baby parrots!

Question
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
i got these 2 baby parrots! and i dont know what to feed them, the only thing i've been giving them is a mix of apples and banana juice. they cry so much! i just want to know what to feed them? where should i keep them? and any additional information would ne great!

thanks
Answer -
Hi, Abdulrahman.  Thanks for posting your questions.

In order to answer, I need to know what species/type of parrots are they and how old are they?  Additional information that might help are have they been handfed up to now (with a handfeeding syringe and baby bird formula)  or have the parents been feeding them?  How did you acquire them?  I would suspect they cry because they are hungry.  

Please explain what you mean by "where should I keep them?"  Do you mean what type of cage or are you referring to a brooder where they must be kept at a certain temperature (this would depend on their age)?

The more detailed information you can provide, the better help I can be.

Thanks.

Chrys  




well, all i can say is they are 2 small green red nose parrots! i got them from a black market, the seller says thier mom died and he didnt know what to do with them! so i picked them up! up until now i've been hand feeding them, and i really dont think that their parents ever fed them! i dont know how old are they, but i can see the green feather spreading all over their bodies!.....they cry alot, its like a human cry (breaks my heart!)! but i've been taking care of them, and i just want to know:

1- what should i feed them,how and what are the right times for that?
2-where should i keep them(cage , small box''opened/closed''...etc)?
3-room tempreture?
4-finally, their poo smells awuful, its not normal, is it becasue i've been feeding them the wrong food ( banana and some apple all mixed with water! or sometimes i feed them a baby(human) cerial ''cerelac'')?

and any additional information can help too!

i'm sorry that i dont know their kind, but all i can say is that they can grow big, not like lovebirds, also they can mimic voices(i saw a big one out there on the market), they are all green with a red nose! maybe the quaker type!


thanks
Answer -
Hi again, Abdulrahman.  You are a good person for taking these babies into your home and caring for them.  I'm pressed for time this morning, so I might follow up on this later today when I'm at home from my job, but I wanted to get you started helping these little guys out as soon as possible.  Visit my website for lots of information on parrots that will help you out:  http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html
 
Sounds to me like they are medium-sized parrots, like Mexican Reds or Eclectus or a similar species.  Also, they aren't very old (perhaps a 4-6 weeks) if they are just now getting pin feathers on their bodies.  You need to keep them in something like a bird brooder, a fish aquarium with a heating pad underneath for warmth, or something that will hold the temperature inside with some type of heating element underneath or above them (a heat lamp, heating pad, etc.)...they need to be kept at around 90 degrees F until they get enough feathers to keep them warm and also so their bodies can metabolize/process the food you feed them.  They  are hungry!  You need to feed them baby bird handfeeding formula (such as Kaytee Exact, Pretty Bird, etc...you can buy from the internet or local bird shops perhaps...on the internet search for "parrot handfeeding formula").  If you cannot obtain this where you live, you can also use human liquid nutritional supplement, such as Ensure, Slim Fast, or similar.  You can also use human baby formula (that you would feed to an infant).  Human baby cereal, Cream of Wheat, etc., might also work if you can get these through a handfeeding syringe (you obviously have experience with this).  As a last resort and to get food into them until you can get what you need, you could try human baby food, such as vegetables, cereals, fruit heated to the right temperature (don't overheat or you could burn their crops from the inside out and they will die).  They should be handfed 4 times per day at least...in the morning, at lunchtime, at dinner time, and before going to bed (every 4-5 hours).  As they grow older and you start the weaning process, you can start cutting the feedings down gradually, eliminating one feeding at a time (refer to my website for more information).  You can also give them some water at the end of each feeding (leave enough room in their crops for this).  Their crops should be full, but not too full that they might bust.  To judge this, if you see food backing up into their neck from their crop, it's too much food.  The food must be fed to them at about 102 degrees F or they won't be able to digest it and their crops will slow down or stop working.  

Their droppings/poo might smell due to bacteria, but might also be due to the food you've been feeding them.  Try using Pedialyte to see if this helps...this is a liquid diahrrea solution with electrolytes for human babies...use this instead of water and/or when you are mixing their handfeeding formula (you will have to heat it first so the food is the right temperature when fed to the babies).  Electrolytes is the key here.  

I have to go for now, but I'll probably get back with you later today with more information.

Start right away, as these babies are starving it sounds like to me.  Often times, even full babies/babies who aren't starving cry when they see their humans because they know their humans provide their food source.  Also, try cuddling them when you have time...just holding them and keeping them warm and comfortable can also work wonders.  They need tender loving care at this point until they get older.  Warmth and food is what they need most.

Please let me know how they are doing.  I'll worry about them!  

Chrys        


thanks for the information, the 2 are doing great! i've done everything that you've said, and now i think my relation with these 2 has gotten stronger!

thanks again
 
Answer -
Hi again, Abdulrahman.  I'm so glad you let me know their status, and I'm so very glad they are doing better!  Yes, your relationship with them will continue to grow stronger as you care for them.  Parrots are very intelligent and they know who takes care of them.  They will continue to bond with you as you handfeed them.  They now consider you their parent and they will react positively to your care and attention.  Continue to give them tender loving care, feed them well, and they will grow up to be great companions.  

If I can be of further help, let me know.

Chrys  



I need your help, there seems to be a problem with one of the parrots, his left eye seems to be infected or something, there is a red line surround it,and the eye is always full of tear,and he doesnt open it much! i dont know what to do? should i seperate the 2 parrots? what can i do to cure the eye?


thanks for your time

Answer -
Hello again.

It's really hard for me to say without seeing the bird.  Are you using anything like cedar or pine shavings in the container with the birds?  If so, this might be irritating the eye and you should remove this substrate.  With my baby birds, I use only paper towels that I change as often as necessary.  On top of the paper towels (or newspaper...anything that has a slick surface), use something like Rubbermaid drawer liners that would provide friction against the baby's feet when they stand.  This is necessary so the babies don't get splay leg (legs grow sideways from the body and cripple the birds).  You could also use fabric towels that would require frequent washing (don't let the babies stand in their feces).  The baby also could have injured it somehow, or got/has something in it, or has developed some type of infection.  

I recommend you wash the baby's eye out several times per day using warm water.  Do this by using a cotton ball or Q-tip or wet washcloth (be gentle with a wash cloth) or something similar.  Dry the area when done (don't let the baby sit wet or s/he could get cold).  You can use boric acid to rinse the eye (follow the directions on the package...it needs to be diluted unless you can find an already-diluted brand).  You can purchase an antibiotic ointment that works very well (I use it with my birds).  Here is a website I use for meds...it's a pigeon website, but the same applies to parrots:  http://www.globalpigeon.com/gps.php?action=showprod&id=20050116&catalogno=1020-0

You can order via the internet and they ship items quickly.
Try to see if you can see anything in the eye or some type of scratch or injury (might have to use a light).  Sometimes this happens if you get food in the eye (the food is irritating).  The baby (or it's sibling) could have scratched the eye with it's foot.  Since you are handfeeding, you may have had something on your hands that infected the eye (if you hold the baby's head during handfeeding).  Be sure your hands are washed thoroughly before handling the babies.  It could have been caused by many things.  I'll look around on the internet to see what additional information I can find.  You can do this, too, by searching topics like "eye problems in parrots" or "eye problems in birds" or "avian eye infections" or something similar.

I haven't researched this, but you might be able to buy an eye ointment/eye drop for human eye infections at a local drug store.  Don't use anything like Visine...this is for red eyes and only constricts the blood vessels.  Also, don't use products for contact lenses or allergies of the eyes.  You want something for eye infections or eye irritations.  Look at the ingredients and avoid products with alcohol, etc.  In the meantime, you could apply some Vaseline (you can buy medicated Vaseline) or K-Y jelly around the eye to keep it moist and free from other irritants (try not to get it in the eye).  Something else I've used on my pigeons with eye problems is medication for pink eye.  This helps some, depending on the problem.

I'll get back to you if I find something on the internet about this subject.  I highly recommend you purchase the antibiotic ointment from the website above in case it's an infection.  You can request overnight or 2 day shipment if you want, but when I order from them, I usually receive my order within 3-4 days.  However, if you order on a weekend day, it may take a day longer.

Chrys    



hi again,
thanks for the information, i cured the eye using cotton and water, now the parrot is perfectly fine , thanks to you again!
i noticed something weird on the older parrot, his head is always facing the groung, unlike the younger one , i feel that there is something wrong with his bone grouth! seems like the sellers kept him in a wrong slipary place! .....

ok, when of my friends is interseted in the (( amazon yellow nap )) or something... do you own it? any information on how to raise it will help? also, if you have a picture of it then you can send it to my e-mail!

sorry if i haved bothered you much with those 2 parrots! but unfortunatly, i have no expierince rasing parrots or birds, you helped me a lot! thanks!

abdulrahman..

      
Answer -
Hi, Abdulrahman,

How are the baby parrots doing?  As you requested and as I promised, I have written some information for you on raising parrots.  Sorry it has taken so long.  I can send you this information to your E-Mail address or I can copy and paste it in this space in a separate reply.

Let me know how you want to receive the information.

Thanks.

Chrys



hi...
thanks for everything! the parots are doing great , thanks to you of course! i will check your section about parrots for sure! i'll contact you if i have any problem with them ;) !

thanks

abdulrahman
Answer -
Hi, Abdulrahman,

I'm glad to hear the baby's are doing great!  I haven't posted the information I mentioned above to my website...I have it in a separate document just for you.  Do you want me to send this information to your E-Mail address or post it here in All Experts?  If you want me to send to your E-Mail, you'll need to give me your E-Mail address.  Or I can post it here and send to you.

Chrys




hi...

its been long i know, i'm the baby parrots guy! those 2 parrots are now big and healthy thanks to you !

but just now i noticed something weird , one of the parrots droppings , contain blood ! it has began this morning , and i can see blood in his droppings! i dont know what to do or whats wrong with him ? he seems healthy and having fun ,, but the blood thing...

i hope you respond as quick as possible ! i'm really worried

thanks

Answer
Hi, Abdulrahman!  I'm glad to hear your youngsters are doing well.  I've thought about you and them.

Are you sure what you are seeing is blood?  What comes out the back end is directly related to what goes in the front end (mouth), so is it possible this youngster ate something red, like a red pellet, red pepper, or some other type of food (or other) that was red?  If you still suspect that this is blood, there's possibly something serious going on inside the bird's body.  You'll need to take this bird to an avian veterinarian for further evaluation.  I cannot help here.  Birds will act normal for as long as they possibly can when they are sick, so if/when this bird starts acting/behaving sickly, it could be too late.  So you need to take action with a medical professional quickly to see what is going on inside, if anything, so the youngster doesn't get worse.

Please let me know what you find out or what happens.  Sorry I can't help more, but I'm not a bird vet.

Chrys