Babies and feeding
From budgies to African greys, hand rearing tips
General Feeding and care
Smaller birds can be trying especially budgies who tend to bite when you get them out to feed, this tops after week 10ish. The way we rear out smaller birds is feed them every hour of their age, so for the first week every hour for 20 hours, formula should always be at around 39 degrees C just over body temperature (this is important as they will not eat if it is to cold and if it is too cold this will cause a fatality), we feed them and watch that their crops are full but not too full. Generally, baby birds should be fed 6-10% of their body weight at each feed. They are tiny at this point and need to be handled very carefully. We keep them in a brooder at body temperature. For graphic instructions go to this page > https://www.wikihow.com/Feed-a-Baby-Budgie
from week 2: feed them every two hours for 20 hours
How to hold them while feeding from week 3: Gently cup your hand around the baby budgie’s body, loosely encircling the base of its neck with your thumb and forefinger. Lift and place the bird on the towel, maintaining a gentle hold throughout the entire feeding process. Touch the tip of the feeding tool to one side of the baby’s beak.
from week 3: feed them every three-four hours for 18 hours
from week 4/5/6: feed them every four-five hours for 18 hours, during this time we move them to a breeding box or tub with a heated pad, if there is more than one they generally keep each other warm too.
from week 7/8: feed them 3 times a day and leave sprigs of millet in the box or cage and slowly introduce seed.
from week 9-10: feed them twice a day if necessary and feed seed and grated carrots or apple.
After 12 weeks, you can try a few other food options but maintain a healthy seed and fresh food ratio.
Large parrot feeding and care
If it is necessary to hand rear larger parrots, I must say it is much easier than the smaller crittens. They tend to be slow eaters and feed in a less frenzied way. This is the routine I used when hand rearing Luna and our other larger parrots, I checked her weight every week at the morning feed (see details below).
from week 1: feed them wet baby bird formula at about 38 degrees C (around body temperature) approximately 1ml will be enough every two hours for 18 hours (leave them overnight so that their crops will empty properly), you can use a syringe or a spoon that is bent up on both sides.
from week 2: they can eat up to 3 mls a feed every two hours for 18 hours. they should weigh around 40-50gms
from week 3: they may eat up to 8mls a feed every 2-3 hours for 18 hours, they should weigh approximatley 50-60gms
from week 4: they can eat up to 10-12mls of formula every 3 hours for the 18 hours and should weigh 100-110gms
from week 5: the eat roughly 20mls now every 4 hours for the 18 hours and will weight up to 180gms, they are more aware and receptive to cuddles from human “moms”
from week 6: they can eat up to 30mls of formula every 4 hours and can weigh up to 260gms, their brooder temperature can be reduced to 20-22 degrees C now.
from week 7: the can eat up to 40 mls and weigh approximatley 350gms, I started chopping the other parrots fruit and veg up in front of Luna at this time and she became curious and started licking and nibbling it. This is the time they will start feathering up.
from week 8: you can move them to a training cage now (we kept a heated pad in the cage incase she got cold, inside a cut up small box, they will feed only 4 times a day not and start reducing to 30-40mls. Start introducing solid food into the cage.
from week 9: they will start wondering about the cage and climbing to the perches, their weigh should be around 450gms
from Week 10: the will now feed 3 times a day and will let you know when they have had enough as they maybe eating the seed/fruit and veg you leave in the cage during the day.
from week 11: they will eat two times a day (some will wean others will go on till 14 weeks) of approximatley 10mls of formula. They will now start sleeping on perches and looking like adult birds.
from week 12:they may start to try flying now.
take the lead from you bird and watch for any changes, good and bad, make sure that you do not feed them formula that is to hot or cold, they will not eat if its too cold and if it is too hot they will develop crop burn, which is generally fatal.
