Day one chicks

[KelnKritters]

I have at least 3 fertile Greenwing Macaw eggs in the incubator. They are due to hatch 1-28-04 I have raised day one Tiels before and Greenwings at 6 days and over. Is there any thing I should know or be prepared for, for them this young? How often do I feed day one GWs. the first few days. I kow tiels are every two hours. I also know to start out the babies on pedielyte the first 2 days. anything else? tanks, Kelly

[Joel]

Hi Kelly..........I haven't fed a MaCaw from day one but have other types of parrots. It is all basically the same, although as ya know the MaCaw formula by Kaytee (the brand I use) is different for them than for regular baby birds.....The info. I have is NOT to use just pedialyte the first few days. You need to add some kind of liquid nutritional supplement such as Ensure Plus or Ensure powder (vanilla flavor I recommend). The powder is supposed to have a longer shelf life (up to 2 weeks) so ya may want to use that as the liquid in the cans is only good for 36 hrs. stored in fridge after opening.....Rather than get into a long detailed explanation of the complete procedure(s) I strongly suggest (you have time) to order a book called Handfeeding & Nursery Management and it goes into it step by step, a must have book IMO & IME for anyone who breeds purposely or accidentally. Cost is about $45 and ya can order from www.avianpublications.com or elsewhere. I think even Nancy ordered it but not positive?....Good luck, have fun....... :icon_smil

Originally Posted by KelnKritters

I have at least 3 fertile Greenwing Macaw eggs in the incubator. They are due to hatch 1-28-04 I have raised day one Tiels before and Greenwings at 6 days and over. Is there any thing I should know or be prepared for, for them this young? How often do I feed day one GWs. the first few days. I kow tiels are every two hours. I also know to start out the babies on pedielyte the first 2 days. anything else? tanks, Kelly

[Many Feathers]

Originally Posted by KelnKritters

Is there any thing I should know or be prepared for, for them this young? How often do I feed day one GWs

Lucky You!

Kaytee Exact or Zupreem Embrace formulated for macaws both work fine, and just diluted very thin for the very first couple feedings. You shouldn't need anything else. You don't need to wait until the baby poops first either. The parents don't. Pedialite has sugars in it that encourage candida growth. Lacated Ringers Solution is safer. I wouldn't recommed Pedialite, unless your baby is dehydrated & needs electrolytes, and you don't have lactated ringers on hand. Candida is usually the culprit that causes crop-stop that you will want to avoid. You will have to feed every 2 hours the first few days, although you can go longer at night so you get the rest you will need. If you have the time, it is helpful to grind up raw sunflowers, peanuts, etc. and add them to the formula. Just be sure that the formula will still move smoothly through the syringe. The texture helps the crop develope, and parent birds feed chunky, so its more normal. Be sure to lift and support the babies heads steady while feeding. Baby macaws sometimes pump pretty hard and the formula can end up everywhere you don't want it to, like in their nostrils, eyes and ears. You also risk aspirating them if you don't support their head while feeding. I pack my baby macaws with as much formula as they can hold to get the best weight gain possible the first 6 weeks, which seems to be the most critical for their future overall health and well-being. When the babies start to pin, you can gently brush their heads and places they can't reach themselves with a soft toothbrush to help loosen the quill casings. Touching and loving them right from the beginning does wonders for their growth and socialization. Baby Greenwings (and Buffon's) take 4-1/2 to 5 months to wean. (That's partly why they cost more. There is lots of work involved) If you don't have one, get a copy of "The Large Macaws" by Joanne Abrahamson. It's the best reference book available and has weight gain charts and practical information that all large macaw breeders should have. Baby Greenwings are intelligent, loving & responsive and a pleasure to raise.