Tips for weaning?

[Clarionite]

We've been told that B&G's wean themselves.
Well, Piper isn't wanting to wean. I know each
bird is different and will wean at a different age.
But Piper is about 8 months and despite eating
lots of fruits, veggies, and zupreen she throws
a fit to get a bottle. She eats two feedings a day
of 120cc. I tried over the weekend to cut her bottle
size down to 80cc. But my scale broke and I want
to make sure I can get a good scale this week
before I make any big changes in her diet.

Everything I've read says to wean by abundance of food.
And I've tried this. She always has a bowl of pellets available.
And I've been keeping another bowl full of fruit. But after she
eats her fill, she plays with the rest by throwing it. So after the first
bowl, it's a waste of food. I don't mind this short term to help her
wean. But if it becomes a habit of her eating a little and thowing away
the rest it's going to get very expensive.

Any suggestions on weaning?

[oONightFireOo]

Weaning Hera was quite a feat. She came to me "weaned" but refused to eat. She visited the vet a couple of times in the first few days and was dropping weight like crazy... so on day two - she was on three feedings a day... again...

It was a pretty long process that took a few weeks to get her back to eating. I gave her fruits and veggies - along with oatmeal, and several snacks. And nothing...

So I called the vet and he told me that since Hera would be on Harrisons, the pellet diet - that she needed to get used to eating the hard pellets. She devoured all of her veggies and loved her soft food - but wouldn't touch the pellets... so I had to stop giving her all soft food....

I also sprinkles the baby formula (powder) on the pellets - and every morning, lunch, and dinner (and also whenever we were playing) I kept giving her pellets. Most of the time she would just play with them and then drop them... but after awhile... she got the hang of it...

As she started keeping up her weight overnight, I would cut back the feedings - and eventually she maintained her weight totally - and we were able to stop. It took awhile and also took several tricks... but eventually we got there.

So I would recommend to stop feeding snacks and special treats in order to show him/her that they will have to eat their regular diet - not just snacks/fruits and veggies. I HATED this part - but it only lasted a couple of weeks...

I'd also try sprinkling the formula on the food and making sure that she has food at ALL times. And whenever you walk by - pick up a pellet and put it in their mouth. if they play with it and drop it... get another one and repeat the process...

I have also talked to a couple of vets that tell you you can use a watered down apple juice and lightly spray the pellets to make them more appetizing... but my vet was against this for Hera and thought that it would only prolong the process.

Keep us updated - and have patience... You'll get there!!
~Kevin

[Clarionite]

She eats her pellets, but not enough. She also gets very pissy if you don't give her a bottle twice a day. If she gets her two bottles a day she's very loving.

We tried putting her formula in a bowl to take her mind off the bottle. And she will
eat it from the bowl. But she's still pissy if she takes it from a bowl. <G>

We'll try the trick of sprinkling formula on the pellets.

Thanks

[oONightFireOo]

Hehe... Been there done that! If Hera didn't get her baby food - she was very good at making things hard on us! She'd scream and get very annoyed. But afterwards - she was a big teddy bear.

Are you on a routine schedule and making sure to feed her at the same times every day? That will also help if you're not already. Just keep monitoring the weight and see how she holds up. You should make sure that you aren't doing all of the work for her - so that she doesn't even get hungry enough to eat on her own... because that would defeat the purpose...

So try to schedule them out enough to the point where her crop is basically empty - and give her enough time to eat on her own. It can be really easy to do all of the feeding for them - espeically when they throw tantrums - so I completely understand that! Just make sure you aren't over feeding to the point where she doesn't even need to eat on her own.

What kind of formula are you on? Hera was started on KayTee - and she loved it. I switched her over to Roudybush for nutrition's sake - and she HATED it - so I used 80% Roudybush 20% KayTee - and that also made the process go faster...

It's funny how if they aren't completely crazy about the baby food, they are more opt to eat on their own... (=^D

Good Luck! And feel free to email/pm me if there is anything I can do to help!
You'll get there.
~Kevin

[Clarionite]

When she's pissy she'll slap at us with a wing. She doesn't really scream too bad. But first thing in the morning when she sees us get up she screams to make sure we know she's there. When we acknowledge her she stops screaming long enough to let us prepare her formula. <G>

She gets what we call a mohawk... Or doing a Don King. She fluffs all the feathers on her head up, and does a little squak for a while. If you go by her perch she'll slap at you with her wing. It's her way of being pissy. She doesn't want to be loved on or attention. All she wants is food when she's doing that.

[oONightFireOo]

Yupyup. I love how they have such individual personalities! Hera was the same way. I SWEAR she could SENSE when I woke up. I sleep upstairs, and she is downstairs - but as soon as I woke up - she'd start talking to me from downstairs... before I even got up, turned on the TV or anything... but she'd be completely quite until I woke up...

And first thing - it was time for her feeding. And I knew not to cover her with hugs and kisses until she had her food. I'd get the same kinds of reactions. At first, I made the mistake of letting her out when I was making the food... and she'd shove her face into the cup/bowl as I was making it... and once...while I was stirring - she decided I wasn't moving fast enough and grabbed my finger and chomped down... that's the only time she's ever really truly bitten me - and I thought I was going to have to go to the ER after not being able to stop the bleeding and basically seeing the bone in my finger...

I honestly think she thought my finger was the syringe - as she bit that first, and then when she was chewing on it - moved, and got hold of my finger. So I added that to the list of mistakes that I have made and learned from!!

Buuuttt... after her feedings - she was just a big ball of love. And when she was really happy - she sit there, to the "baby-bob" and make her baby coo's until I tickled her tummy and rubbed her head until she'd fall asleep and basically roll off my arm.

Ahhh the memories... of a few months ago...lol. I already miss them! I can't wait to go down that road again. Soon enough you'll look back and cherish them. Now I don't miss the hand feeding all the time... but the baby nosies and her demands and clumsiness... LOVE IT!!

Keep me updated... and I do love me some baby birdie pictures!! *hint hint*
~Kevin

[Clarionite]

I'll try to get some recent pics up tomorrow. She's about 8 months now.

We don't mind the feedings, but we'll be happy to be past them too.

[Clarionite]

Here she is sporting her mohawk.

[Oscars Mom]

shes adorable !Icant wait to get my bird in about 2 weeks

[becca623]

She's precious!
It's true that every bird weans at his/her own pace. I know a guy who's catalina weaned at 5 months. The bird's sister didn't wean until she was over a year old.
Have you had her checked by an avian vet? I only ask because I read about a green wing who absolutely would not wean. It turned out she had developed a bacterial infection. Once it was cleared up, she weaned rather quickly. I don't mean to be an alarmist.
Have you tried Scenic weaning pellets? I've had mixed responses to them from the birds I tried them on but they are less messy than formula.