Weaning advice

[CBL]

So the baby is still on 4 feeds a day and I want the confidence to knock out our 10pm feed (others are 6am, 12ish and 6pm). We are picking a little at some corn and snow peas and have eaten seed outside the cage (mostly we just play with it) but not sure that we are doing so inside the cage. If i am not sure that she is eating seed in the cage should I still give the nighttime feed or will she be OK without it?

[lovemytiels]

Hi CBL, if you are not confident that the baby is eating seeds then I would recommend that you cut out one of the middle feeds rather than the night time feed as it is an awful long time for a baby to go without food. Try streaching the times between feeds & you could also try not feeding as much at each feed. All birds are different & will wean at different times so if the baby is not eating much continue to feed it. I have baby tiels that wean fully at 5 weeks & I have another at the moment that is nearly 8 weeks & I know that it is not eating much as it's crop is empty. Check its crop too, that is a good indication if it has food in it. Some birds just take longer to wean but keep perserving with what you are doing re sprouts vegies etc. As long as the baby is healthy it won't feed forever from the spoon so give it time. Hope this helps. Cheera Anna

[CBL]

Thanks for the advice. I will feed her again tonight and make the midday feed later tomorrow. Feel better now!

[lovemytiels]

Glad to hear you are feeling better. It is a bit nerve racking trying to decide if you need to cut out a feed. If the baby is still taking food from the spoon then I rekon they still need it. Some will beg for food but when you offer it they turn their head away. To me this is the start that they don't really want it, so this is the time to cut that feed out. I am a believer that the baby will decide when it is has enough & doen't want that feed, not when books say so. Less stress on the baby & you. Also try some rice bubbles & some moistened grainy bread. I have found this is an excellent weaning food especially the rice bubbles, as they love to crunch them. Cheers Anna

[AussieBirds]

I would suggest that you can cut out the midday feed now CBL I would be pretty confident that she will go through the day okay now. Just a tip on the seed eating at the end of the day when you take her out for her nightime feed take her seed bowl out of the cage and gently blow in it if you get some husk coming up then she is eating the seed.

John

[CBL]

thanks for the advice! I will leave out the lunchtime feed and keep an eye on her today and continue with the night one. She ate a little off the spoon but not very much last night so looks like she may start eating a little more by herself.
Will use the seed trick tonight but she has definately eaten a little bit from a snow pea I put in this morning

[CBL]

I cut out the midday feed and instead let her out for a bit of a fly and got her seed dish out too. After sitting on top of the blinds and snoozing and then flying down to me (for the first time) for a cuddle we are sitting on the dish munching away!

[weagle]

Hey CBL

I would cut her down to 2 feeds a day. If she is content to not eat in the middle of the day (and she sounds like she is) then I would cut the middle one out and feed her first thing in the morning and then at night again.

I have cut mine down to one feed a day which is at night when I get home from work - anywhere between 6.30 and 8.00 pm (depending on the every reliable CityRail in Sydney). She still screams to get out, but doesn't eat that much at night, she will soon be off that feed I think.

If you can make your own seed sprouts too, they will eat them too. Try getting some sunflower seed and just holding it while she tries to crack it open and get inside it. They love it.

Also 9 grain bread they love - they try to get the grains out of the bread - and something else I found they like, whole Arrowroot buscuits. Mine sits there and munches it and by the end of the day there is nothing left of it but crumbs!!!

Give that a go, but I would definitely be cutting her down on feeds.

[AussieBirds]

There you go!!!!!!! ;D, sounds like everything is just peachy fine in your bird world at the moment.

John

[CBL]

I swear she loves to freak me out and then out of the blue changes her mind!
For soft food she is still getting mushed arrowroot biscuits, baby bird food and baby apple (or pumpkin and sweet corn mash) but Bill has discovered arrowroot biscuits and loves it. Will give some to baby to nibble on too. We were just munching away happily on a snow pea and have now moved over to the seed dish.
Both of them had a night fright last night. I think Bill started it (he has them every so often) and while he settled down as soon as I turned on the light the baby flew around the cage till I got her out and she snuggled up in my hands.

[CBL]

Just a quick update. Everything is going really well. We are down to 2 feeds a day and are loving our seed and veges!
Off to the vets tomorrow for a wing clip as we love sitting on top of the blinds and starting to enjoy the game of chasies when it is time to get down. I also am clipping this one and have Bill clipped because we are in a townhouse - it would be too easy for them to crash into a window and do some serious damage.

While I think of it - anyone know any places I can get a couple of bird transport boxes? The only ones I have seen locally are way too small (finch or canary sized). I am going out tomorrow to buy a small cage for the trip to the vets but really need one each for them (bills cage doesn't have a handle and is just too heavy).

[AussieBirds]

Where are you CBL? you can get carry cages for your birds, if you are in Sydney I can help you.

John

[CBL]

I'm in Wollongong. Still have a few places around to check out but if I have no luck I will let you know. Thanks!

[AussieBirds]

Check with Chickabee she is in Wollongong too and she may be able to help you out with some information where to get them in the Gong.

John

[CBL]

Great thanks!