The almond and cashew are the things they eat first.

Sorry about the long post but it does pertain to the thread.
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liz
Macaw
 
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Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
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Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby Wolf » Sat Dec 17, 2016 8:32 am

I am so happy to see and hear how well he is doing after all that he went through. I also have a new respect for the things that a yeast infection can do to anyone as I had gotten one in my throat from a medication given to me by my doctor and am still treating it after it nearly destroyed my esophagus. Very nasty little fungus, it is.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

Postby Bird woman » Sat Dec 17, 2016 1:54 pm

I know nothing about raising baby macaws just mature ones as I have 2 and there poop is not smelly. The only time I have had to deal with smelly bird poop is when one had a bacterial infection. Now maybe this is normal due to formula feeding , I don't know but maybe a vet check would be in order. Raising a baby from so young is quite an undertaking for a first time parrot owner , remember you can never study enough and while the baby is so young it's time to develope good eating habits and scocialization skills so he doesn't end up passed around because nobody can handle him. That's how I ended up with 10 . Also there pretty easy to potty train. Good luck BW. I think I'm a little outdated on this post , must be that old age sh-t creeping in again :lol:
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