Baby Hand Raised Budgie

[Guadalupe 0]

I was given a baby budgie who I was told was eating plenty of seed but also receiving one formula feed a day. I was told he/she would be right without the formula feed.

 

We had it for 2 days and It started to get sleepy and begging for food and had an empty crop. I got some formula and it absolutely gorged itself. I have given it a formula feed today at 11am and then at about 5pm and its crop emptied in between. It does preen itself, but seems to sleep for 95% of the day. Is this okay? How often should I feed it? I was thinking of feeding it when it had an empty crop at least until it was more active? It is fully feathered.

[robyn 0]

Sounds like it was not ready to leave nest, or if it was hand raised, not yet weaned. I'd say you would have to continue hand rearing formula, until you see it gradually eating more seed, enough for it to start refusing formula. I have never hand reared any myself but I'd say it would call for food if it's hungry, if no,t I'm sure there is a post on here on hand rearing. If you go to F.A.Q. you could find that to give you a heads up on what to do. Hope this helps.

[Guadalupe 0]

It definitely wasn't weaned. It yells and yells and flys at the sides of the cage to get to you for food. I solved the sleepy problem. His cage is in my dining room. My kids are afraid of the dark and insist on having that light on because it shines into all their rooms. I had the cage covered but I guess it wasn't dark enough. Last night I moved the cage to a dark room and still covered it, and today he looks great. He makes noises and flaps his wings (he hasn't really flown yet) and perches etc

[robyn 0]

It's great it lets you know it wants food, makes that problem easier, better than trying to feed an unresponsive bird.

Good luck with it all and post some pics when you get the chance.

[Finnie 0]

Hi, I haven't been able to be on the forum a whole lot lately, so I totally missed this one, sorry. How is your baby bird coming along now?

 

I can't believe they would still be giving it one feeding per day and think that it is fine to just quit at that point! (Although believe me, that's about the stage where I can't stand the thought of mixing up even one more batch of formula!)

 

It's sounds to me like maybe they were force weaning it, and it might not have even been ready for just once a day. If they are allowed to wean at their own pace, they will naturally eat less and less at each meal, until they turn their nose up at that baby food completely.

 

Judging by the date of your post, he's probably weaned all the way by now, huh?