handfeeding

Question
i just recently took on the task of hand feeding a nandey conure the fellow who gave me the baby bird is a suspicious character who forgets alot in his old age. i bought the formula and am feeding the bird four times a day and have been for a week now when do i go down to three times daily and what schedule do you recommend. and how will i know when he is ready for hard food and what sort of food do you recomend during weining of the bird from formula

Answer
Hi again, Devon.  Thanks for posting your question.  I answered your question the first time over the weekend...I don't know why you didn't receive my original answer, but here goes again.  

When the nanday baby is 5 weeks old and ready, you can take s/he down to 3 handfeedings per day.  Eliminate the noon or dinnertime handfeeding (I eliminate the dinnertime [5 PM]feeding because this is when I feed all my parrots and I can't get home at noon).  A week later (7 days), if the baby is ready, you can take s/he down to 2 handfeedings per day...the AM feeding and the bedtime (9-10 PM) handfeeding.  Then, a week later, down to 1 handfeeding (if baby is ready), etc.

What you need to do when you eliminate the first handfeeding is offer the baby soft, warm food in place of the handfeeding.  You can offer a variety of warm/room temperature foods (baby not used to cold food yet), such as cooked brown rice mixed with peas, corn, shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, cooked barley, etc., etc., (I never make this mix the same each time), cornbread or other multigrain bread, pelleted food softened in warm water, cream of wheat or oatmeal, raw pieces or fruit or vegetables (room temperature)...whatever nutritious foods you can get the baby to eat.  Since birds won't eat what they don't recognize as food, you might have to put a taste of food in the bird's beak to get s/he started.  Don't give up if he doesn't try foods right away...provide food at every eliminated handfeeding.  

The baby will get hungry sometimes...it's part of the weaning process...and may cry for a handfeeding.  If you can get past this crying, good!  If you don't think the baby is getting enough food by mouth, it's OK to handfeed that feeding.  You should progress at the baby's speed...not yours.  It's natural for them to lose some weight during the weaning process, but if s/he's breast bone starts to protrude, s/he's losing too much weight...please keep a close watch on s/he's weight.  

The AM and bedtime handfeedings are important, since birds naturally feed when they get up (after a long night of no food), and before bed (for a long night of no food).  The last feeding that I recommend be eliminated is the bedtime handfeeding.  The baby will also sleep well with a full crop.

Start offering a water dish when the baby starts eating food on it's own.  You may have to drip water off the end of your finger into it's mouth so he gets the idea at first (or dip the end of its beak in the water dish).  However, be very careful with babies and water dishes...they can drown themselves if they don't know what they are doing.  At first, keep the water level shallow and do not leave a water dish in the cage/container with the baby when you are not supervising.  

If you have more questions or I can be of further help, please contact me again.

Chrys