A hand feeding question

[Liam]

got my baby sun conure yesterday and i am hand feeding him he's 5 months old and hes the store said he is taking around 5-10cc and the evening i got him he ate 5cc then this morning he ate 5cc then tonight he ate 2cc i fed him an hour early though because im trying to get him on my schedule. when i would practice hand feeding him at the store he would eat 10cc maybe more but he always saw his siblings eat so maybe he just got jealous so he ate more. But idk im new to this im gonna try feeding him at his regular time at 7 but let me know your opinions.

[Quakerella]

Congratulations Liam on your new friend.

I am curious though, if your new sun is 5 months old why are you hand feeding? Is it for a bonding issue?

He should be fully weaned and eating on his own. What does he eat during the day?

[Liam]

Sorry there was a typo hes 3 months old. He should be weaning soon though. The employee said they take longer than most birds and when he was in the baby room there were a lot of birds being fed so she thought he was just jealous of the other birds. Theres no bonding problem i've been visiting him everyday for like an hour since he was around 3 weeks old so there should be no bonding problem

[Dragonlady2]

Are you providing other food as well for him? He should be getting some chopped fresh food and some pellets in his cage during the day. I am thinking the handfeeding formula is more of a comfort feeding. Is he getting the handfeeding formula via syringe or spoon?

[Liam]

He has pellets in his cage all the time. I dont give him fresh fruit often so i will give him more. We have a chihuahua who wants to eat him. Lol. So maybe he uses the formula as a comfort food for that. I give it to him via syringe.

[Lady]

Oh my, It sounds like he's stressed..... It would probably be best if you could keep your dog out of the birds sight and out of the room he is in.

[Quakerella]

At this age he should be just about completely weaned. I would give fresh veggies and a little fruit, pellets should be in the cage at all times. Try giving him whole grain cheerios or all bran, scrambled egg, rice, or whole grain bread. These are all soft enough for him to eat at this age.

The last feeding of the day is usually the last one left on the handfeeding schedule. It is a comfort feeding and should be given just before the lights go out and he goes to bed. I wouldn't keep him on it much longer though.

[Liam]

Ok thank you guys i'll keep the pups out of the room and i'll give him what you guys said i'll let you know if he eats any of the formula

[Quakerella]

If he refuses the formula, then the handfeeding is complete. Just monitor him to make sure he is eating the other foods and not just playing with them.

[Liam]

He ate 7ccs today so i have no idea whats going on with him maybe he likes the morning feed better then the night one

[Liam]

I've been watching him eat and ot looks like he's playing with it more than actually eating it. What should i do?

[Quakerella]

You don't want to force him. Make sure you offer him a lot of various tyoes of foods (good food of course). He will refuse the final feeding when he is ready.

If you are able to handle, gently feel the front of him. You will feel the bone down the middle, each side of the bone should feel somewhat "meaty" If it is concaved he is not eating enough.

I am very surprised he was let go to you and not fully weaned. This is not a good practice as weaning is a stressful time for a bird.

For his own health and happiness, you need to wean him at his own pace. He will let you know when he is ready.

[Dragonlady2]

What was the store feeding him beside the handfeeding formula? I would take him back to the store and have them do a quick check on him. They have a baseline and will be able to tell quickly if he requires something different. I am with Rosalyn on this, the store should not have sent him home unless he was finished weaning and abundance weaned.

It could be that he is just adjusting to his new surroundings, but a quick check won't hurt.

[Liam]

When we got him we got the exact same thing he was eating. he'll eat dried fruit but not the pellets i'll try to feel his bones in a bit he just ate i'll let you guys know if they feel ok

[Dragonlady2]

I say this not to be critical of you, you are doing your best, but because I worry about your bird. To make the transition from handfeeding to regular food, he needs to start with some soft, mushy foods. Dried fruits have extra sugar and the possibility of sulphites that are not good for birds. They are also harder to chew for a baby bird.
Try some mashed banana, cooked and mashed sweet potato, cooked and chopped carrots. You can even try a little cooked oatmeal. Keep pellets in the cage for him to try/play with. He will eventually see that he can eat them. Also try leafy greens like kale. He could easily take a bite from a leaf.

[Liam]

I felt his bone and it felt somewhat meaty like you said so he must be eating

- - - Updated - - -

I will try feeding him some mashed sweet potatoes and kale

[Quakerella]

Yes soft foods are a must, scrambled egg(with the shell) is a good source of calcium and protein, all the foods Helena mentioned are a good start.

[Liam]

I gave him some kale and he ate a good amount of it i will make the scrambled eggs and sweet mashed potatoes tomorrow

[Cedardave]

What we have found to work with great success is a frozen store bought berry mix. heres why.
You thaw the berries which will also leave you with a bunch of juice. Be sure the portion sizes are small enough for him to handle. Put some berries and some juice in with the pellets and mix up. The juice will soften the pellets which will interest him..the berries will get him eatting everything. Do not offer formula prior to offering the morning feed.
At 3 months our suns have always been weened.

[Liam]

Hello im back sorry i didnt respond for such a long time school started and i got all caught up in that. I thawed some frozen berries for him before and he didnt like it i'll try it later today. Also i made him scrambled eggs and he eat a little but not a lot. He still eats around 5cc twice a day. I'll keep you guys updated

[Dragonlady2]

Thanks for the update.:th_smile: