acampoworld.com Blog

Basics

Good Basic Nutritious Foods

• Fresh fruit or vegetable, cooked or fresh.
  
• Whole wheat crackers
  
• Seven grain bread
  
• French bread
  
• The edge off your pizza where the cheese cooked hard.
  
• Rice
  
• Beans
  
• Pasta
  
• When you cook spaghetti for dinner, set some of the pasta aside to cool
  
• Mashed potatoes on a spoon
  
• Chunk of baked potato
  
• Some meat… well cooked… little chunks… about once every week or 2
  
• Warm grits
  

NO BONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my feeding tricks

If you have a picky eater that has zeroed in on only the things that taste the best and not the well balanced diet you provide…………………I nip that in the bud by not replacing all the food each day. I know you will read everywhere that you are to clean the dishes and replace food daily. The clean part I agree with, of course. Because I pay really big money for vitamin and mineral fortified foods, I want my birds to eat it all. If I feel they are not getting to ‘good stuff” often enough, I will put a second or third dish in the cage with the fresh daily foods and leave the seed dish another day with what ever is left. You will find that it doesn’t take the birds very long to get with the program and wolf down the fortified seeds. One of the very first signs that they have a deficiency in their diet is the discoloration of their feathers. They start to get dull in color and look oily or dirty. You will notice some lack in activity as well. Lack of vitamin A is a big cause of this, although not the only cause. Adjust diet if symptoms are slight. Go to the vet if any question in your mind at all. Bad diet can cause all sorts of problems. Some can be very dangerous.

Formula Feeding

When I started with my babies, I was scared …………………….very scared. They are sooooo small!

Most of the breeders I knew spoon fed. Some used various types of syringes. Some did what they call a “***”. Let me get off the subject for just a minute and talk about this third method of feeding. ***This type of feed works wonderfully and is really fast if you’re feeding many birds at once but it is a not for the beginner!!! I can’t stress this enough. Simple and brief layman explanation: Baby birds have 2 channels in the back of their throat. Their right side empties into the crop. Their left side enables air to their lungs. They can only open one flap at a time. To power feed, you use a tube similar to a catheter tube or a very long-nosed syringe and insert it down and into the crop to empty the syringe. It would be very easy to puncture something if you do not know what you are doing.

I bought spoons in every shape and size I could find. I bought all the syringes they had. What I found out was……………………..if they are 3-4 weeks old when you pull them, almost anything will work because they are larger and kind of have the hang of the feed. The response is there and they help some. BUT………if for any reason the parents can’t or won’t feed them, you’ve got to step in. The largest of parrot eggs is only about 2/3 the size of a chicken egg. If you have large hands like me or long fingernails like I used to have (LOL), (1) those babies seem so small that no spoon or syringe could possible fit, (2) they have no clue about the thing you are trying to put in their mouth and don’t exactly cooperate, (3) their beaks are soft and fragile, (4) layman explanation: Baby birds have 2 channels in the back of their throat. Their right side empties into the crop. Their left side enables air to their lungs. They can only open one flap at a time.

Sooooo this is what I do:

I buy small curved dropper syringes (10cc) like the ones pictured above for at least the first 3-4 weeks. The top pic is the way they come. I use them as is for tiny babies like cockatiels. If I need a larger hole for bigger babies, I trim accordingly, as pictured at the bottom of the pic. Macaws can begin with the trimmed syringe. Find your comfort zone. When they are old enough to require 2 full syringes, I graduate to larger and larger. The largest I ever use is a 60 cc.

Remember: Baby birds have 2 channels in the back of their throat. Their right side empties into the crop. Their left side enables air to their lungs. They can only open one flap at a time.

Here we go! They make wonderful baby parrot feeding formulas these days. I use Exact or Zupreem brands but you will find that “to each his own” in the bird world. I also use pedialite water for the first 2 months at least.

Babies are born with yolk in their crop, similar to colostrums for our babies. Give them around 12 hours after hatch to digest that. You will see the white color of the puffy crop under their chin. It will shrink back when empty. Then you can begin. *** Never feed until the crop is completely empty. If you have questions about why, check my feeding tips and/or problems.

From new born through about 1 ½ weeks, I mix it slightly watery. The consistency is similar to tomato soup. I find that babies in the spring and summer in California have a tendency to dehydrate and not urinate properly without the added moisture. Their feces also are too dry to pass properly. By the way, I also keep a water container in the brooder.

You will find the chicks to be very picky about the temperature of the formula. Too hot is
extremely dangerous, too cool and they will not let it in. Temperature needs to be between
100-102 degrees. That matches the chicks’ temperature. Be smart and buy a thermometer for the first few chicks at least. It takes some time to get the hang of the temp. I use the microwave to heat my formula. You will read hundreds of articles telling you why that is a major no-no and rightfully so. It leaves a heat pocket in the bottom center of the container. Be careful!!!! If you do as I do!!! I actually stick my fingers deep into the container every time I heat food to check for that. Or…..you can drop some on your wrist like we used to for our babies (back in the olden days LOL). If you can’t stand it, either can they. For more warnings and information on burnt and/or damaged crops, check my tips and tricks. Trust me when I tell you……………………….you do not want to have to deal with a burnt crop!!!

When you face your chick, remember: Baby birds have 2 channels in the back of their throat. Their right side empties into the crop. Their left side enables air to their lungs. They can only open one flap at a time. Place the syringe into the LEFT side of their mouth (your right) and angle the syringe toward their right side (your left). You want the baby to participate as much as possible. They have a “feeding response” where they will bounce up and down some to help the food go down the tube. Wait for that if you can because that’s when Mother Nature steps in and tells the baby to close the lung (their left) side to accept the food. If there’s no response yet, feed very slowly across their mouth to their right (your left) side so as not to pump the food into the lungs. See the pic below.

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If you are not careful, they could aspirate and you’ve lost your chick almost immediately. That’s another reason I like the curved nozzle.

I hope this information is helpful to those of you that are just starting out. I know how difficult it can be to get help at first. It’s just like trying to troubleshoot your computer problems……………..They never start at the beginning.

Raising baby parrots is really rewarding and fun. Once you get the technique down, you’ll relax and enjoy their unconditional love and devotion. They are awesome. Enjoy and good luck!

Burnt Crop

and what can be done to avoid or correct it.

Let’s try to prevent the problem first

I can’t warn people enough about this problem. It seems like most are very careful about the temperature of the formula in the beginning. As time goes on and the baby gets bigger and better at eating, we have a tendency to relax. Never relax too much while feeding. It’s just too important. Especially if you are power feeding!

No matter how you reach your formula temperature, you must always check and double check to make sure it isn’t too hot. Please mix it really well and use a thermometer.

When you’re starting out…………………………….warm the water first, check it’s temp and then mix the formula in. Be sure not to use city water full of chlorine etc. I use pedialite.

Microwave warming is deceiving. There is always a “hot pocket” deep in the center of the container. Stirring isn’t always enough. I stir and tumble from container to container a few times and then STILL stick my clean fingers in it to double check. A thermometer will only measure the area it’s in. Make sure the heat has been distributed evenly throughout the container. I use glass. Sometimes ceramic containers can hold heat without you realizing it. Never use metal of any kind!!!

How to tell when the crop is burnt and what to do

First……………………………….don’t panic. Your baby needs you to be calm and take care of business. The crop burns from the inside out in phases. Below are some signs to look for. If any question at all……………call your avian vet. This cannot be fixed by you and you don’t want to put your bird’s life in danger. These stages below happen really quickly. Generally over the course of a day or 2.

(1) Your baby will be noticeably uncomfortable.

(2) You will start noticing a reddened area usually at the center of the crop. Call your vet.

(3) As the injured area separates from the healthy tissue, you can usually see infected reddened areas on the perimeter of the burn. The burnt area will harden and start to die. Call your vet.

(4) It will become more and more red, then grayish white and, finally, black. Call your vet.

(5) As the skin separates more and more, it will start leaking food and sometimes important bodily fluids. Soon the damaged area will actually tear away from the flesh. Your bird is in danger of all kinds of infections and bleeding problems. Call your vet.

The burnt area has to be surgically removed by a professional and the remaining healthy crop reshaped. Antibiotics have to be administered. Whatever your vet suggests………..DO IT!

Below are a couple of pix to give you a idea of what it looks like. These are of one of my macaws that I stupidly left with a bird sitter one afternoon. She’s great now but HOLY COW that scared me! Needless to say, I don’t use bird sitters any more.

We went through surgery, antibiotic shots, blood tests and lots of TLC but I’m happy to report, that was 4 years ago. She met “her man” and I am now feeding 3 of her first babies. Don’t you love a story with a happy ending??!!

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Almond Shell Warning

*I have read a couple articles that strongly suggest you make sure you always shell almonds. “They” say that the hull of an almond is very stringy and porous, which makes it especially dangerous when found in a commercial blend with pellets and fruit.

The almond hull apparently can gather up tiny pieces of pellet and fruit and then actually taste like food to a parrot. If they ingest the hull, it can potentially impact their intestines and actually kill them. Whenever you purchase a blend that has almonds in the shell, the article said to go through the entire package and hull the almonds, but also look for small pieces of almond hull that have broken away from the nut meat.

That having been said…………………………… I, personally, find adult parrots to be smarter than that. I buy a blend that includes almonds in the shell. I take care not to give them to small or young parrots. With the adults, I have had no problems in 17 years (KNOCK ON WOOD). I observe them frequently during each day. The key to any diet is moderation and common sense.

(More specific feeding information is listed with your type of parrot)

I’d like to hear other opinions on this subject. Please feel free to add your input. Thanks.

Seed Storage and Tasting Techniques

***It’s best to store the seed and/or pellets in a sealed container outside, in the freezer/ refrigerator or at least not in the main house. All seeds have Miller moths in some stage. This keeps them in check and saves you a lot of money in the long run. Try not to buy more than you will use in a reasonable period of time.

The trick to getting any parrot to eat food other than seed is to start a variety when they are young. Be aware, also, that their taste buds are not on their tongues like ours. They are on the roof of their mouth and the sides of their throat. When you see a parrot lapping at something, they are actually transferring the taste from their tongue to their taste buds. If the initial taste is bland or non-existent, they will think that it is not food or at least not interesting and throw it out. Think about what each food would taste like if you just stuck it on your tongue. Example: A raw carrot, room temperature. If you put your tongue on it, would it taste like anything? No. But if you cook it and mashed it up, it would taste like carrot right away. Another example would be a banana. What is ripe to us is still pretty green to a parrot, so wait until the bananas start to get those little brown dots on the skin. The banana develops a very strong flavor. Your parrots will dig right in.

***Parrots don’t eat the skin of anything. That includes corn, peas, grapes, etc. So if you offer anything with a skin, break the skin, or slice up the grapes until your parrot learns that the food is under the skin. Once they recognize the food, you won’t have to continue the extra preparation.

If you see them throw something out, think about why. Don’t assume they don’t like it. They may not know what it is!

Weaning babies from soft foods

Our babies have all been weaned to a variety of fresh fruits and cooked vegetables, rice, beans, pasta, potatoes, carrots etc. From the time they begin scooting around, they have a free choice of a blend made up of large safflower seed, raw peanuts in the shell, almonds*, dried fruit, Kaytee or Exacta fruit flavored pellets and Rowdy Bush nibbles… About 1/3 seed, 1/3 dried fruit and 1/3 pellets.

The dried fruit is human grade and available in large grocery stores, Costco or perhaps health food stores. You can use pretty much any kind you think your bird might like. We use papaya, grapes, coconut, pineapple, raisins, banana chips, cranberries, dates, peaches and apples. Or for variety maybe Kaytee Fiesta mix or any other blend that you think he/she might like. Everything in the mix is dry, so it will not spoil.

***NO apple seeds, apple skin, peach pits, peach skins, orange seeds, orange skins…………………….you get the idea.

By the time they are full-feathered, they have developed a very healthy variety of favorites and will actually begin to prefer them over the formula.

*See article on almond shell warning

How Long in the Nest after Hatching

When I bought my first pair of breeders, they provided their first clutch for me in a matter of 2 months. I was thrilled and went out and bought every book on raising the chicks that I could find (if I didn’t already have it, that is). I also talked to every bird person I could find. All information told me to leave the chicks in the nest for a time because the parents did a better job of feeding than people would. Problem was, nowhere could I find info on how long. We thought a month was a round number.

Toward the end of that 30 days, I noticed that the feeding noises were getting quieter. When we finally pulled the chicks one was dead. I learned the hard way that (1) a month was a ridiculous amount of time generally speaking and that(2) parent birds depend on feeding responses and enthusiasm from their young at meal time. If a chick is weak or just easy going, the parents could connect their lack of enthusiasm with nutritional satisfaction and pass them over at meal time. Should this happen often, the chick would not survive.

Now they tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My experienced timing now is 7-14 days. I begin watching the eggs 2 days prior to expected hatch date and, when hatched, I (1) watch the yolk in the crop sack disappear, (2) wait approximately 12 hours from that point for mom to fill the crop again with a good feed and then (3) decide if chick is safe( does mom know what she’s doing?) to leave or needs to be pulled. It’s always a judgment call at first but as you get to know the parents, it becomes more educated.

I want all my babies to have as strong a start as possible. In clutches of several chicks, I pull some and leave some as necessary to make sure all have the nutrition they need as soon as possible.

When Do I Trim the Wings?

There are many schools of thought on this subject. My birds have taught me to be versatile in my decision-making. Unless you happen to get no personality inactive chicks all the time (ha, ha), you’ll need to be versatile too. With pet birds that are going out of my home to their new parents, it’s very important that I allow the babies to test their wings in a wide capacity while learning to fly, climb and play. In order for them to be safe in doing so, I have flight cages outside for them and lots of supervision inside when they are on perches or playing in the playpen area.

I leave their wings full until or unless it becomes a danger to them to be that free. Each bird will handle their new found freedom differently. It’s important that you watch and get to know each separate personality. Some are very curious, some are independent in their own right and some are content to play within my boundaries. I towel train from very early, perch train, teach them discipline in simple commands, respond to their need for attention and give them lots of challenging toys to aid in developing their skills. They need their wings for all of these things and to build confidence and pride. Almost never do I trim prior to 3 months old. After that, I evaluate the skill levels. A mentally healthy bird is extremely important and a must for me and should be for you. With that accomplished, their wings are trimmed at the point where the attitude becomes one of “Oh yea. Watch this!” they are now in danger of crashing into something , they spend a lot of time outside in the open with me or it’s time to go home. Whatever the reason or the timing, we make it fun to “do towel” and wings with the reward being excitement, laughter and lots of cuddles.

Breeder birds are never wing trimmed at my house. My personal pets are treated exactly as above for the first trimming. After that all my pets are trimmed for the spring and summer months because they go outside with me a great deal. When the weather turns cold, I let them grow out completely to refresh their memory and help them to continue to hone their skills. Beware, however! My method also creates extra effort on my part to supervise and discipline. They will play harder, test the rules often, cruise the house without permission on occasion and retain their bird personality as well as the human bonding. My method is not for everybody. Make sure they cannot get hurt by crashing into walls and windows, eat your chairs, pick off the buttons on the TV clicker, or try to answer the phone without you!!!

**************Never hack the wings up!!! You need to be very meticulous in your feather trimming selections!!! The first 4-6 long flight feathers at the tip of the wings are all you ever usually need to trim!!! The bigger the bird, the more you need to trim. Sometimes, I give them what I call “an air hole”. Never involve any other smaller feathers above them!!! Never trim the feathers in half. Cut each feather shaft separately just above the first feathering on the shaft. Spread any other secondary or whatever away. Do not cut them. Some of them take between 1 and 2 years to come back. AND watch out for the blood feathers. Check all carefully.