Urgent help needed on an Alexandrine Parrot

[brushies]

Hi Everyone,
I am new on this site, and i am having a problem with a 6 week old alexandrine baby. I have handraised alot of baby birds but this little fellow has me scratching my head. He is still on 3 feeds a day of roudybush 3 warmed up to between 42-44degrees, i am not getting any feeding response from him at all, he doesn't beg for food or even seem interested in it. He is picking at some millet sprays, when i do feed him it takes me anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to get 30mls into him. He is a happy bird he practises his flapping and he is preening himself and is vocal in birdy talk but not with feeding.
I am not sure what to do, i was going to start offering him some pellets soaked in warm water. The breeder i purchased him from said we he was feeding here, so i am not sure whats wrong with him.
I would appreciate any comments or ideas.
Regards
Sam:

[Winged_Victory]

Sorry you are having problems. Not sure what you mean by 42-44 degrees. Is the crop emptying every feeding? How long does it take to empty? How does the birds breath smell? Do you see any white plaque on the inside of the mouth or throat? You should be feeding 103-105 fahrenheit and the formula should stay near that though out the feeding. To do so you might want to use the double broiler method by using a large bowl of water heated to 108 and put in formula bowl in it, this will keep the formula close to the correct temperature. If it were my bird I would add a couple of drops of Bragg brand organic apple cider vinegar to the formula to curb any possible yeast infection. How is the birds weight gain?

A vet visit is in order if you do not see improvement in the next feeding?

gary

[brushies]

Thanks for your fast reply. The temp of the food is being kept at between 103-105fahrenheit throughout the feed with the double broiler method, his breath smells fine and there is no white plaque inside mouth. The crop is emptying every feed and it takes about 6 hours to empty, i have only had him for 4 days and his weight gain is stable, not putting alot on but also not losing any weight. He is a happy within himself, which is why i cant work it out. Could he be stressing as he was being handraised with 2 other chicks.
Sam

[Winged_Victory]

Are you feeding the same formula as the breeder? If it were mine I would add 3 drops of ACV to the formula and look for improvement, if there is none I would be on the phone with your avian vet. Are you charting his daily weight? How does the birds hydration look?

gary

[xafsmom]

Ok, first the temp she's using is celsius. She's feeding at the right temp, though, max I'd go is 42 to be on the safe side.

Second, if the crop is emptying fine - like she's indicating it is - then ACV isn't needed or warranted.

Third, to the OP:

Roudybush 3 is ofttimes refused by birds. Some of mine just won't even touch it. It's a corn based formula that really is heavy on the corn taste and smell. If the breeder was using R3, the baby - at 6 weeks MAY be ready to drop to 2 feeds versus 3. You can test this out by dropping the middle feed and testing each hour for a feed response.

Since the weight gain is present and though it takes longer to feed the baby, you shouldn't fret if there's no indication otherwise of worry. You might consider livening up the formula with some stage 1 sweet tatos, applesauce or carrot to see if the added flavor is liked.

If the breeder didn't feed R3, then I'd return to whatever formula they were using.

Some babies just are pills and since everything is new to the baby, it may just take some getting used to before it starts to feed right. That's another bad thing about taking in unweaned babies - even when you're experienced, sometimes they just refuse to eat well for a while.

[brushies]

Thanks xafsmom,
The breeder was using R3 as well, i am going to try dropping the mid feed because he is doing well, is happy and naughty just like he should be, he just doesn't seem that hungry. I think that R3 smells yuk and tastes yuk my other birds got raised on neocare with a small amount of farex and they all come out beautiful happy healthy bubs.
I do end up getting around 30-35mls into him per feed, we just take our time and he chews my fingers in between mouthfulls. I try and keep it stress free as much as possible.
Regards Sam