Ringneck Parrot

Question
Goodday

I recieved a Ringneck Parrot (A green one) from a friend. The person at the petshop said that the bird is 4-5 weeks old, but after failing to feed it, I took it to the vet, who informed the that the bird is musch older, as it has feathers all over, and that it should be eating by itself, but this is not the case. What am I to do, as the bird is very tame and gentle. I would like to keep it, but fear it will starve to death. I have bought a seringe and porrige like food (vet's recomendation) but I seem to have to force it down. One of my friends told me to buy a thin plastic pipe to put down it's trought.

Please help!

Regards


Answer
Do NOT buy one of those plastic tubes that you put down the birds throught.  This will ultimately destroy the bond between you and this bird. If you feel that this birds needs this kind of force feeding (in order for it to survive)... then take this bird to an avian vet and have them do it. This bird would need to be under intensive care if he is starving like this.  Did the vet you go to before- was s/he an avian vet?  I would have hoped that s/he would have shown you the proper technique to hand-feed.  However, here are a couple of articles that should help you:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812095812/qid=1066232873/sr=8-1/r...
(I HIGHLY recomend the above book... it will provide you with a lot more in-depth information than these online articles can).

http://www.quakerparrots.com/qtips/handfeeding_tips_1.htm

http://www.quakerparrots.com/qtips/handfeeding_all_about_the_crop.htm

http://www.wingedwisdom.com/ww62e.htm

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww7eii.htm

http://www.wrightroost.com/handfeeding.html

If your previous vet was not an avian vet... here are some links to find an avian vet in your area:

http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm

or

www.aav.org

Feeding lots of soft foods will help a weaning bird. Cheerios are a terrific food for weaning babies! And fruits and veggies are excellent too (fruits and veggies should be provided for a bird throughout their lifetime to help vary their diet).  Some good fruits and veggies would be: apples, oranges, bell peppers, kale, peas, corn, melon, pumpkin, squash, cucumbers, rasberries, blueberries, blackberries and cooked brown rice would be excellent too!  I also really like the following bird food mixtures that are soft and excellent for weaning birds:

http://www.beakappetit.com/

I hope this all helps! Good Luck! If you have a photo of your parrot... I could also probably give you more recomendations on how to house/care for your bird (because I would probably be able to get an estimate for an age... or was the vet already able to give you an estimated age?  Feel free to e-mail me at: super_chick85@sbcglobal.net and I am more than happy to answer any questions/concerns you might have about your little Indian Ringneck.

-Maggie