Please Help, My GW is under weight!

[MandysBlackRoses]

Hello again,
this new birdy mom thing is getting harder then I ever imagined. Now it is day 4 with Gypsy Rose. She is eating Ok, but has Gone back to formula which i give her from a bowl mixed kinda thick. She seems to be ok with this. The breeder has told me she went from 1400 to 1200 just before she left. She said it was normal for them to lose weight while weaning. I can feel her keel, its very prominant. She has barley any muscle mass around it. I keep checking her crop to make sure its full and I guess it is, It feels like a soft water balloon about the size of a large marble, Is this as big as it gets? Gypsy is 5 months old. She seems to be ok toehr then seemingly under weight. She does alot of the baby head bobbing, and she makes a solf "Kaa" noise while doing it. I figuerd it means she wants to be fed, and I have already offered her formula twice today. Should I offer her as much as she wants?? This is kinda crazy, I love her dearly and want the best for her But I paid for a weaned baby. She sees the vet for the first time since I have had her onm Friday. Is there anything else I can do to fatten her up? And what about the formula? Should I offer it any time?? She only eats a bit of fruits and veggies, hates her kaytee rainbow pellet stuff, LOVES seeds though. And takes the formula right down, I dont dare to use a syringe, so like I said it from a bowl mixed thick. ...Wow, im really stressed. Any help would be great. By the way I hold her alot, and she loves to play on the back of the couch as well, but in her cage she always seems to be crying for food. She also dont drink much water. The breeder started her on warm water out of her cage, and I have been doing that to make sure she has drank at least something, she dont seem to touch the water in her cage though... It cools off to quick I guess. I will check the post often to hear what you all think. thanks ahead of time guys.

[The Outlaw]

I really think that you should return her to the breeder for at least another month. She's too young to be weaned completely and your breeder should know that. Its you bird and your call. I feared this would happen.

[LissaKokoKiwiKaseySam]

I am definitely no expert, but the bigger the bird, the longer it takes to wean. A baby that is force weaned can lead to issues down the road. 5 months to me is definitely WAAAYY too early for a GW to wean..I would think something closer to 7 might be the norm...I'd put a call into your breeder and have her get her weaned completely and properly....

[Lissa_K]

You were the one who thought the breeder was pushing her to wean, right? If you honestly feel that he/she pushed her to wean, call your breeder and let them know that you will contacting your vet due to her weight issues. Do not let them say that you are "over-reacting" or "make a big deal out of nothing". This is your baby's health and you are being a concerned parront. The other Lissa said it correctly when she said that 5 months is WAYYY to early for her to be weaning. I have a baby GW that is 9 months old and he just NOW got off of his comfort feeding!
Tell your breeder that if the vet finds that she was being forcibly weaned, you will be asking for vet bill compensation. If he/she has any trouble with this, at least give her the impression that you will be considering all legal avenues, even if you don't think you will need to.

[MandysBlackRoses]

Hey All,
Well good news Gypsy is eating alot better, she loves the swwet potato mix w/ peanut butter and OJ!! I emailed the breeder and this is what she had to say.... " I felt it was a good time for you and her at this point in her little life to be together. You'd be feeding her the same things I would to keep her happy and healthy and growing and be able to enjoy your baby." But she did offer to take her back until she was fully weaned. She only had a bit of formula from the bowl yesterday. I picked up a feeding syringe for her as well. I let her take about 2 Tps. I was really nervous about doing it But she seemed to know what she was doing. Is there any harm that I could do at this point by hand feeding her myself? She is 5 months now, and I think the chances of aspirating her is slim to none as I only give her a little bit at a time. And of course I make sure its not too hot or cold. ( I do have 3 kids ) What are any other reasons I should worry about trying to hand feed her myself? At this point my breeder Julie thinks I should keep Gypsy here, and just offer her hand feedings if she wants them. I'll ask the vet and see what he says, but im sure you all have more exsperience then him in this area.

[LissaKokoKiwiKaseySam]

Well Mandy, it is totally up to you. Your baby does know what to do with a syringe, or you could also use a spoon. The important thing to do is WEIGH YOUR BABY EVERY SINGLE DAY BEFORE FEEDING...best time is first thing in the morning after the first large 'deposit'. Nourishment is important here. Hand feeding your bird will not improve the bond between you..be aware of that.

If you look in the recipe section of BirdBoard, you will see many recipes. I have been feeding Lissa's Kitchen sink rice and beans to my fids for about 5 yrs. There are quite a few here who feed thier fids similar dishes, and have configured them to suit their needs with equal success. It's a good mix to offer to your baby every day.

Good luck-

[MandysBlackRoses]

Im just really nervouse about returning Gypsy to her. She pushed her out before she was ready, and she already sounds like she thinks im being silly. Besides already paying her 2,300. BTW she does not own the parents, she just rears the babies for a "friend". Honestly, im a bit worried that she will eaither not feed her or play with her much. (Since she has a new clutch to rear) And im a bit worried she might re-sell her or not give her back at all. I hope she would'nt do that, but after all she is a stranger to me, and lives far away. And I love Gypsy already, and it would kill me to have anything happen. I think I will get my vets opinion, and if he says she is healthy I'll continue hand feeding myself, If she dont need the syringe then I wont use it, she will take it from a bowl, and a spoon. I just though maybe she was not getting enough. Im going to find a scale today! I just dont know where I'd find a gram scale, I'll try good Ole Walmart first. You say weight her before feeding, so she should weight more after?? Is there a weight chart online that you know of? thanks a bunch, you guys are a great help to new owners.

[The Outlaw]

Your baby bird needs lots of TLC. If you don't meet her needs now, she'll be a needy and clingy adult later.

I suggest that you try mixing her formula into her mash. Baby GW macaws should be gaining weight everyday for the first 60+ days. After that, they will start losing as they prepare to fledge.

What is her weight in grams now? You MUST weigh her daily. If you don't keep accurate records, you won't know if she's crashing. You can purchase digital scales in Office Depot, Walmart, etc for under $50. Please be sure to weigh her before her first feeding each morning.

Birds weights are calculated daily, not weekly or monthly. At 5 months (haven't a clue how many actual days since I don't know her hatchdate) she should weight at leat 930 grams and on average 1049 grams.

Frankly, your breeder sucks. You have been grossly overcharged in the first place. Even here in Maryland, where NOTHING is cheap, a fully weaned GW in a petstore is rarely over $1800 and can usually be obtained for $1500. And, considering the fact that your bird ISN'T weaned, she really took advantage of you. I agree, however, that your bird is probably in better hands in your care. It's a shame. Usually, breeders are where you should go to purchase baby birds. This is why I can so steamed when petstores take all of the flack. There are as many crummy breeders as petstores.

Keep good records, feed whenever she needs feeding (at 120 days, she would still require one or two handfeedings per day) and let her wean when she's ready. Make sure to use Macaw Feeding formula. Regular formula (like Kaytee Exact) isn't adequate. Kaytee makes an excellent Macaw Feeding formular, however. Macaws have a higher fat requirement. Good luck.

Please provide the name of your breeder to me privately. I keep a list of who to avoid when recommending breeders. She goes to the top of that list.

[FeathersNFur8]

Please provide the name of your breeder to me privately. I keep a list of who to avoid when recommending breeders. She goes to the top of that list.

Nancy, what do you think of the breeders that send 2 week old bablies to someone else for raising? Have you found this is common? Are there a lot of breeders that sell unweaned?

[cfulhage]

Nancy,
Ollie's breeder actually sent her to somebody else to feed when she was 4 weeks old. I had to meet both of the ladies at a gas station part way between all 3 cities. I got Ollie from the Wichita lady, and the 2 ladies exchanged 2 very young baby birds. I wasn't happy with her sending my baby off to another person, but what could I do...I'd already payed the deposit. She didn't even know Ollie's exact hatchdate, had it narrowed down to a 3 day period. I have no pictures of Ollie from before I got her either, I was upset about that. I never got to see her bird room or anything, but I could tell she had a LOT of birds that she was caring for all by herself! Do you think she qualifies to be on your list?