Rejected baby Lovebird

[lubyloo]

Hi everyone! :)

This is my first post on this forum and the first time I'm taking care of a lovebird!

A little back-story:
My husband's dad has many lovebirds that live in a huge birdcage in their backyard. They have toys and little birdhouses they live in, and have multiplied over the years! Until now, the parents have always taken care of their little ones and we never see the babies until they are old enough to come out of their birdhouse and flap around. About two days ago, we noticed one of these little birds on the bottom of the cage. It looked sickly and it seemed that it was thrown from his house and his feathers were being plucked out by the other birds. We tried to separate the rest of the birds to see if the mama would come take care of him, but he was trying to hide and run away from everyone. He clearly seemed to be deteriorating and I couldn't handle it anymore so did some quick research on how to take care of a baby lovebird. I set up a quick "brooder" with a heating pad under half of a tub, with some padding and paper towels inside and picked up some formula from my local pet store that I've been feeding him through a syringe.

Here are some pictures of the little guy, whom we have named Frodo (I don't know how to tell a male from a female bird):
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/luby_loo/20140713_111442_zps15d1dc4c.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/luby_loo/20140713_111639_zpsfbcd381e.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/luby_loo/20140713_111625_zps95191f5b.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/luby_loo/20140713_111712_zpsa92f6d61.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/luby_loo/20140713_112823_zps454aa8fa.jpg

The last picture he is snuggling close and sleeping! Isn't he so adorable? We are in love! <3

So I have a few questions; if anyone can help me with an answer, I would really appreciate it! :)
1) Does anyone have any idea how old Frodo is, by looking at the pictures?
2) He takes anywhere from 1-2 ml, per feeding every three hours. His crop gets full nicely and he's pooping regularly. Should he be taking more/less, more often/less often?
3) He feels a little prickly from his "injuries" from the other birds. Do I need to do anything to help his feathers heal, or will it do it on his own?
4) When I feed him, he needs coaxing to open his mouth. Does this mean he isn't hungry?
5) He doesn't flap his wings and run around. He kind of stays where I put him in his brooder and he will cuddle up to a stuffed toy snake I've put in there. Is this normal?
6) When my husband or I hold him close, he starts vibrating. I don't know if it means he is scared or cold.....or? I've had cats before and they purr and vibrate when happy so is this the same?
7) I feel so terrible that he is by himself and none of the other birds are accepting him. When we hold Frodo, he snuggles in as close to us as he can get, which we love! How often a day should I hold him so he can receive touch and comfort?
8 ) Lastly, when he is standing still, he has what looks like shallow, short breathing. Is this something to be concerned about? Please see the video attached:

http://vid102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/luby_loo/20140713_115614_zpsf41c03e2.mp4


Thank you so much for any and all help you can offer! This is my first time ever taking care of a bird, and although many people don't recommend taking care of a baby when you have no experience, I couldn't just let the little guy die. :( I hope to make him a close friend and another member of my family!

[Mummieeva]

Others will come and give more advice. But I can help a little.


3) He feels a little prickly from his "injuries" from the other birds. Do I need to do anything to help his feathers heal, or will it do it on his own?

He is prickly because of the new feathers he is getting. As long as no bleeding which i do not see he should be ok.


5) He doesn't flap his wings and run around. He kind of stays where I put him in his brooder and he will cuddle up to a stuffed toy snake I've put in there. Is this normal?

This is normal as he is still getting use to his environment. Adding the stuffed toy was a very good thing to so. As he gets use to things he will get more active.


7) I feel so terrible that he is by himself and none of the other birds are accepting him. When we hold Frodo, he snuggles in as close to us as he can get, which we love! How often a day should I hold him so he can receive touch and comfort?

I use to have my baby lovebird out 2-3 times a day and increased it as we both felt was ok. More you have him out more he will get use to you.




I want to say thank you for taking on the huge responsibility of taking this little one in. I hope he grows and thrives. I love the name.:happy:

[linda040899]

Hi and welcome to Lovebirds Plus Community! If nothing else, you will be getting your experience on the fly, so to speak. You came to the right forum. I'm a breeder and I can help you with most, if not all, of your questions.

1) Does anyone have any idea how old Frodo is, by looking at the pictures?
Frodo is just between 4 - 4.5 weeks old. He's got feathering but his tail feathers won't be full length until he's 6 weeks old.

2) He takes anywhere from 1-2 ml, per feeding every three hours. His crop gets full nicely and he's pooping regularly. Should he be taking more/less, more often/less often?
He should be on 4-5 feedings/day, starting at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. He should be eating anywhere from 5-8 ml/feeding. The problem is the temperature of the forumula. I don't know how warm what you are giving him is but eye-ring species, which is what Frodo is, like their food between 107F - 108F. He's not used to eating from a syringe, so he has to learn that, too. It's not natural for him to eat this way, which is why you see the hestitation at the beginning of each feeding. You didn't mention which formula you are using, but if it happens to be Kaytee Exact, please find another brand. I personally, have had problems with Exact, as have many other breeders. Lafeber's Nutristart is good, Zupreem, Harrisons, and Hagan Tropican are all good choices. I was given a couple of babies that were being fed Exact and I immediately got another brand, discontinued one and started the new one. Had I not done that, I would have lost each one of them.

3) He feels a little prickly from his "injuries" from the other birds. Do I need to do anything to help his feathers heal, or will it do it on his own?
You don't have to do anything. I don't see any actual broken skin injuries. The new feathers will come in on their own.

4) When I feed him, he needs coaxing to open his mouth. Does this mean he isn't hungry?
See #2.

5) He doesn't flap his wings and run around. He kind of stays where I put him in his brooder and he will cuddle up to a stuffed toy snake I've put in there. Is this normal?
Very normal. At this age, he's usually in the nest with mom and siblings. He misses them and his stuffed toy is the substitute.

6) When my husband or I hold him close, he starts vibrating. I don't know if it means he is scared or cold.....or? I've had cats before and they purr and vibrate when happy so is this the same?
Lovebirds will vibrate when they are happy. He likes being held, as he is a baby and needs that closeness.

7) I feel so terrible that he is by himself and none of the other birds are accepting him. When we hold Frodo, he snuggles in as close to us as he can get, which we love! How often a day should I hold him so he can receive touch and comfort?
As often and as long as you want. Baby lovebirds are very social and his family is gone. He has a stuffed toy but it doesn't make up for close live contact.

8 ) Lastly, when he is standing still, he has what looks like shallow, short breathing. Is this something to be concerned about? Please see the video attached:
That's simply because he would be in the nest at this age and this is strange for him.

Being a breeder, it's my guess that he probably fell/backed out of the nest rather than being rejected. Other lovebirds simply picked on a baby who was out of his own territory, and they could have done a lot worse! Had you put him back in his nest, he probably would have been fine, but that's just speculation. I've had youngsters find their way out of the nest and some are very persistent! I'd put them back only to find them back out the next day, and they were about the age of yours.

Please feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to supply answers as best as I can. You've got a very cute baby there and he appears to be a Fischer's Lovebird.

[akki]

Hi everyone! :)

whom we have named Frodo (I don't know how to tell a male from a female bird):


The last picture he is snuggling close and sleeping! Isn't he so adorable? We are in love! <3

So I have a few questions; if anyone can help me with an answer, I would really appreciate it! :)
1) Does anyone have any idea how old Frodo is, by looking at the pictures?
2) He takes anywhere from 1-2 ml, per feeding every three hours. His crop gets full nicely and he's pooping regularly. Should he be taking more/less, more often/less often?
3) He feels a little prickly from his "injuries" from the other birds. Do I need to do anything to help his feathers heal, or will it do it on his own?
4) When I feed him, he needs coaxing to open his mouth. Does this mean he isn't hungry?
5) He doesn't flap his wings and run around. He kind of stays where I put him in his brooder and he will cuddle up to a stuffed toy snake I've put in there. Is this normal?
6) When my husband or I hold him close, he starts vibrating. I don't know if it means he is scared or cold.....or? I've had cats before and they purr and vibrate when happy so is this the same?
7) I feel so terrible that he is by himself and none of the other birds are accepting him. When we hold Frodo, he snuggles in as close to us as he can get, which we love! How often a day should I hold him so he can receive touch and comfort?
8 ) Lastly, when he is standing still, he has what looks like shallow, short breathing. Is this something to be concerned about? Please see the video attached:

http://vid102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/luby_loo/20140713_115614_zpsf41c03e2.mp4



Well done on taking this poor fellow home!!

You can't tell male from female, you need a DNA test for that :)

1. I guess about 3-4 weeks, his tail feathers are really short still. He's been badly plucked, so it's hard to say.
2. It's important to let the crop get emptied very well, otherwise the food leftovers might get bad and his crop might get infected. He should start chirping from hunger and get fed immediately. The time interval is about right for this age. Check his weight progression, he should be gaining 1-2 grams per day, till he reaches adult weight (about 50g). If he doesn't gain enough weight, you might want to consider adding some digestive enzymes (I swear by Harrison's) to his formula.
3. No, not really, just leave them as they are, but keep a close watch on the healing and possible infections. If he is scratching or picking on his wounds, I would consider a collar. Discuss this with your vet, if it happens. It could be devastating if feather picking and self mutilating becomes a habit.
4. When my birds had babies, I didn't do much of the feedings - parents did. But once in a while, if I hear them hungry, I would feed them just to socialize. And yeah, you kind of need to encourage them to eat. His crop will tell you if it's time to eat or not. Once they start, they keep eating and will tell you when to stop.
5. He is still a baby, open field still scares him. The best thing is to set up a dark corner in his brooder (well done on the heating pad!!), so that he can hide somewhere (and he will). Usually lovebird babies leave the nest at about 6 weeks of age. For setting up a playground for my babies, I used a top of the plastic bird bath and covered it with towel to feel soft and make it dark.
6. Vibrating means that he likes it :)
7. As much as you like, but keep him warm (check his feet). If you are sitting, you can let him snuggle under your sweater. They love it!
8. I am not really an expert on psychology of the birds, but he looks a bit anxious. If you give him a warm dark place to hide, he should get more relaxed. Other birds would be ideal, but most probably they would pick on him, so he is safer with you guys!

[lubyloo]

Linda, thank you so much for your informative and speedy response! :)


He should be on 4-5 feedings/day, starting at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. He should be eating anywhere from 5-8 ml/feeding. The problem is the temperature of the forumula. I don't know how warm what you are giving him is but eye-ring species, which is what Frodo is, like their food between 107F - 108F. He's not used to eating from a syringe, so he has to learn that, too. It's not natural for him to eat this way, which is why you see the hestitation at the beginning of each feeding. You didn't mention which formula you are using, but if it happens to be Kaytee Exact, please find another brand. I personally, have had problems with Exact, as have many other breeders. Lafeber's Nutristart is good, Zupreem, Harrisons, and Hagan Tropican are all good choices. I was given a couple of babies that were being fed Exact and I immediately got another brand, discontinued one and started the new one. Had I not done that, I would have lost each one of them.

Phew, Frodo is on Lafeber's Nutristart! However, it seems he isn't taking enough because the food is not warm enough - I had read elsewhere that temperature was supposed to be 100 - 101, but I also didn't know his exact species! Thank you for letting me know! I will try again in a few hours for his next feeding and update you!


Being a breeder, it's my guess that he probably fell/backed out of the nest rather than being rejected. Other lovebirds simply picked on a baby who was out of his own territory, and they could have done a lot worse! Had you put him back in his nest, he probably would have been fine, but that's just speculation. I've had youngsters find their way out of the nest and some are very persistent! I'd put them back only to find them back out the next day, and they were about the age of yours.
Oh, I understand! Our birdhouses in the giant cage/aviary are covered with only a hole for the birds to enter/exit. Since we don't see the babies at all until they come out, I have no idea which house he fell/was pushed from! Would you think it wise to get him back on his feet and weaned and then introduce him back to the other birds? None of the other birds come to us at all or let us touch them, but are used to us filling up their food and water. We are liking the idea of having a bird that we can hold and touch. What are your thoughts?


No, not really, just leave them as they are, but keep a close watch on the healing and possible infections. If he is scratching or picking on his wounds, I would consider a collar. Discuss this with your vet, if it happens. It could be devastating if feather picking and self mutilating becomes a habit.
Hi, akki! Thanks for the response! Yikes, I will definitely keep an eye on his wounds! So far I have seen him preening (?) and I haven't seen any feathers anywhere so hopefully that's a good sign! :)


He is still a baby, open field still scares him. The best thing is to set up a dark corner in his brooder (well done on the heating pad!!), so that he can hide somewhere (and he will). Usually lovebird babies leave the nest at about 6 weeks of age. For setting up a playground for my babies, I used a top of the plastic bird bath and covered it with towel to feel soft and make it dark.
This is an awesome suggestion! On the tub, I covered the half above the heating pad with a towel so it's dark and warm and his stuffies are underneath for him to cuddle with.

Here is a picture I took just before I added a towel across the top half:
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/luby_loo/20140713_123558_zps311c909a.jpg
Right now he is on my kitchen counter so my kids can look at him but not touch him, and I am able to keep an eye on him as well. Is this a good place for him for the time being or should I move him to our office space upstairs that no one really goes in? Things do get a little noise in the day with the kids home for the summer.

I just checked on him and he has finally showed some moving around and looks like he is cleaning himself! I have added a little container of water just in case he gets thirsty and I am also cleaning him with a warm cloth after I feed him.

Is there anything else I should be doing or should be aware of? Thanks a lot!

[akki]

I still find it amazing how they find a furthest corner of their nest (brooder in his case) and just sleep like that with their beaks up :hug: its just so cute!

Preening is totally fine and as long as feathers are coming out and no new empty spots are appearing, this fellow is going to be totally fine!!

I think he is fine on a kitchen counter as long as he is far from the teflon humes (they are toxic to lovebirds). So it's a good idea to remove him when you are cooking. But noise is totally fine, it's not particularly quiet in the nest either :D as long as his privacy and darkness is maintained. He will get more and more curious and will be peaking out underneath his towel :)

As for water, I don't remember exactly then they start drinking, but I thought they start doing it when they start eating solid food, and also that is the age when they start bathing, which is about 6-7 weeks. So for now he won't be drinking I guess, as he gets his water with the formula. But maybe Linda can verify this one? But humidity in the brooder is important (it should be 55-75%), so you might want to leave that dish with water for this purpose.

[linda040899]

The crop of a hand fed baby lovebird only needs to empty once/day and I let that happen during the night. Lovebirds are not prone to dropped crop as are other species of parrot so if he's chirping for food, by all means, feed him! Just don't feed more than 8 ml at any feeding, even if he wants it. More than 8 ml will stretch the crop too much and make weaning more difficult at the end when the crop needs to shrink.

This baby appears to be a Fischer's Lovebird and they are smaller than Peachfaced. Weight-wise, 45 grams for a Fischer's is good size. To monitor his weight, weigh him every morning before you feed him. That's his true weight with nothing else added. Formula has weight value, as do droppings!

[linda040899]

Would you think it wise to get him back on his feet and weaned and then introduce him back to the other birds?
Once he's been removed from a flight aviary, he's an outsider. Each pair/family has their own area/territory but this one is a complete stranger now. Being hand fed/human handled, he is now a pet and you will most likely letting him steal your heart so completely that you won't want to put him back in the flight! :lol

[akki]

you will most likely letting him steal your heart so completely that you won't want to put him back in the flight! :lol

Indeed, there is no way out :whistle::rotfl once infected with lovebird fever, will stay like this forever :rotfl