Parrots baby food

Psittacine Pediatrics: Housing and Feeding of Baby Parrots

Introduction

Hand-feeding baby birds is an vital part of any successful aviculture operation. Psittacine eggs that are artificially incubated or babies pulled from their parents at a young age, must be hand-fed for three to five months. Hand-fed birds make tamer companions and increase production if the parents re-clutch. Breeding pairs may neglect all or the youngest of their babies or they can cannibalise them. With these pairs there is no choice but to pull the babies and hand-fed.

Most exotic birds kept in captivity, such as psittacines and the many types of “soft bills” are altricial that is their young are hatched blind, helpless in food gathering and are unable to thermoregulate. Since poultry are precocial, little information on their relatively easy care is directly useful for parrots. Aviculturists have by trial and error methods, developed procedures to successfully raise hatchlings right from hatching.

Hygiene and Baby Movement

Nursery management must have as the main goal disease prevention. With chicks lacking fully developed immune systems, normal gut flora just becoming established, and parent pairs previously exposed to many different organisms, stress due to poor feeding or inadequate environment can quickly lead to disease. The nursery usually has a concentration of such susceptible individuals so there is greater chance of an epornitic occurring here, crippling the cash flow of an operation.
The flow of babies within a nursery can reduce the chances of cross-contamination. There should be no mixing of parent raised babies, even if the parents appear perfectly healthy and have been with the breeder for many years. Subclinical carriers of Psittacine beak and feather disease, polyomavirus and other diseases may transmit these vertically (via the egg) but with greater probably horizontally (directly) to babies in the nest. If these babies are pulled and not properly handled within the nursery, significant mortality could result. Increasing the number of hatchlings from artificially incubated eggs can minimize the chance of parent birds infecting their offspring.

If parent fed chicks are to be hand-fed they should be pulled from the nest box before three weeks of age or the time of emergence of pin feathers on the wings. Older chicks will be stressed for the first few days in the strange nursery and may not want to be fed. However once they are hungry enough, usually about 12 hours later, they will accept hand-feeding.

Chicks to be hand-fed should be pulled from the nest box before three weeks of age or the emergence of pin feathers on the wings.

Hands must be cleansed before and also between feeding and handling different babies and clutches. Disposable latex gloves can be changed between each group of babies or allow hands to be wiped with a disinfectant without irritating skin. Babies should not be removed from their containers unless necessary and a clean paper towel placed under each baby when weighing.

Food Preparation

A fresh batch of formula should be mixed up for each feeding. This is more hygienic and convenient since food does not need to be stored. To properly prepare the diet for feeding, a balance for weighing formula and accurate volumetric container for water should be used. Use accurate measuring devices, clean utensils and stir the food well.

Cooking time will vary slightly with model of microwave oven and type of container. Plastic containers seem to cool the food slower than ones made of glass. The final temperature of the food, just before feeding, should be slightly warmer than human body temperature or about 40°C (100°F). Be careful not to overheat the food as burning the babies can occur if the food contains hot spots or is only a few degrees too hot.

Table 1-

Water/Dry Mash Ratio of hand-feeding Formula

Age of baby	Amount of dry mash	Volume of Water
Hatching to 2 days	1 tbs = 9 g (15 cc) volume rario 1:5 weight ratio 1:7 (12. 5% Solids)	72 ml
3 days to weaning	1/2 cup = 64 g (120 cc) volume ratio 1:2 weight ratio 1:4 (20% Solids)	240 ml

Formulas for young babies, up to day two to four, should be significantly more diluted, about 5 to 10 percent solids. These young babies may also develop better on less rich diets having lower fat and protein and more easily digested carbohydrates (another area requiring research). Older babies should receive formula with a solid content in the 20 to 30 per cent range which usually results in a consistency a little thinner than apple sauce. Do not assume that such a texture represents the correct nutrient density as thickeners can make a formula with low dry matter levels appear much denser. Formula can be maintained at the correct feeding temperature by setting it in a bowl of hot water.

Formula food preparation for hand feeding

Methods of Feeding

There are several possible techniques of feeding young parrots. Psittacine chicks produce a feeding response when the commissures of the beak are touched. This bobbing action closes the glottis and food passes into the crop. A bent teaspoon can be used to feed the formula but this can be a messy and time consuming way of feeding. Spoon feeding may produce a tamer bird because of the increased handling and is the preferred method of feeding of some of the most experienced aviculturists in the world (Low, 1987). However, there may be a greater chance of disease transmission with spoon feeding as the spoon is repeatedly touching the baby’s mouth and then dipped into the formula thus contaminating the food for the other babies.

Small plastic pipettes are used by some breeders to feed younger babies. Since these pipettes can only hold a few ml of food they require many repeated dippings into the food container with the same potential for disease spread as with spoons.

Catheter tipped syringes of various sizes are becoming popular instruments in feeding baby birds. Syringes can be used to slowly dribble the food into the mouth of the bird. Syringes allow the measuring of the amount of food fed and are easier to use. Silicone rubber and “O” ring syringes last longer than black rubber ones. Better still are syringes with no rubber gaskets and simply a concave round end. Soaking in tamed iodine disinfectant between feedings.

Small plastic pipettes are used by some breeders to feed younger babies. Syringes with no rubber gaskets and simply a concave round end can be used easily.

Syringes are usually used to shoot the food into the crop of the bird. Hold the baby’s head loosely by placing a finger on both sides of the beak and the back of the head. Place the tip of the feeding syringe into the left side of the birds mouth and once the bird gives a feeding response (head pumping) shoot the food towards the back of the head. This procedure is relatively safe but requires some practice before it is done without a mess. The advantage of syringes is that a separate one can be used for each clutch of babies so that if one pair produces diseased offspring it doesn’t spread to the other babies.

A short soft rubber tube can be attached to the tip of the syringe which can then be placed further back into the mouth to prevent food going down the trachea. However this may have a behavioral effect on the baby and may prolong the weaning process since this is the least natural of all the feeding methods.

Fill the crop well without over stretching it and allow it to completely empty between feedings. Do not confuse the small pouch of loose skin around an empty crop as a crop that still contains food. Babies have looser skin around the crop to allow it to stretch out. Sick babies are more likely to aspirate themselves and the crop becomes flaccid. These babies should be placed in small containers, like disposable plastic cups, which hold them up prevent them from falling on their crop. Feeding frequency or gut transit time is dependent on the percent solids of the formula, its digestibility and caloric density. Babies less than 3 days old get fed six times a day and older ones 4 times a day.

Metal feeding tubes are only necessary when force feeding sick birds.

Whatever implements are used they should be disinfected between feedings and replaced periodically. Some aviculturists boil syringes in large pressure cookers or in regular pots but more commonly cold disinfectant baths are used to soak feeding equipment. Gluteraldehyde based products appear the strongest disinfectants however quartenary ammonium compounds or iodophors are acceptable under normal conditions. Phenol based disinfectants are very irritating to skin and chlorhexidines do not effectively kill pseudomonas bacteria which are common in wet environments and water. At HARI we lost several two month old cockatoos to pseudomonas when we used chlorhexidine to disinfect syringes. The bacteria were cultured directly from the syringes and upon close examination colonies could be seen in the corners of the syringe shafts.

HOUSING BABIES

Brooders and Containers

There are as many different and successful baby brooders as there are hand-feeding formulas. Some are homemade wooden boxes with electric elements or lights to keep the babies warm. Others are adapted metal game chick brooders or glass aquariums with custom made heaters to partially cover the top or bottom of the tank. Brooders set up with heating pads often result in cooked babies, thermal injuries or cold babies since precise, constant temperature maintenance is difficult (Stoddard, 1988). Another problem with homemade or adapted brooders is their usual lack of humidity control. Human baby incubators and specific commercial baby bird brooders have more accurate temperature and humidity control but are difficult to obtain or can become expensive when many babies have to be housed.

Brooders should be relatively small as an important part of disease prevention with babies is to keep clutches separate and this is limited with large brooders. They should provide constant, even heat that can be finely adjusted, be well ventilated, easily cleaned and have a water receptacle to add humidity.

One set-up which meets many of these requirements uses small aquariums to contain babies which is then placed a much larger aquarium or plastic pan filled with about three or four inches of heated water. The water is maintained at 40°C (100°F) with a submersible thermostat aquarium heater. Salt should be added to the water to keep down the growth of pseudomonas and other pathogenic bacteria. Evaporated water must be replaced so that the horizontally laid heater remains submerged.

Bedding

Young babies, less than two weeks of age, can be kept on paper towels in plastic cups, re-used yogurt containers or small aquariums. Babies should be sitting on clean and dry bedding which is therefore changed at each feeding. This may not provide firm enough footing for some birds which should be transferred onto paper or wood shavings or towels to avoid splayed legs. When babies are two-three weeks old, we transfer the babies to a small plastic containers that contain a few layers of newspaper under a few inches of wood shavings. Corn cob, walnut shell and pellet type bedding are not popular or losing favour with aviculturists because of various drawbacks.

Some babies may have a tendency to eat shavings, perhaps as a result of other complications such as calorie deficient diets or excess heat. Using towels has the advantage of being able to clearly see the baby’s droppings but the feet and feathers can get caked up with feces and time and energy must be spent on washing towels. Disposable diapers are expensive and wasteful. Babies stay cleaner when they are kept on processed paper product or shavings.

Temperature

The ambient temperature and humidity of baby altricial birds must be regulated. Young, up until they are feathered out, need supplemental heat above room temperature to thrive and even survive. Chilled babies, either because of neglectful parent birds or power failure to the brooder heater, will deteriorate quickly. These chicks may die later even after being warmed up. Nursery room temperature should be kept warm between 78 and 82 degrees fahrenheit.

The brooder temperature for recently hatched chicks can remain at the hatching temperature of 35.0°-36.5°C (96°-98°F) for the first few days. Once the baby is eating more solid food, at about 2-3 days of age, it should be kept at a lower temperature of 33.5°-35.0°C (92°-96°F) depending on the species and its metabolism. From there up to about two weeks of age babies should be in an environmental temperature of 32.0°-33.5°C (90°-92°F) (Table 2). If temperatures are to high the chick may exhibit panting, unrest, hyperactivity and have dry, reddened skin (Clubb and Clubb, 1986). Cold temperatures may result in death, poor gut motility, crop stasis or other digestive disorders, failure to feed or beg, inactivity or shivering (Clubb and Clubb, 1986).

Table 2-
Approximate Brooder Temperature

Age	Temperature °C	Temperature °F
Hatch to Day 2-3	35. 0-36.5	96-98
Day 3 to Day 14-21	31.1-34.0	88-94
3 weeks to Weaning	25.0-30.0	76-86

Humidity

Natural nesting cavities in wooden tree trunks probably have a high relative humidity. Moist droppings from any babies within them will add to this, resulting in an environment of high humidity. These are unfortunately not the humidity levels found in most nursery brooders (Clipsham, 1989b). Most babies are traditionally raised on dry heat with heating pads, light bulbs or electric coils.

A range of 55-70% humidity produces quieter, fatter babies with a greater growth rate than those kept at levels of 15-35% (Clipsham, 1989b). Ambient humidity for hatching eggs and hand fed chicks can be increased by increasing nursery room humidity and, more effectively, by using containers of water as a source of both heat and humidity. A small aquarium submerged in and surrounded by a water bath heated by a submersible aquarium heater is very effective for eggs and up to one week old babies.

Identifying the Chicks

Babies must be properly identified in order to follow the linage and pair unrelated birds in the future. If considerable numbers of birds are being raised it becomes difficult to maintain the identity of similar babies from different parents. Several companies make closed leg bands in many different sizes. These bands can only be slipped to the birds leg when their feet are a small size. The best time to apply the bands is at about 2 – 3 weeks of age. Place the three larger toes through the appropriate sized band and then slide the band over the small inside toe which is held back against the foot.

Microchips implants are now available but are not yet commonly used for identifying baby birds.

Record Keeping and Growth Rates

The goal of any exotic aviculture venture is to raise healthy babies with minimum losses. Thus achieving the fastest growth rates possible on a particular formula are not as critical as the proper development of the baby. Average weight gains for the particular diet being used do help to monitor the development of individual babies. Weights taken each morning before the first feeding are less influenced by residual food still in the gut of the bird from the previous feeding as babies are usually allowed to empty over night. The time between feedings should slowly lengthen as the baby gets older but any sudden slow down in digestion is an indication of illness.

Stunted chicks pulled from parental care to be hand reared.

Stoddard (1988) monitors the health and development of young babies by the;

Plumpness of the toes, wings and rump.
Skin colour – should be a flesh-toned pink.
Skin texture – should be translucent and soft.
Anatomical symmetry – malnourished babies often have thin feet, toes, and wings as well as a disproportionately large head.

Flammmer (1986) lists other physical characteristics of nestling psittacines.

Complications

1 – Crop Stasis

The crop should completely empty between feedings. Food that remains in the crop too long may “sour” and provide an excellent growth media for opportunist bacteria and fungi.

Hard lumps may form in the crops of some babies if the solid matter of the hand feeding formula separates from water. Treatment consists of feeding a little warm water and massaging the crop/lump until it is dissolved. The next feeding should consist of diluted formula following which the crop should be back to normal.

Your avian veterinarian should be consulted immediately should the crop content not empty as a crop wash can be performed by an experienced pediatric care technician or veterinarian to remove the soured content and the chick evaluated to determine what is the cause of the crop disorder and possible medical or therapeutic intervention.

Under feeding may result in result in some babies ingesting bedding material. In a case of eclectus parrots ingesting wood-shavings they all died due to the gizzard damming up, preventing normal digestion (Smith, 1985).

2 – Crop Burn

If the temperature of the food is greater than 41°C (105°F) it may scald the crop and cause necrosis and fistulation (Giddings, 1986). Even with careful mixing and cooking some of the most experienced facilities may burn babies’ crops by feeding hot formula. Microwaves are usually used when overcooked food is fed. Hot areas within the food may go undetected even with a thermometer. It is best to let the formula stand for a minute, mix well and double check the temperature.

3 – Constricted Toes

Avascular digital necrosis or “big toe” is seen in baby macaws, eclectus and african greys. A ring of fibrous tissue may be initiated by rapid loss of body fluids from a crack of skin and encircles the toe leading to a constriction (Clipsham, 1989b).

Higher ambient humidity levels are reported to decrease this problem (Clipsham, 1989b; Joyner, 1987).

4 – Aspiration

On several occasions very young, less than 3 days old, weak babies were accidentally aspirated at HARI. This may have been due to poor feeding responses and force feeding. It is also possible to drop a baby onto its full crop resulting in the food being forced out and into the buccal cavity. The baby, not expecting food at that time may aspirate it. Feeding older birds by a tube placed into the crop will decrease the likelihood of aspiration in the more difficult species to feed (Joyner, 1987), such as 2 month old cockatoos.

Top Left: Constricted Toes; Right: Aspiration Bottom Left: Beak Deformities; Right: Bacterial, Fungal & Viral Diseases

5 – Beak Deformities

At HARI a lateral beak deformity has occurred in a baby macaw and an ingrown upper beak in a cockatoo. These types of deformities have been observed with other aviculturists (Joyner, 1987; Clubb and Clubb, 1989). The etiology of these deviations is not known but may be related to unnatural feeding methods or poor nutrition. The rapid growth and strong feeding response of macaws may exacerbate any deviations in growth.

6 – Bacterial, Fungal and Viral Diseases

Gram negative bacteria such as E. coli, Klebsiella sp., and Pseudomonas sp., are commonly considered pathogens and are often associated with disease (Clubb and Clubb, 1986). The “normal” aerobic alimentary tract flora for baby psittacines may include Lactobacillus sp., Staphylococcus eipdermidis, Streptococcus sp., Corynebactrium sp. and Bacillus sp. (Drewes, 1983). Candidiasis, caused by Candida albicans, is a yeast infection, usually of the crop. It is often a secondary problem associated with slowing of gut transit time. Digestive function may be upset by bacterial infections or blockage of the crop opening with foreign matter such as bedding substrate. Food which remains in the crop too long may begin to ferment leading to a “sour crop”. Dietary causes of a slow down in the digestive tract include food too cold, food with inadequate moisture content or ability to hold water (gelatin quality), food too high in fat or protein or too low in fiber. Babies will often vomit if one of these is not quite right.

Abnormally high Candida infections in Palm Cockatoos may have been due to the simple sugars in the sweetened applesauce and sugar ingredients of the diet used by the New York Zoological Society (Sheppard and Turner, 1987).

Viral diseases can be prevented by only handfeeding incubator hatched babies and leaving parentally hatched nestlings with their parents. A separate nursery for babies exposed to parental feedings could be another alternative.

Weaning

Weaning appears not to be a learned process and occurs at a certain age which is not affected by external stimulation of hunger (Roudybush, 1986). Cockatiel chicks which reach a higher maximum weight sooner also wean earlier than chicks which do not gain more than their normal adult weight (Roudybush, 1986). Babies may lose weight (up to 10-15%) during weaning although keeping weight on them is probably better for birds to be shipped out unweaned.

When the babies have about an inch of blood left in their wings they are transferred to a cage which has small openings on the bottom wire for the babies to walk on comfortably. Perches should initially be near the bottom of the cage for the uncoordinated fledglings.

Once babies have absorbed the blood in their wing feathers they are ready to be placed into a cage. The cage should be large enough to allow the birds to exercise their wings. Perches are better placed near the bottom of the cage where young birds first spend most of their time. A cup of formulated parrot food, moistened with hot water, appears to be easier for babies to wean onto than seeds or hard vegetables. This cup must be made fresh daily (or more often in hot climates) to avoid spoilage and should be placed near where they perch.

To assist in weaning, feed a little amount of formula with a spoon from the cup that the birds should begin to eat from. Additional syringes of food should be given two or three times a day so they do not lose do much weight but avoid always feeding when babies beg or this behaviour may increase.

Potential for Breeding

There is concern that hand-rearing imprints the birds on humans and they will therefore not be suitable for breeding when they become sexually mature. Third generation breeding of Amazona leucocephala by Ramon Noegel indicates that this is not the case. Hand-reared birds often mature and breed in a shorter period than it takes wild-caught adults to settle down. Captive raised birds lack the stress that causes wild birds not to breed or abandon their nests.

If the babies birds are to be kept for breeding it is probably better to raise them in groups rather than individually.

Research with cockatiels has shown that early rearing experience is important for males to learn characteristics of the opposite sex, and for males and females to learn characteristics of nest-sites (Myers et al., 1988).

Care of Baby Parrot

Environment

A newly arrived baby parrot should be kept in a warm and quiet place for the first few weeks. A young bird needs to rest during the day and a busy environment may exhaust it. This stress weakens the immune system which may result in disease(s).

Provide your bird with a cage big enough so it can fully expand its wings and perhaps jump between perches. Parrots like to climb around their cage and like its security when they rest. Place several toys in its cage, to avoid boredom and change these regularly.

When outside of its cage, you can put your bird on a T perch but this should not be its only territory, since it cannot move around much.

Feeding

A sudden change of diet could lead to weight loss and digestive upset with subsequent problems, so, it is best to continue with the same diet.

If the baby bird is not weaned, follow the directions on the leaflet of the Tropican hand-feeding formula and provide three food bowls to the baby: one filled with dry Tropican granules, one with soft Tropican moisten with warm water, and a bowl of fresh water. Moist food spoils very fast; so be sure to clean the bowl twice a day. Always use the same bowls for your baby birds unless bowls used by another bird has been thoroughly disinfected.

Exercise

The bird should be allowed out of its cage to interact with people and to exercise each day. Play with the baby every day but do not spoil it too much initially or it will demand this attention later. Do not leave doors or windows open or go outside with an unclipped bird. You can clip the wing feathers but when doing this for the first time, ask someone who is familiar with clipping.

Medical Care

Captive bred birds are not used to the microorganisms carried by a wild caught exotic bird and you should avoid the contact between the two. Species susceptible to Pacheco and Pox diseases should be vaccinated against them if they will be in places with other birds at proximity such as in a pet shop, veterinary clinic, boarding facility or bird shows.

If your bird shows one or several of the following symptoms, it may be sick: sleeping during its usual peak activity, not eating or eating less than usual, diarrhea and feathers puffed up. In that situation, contact immediately your usual avian veterinarian. Isolate the bird. Keep it warm (30°C – 86°F) and try to give it some food.

References

BUCHER, T.L. (1983). Parrot eggs, embryos, and nestling: patterns and energetics growth and development. Physiol. Zool. 56 465-483.

CACCAMISE, D.F. (1975). Growth rate in the Monk Parakeet. The Wilson Bulletin 88 495-497.

CLIPSHAM, R. (1989a). Pediatric management and medicine. Avian Veterinarians. 1:10-13.

CLIPSHAM, R. (1989b). Preventive Aviary Medical Management. Proceedings of the American Federation of Aviculture Veterinary Seminar, pp 15-28.

CLUBB, S. L., and CLUBB, K. J. (1986). Psittacine pediatrics. Proceedings of the Association of Avian Veterinarians pp 317-332.

CLUBB, S.L. and CLUBB, K.J. (1989). Selected problems in psittacine pediatrics. Proceedings of the American Federation of Aviculture Veterinary Seminar, pp 29-35.

DREWES, L., and FLAMMER, K. (1983). Preliminary data on aerobic microflora of baby psittacine birds. Proceedings of the Jean Delacour/ IFCB Symposium on Breeding Birds in Captivity, pp 73-81.

FLAMMER, K. (1986). Pediatric medicine. In: Clinical Avian Medicine and Surgery: including aviculture. Eds. G. J. Harrison and L. R. Harrison, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, pp 634-650.

GIDDINGS, R. F. (1986). An avoidable cause of crop necrosis in nestling cockatiels. Veterinary Medicine 81:1025-1026.

JOYNER, K.L. (1987). Avicultural Pediatrics. American Federation of Aviculture Veterinary Seminar pp 22-33.

JOYNER, K.L. (1988). The use of a lactobacillus product in a psittacine hand-feeding diet; its effect on normal aerobic microflora early weight gain, and health. Proceedings Association of Avian Veterinarians pp 127-137.

LOW, R. (1987). Hand-Rearing Parrots. Blandford Press. Dorset, U.K.

MOSTERT, PETER (1989). Personal communication.

MYERS, S.A., MILLAM, J.R., ROUDYBUSH, T.E. and GRAU, C.R. (1988). Reproductive success of hand-reared vs. parent-reared cockatiels (Nymphicus Hollandicus). The Auk 105:536-542.

SHEPPARD, C. and TURNER, W. (1987). Handrearing Palm Cockatoos. AAZPA Annual Proceedings pp. 270-278.

SILVA, T. (1989). A monograph of endangered parrots. Hand-rearing. Silvio Mattacchione and Co., Pickering, Ontario, pp 23-26.

SMITH, G. A. (1985). Problems encountered in hand-rearing parrots. In: Cage and Aviary Bird Medicine Seminar, Australian Veterinary Poultry Association. pp 71-77.

SMITH, R.E. (1986). Psittacine beak and feather disease: a cluster of cases in a cockatoo breeding facility. Proceedings Association of Avian Veterinarians pp 17-20.

STODDARD, H.L. (1988). Avian Pediatric Seminar. Avian Pediatric Seminar Proceedings (Supplement) pp 1-19.

TAKESHITA, D.L., GRAHAM, L. and SILVERMAN, S. (1986). Hypervitaminosis D in baby macaws. Proceedings Association of Avian Veterinarians pp 341-346.

THOMPSON, D.R. AND BARBER, L. (1983). Successful techniques for hand raising young psittacine birds. Proceedings of the Jean Delacour/ IFCB Symposium on Breeding Birds in Captivity, pp 171-178.

By Mark Hagen, M. Ag.
Director of Research

How To Take Care of A Baby Parrot (from Hatchling To Juvenile)

(Last Updated On: March 13, 2023)

Caring for baby parrots (chicks) requires knowledge, patience, and consistency. Ideally, baby parrots should be weaned by their parents to reduce the risk of health and behavioral problems.

Some wild parrots, like macaws, care for their young for about 12 months, teaching them survival skills, such as learning to fly and feed independently.

Parrots learn to fly (fledge) before weaning, where they develop the necessary skills to find and eat food. During the weaning process, baby parrots will transition from crop milk (or formula) to solid foods.

Adults hold their young in position with their feet and beaks to assist with weaning. So, you can replicate this process by finger-feeding baby parrots moist and warm food, such as cooked carrots and yams.

If feeding is withdrawn prematurely (known as force-weaning), behavioral and health problems can arise. This can lead to stress-related sickness, hyperresponsivity, and highly-strung behavior.

Parrot Growth Stages

There are 5 development stages of a baby parrot’s growth:

Neonate (hatchling).
Nestling.
Fledgling.
Weanling.
Juvenile (pre-adolescent).

Neonate

During the first stage of life, newly-hatched parrots (hatchlings) are born with closed eyes. They’re also naked, blind, and deaf, so they rely on their owners.

In the wild, hatchlings are fed food that their parents regurgitate. Without a mother and father, owners must give chicks a special hand-rearing formula through a syringe.

Nestling

When the baby parrot reaches the nestling stage, it opens its eyes but remains dependent on its owners.

Imprinting occurs during stage 2. When the chick first opens its eyes, it bonds deeply with its parents. If another parrot isn’t present, the baby parrot will imprint on its human owner.

This stage is vital for development because it needs visual, touch, and sound stimulation.

Fledgling

The fledgling stage is when a parrot learns how to fly.

Some parrots start to lose weight as they’re more preoccupied with flying than eating. As a result, they’re dependent on their parents (or owners) for food.

Weanling

In the weanling stage, parrots consume solid foods independently. Weaning parrots learn to forage and develop skills, enabling them to care for themselves.

Juvenile

Parrots become pre-adolescent and can fend for themselves. They’ll eat solid foods without the need for formula. They’ll be independent of their parents but won’t have reached sexual maturity yet.

Juvenile parrots won’t have their full adult color at this stage, which develops after the molting season.

The parrot should be at least 8 to 12 weeks old before it’s given a new home.

What Do You Feed Baby Parrots?

Hagen Avicultural Research Institute artificially incubated psittacine eggs, and babies without parents were hand-fed for 3-5 months.

To do this, mix a hand-rearing formula in boiled water that had time to cool. Stir out all the lumps and bumps to form a smooth, thickened mixture.

When hand-feeding baby parrots, the temperature of the food must be below 45°C before feeding; if the food is under 40°C, there’s a risk of it fermenting and causing infection.

However, most chicks will be cared for by their parents during their initial life stages.

Once the parrot has reached the weaning stage, it needs these foods:

Soaked and sprouted seeds.
Cooked sweet corn kernels.
Soft vegetables.
Fresh fruits.
A selection of greens, including chickweed and dandelion leaves.

It takes a while for a baby parrot’s digestive system to become robust enough to cope with dried seeds and pellets. However, leaving a small dish of pellets for parrots to forage through is safe.

Baby parrots shouldn’t be given water as they can drown.

They receive sufficient hydration through regurgitated foods and hand-rearing formula, so they only need water bowls once they move onto solid foods at about 4 weeks old.

Baby Parrot Feeding Schedule

According to VCA Hospitals, the amount and how often you feed a baby parrot is age and growth rate-dependent. Young birds need regular feeding and eat more often than older birds.

The following guidelines set out how much food the average baby parrot needs. All feeding should be carried out between 6 am and midnight:

1-2 weeks: Feed 6-10 times daily, every 2-3 hours.
2-3 weeks: Feed 5-6 times daily, every 3-4 hours.
3-4 weeks: Feed 4-5 times daily, every 4 hours. The bird can be put into a cage with a low perch and a shallow water bowl at four weeks old.
5-6 weeks: Feed twice daily. Soft seeds, fruits, vegetables, and pellets can be added to the cage.
7 weeks: Place the bird in a large cage with pellets in cups scattered across the floor.
8 weeks: The weaning process should be over. Then, provide nutritionally complete pellets.

After feeding, examine the crop. While the bird has few feathers, you can see if the crop is full. However, an examination using the thumb and index finger enables you to check the crop’s fullness.

Healthy parrots should respond well to every feed, and the crop should empty between feedings. They should also produce regular droppings.

How To Keep A Baby Parrot Warm

When a parrot is old enough to live in a cage, the ideal temperature is 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures below 40 degrees are dangerous for birds, leading to health problems.

Similarly, temperatures above 85 degrees cause heat stress, and parrots also need appropriate ventilation to remain cool and comfortable.

Keeping young chicks warm is more complicated, as the slightest temperature change can be life-threatening. Without parents, you must provide the baby parrot warmth to ensure it survives.

To keep a baby parrot warm, follow these steps:

Make A Brooder

You’ll need a container for a baby parrot to live in. You can get a commercial brooder or make one with a plastic container. Opt for metals or plastics that are easy to sanitize.

Choose a brooder that allows a baby parrot to move about as it grows and develops.

Fill It with Substrate

Cover the floor of the container with a substrate. Small parrots do well with folded-up newspaper on the bottom of the brooder, but you can use paper towels.

Avoid wood shavings or cat litter, as curious chicks will eat it.

Heat The Brooder

If you’re using a commercial brooder, it’ll already have a thermostatically controlled heating function.

If you’ve made your own, line it with a heat mat. Ensure the chosen heat source has a thermostat so you can adjust the temperature.

You can also use a desk lamp over the brooder, which uses a red bulb that won’t disturb the chicks. The temperature inside the brooder should be:

1-5 days: 96°F.
Days 5-10: 95°F.
From 10 days until they’ve developed some feathers: 91°F.
When they’ve most of their down feathers: 84-89^°F.
When the wings and head are mostly covered by feathers: 78-82^°F.

Once the chick reaches 3 to 4 weeks of age, it can regulate its body temperature.

At this stage, you can remove the heat source. To keep a baby parrot warm, ensure the room’s maintained at the right temperature.

Do Baby Parrots Sleep A Lot?

The majority of parrots are either tropical or subtropical.

They live near the equator, which gets 12 hours of darkness each night. So, parrots are awake from sunrise to sunset and need between 10 to 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each day.

Baby birds need more sleep (up to 20 hours) due to growth and development. Although it’s hard to know how often they’ll sleep, chicks will rest as much as they need to.

It’s not uncommon for baby parrots to only wake up when fed, sleeping at all other times of the day.

How To Set Up A Parrot Cage

Parrots live in cages from around the age of 7 weeks. As they’re still growing, selecting a cage that’ll provide enough room for them to be comfortable when fully grown is important.

Follow the cage setup advice below to get started:

Bar Spacing

Parrots can get their heads stuck or escape from cages if the bars are set too far apart.

Small parrots, like budgerigars and parrotlets, need bars spaced 1/4″ to 1/2″ inch apart.
Medium-sized birds, like cockatiels and Senegals, need bars spaced 1/2″ to 5/8″ inch apart.
Large parrots, like Amazons and Macaws, need 1 to 1.5″ inches between the bars.

Find a cage that allows a parrot to roam freely without too much restriction.

Perches

Parrots are always on their feet, even while sleeping. Therefore, perches are an essential part of the cage’s setup. In the wild, trees and branches provide resting spots of all shapes, sizes, and widths.

Allowing a parrot to adjust its feet to the widths of the perches ensures it stays supple and flexible, preventing health problems like bumblefoot (pododermatitis) later.

Rope perches can be adapted to fit the cage. Also, add a Pedi perch to the cage for a couple of days per week so the parrot can keep its claws filed down to a comfortable length.

When adding perches to the cage, space them out to provide options. Parrots prefer high perches and tend to ignore all others in the cage.

Food and Water Bowls

Most cages have at least 1 food and 1 water tray. However, with trays that rest on the bottom of the cage, parrots drop their food. So, adding a couple of upright feeders to the cage is a good idea.

Substrate

Line the bottom with a substrate like newspaper or paper towels to make cleaning a parrot’s cage easier.

How To Train A Baby Parrot

You’ll need to perform training to get a parrot accustomed to your presence and promote positive behavior. To successfully train a baby parrot, follow these steps:

Start Handling The Parrot

A parrot will need to become comfortable with you touching and holding it.

Always stand above the parrot so that it knows you’re in control. Then, encourage it to move onto your finger by placing it against its lower breast. You can begin to add commands such as “step up.”

When the parrot does what you want, reward it with a treat to reinforce the message.

Once you become comfortable around each other, practice laddering with your hands, which involves moving your hand to a higher position while encouraging the parrot to step up onto it.

Don’t Overfeed Treats

If you feed your parrot treats too often, it won’t associate them with training. There’s too much potential for over-feeding, and your bird may reject its regular food.

Discourage Biting

Parrots shouldn’t be allowed to bite or behave aggressively. Biting differs from a gentle nibble, where the parrot will use its tongue to touch your skin.

Also, many parrots use their beaks to balance and may use human hands to coordinate themselves. If the parrot moves toward your hand, don’t assume it’ll bite, or it may become nervous.

Don’t shout at the bird if you get nipped. Instead, remain calm and say “no” firmly, placing your hand (palm facing forwards) in front of the parrot’s face as a stop gesture.

If the parrot bites and refuses to let you go, blow on it with a sharp puff of air to make it release. Then, place it back in its cage without a treat.

How To Entertain A Baby Parrot

As parrots spend a significant amount of time in their cage, you must provide entertainment and enrichment to keep them mentally and physically healthy.

There’s plenty you can do to keep a parrot occupied, including:

Toys

The first stages of a parrot’s life are crucial to its environmental awareness and development. The bird could develop behavioral problems if it isn’t nurtured. This can be avoided with the following:

Puzzles.
Toilet paper for parrots to shred.
Paper sticks.
Chewable objects.
Ladders.
Preening rope.
Bangles.
Building blocks.

Regularly rotate the toys and games to keep the parrot alert and entertained.

Exercises

Let the parrot out of the cage daily for a change of scenery.

Parrots that spend too much time in their cage may become withdrawn and reclusive. Allow them to walk around the house to stretch their legs and wings.

Assign time each day to interact, which will help you form a lasting bond with the parrot.

Parrot Playlist

Create a music playlist for the parrot to listen to when you need to leave the house.

Current Biology confirms that parrots can process the sound of music. They also spontaneously move to music, meaning they can dance. A study by Dr. Franck Péron found that Parrots seem to enjoy:

Pop music.
Rock music.
Folk music.
Classical music.

Avoid high-tempo electronic dance music because it leads t distress.

Signs A Baby Parrot Is Sick

Wild parrots avoid showing signs of sickness. Sick birds are the first to be attacked by predators if they sense the parrot is weak and easy to kill. As a result, it’s hard to tell when chicks are unwell.

That said, many symptoms indicate when a parrot is sick:

Poor feather quality.
Unusually fluffed feathers.
Changes in appetite or eating habits.
Changes to drinking habits; drinking more or less often.
Weakness and lethargy.
The crop isn’t emptying.
The crop isn’t getting full.
Vomiting.
Drooped wings.
Refusal to move.
Increased sleeping.
Inactivity.
Depression.
Bleeding or signs of injury.

If you notice one or more of these affecting the baby parrot, take them to an avian vet.

When Can Baby Parrots Leave Their Mother?

In captivity, baby parrots are normally ready to leave their mothers at around 7 to 8 weeks of age. Once a chick hatches, it matures quickly and, once weaned, is ready to leave the nest at around 8 weeks old.

Some breeders prefer to wait until 12 weeks before allowing a baby parrot to go to its new home.

Why Is My Baby Parrot Shaking?

Baby parrots shake and shiver when cold, scared, excited, or sick.

The most common reasons why a baby parrot would shake include the following:

Cold

Baby parrots must be housed in temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The baby parrot will shiver to generate heat if the room is too cold.

A parrot shakes after having a bath. A parrot’s muscles contract involuntarily to generate heat and keep it warm. As soon as the parrot is warm, it’ll stop shivering.

Hot

The parrot will lift and shake its feathers to move cold air around its body to cool itself down. It isn’t technically shivering, but it appears that way.

Scared or Stressed

After moving the baby parrot to its new home, it might shake out of nervousness or stress, especially when it’s away from its mother for the first time.

Birds are sensitive to their environments, meaning small changes can unsettle them. Speak gently and move slowly to avoid frightening it further.

Unwell

Baby parrots hide their sickness, so it’s difficult to determine whether they’re unwell. Parrots can’t tell us when they’re ill and rely on us to pick up on it through their behavior and body language.

My Baby Parrot Is Scared of Me

Understandably, baby parrots take a while to adjust, especially after moving to a new environment.

As prey animals, they’re hardwired to fear their surroundings until they know you don’t pose a threat. Until that time, they’ll be wary and fearful of you.

Some parrots don’t enjoy being handled and never will. Attempting to win a parrot’s trust by touching it more often is unlikely to help and will only make it more scared when you’re nearby.

However, baby parrots can adjust to your presence if you avoid the following:

Don’t make loud noises.
Let it live in a quiet, neutral room.
Don’t handle them too often.
Keep other pets away.
Avoid disturbing them while sleeping.

Over time and with care and attention, a baby parrot should start to trust you, allowing you to begin building a bond with your new pet.

Feeding a parrot

Buying a parrot as a pet is a big responsibility. In case of improper care, the chick will constantly get sick, slowly losing vitality. Making the right diet is the main point that needs to be constantly given due attention.

Grain mixture is the main component of nutrition

On the shelves of the pet store you can find many packages of ready-made food for different types of parrots: large, medium and small. In addition to grains, they also often contain dried fruit pieces, nuts, and mineral supplements.

In order to have a balanced diet, you should not trust manufacturers too much and buy food only for a certain type of parrot. The best option is to mix the food yourself, making the food more varied. It would also be useful to add inedible components, such as sawdust and shavings, cone husks, cardboard pieces, which will provide the necessary load on the beak and brain received by the parrot while sorting the contents of the feeder.

When buying, pay attention to the packaging date and expiry date. It is worth giving preference to feed packed in plastic sealed containers. In case of improper storage of the grain mixture in cardboard packaging, it quickly deteriorates and subsequently negatively affects the health of the parrot.

Vegetables and fruits are a source of useful vitamins

If the daily diet consists only of grain, then the parrot can become lethargic and constantly exposed to various diseases. Therefore, from the first day after the purchase, the chick must be taught to vegetables and fruits. Over time, the feathered pet will choose its favorite treats for itself and will eat them with great pleasure.

It is worth remembering a short list of foods that should not be given to parrots: avocado, papaya, mango, potatoes, herbs.

If there is a baby in the house for whom baby fruit and vegetable puree is periodically bought, the rest of the servings can be given to the parrot. Puree will be a tasty and healthy treat, especially in winter, when fortified vegetables and fruits cost a lot of money on store shelves.

Other foods that are not harmful to the health of parrots

You can also include the following food in the diet, which should please the feathered pet:

√ Germinated grains of wheat, oats, beans, lentils, alfalfa.
√ Pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, pine nuts or walnuts.
√ Dairy products with a fat content of not more than 3%. The exception is milk, cream and sour cream, which cannot be given to the chick.
√ Boiled quail or chicken egg.
√ Buckwheat, barley, wheat or rice porridge boiled in water without added sugar or salt.
√ Fresh branches of trees and shrubs.

The above list of foods (except branches from trees) can only be given in limited quantities once every few weeks.

Before filling the feeders with fresh food, they must first be cleaned, rinsed with water and dried. Also, do not forget to fill the drinking bowl with fresh water every day.

How to feed a parrot

Before buying a feathered companion, familiarize yourself with what to feed your parrot. Of course, the simplest method is to simply purchase food designed specifically for your type of pet. But even purchased food will not be able to fully satisfy the needs of the bird. Don't forget vitamins, minerals, supplements, and natural foods. This will help to avoid many health problems for the chick.

Contents

1 What you can and can not feed your pet parrot
2 What to feed your pet parrots
- 2.1 What to feed your budgerigar
- 2.2 What to feed your cockatiel 9047
- feed the parrot
- 4 What do not feed parrots
- 5 What do parrots feed their chicks?
- 6
Do's and Don'ts of Feeding Your Pet Parrot

It's not just your feathered babbler that can have metabolic problems. But serious complications in the work of the digestive, cardiac systems, the feather cover suffers. The beak, the scales on the paws, the eyes - everything changes due to improper nutrition. That's why it's important to know what to feed your parrot to keep it healthy.

What to feed pet parrots
What to feed a parrot
What to feed a budgerigar

Budgerigars are the most popular among all chirping birds that live at home. Therefore, it is not difficult to purchase food for them in a pet store. Everything rests only on the capabilities of your wallet and depends on your preferences (perhaps some kind of firm is well-known). It is very important to study the composition. The feed should contain not only cereals and grains, but also pieces of fruits and vegetables. Over time, through trial and error, you will find the best option for your budgerigar. Not only the composition is important, but also the storage conditions. Even the most high-quality and healthy food will become not only useless, but also dangerous to the health of the budgerigar if it was stored in inappropriate conditions. Before feeding your budgerigar, inspect the grains and pieces of fruit. They should not be damp, smelly or moldy. Watch your pet's reaction to a particular food. The one that will remain does not like your parrot. And the one that will be eaten completely, of course, to the liking of your chick.
Food should be not only tasty, but also useful
What else can you feed budgerigars? Food, of course, is good. However, birds also need fresh food - fruits and vegetables. Smaller pieces can be pushed between the rods. Many owners do not even know what to feed a parrot other than food and fruit. You can supplement the grain mixture with sprouted grains. Pay attention to the fact that your pet's diet includes nuts, dried fruits, seeds, but not often and a little. These products are fatty, the liver can not cope. From fruits and berries in the diet, you can use apples, pears, cherries, peaches, cherries, plums and apricots. Just remove the bones. And as vegetable supplements, use kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, turnips, beans, beets, cauliflower. It is only advisable to pour over boiling water, and hold it for five minutes. Absolutely raw should not be given, and you can not cook for a long time. Otherwise, the vitamins will be destroyed.
A well-fed parrot is a satisfied parrot
How to feed a young parrot so that it grows strong and healthy? Boiled chicken or quail egg. Only a little and extremely rarely - once a week. It's still heavy food. Adult chirpers do not have to add eggs to the menu, but there are individuals who adore it. So let's go once every couple of weeks.

How to feed a cockatiel

The general diet for birds is the same for all types of parrots. Therefore, you should not be afraid of the question of how to feed a cockatiel parrot. The menu is practically the same as that used for budgies. You can give children's vegetable / fruit purees. Just carefully study the composition. No meat, fish, sugar, cream or other prohibited foods.

How to feed a parrot

Now you know how to feed your pet parrots. It remains to figure out how to do it correctly. Birds have an accelerated metabolism, so the feeling of hunger returns to them very quickly. As a recommendation, leave the entire daily portion in the feeder. The parrot will decide for itself when to peck, and when to chirp provocatively and mimic you. However, learn the golden rule, which applies not only to birds, but to all animals that you will ever have. Only fresh food should be used as feed, which has not deteriorated, is not expired, has not been stored in the wrong conditions. Remember that the quality of the food should be such that you are not afraid to eat it. Spoiled food will lead to illness, and maybe even to the death of the bird (and any other pet).
It is extremely important for a parrot to get all the vitamins and minerals
Do not leave your parrot for a long time without food (no more than 3 hours) and water. Always keep the feeders and their contents clean. Although the parrot will not shit where it eats, nevertheless make it a rule to wash thoroughly daily (without the use of chemical detergents) both the drinker and the feeder. Try to eat and give at the same time. Let the feathered pet develop a conditioned reflex due to some ritual that you perform before feeding. Perhaps you will call the parrot by name, rattle a box of food, hum something. It doesn't matter, as long as it's on schedule so as not to upset the bird's biological clock.

What not to feed parrots
No matter how your twitterer asks, do not treat him with prohibited foods
It is important to know not only what you can feed a parrot, but also what is strictly prohibited. The list of products that are contraindicated for poultry includes exotic fruits (such as mango, papaya, avocado, citrus), spices and fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill, basil and others), some vegetables (potatoes, garlic, onions) . Birds should not be fed meat, fish and milk. Feathered pets are herbivores, not predators. Their digestive system cannot cope with the digestion of animal proteins, there are no such enzymes. Some ornithologists still allow parrots to be given a small amount of low-fat cottage cheese, fermented baked milk and kefir once a week.
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