HANDFEEDING BABY BIRDS

HANDFEEDING BABY PARROTS can be very rewarding.  Birds raised by hand are very tame and bonded to humans and they make excellent pets.  In order to raise a baby successfully, careful attention must be paid to the details of food preparation and hygiene.

FORMULA:  There are a number of commercial handfeeding formulae available.  In most cases, it is best to feed these foods without addition of supplements.  A very successful alternative to commercial formula is soaked monkey biscuit, which can be prepared by pouring boiling water to barely cover several monkey biscuits in the bottom of a cup.  After soaking for 3 to 5 minutes, the monkey food should be the appropriate texture for feeding.  If  a  commercial formula is used, it should be mixed with water as directed on the package; generally young birds under 10 days old should have a thinner consistency food with more water.  Hatchlings do best on a  diet of  7 percent solids for the first few days, then 30 percent solids thereafter.

FOOD SHOULD BE PREPARED FRESH FOR EACH FEEDING:  Regardless of the type of food chosen, it should be prepared fresh for each feeding and all leftovers should be thrown away.  Reheating food for the next feeding increases the chances for bacterial contamination of the food, which commonly occurs when food is chilled and rewarmed.

TEMPERATURE MUST BE CORRECT:  Food should be fed lukewarm (100 to 104 degrees), with no areas of the food that are warmer than the rest).  Even food that does not feel hot to touch may burn the crop.  Stirring the food very thoroughly will eliminate "hotspots" in the formula.  It is very difficult to get an even temperature if the food is warmed in a microwave oven, so it is highly recommended to use hot tapwater to mix formula instead of heating in a microwave.  Food that is too hot will create serious crop burns, while food that is too cold will empty very slowly from the crop and the baby may not accept it well.

FEEDING THE BABY:  Most babies will bob their heads and make hungry noises when they want to be fed.  Although a spoon can be used to spoon food into the beak, it is faster and neater to use a syringe.  The food is drawn into the syringe, and the tip of the syringe is inserted into the side of the mouth as the baby gapes. The baby's head may have to be steadied with the other hand if the head-bobbing is too vigorous.  The plunger of the syringe is gradually pushed to feed the baby.  The food should not be "squirted" suddenly into the throat, as the baby may aspirate the food into the airways.  You should give the baby a chance to breathe every so often during the feeding.  After feeding, the baby should be gently cleaned up so that there is no left-over food on the mouth and head.

FEEDING SCHEDULES AND AMOUNTS:  The frequency of feeding depends on the size and age of the bird.  A 1-week-old cockatiel may  need to be fed every 2 hours.  A conure or Amazon parrot at 4 weeks of age should be fed 4 times a day.  Most birds should not have to be fed during the night; the last feeding can be 10PM, with the first feeding at 6AM.  The amount fed should be enough to visibly fill the crop.  Overfilling the crop may result in regurgitation and aspiration of food.

BROODER TEMPERATURE:  During handraising, the baby must be kept in an environment with adequate warmth and humidity.  After hatching, the brooder temperature should be 90 to 95 degrees.  As feathers start to appear, the temperature can be gradually decreased.  If the baby is too hot, it will hold its wings out from its sides and pant; if the temperature is too cold, the baby may  be lethargic and the crop will empty slowly.  Humidity should be kept above 50% during the early weeks.