Weaning question...

[ObsidianPhoenix]

My sun conure, Phoenix, is about to hit 12 weeks old. I have been a bit lax on trying to wean her.

Now I am putting my foot down and working on weaning her. She is bobbing her head and begging for the formula. But I am trying to go until at least tomorrow before I give her just a bit of formula.

I gave her some sweet peppers and a bit of fresh friut, some of her seed mix.

But she won't touch it until I give her some formula or something soft.

What can I do?

Phoenix...

[PowerBBS]

Try some plain oatmeal... cook it with water (as normal) then let it cool and serve it to her (after using a fork to loosen it up). Try adding "some" seed to the oatmeal.

Reduce the amount of formula you give your baby and how often you feed it formula. ALWAYS have the normal food in the cage! I would highly recommend a pellet diet, it's way less messy (no shells or hulls to clean up) and much, much better and healthier than the seed diet. Plus, you can put a bit of water in the pellets to soften them up a bit. It may seem more expensive at first, but realize - essentially there's no waste.

Obviously don't overflow the bowls with food if you soften it (as it's just a huge waste). Seedless grapes are a great fruit to start your fid on. Try "opening" the grape or skinning it first, your fid will at least lick the juice off of it. Same is true with apples (remove the seeds as they contain trace amounts of cyanide), oranges, or even try banana. Fresh pees still in the pod are great - it kind of teaches a foraging habbit as they'll open the pod up to get the pees out. Snap them in 1/2 so that the fid realizes there's a treat inside. Fresh sweet corn (directly off the cob) is great (or even left on the cob as again it'll encourage foraging habbits). Catelope, seedless watermelon, green peppers. Evenutally you'll even be able to use some lettuce and other dryer greens - such as carrots (slivers).

I find that if you take a bite then offer it to your fid... they're more likely to want some.

Hope that helps. Good luck...

[ObsidianPhoenix]

Well, after getting stubborn and doing my darndest resisting the cute little squeaks and the constant cuddling trying to butter me up, today marks 36 hours without formula.

I will do a little tomorrow, but only a fraction of what she usually got.

Plain oatmeal is a success. She is eating her seed as well, and she has some diced up sweet peppers in her treat dish. I have tried pellet,(she will be going to pellet soon) but she just grabs it and tosses it aside.

But she is eating the oatmeal right now and she is still begging, but I am getting better at resisting.

Phoenix

[Anneka]

Make sure to monitor her weight.

[ObsidianPhoenix]

SUCCESS!!!

I finally got Phoenix weaned and on normal seed and pellet mix! Her weight is holding around 90 grams.

Just thought I would update everyone.

[xafsmom]

Congrats! 90 grams isn't shabby at all for a young Sun!

[Anneka]

Wonderful news.
Way to go Phoenix!