Please help! Hand feeding 4 week old Conure!?

[exiled.madness]

Hello! My name is Teresa and this is my first time posting on this forum!

Today I received a 4 week old Green Cheek Conure baby. I'm suppose to hand raise & hand feed him but I am just so confused. I'm terrified of killing or hurting the poor thing, as this is my first time hand raising a parrot. I've done kittens but never birds.
Here are my questions...

How do I tell when he's full or hungry?
How often should he poop? (I've had him since 6:30pm & it's now 11:15pm he's only pooped once!)
How to tell when crop is empty or full?
How full should crop be before I stop feeding him?
How thick should the formula be?

He's already the sweetest little pea! I'm praying for some good advice!

[Michael]

You need to get that bird back to the breeder, a vet, another breeder, or an expert hand feeder very urgently.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2178

[exiled.madness]

There's no where I can take him at the moment... I was just hoping for some helpful advice. I heard that baby birds need to be warmed with heating pads or heat lamps but the breeder told be not to use them o.O?

I'm very capable, have the funds & time to hand raise him, I'd just like to know exactly how. I'm a bit of a perfectionist & really want to make sure I have every thing down to a T

[pchela]

Hi,

Where are you located? There may be an experienced hand feeder or breeder in your area that can help. Can't hurt to try anyway.

Hand feeding a parrot is much, much more difficult than hand feeding a kitten. There is a lot that you have to know and remember. The breeder should not have sent such a young chick home with an inexperienced person. Did the breeder show or tell you anything about hand feeding the baby?

[ginger]

First of all . . . Welcome to the forum. I'm glad that you decided to post here for some advice and help. This is a great place to meet people that have similar interests in birds.

Now, about your questions... I really am surprised that a breeder, any breeder, would give a bird that is being hand fed to anyone that doesn't have experience. Your fears about hurting or killing the baby bird are very well justified. It is very easy to accidentally harm a baby when you don't have the proper experience. You would do well getting help working with an experienced individual that knows how to hand feed and can teach you how to do so. But, the way you are going about it is the "cart before the horse." You needed to be learning how to hand feed while the bird is under the care of the hand feeding expert, not while it is in your care. The damage that can be done to a little baby can be irreparable and can even cause death. These are delicate creatures that require highly qualified individuals to do the hand feeding.

That baby needs heat! Period! Breeders and hand feeders keep the baby birds in brooders until they are strong enough to regulate their own body temperature. That takes time for them to do, and I don't think that at four weeks your little guy is going to be able to sustain his body temperature for very long before he's in trouble. Being too cold will cause many problems that you may not be able to overcome. The proper temperature of the environment is critical, but too hot or too cold isn't good either. That is why a brooder is used. The heat can be regulated and adjusted. A heat lamp or a heating pad doesn't have that capability.

The temperature of the formula, the amount to feed, the feeding schedule, etc., should not be questions that you are asking while you are in the possession of your first baby bird. These things should have been known to you through experience and instruction from a qualified hand feeder or breeder. The weight of the baby is taken before and after feeding to insure that there isn't weight loss from lack of nutrition, etc.

Where did you get this bird? Is the breeder that you got him from close by? You really need to get that little guy to a vet, an experienced hand feeder or back to the breeder. The breeder should never have given you a bird that wasn't weaned unless you were experienced. This is a very sad situation and can have devastating consequences. Please get that bird the proper care. Since you mentioned that you have funds at your disposal then a visit to an Avian Vet is warranted at this point. If the baby is under fed the Vet can tube feed him to fill his crop. That isn't something you should do. Leave that decision to the Vet.

Please post again and let us know what you have decided to do. I do hope that you'll take all the advice given here by me and others in order to save the life of the little bird in your care.