New baby wont eat

[Therese]

Hi
I just got my new baby Billy Blue. He is about 9 weeks old. I have not seen him eat or drink and does not eat anything I offer him, bananas, grapes, cheese. I also have not seen him drink water. He seems to be very happy especially on his swing and loves to sit on my lap or shoulder and absolutly loves to cuddle up to me and sleep. Shoud I worry? This is day 3 in his new home. He was hand fed and I tried doing that too but he just dosent want to eat. What should I do?
Thanks so much for your help
Therese'

[Janie]

Yes, you should worry if he's not eating. 9 weeks is old enough to be weaned but not guaranteed to be weaned. Did you get him from a retail store or a breeder? Find out what they were feeding him and offer him that. Fresh foods are great but babies are usually weaned to pellets or seeds and then offered fresh foods in addition to that. When I bought my last two (they were 9 1/2 weeks old and had been fully weaned for over a week), the breeder gave me one pound of the seeds (two types) she was feeding them so that they would have their familiar food in their new home. They both were good eaters from day one. I introduced vegetables about the first or second week I had them and they accepted them immediately. You might also try birdie cornbread (in the health and diet section of the forum). Most birds like it and all three of mine, even my older bird who is a picky eater likes it. Not eating for three days is a huge concern. Have you tried millet spray? BTW, none of mine like fruits especially and only one will touch it. If your bird wasn't eating the things you mentioned, it's possible he'd never been fed any of that. Cheese is not recommended or at least only in very small quantities. Please read the Lovebird Resource Library. You will find a list of foods that are good to offer and those that are not.

[Therese]

He is eating the millet. But thats all I see him eat. He is pooping. I got him from a breader and he was separated from his mom. He was in a cage of about 8 other birds. I will call them and find out what he was eating. Should I try to force feed him? Although I have been putting stuff in front of him like the banana and tomatoe's. He still did not want anything. Now I'm starting to worry. I'll call the breader 1st before I panick. Thanks for your reply!

[LauraO]

If he is eating millet then he is eating something, which is a good sign. I always tell folks who take my babies to offer lots of millet the first few days in their new home. For some reason, it's a good adjustment food to make sure they are eating. Of course, this isn't a good long term diet and I would still contact the breeder. It's good to give the baby what he/she has been fed by the breeder as they are used to the food and know what it is. I, too, give tons of food to people I give or sell my babeis too. You might also ask the breeder how long your baby has been weaned to make sure you don't have to feed any formula.

Good Luck

[Therese]

Okay, so I wont freak just yet since he is eating the mellit. I tried to call but they are not in so I will try later. Do babies like to sleep alot too? Last night he fell asleep on my lap and was so content. Is that normal?

[LauraO]

Do babies like to sleep alot too? Last night he fell asleep on my lap and was so content. Is that normal?

Yep! Babies do like to sleep a lot and this is a great time to build a relationship with your little guy. As you look over the board, you will note that lovies go through a lot of changes and hormones their first year so relish these days of cuteness and sleeping in your hand. Soon enough you will look back on these days and wonder where that cute little baby went;) :lol ;) .

[butterfly1061]

Soon enough you will look back on these days and wonder where that cute little baby went;) :lol ;) .
Sssshhhhhh! Laura, you'll give away all the secrets :lol Babies are so much fun. I got my Molly when he was very young and I miss him sleeping cupped in my hand. He also use to sit on my finger and talk to me for what seemed like hours. It was too cute! Enjoy your baby and like Laura said, it's a great time to build your relationship/bond with Billy Blue :D

[mjm8321]

Please don't feed the little one cheese. Dairy is not good for birds as they cannot digest it properly. The baby probably will not touch the grapes , bananas or tomatoes either. You can try small chopped up vegetables like brocolli,corn,carrots, etc.. Once the breeder lets you know what she was feeding whether it be seed mix or pellets or both, offer those. I offer young lovebirds many different dishes of food so everywhere they turn and explore they have food to try. 9 weeks seems kind of young to be weaned and sometimes young birds will regress back to handfeeding. If the baby is eating millet, that is a good sign, but you just want to make sure that he's keeping weight on. Did the breeder say how long the little one had been weaned and eating on his own? I won't send a young bird out to a new home until it's been eating on it's own for a minimum of two weeks.

Young lovebirds do sleep a lot. Lots of peeping, eating, a bit of play and sleep seems to be the normal routine.

[Therese]

When I got him he showed me a mixed food type of stuff. A little of everything in it. He showed me how he hand fed him too. I have tried to hand feed him but he just dosn't want to take anything. He's eating on his cuttle bone too. He has 2 things of water also. Should I asume he knows where they are?

[mjm8321]

The young one most probably knows where the water is and very well might be drinking but not when you are looking. They like to worry us I think. ;)
You might try offering small bowls or little ceramic cups or a small plate of food and/or water on the bottom of the cage. Mine seem to like to wade through the food at that age. If you can find a seed/pellet mix that looks similar to what the breeder had, try some of that. If the little one is eating millet and beaking and eating the cuttlebone, sounds like he/she will try something else also. Do you have any frozen mixed vegetables, peas, corn, etc... in the freezer? Try offering a little bowl of those lightly warmed. Mine adore the corn and have fun squishing the peas after beaking them for a few minutes.

[butterfly1061]

Mine adore the corn and have fun squishing the peas after beaking them for a few minutes.Don't do what I did/do and squish the peas out for them to eat. You'll be doing that for the next 20 years :rolleyes: (Can you say SPOILED?)

[Therese]

Now that is funny.

[linda040899]

Therese,
Just a quick question for you. I'm looking at the photo that you are using for your avatar. That's Billy, correct? Is his beak horn colored, as it appears, or is it actually more amber colored?

He's cute! :)

[Therese]

http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/showthread.php?t=5102&goto=newpost

Here are some more pictures. Yes thats Billy. His beack looks more pink to me like your finger nail bed? Does that make sense?

[linda040899]

Makes perfect sense to me. Now for the reason I asked. Young blue series eye-ring baby lovebirds have amber colored beaks up until they are about 3 - 3.5 months old. At that time, the amber color fades to the color you see now. Billy is actually about a month older that you were told. If I'm correct, he should well be able to eat on his own. He may be very upset because he's never been by himself before.

Have you scheduled a well bird check up for him with your avian vet?

[Therese]

I got him to eat. I had put his dish on the floor of the cage like I was told. I put some food in a dish and hung it right nest to his perch up high and he started to eat away. The only other question I have right now is that he does not chirp or talk. Just a peep now and again. Is this because he is not happy?

[linda040899]

The chirping/noise will come when he's more comfortable with his new situation. Picture yourself in a new city, far from everything/everyone you know and that is how Billy feels. He's used to having other birds around and he will have to acclimate to life with you. Enjoy the quiet while you can! It will change once he settles in.... :)

[snowboardmandy]

I've had lovebirds in the past (adult) and just got my first baby bird 2 1/2 weeks ago (a green cheek conure). I've noticed a lot of the things you mentioned with my new baby, too. He likes to sleep a LOT and gets grouchy if he's away from his cage for too long without a snooze (he gets so busy when he's out that he forgets to eat/drink/sleep so I have to take him back to his cage at least every hour or so). He was SOO quiet the first week, just yesterday he realized just how loud his lil conure voice can be and so now he's NOT so quiet anymore!! Does your baby have a cozy or happy hut? Mine just loooves the tent that his breeder made for him, loves the security of sleeping and resting in it, as well as chewing on it. My breeder did a great job introducing him to all sorts of new foods, but if I offer him something he's never seen before, he won't touch it until he sees me try some of it. If you ask me, babies are just the best :) The other lovebirds I had were both "rescues" of sorts, and I was never able to break them of their bad habits, even though I know I gave them a better life. Arwen NEVER ate anything but seed the entire time I had her, no matter what I tried. That was all she had ever had for 3 years before she came to me. At least with babies, you know you can start off on the right foot...

[Therese]

Well that's good to hear. I guess he will start the chirping soon enough. It's funny because everone told me to put the dish on the bootm of the cage but no...he wanted it up high. Go figure. I still have not seen him drink water so that worries me. But then aren't all us new mothers nervous. I had a Peachface 25 years ago and he was just the best bird ever. My baby (at the time, she is now 26) used to play with a spoon with him and he loved it. He got out once so I just got my baby and a spoon and he swooped down to her to play with the spoon. Got my bird back. Anyway, seems this little guy is going to be just as sweet as the other. He loves to cuddle and sleep on my lap so I cant wait to sit down for the night so we can cuddle. Thank god for this forum. It has helped me through another day...Thanks to all!

[Janie]

Please don't feed the little one cheese. Dairy is not good for birds as they cannot digest it properly. The baby probably will not touch the grapes , bananas or tomatoes either

Thanks for that clarification, MJ. I remember reading that dairy is not good for them but that cheese in very small amounts is OK but if I read "small amounts" I avoid it altogether. I've never heard of a lovie eating a tomato. I know that some will eat grapes that have been cut in fourths and we all know that Miss Gracie loves her nanners but not many do.

Therese, I am very happy to hear that he is eating and I agree with the comments that this is a new home for him and he's got to be somewhat freaked out, alone for the first time. When I got my two they were comfortable because they still had each other and that makes a huge difference. It did take them several weeks to feel totally comfortable with me even though they were hand fed and very tame. It just takes time for a bird to adjust to a new home, cage and family. I would still do my best to get in touch with that breeder to find out what type seed she was using. Also, I'd ask for the hatch date as most breeders do keep those records. Linda mentioned an avian vet check and that is very important. I took mine the day after I got them. It gives the vet valuable information to compare back to when you make a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. visit. Even with a healthy bird, a yearly check up is advised. Just like you'd do with a dog or cat. If you don't know of an avian vet you can find ones in your area in the Resource Library by adding your state and doing a search or you can also ask the breeder what vet she uses for her flock.

I agree that it's sometimes hard to catch them taking a drink but one way to make them curious is to splash your hands (wash them first, :D) in the water dish and Billy will hear that noise and that might make him want to investigate. That is the way I get mine to bathe is to offer a shallow bowl, larger than their water bowl and splash my finger in that. All three come running! :D

[Therese]

Thanks for all the info. I have been with him all day and still have not seen him drink. I just put the water up by his perch the way I did with his food to see if that makes a difference. I did what you said and splased in the dish but he was not very impressed. Today was my 1st full day with him so at least I got to see him eat. If I can just see him drink I will relax a little more. As for the food, he is thowing stuff out he does not want and then eating the rest. This has been going on for about 3 hours now so I'm not worried about the eating part anymore. Yes I have an appt for him for the bird vet (I knowthey are called something else) . Anyway i'm sure I am driving little Billy crazy but he just has to get used to me right! Thanks again for the info, it really eases my mind to hear from all of you.

[Janie]

I didn't know about bird vets either! :D Avian vets is what they are called and if you can find one that is "board certified" even better. I'm in Georgia and I don't think there are more than 3 to 5 board certified avian vets in the entire state but fortunately, one of them is in Atlanta. My avian vet does not see dogs or cats. Her practice is about 80% parrots and the rest exotic pets including snakes! :D

It is great to spend time with Billy but you do want him to adjust and that won't happen in a few days. It might take several weeks or months for him to feel totally comfortable and it's better to take it slow and let him go at his pace. Will he perch on your finger or shoulder? A hand fed bird can be very tame but unless they have been socialized, they could be just as wild as a bird that has never been touched by a human. Many good breeders do not hand feed but do socialize their babies early on so that when they go to a new home they are very tame. My breeders daughter plays with all the babies at least twice a day and that's what keeps them tame until they go to a new home. Pulling babies and hand feeding them but not interacting with them will not give you a tame lovie.

I think moving the water by the perch and close to the food bowl is a very good idea.

[Lindades264]

Hello,

I have read all the comments here to date. One thing I would like to suggest is that you allow your little one 10- 12 hours of rest a day. My four birds are covered for this amount of time daily (usually from 8 pm to 8 am). I do not hear a peep out of them during this time. Lovebirds are so active that they need their rest. Hope this additional thought helps you out. Bye for now.

[Therese]

Yes, he is very tame. He does not like me in the cage but once he is out, no bitting. He sits on my finger and I can do the ladder with my finger and he does not bite. He loves to sit on my shoulder and really really loves sitting on my lap and sleeping. He pretty much will get on my finger anytime I put it in front of him and he never bites me so I think he will be okay. Today he sat by the back screen door and watched the wild birds in the yard and he just did not want to leave the door. Well he was just sleeping but my husband could not resist and got him out. So much for his nap. We both adore him and I am so happy with the little guy. I did find an Avian vet which is very close to my house (Barton C. Huber, DVM; known as "Dr. Bart") and he specializes in exotic birds so I think I am lucky. Thanks for the feedback!

[Therese]

regarding rest...I have been covering him at night at around 8 and then when I get up around 6 or 7. I yelled at my husband when he got up at 4:30am and took off the cover to play with him the 1st night we had him. I am also putting him in his cage during the day so he can take his naps. I can't wait to sit down and let him nap in my lap though!

[mjm8321]

I'm glad he is eating and hope he continues along a path of good food and lots of loving.
I had mentioned earlier putting his food on the floor of the cage because most 9 weeks old would do better with that, but since he is older and already spending more time higher up in the cage, that's probably why he liked the food up high.

[Therese]

Oh Hey, I would have never thought of putting the food up high. Do you keep it up high. I just had everything on the floor becasue thats how I was told to do it but if he is older like you say it makes sense. Do I keep the food up there? Is that where you keep your food?

[Z28Taxman]

I would definately keep the food up higher. My Ditto will not go on the floor of the cage for anything. Even if he drops a whole avi-cake down there. He'll starve before he goes down there for food. The only time he goes to the bottom of the cage is to play peek-a-boo over the seed guard!

[Janie]

I keep food and water (two of mine do use a water bottle so it's not an issue) above poop level. :D All dishes are placed where they can't get pooped in . My three spend most of the day out of their cages and Oliver's cage is the "community" cage. That is where they eat their birdie cornbread in the morning and their veggies in the evening...on top of his cage. So, I keep half of the top of his cage covered with a smooth towel so that if they poop, it won't fall on his seed dishes below, inside his cage. One of my cages does have the food/water dish openings (four of them) at the bottom but I don't use that location ever. I bought crocks that I could attach at higher levels and that is what I use for food and treat cups.

[Therese]

Well thanks to both of you for that. I always thought you kept them up higher. It makes sence about the poop. I have learned so much just today. Keep food up high unless he wants it low, put water up high unless he wants it low, let him sleep unless he wants to play, dont let him play if he needs to sleep and one from me....keep a poop rag handy at all times!!! I am so glad I you guys are around. I think I will sleep better tonight. 26 years ago I had a peach-face and it only lived about 4 years. We didn't have these forums back then and all that poor bird got was seed and water. Now that I am reading all this no wonder the poor thing died. I'm starting all over and am a nervous wreck! Thanks for the great input!

[sdgilley]

I keep food and water above poop level.

:rofl: :rofl:

My Peepo gets poop on parts of the cage that I can't imagine how she'd ever get it there! I'll walk over and ask "now how'd you poop there?" She's so proud!

I keep everything in the bird cages up high. I think it's safer and instinctually they feel safer. It's mostly cleaner. Their cages are moved side by side during the day. First thing in the morning, they call a meeting: all of them get down on the floor of the cage and talk to each other. :) It's too funny!

[Therese]

Okay, at the start of the day Billy would not eat so I put the food up high and now he's eating. Now...he just sits on his little food dish and dosn't leave like he's guarding it. Poor thing, probably figures he went with out food so now he has to guard it. Right now he is sound alseep next to his food. Go figure.

[linda040899]

Therese,
Hopefully, Billy will settle in quickly and he will begin to act normally. Right now, I, personally, feel it's very important to have him checked by your avian vet. You need to know how much he weighs and at least have a Gram Stain done to see if there are any infections present of which you are not aware. Young birds will spend a lot of time sleeping. Just make sure that sleep isn't the result of the fact that he doesn't feel good.

[butterfly1061]

Therese,

Here's a picture of one of my cages. In the larger cage you can see the "dish" (ivory color) hanging just above the middle. It looks like the three ring toy is above it. That's where I hang my food dishes or higher. I don't place any toys or perches above the water or food dish to avoid poop. I also have a treat cup that I fill a few times a week and I put them in different places each time. If I can, I'll try to get a picture of the types of dishes I use so you can get a general idea. My birds have already gone night-night so I'll take pictures tomorrow morning. :)

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2107596515&idx=31

[Therese]

Will do on the Avian Vet and as for the dishes, I think I have them in the right place now. Thanks you guys!

[Therese]

we don't like peas, carrots, brocolli or corn! hum....

[butterfly1061]

we don't like peas, carrots, brocolli or corn! hum....:lol Well, he's young and probably has never had any veggies. Rule of thumb is to offer one veggie at a time everyday for about 2 weeks then move on to the next veggie. Sometimes it helps if you eat some too. Whatever you eat they usually want some of it. Another thing to try is birdie bread. You can put whatever veggies, pellets &/or seed into it. Mine love corn, pease, rice, pasta, kale, broccoli, sugar snap peas (I have to open the pods), carrots (shredded with a veggie peeler). I have found that the smaller the piece, the better. Anything too big and mine think it's evil :evil:

Added: Here's the birdie bread recipe. http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/showpost.php?p=381&postcount=1