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Post by 2many on Oct 26, 2005 11:28:47 GMT 10
Hi all, I am hand rearing a baby rainbow lorikeet, he/she is about 6 weeks old (I think) We removed it from the nest on the last weekend as the mother looks like she is ready to lay again. My question is- Sometimes baby eats really well and sometime it seems that he/she is not interested. I have been feeding it 4 times a day but cut back to 3 after he/she was getting fussy. I have apple in the cage which sometimes is nibbled at. The baby is just starting to come out during the day and sit on the perch and squalk. At night time when I get home from work I let him/her out and last night he/she tried to fly. Not very successful but a try even so. Loves to cuddle up under my chin and has the odd nip. Am I doing things right?  This is the first time I have done this and dont want to stuff up. If anyone has any hints I would love to hear from you Thanks 2many  |
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Post by lavinniaf on Oct 27, 2005 8:25:18 GMT 10
if the bird is fully featherd, i would even try and cut down to three feeds, i am going through the same thing at the moment, i have two rainbows that i am handraising as they parents escapted the aviary. Mine are both pretty much fully featherd, one can fly alright and the other is learning. i was doing three feeds, but i must have been overfeeding as the oldest started vomiting up the formula after i had fed it, this simply means that the bird is at weaning age and its crop is trying to shrink. so i dropped down to a morning feed, and a late feed before i went to bed. Plus i always offered them wetmix, dry mix, apple and orange all through the day. once they started licking the wet mix in the morning, i stopped the morning feed (even though it wouldnt be enough, the idea is, they know the food is there, and if they get hungry enough they will eat it. You might feel like you are starving them, but thats the weaning process, if they arnt hungry, they wont try eating for themselfs) i topped them up at night time, just incase for about a week, then i stopped the night feed as well. its been a week since i stopped feeding them on the spoon, and they are eating well.
ITs really just common sense, dont stress to much, you will be right.
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Post by 2many on Oct 27, 2005 9:57:45 GMT 10
I think I have stuffed up his age, he is fully feathered and last night flew a little distance, I think he scared himself more than me ;D I have pics of him in here somewhere but will put one here to show you and see what you think. It was taken yesterday. About the feeding. Yesterday he seemed not to want any, so I gave him his normal morning feed then tried again about 1-30pm, to which he took only a tad of what I offered, but then at 10pm I fed him the usual amount and he wanted more. Ate double the amount. So today at his morning feed I thought I would give him the double again, he took most of it but then brought some back up. I put the wet mix in his cage of a day time so then if he wants more it is there. SHoved his head in so he knew it wasn't just something to chew on. He has apples that he can nibble on as well. I will try and feed him again about 2pm but if he doesn't want it I figure he has to wait until I come home from work. Here he is   
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Post by lavinniaf on Oct 27, 2005 14:45:48 GMT 10
by the look of him/her it is ready for weaning, i would be definaltey only doing 2 feeds a day for another couple of days-to a week, and if it is attempting to try the wet mix cut back to one, then in a week, cut back to none. Your little one is about the same age as my two, and as i said before, i am not feeding them at all now. When handraising you should try and stick to the same times each day when you feed, that way they will tend to eat better when it is feed time. So give morning and night a try, and if it doesnt appear to want any or much at either of these feeds, dont force it, but dont stress either, it may tend to loose a little weight at weaning time, but all birds go through this, its normal. If it gets hungry, there is always going to be that wetmix there. Sounds like your going good!!! Here is a pic of my two (i have a ice cream bucket in there cage with a bit of paper towel on the bottom, they snuggle up in there of a night, they are soo cute, they quite often sleep on their backs with there little legs in the air)  |
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Post by 2many on Oct 27, 2005 15:26:08 GMT 10
Well baby attempted to fly last night, did a good job too.
Today I thought about feeding him at 2 o'clock but just put some wet mix in his cage. He is eating it. ;D I think he has finally realized what the container is.
i have a shoe box in his cage with my scarf in there so he can snuggle in and keep warm. He has made a tunnel so when I stick him in the shoe box he goes straight in to his nest so to speak.
How old are your babies? I am leaving now for work and leaving the wet mix in and hopefully he will eat that tonight as well. makes my job easier
Thanks
;D
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Post by lavinniaf on Oct 28, 2005 10:58:44 GMT 10
THats great that he has started eating the wetmix! should be pretty easy from here on.
Honestly, couldnt tell you how old my babies are......wouldnt have a clue.......8 wks maybe??? thats a guess. We didnt take any notice of when they hatched as we were planning for them to be parent raised........but apparently there parents prefered a shot a freedom.........
I know its time for my two to go into a large aviary.......i just hate letting go, they are ready though as they were flying all over the house last night and they are eating well. I am just waiting for there dna sexing results to come back, then we will buy another two birds and pair them up.
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This is the first time I have done this and dont want to stuff up. 
