Chapter 2
Handfeeding the Baby
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Know This Before You Feed
With a little patience, anyone who can feed a human baby can feed a baby parrot.
Once a formula has been chosen, you will need to read the manufacturer's instructions a few times. Preparing the food in the same area each time will make it easier to keep the process consistent and clean. The counter or area you are using and the sink should be cleaned and disinfected well before the first feeding, and cleaned and disinfected as necessary before starting. Your sink can be a source of contaminating bacteria and fungus. The faucet handle, drain area and inside the spigot are the worst areas. Something as simple as turning on the disposal can atomize bacteria-laden particles that can be spread throughout the kitchen and make its way into the formula. Turn your faucet on and wipe the exposed part of the faucet that is not visible when the faucet is off, with a Q-tip. This is an area that is seldom cleaned and very dirty. When using a kitchen faucet that has not been used in the last 15 minutes, allow the water to flow about 30 seconds, flushing out any bacteria growing inside the spigot. Once started, avoid touching anything that is not clean including the faucet, refrigerator door and drawer handles. The washcloth being used should be rinsed thoroughly after each use and allowed to dry. It may be better to use paper towels. Your washcloth can build up bacteria and needs changing each day.
IMPORTANT! Fill a cup with the hottest water you can get from your faucet. Measure the temperature with your thermometer and your finger. It should be somewhere around 130 to 150 degrees F. Watch the temperature drop and get a feel for how long it takes to get down below 110 degrees. After you know the hottest temperature you can get out of your faucet, and how long it takes to cool down, you should never have a problem with the formula being served too hot. It is good to develop a feel for about 110 degrees so you can mix the formula at about the correct temperature from the start. Always check the temperature with a thermometer before feeding.
Formula can be kept warm between mixing and feeding by placing the bowl of formula or the syringe full of formula into a container of water slightly warmer than feeding temperature. This allows the formula in the dish or inside the syringe to stay at the correct temperature while the baby swallows during the feeding process. Don't forget that while the formula inside a syringe will stay warm for a minute or two, the tip of the syringe that touches the baby's beak and tongue will become cold in just a few seconds. While waiting for the baby to swallow, place the tip of the syringe in the warm water. The total feeding time should not exceed four or five minutes. An experienced handfeeder will usually take less than 20 seconds per baby.
During the feeding process, the formula temperature will slowly drop and may become too cold. Most babies will not accept formula below 105 F. You may have to add more hot water to your container to keep the formula above 105 F degrees. Make. If you are using a syringe, you can drop the syringe back into the warm water while the baby is swallowing. Hartman Aviary finds the syringe method of feeding much more efficient at maintaining appropriate feeding temperatures -- especially if you have a stubborn baby.
Most formulas do not need to be cooked. Avoid any that require this time consuming step. Measure the amount of dry formula you think is needed into your small mixing bowl. After a few feedings, you will know how much you need and will avoid waste. Add the amount of warm water recommended by the manufacturer. Using the thermometer as a mixing utensil, stir the formula until thoroughly mixed.
Follow the manufacturer's mixing instructions carefully. If the mixture is too thick to suck through a straw, it is probably too thick to easily travel into the baby's esophagus. Formula too thick to pass through the crop may draw fluid from the baby to help digestion and mobility and cause dehydration. Formula mixed too thin will be easily fed, but will not contain enough nutrition and the baby will starve. Some formulas, when mixed properly, are thin, others are thick.
IMPORTANT! If you switch formulas, make sure you read the directions on the new bag a few times. Different formulas may look the same when mixed, but may actually have quite a different percentage of water. Too much or too little water can slow digestion and decrease nutrient absorption. There are generally no digestive problems associated with changing formulas, but there is a taste consideration. The taste issue can be easily solved by feeding just a couple of cc's of formula once an hour, two or three times. The baby will get small tastes and readily accept the new formula after a few trials.
Now that you have thoroughly read the bag and the formula is mixed, you are ready to feed the baby.
Once the formula is ready, it is time to feed the baby. Some babies will eat anything anytime; others will try your patience. This section is directed toward the difficult baby.
Cooperative babies will not take much explanation. It should be noted that the first day or two will be the most difficult. The baby will be in a new environment with new sounds, colors, smells, cage, mom and a lot of stress. They adapt quickly and should be content within a day or two.
Babies moved from the breeder's nursery to your home might be under a great deal of stress. This situation may distract the baby and keep him from eating well at first. The solution is to start slowly. Do not try to feed the total amount at the first two feedings unless the baby takes it easily. Try feeding just 10% to 20% of the normal amount of formula and allow the baby to become comfortable with the new handfeeder while also becoming comfortable with their new surroundings. More formula can be fed at each subsequent feeding. This program will require more frequent feedings the first day. As soon as the small amount of formula passes through the crop, it is time for the next feeding. After three feedings, the baby should be eating well for you and on the correct schedule. A healthy baby can easily survive missing a couple of feedings the first day in a new home.
This gradual feeding creates a minimal stress situation for the feeder and the baby. The feedings are quick, allowing the baby, which will usually respond automatically with a feeding response, to experience the way the new feeder holds him and administers the food. The experience is over quickly before the baby or the feeder can become frustrated. An experience with minimal negative stress will be a learning experience. Once negative stress is allowed to develop it will turn into an experience to avoid in the future.
This method allows the handfeeder to learn how to feed while the baby learns how to be fed by the new feeder. With this approach, the baby will learn fast. Any time the baby is becoming annoyed while feeding, you need to stop immediately and try again a little later.
Do not spend more than a few (2-5) minutes trying to feed a baby. Sometimes a baby will not eat well the first day or two in a new environment. Forcing a baby to eat formula he does not want can cause major problems. As you become frustrated and the formula gets cold, the baby will begin to see you as a predator with a syringe. The result is a crying owner and a starving baby. You may soon find it impossible to feed the baby if he becomes intent on avoiding the situation.
IMPORTANT! The two most common reasons for a baby not eating well when a new handfeeder takes over are pushing the baby off balance with your hand while putting the food in its mouth and feeding formula that is under 104 degrees.
It is sometimes helpful if you weigh your baby each time before you feed. This way you can tell immediately if your baby is not passing the food or if he is losing weight. It is suggested that you weigh the baby at least once a day; morning is preferred when the baby should be completely empty. Do not expect the baby to gain any weight the first day. Between stress, and sometimes the reduced amount of food fed the first day, he will do well to maintain his original weight.
IMPORTANT! One cc of water = 1 gram of weight. Adding formula to water only slightly increases its weight. For calculation purposes, assume that mixed formula and water are both one gram per cc.
How Much Food, How Often
The body weight will tell you how much to feed the baby. Generally, you will feed most species approximately 12% of their weight at each feeding. Very young babies and those about to wean will receive about 8 - 10%. (Example: A 6-week-old African grey weighing 400 grams will need approximately 48 cc per feeding.) From approximately three weeks old, and until the weaning process begins, the baby should be fed three times each day. These feedings need not be exactly 8 hours apart. The key factor is an empty crop. Once the crop is empty from the last feeding, you can feed again. A bird in this age range, being fed the correct amount of food, should pass all of the food through the crop in about 5 to 6 hours. This will allow about 2-3 hours for the crop to be empty. Keep in mind that even if the crop is empty, the intestines will still have food passing through. If you begin to see stools without a fecal portion, I.E., only urine and urates, then you may not be feeding enough at each feeding or waiting too long between feedings. The only time you should see this happen is in the morning, which is usually the longest time between feedings.
Feeding frequency is slightly different for each baby and may very from day to day. Very quickly you will easily learn the needs of you baby. The breeder and the formula package should give you a basic idea of how often the baby has been eating and should be eating for its age. Feeding frequencies are influenced by two factors, hunger and the nurturing needs of your baby. An effort should be made to feed on demand, just like a mother would if breast feeding. A hungry baby that keeps coaxing or crying, and is empty should be fed even if it is not on the scheduled time. The same variety of things that cause a human baby to require attention will affect you baby parrot. Too cold, too hot, need to be touched, played with or just security concerns will cause the baby to cry. Because of the nurturing component of feeding, the baby will be reassured that everything is OK and there is nothing to worry about if you feed him. Even if the baby has food in his crop it is OK to give him a small unscheduled amount, assuming he is otherwise healthy. If you believe the baby is getting enough food and should not be hungry and crying, explore other causes.
You do not want to routinely put new formula in a crop that still contains food from the last feeding. If the baby is not 100% healthy or the last feeding of formula became contaminated with harmful bacteria, the number of bacteria in the remaining formula may have increased to unacceptable levels. Bacteria from contamination or from the crop lining of an ill baby can reproduce rapidly in a warm well-nourished environment like a crop. Generally, good bacteria already in the crop or enzymes take care of limiting and killing the bad bacteria, as they pass through the digestive tract. Bacteria laden formula in a thriving baby will usually pass through the intestines, but if new formula is added, the old bacteria laden formula will seed the new formula with a high dose of contamination. By the time this new formula would have passed it could have hundreds or thousands of times the original unacceptable level. This condition can cause a mild upset stomach or worse. Always allow the crop to be completely empty for one 2-hour period every day.
IMPORTANT! In a nice, warm nurturing environment like the crop, one bacterium can double in numbers every 20 minutes and could be over 32,000 in four or five hours.
Do to schedule conflicts in your life and your babies feeding schedule, you will not always be able to let the crop completely empty between each feeding. Feeding a baby before the crop is empty is acceptable in a healthy baby. It is never acceptable in a sick baby. The key is always allowing the crop to completely empty at least once each day.
****Babies less than a week old will be fed a different consistency of formula based on age. The first few feedings should be a very thin formula with almost no solids, or an electrolyte solution like Pedialite. This formula will be fed until the yolk, which was absorbed into the baby's abdomen just before hatching, is used up. When the stools begin to have no fecal portion present, you may begin feeding approximately 7% solid formula. This concentration will gradually increase over a two to three day period until the formula is about 28% solids.
The frequency of feedings on a newborn chick is about every one and a half hour for the first day. This frequency gradually decreases to about three to four hours by the end of the first week. (Example: A 15-gram chick will take approximately 1/2 cc of formula the first feeding. The volume will increase gradually to approximately 1cc by the end of the first day. If the baby develops properly, the size of the feedings will increase by about 1cc each day for the first few days. This is only a guideline and will vary according to your expertise and the species you are dealing with.)
If your baby is difficult to feed, you will want to, if possible, feed the baby right where it is, whether in a brooder or in a cage, you don't want to disturb the baby by moving it. Moving may take its mind off of the food. If the baby is already in a cage and eating well, it may be better to move to a towel on a table or counter. This will supply better footing.
Feeding the Baby
Gently hold the baby's head with your left hand (right hand if you are left handed). Do not hold firmly, you do not want to restrict the movement of the baby as he bobs for the food. You do want to keep the baby from jamming its mouth against the syringe or spoon. This bobbing motion, commonly called “the feeding response”, is instrumental in the baby being able to consume large quantities of food in a short period of time. To avoid injuring the mouth of the baby, place the side of the tip of the syringe against the index finger of your other hand. This will keep the syringe from going further than the middle of the tongue. Both hands will work together to hold the head and aim the syringe at the same time while following the movement of the baby's head. Your hands will quickly learn to follow each other while following the movement of the baby.
Again a slow approach is better. If you are using a 35cc syringe, only load about five or ten cc's. This way you can practice aiming and not be concerned with putting too much formula in too fast.
As the baby elicits this feeding response, the opening to his trachea is closed and the esophagus is opened, allowing the food to flow right into the crop. Some babies allow the formula to free flow large quantities in seconds, others like African greys and lories, like to use their tongue to push the food back and swallow each mouthful. Even with the slower feeding African greys, it should be possible to feed the total amount in less than 30 seconds (this does not apply the first day). Keep in mind, that all babies will be different and it does not matter if your bird eats fast or slow, as long as you work it out with him to get the food in.
Some breeders wrongly believe that it is necessary to feed only from the left side of the mouth. This information is incorrect. They believe that since the esophagus is on the right side of the neck, you need to deliver the food from the left side to expedite the flow of food. The reality is that inside of the mouth, the opening of the esophagus is in the middle and the food has to pass this point first.
Deliver the formula by lightly touching the syringe to the middle of the tongue and placing a drop of formula on the tongue. At the same time, applying a small amount of pressure of the index finger and thumb on the soft pads at the commissures of the beak will illicit the feeding response. The commissures of the beak is where the upper and lower mandibles come together. The soft pads are on the edges of the babies mandibles. As soon as the feeding response starts, push the food in as fast as the baby can take it. If you put the syringe in too far, you will cause him to gag and not being in far enough, the tongue will be in the way. Aim the syringe to shoot the food over the tongue and straight towards to back of the throat. Food directed at the roof of the mouth or down at the tongue, will not flow efficiently into the throat.
Spoon feeders will want to put the tip of the spoon at the end of the tongue and pour into the mouth. The baby will use the tongue to move the formula to the back of his mouth and swallow. This is a much slower feeding method and the formula will get cold.
Keep in mind that the breeder you got the baby from is probably a better handfeeder than you are. Your breeder will feed this baby in seconds while it may take you several minutes. The baby will be used to holding its breath for as long as it took the breeder to feed. Even though the baby may keep trying to eat as long as you are delivering the food, you need to stop after about five seconds. The feeding response is so strong that the baby will sometimes keep trying until he gasps for air and inhales some food. So let the baby take a breath every few seconds. After a few feedings, the baby will become accustomed to your feeding technique and will take the food as fast or slow as you want. Some babies can hold their breath and continue the feeding response for more than a minute.
Normally, this inhaled food will be coughed up, just like in people, but large quantities or small quantities repeatedly introduced, can cause pneumonia, bacterial infections and sometimes death.
Regurgitation of a small amount of food shortly after feeding is not unusual. This is caused by several reasons . As the baby continues to produce the feeding response, the throat is often open and a small amount of food may be pumped up into the mouth. Sometimes this is re-swallowed and sometimes it overflows. Second, an empty crop has a tendency to shrink a little. When you fill this balloon-like structure to its capacity, there can be enough backpressure to push out a small amount of food. If the baby falls against something and pushes the crop, it may also regurgitate. A baby lying on the crop can supply this same type of pressure.
As the baby grows and gets down to two feedings, he will need less food per gram of body weight since he is not producing as much bone, muscle and feathers and will only need enough nutrition to maintain his energy level. It is normal for most babies to regurgitate some formula as his crop shrinks and he begins to eat some food on his own. Begin reducing the amount of formula and this will stop. During weaning, you may also find that the baby acts like he wants to eat only to turn his head or close his mouth as you are trying to deliver the food. By this time, if you are a syringe feeder, you will be feeding fast and find that you may not stop pushing the syringe fast enough and the food will pour out of the baby's mouth.
Regurgitation of food at other times in large or small quantities can be the symptom of a problem. Close attention to food consumption, weight gain and activity level will give you other indicators you may want to discuss with your breeder or veterinarian.
Some breeders feed their babies by passing a tube down the esophagus and into the crop. This is called tube or gavage feeding. Once the tube is in the crop, all of the food can be delivered in seconds. This method requires a great deal of expertise. We advise against trying this method.
When you finish feeding, you must clean all the utensils immediately and let them dry. At the next feeding, you should rinse them well again to remove any airborne dust or other contaminates. After a few feedings, the stopper on some syringes will begin to stretch and can be removed from the end of the plunger. Remove this stopper and clean inside after each feeding.
Formula on the outside of the baby needs to be removed at this time also. Use a warm washcloth or paper towel. When cleaning the crop area, be careful not to apply too much pressure as you can cause the baby to regurgitate. If the baby is very wet after the cleaning, you must dry him enough to keep him from becoming chilled. Remove food that finds its way into nostrils with a fingernail or blunt object after it has dried.
(The syringe will probably become stiffer as it wears out. This should not be a problem since you will also get better at controlling the syringe flow as you gain experience feeding. If the rubber stopper will no longer slide easily, you can lubricate it with non-stick cooking oil spray. I prefer Crisco Brand.)
Record keeping is very important. At first you will want to record information each time you feed. The minimum information to record is: date, weight, time of day, amount of food consumed and notes on development progress or anything you think is unusual. If medication is used, it is essential that time of delivery and dosage is recorded every time you medicate. Never assume you can remember. Aside from being a way for you to quantify your results, these records will be essential for your veterinarian or breeder to help if you run into a problem. Feeders who keep records rarely have a serious problem.
IMPORTANT! Formula too thick or too thin will cause a baby to be malnourished. As we will see later, this situation can prolong the weaning process. Read the manufacturer instructions a few times before the first feeding, and then review every few days.
Repeated IMPORTANT! The two most common reasons for a baby not eating well when a new handfeeder takes over are; pushing the baby off balance while putting the food in its mouth and feeding formula that is under 104 degrees.
In rare cases, environmental humidity below 50% may cause fluid to be drawn from the formula in the crop. A hard lump of formula occurs because the crop membrane quickly absorbs the moisture from the crop contents when a baby dehydrates from low environmental humidity. You will know right away if this occurs because you will always feel the crop to make sure it is empty before you put in more food. This can also occur if the baby is sick and the body will act in the same manner. Often a hard lump can be dissolved with a few cc's of water or Pedialite. Feed the baby a little water and gently massage the lump until dissolved, then let the crop empty. A hydrating fluid like Pedialite can be used if you believe dehydration may be a factor. Just to be on the safe side, every time I think there may be a problem with a baby digesting food, I add a small amount of Pedialite until the intestines are empty before I feed the baby more formula.
Adding a few cc's of Pedialite periodically is better than filling the crop at one time. (EXAMPLE: If a medium size bird has 10cc's of formula that is not moving through the crop, I will add 5cc's of Pedialite until the total volume of crop contents is back down to a little below to 10cc's. Then another 5cc's is added until the volume is down to 5cc's. Once the crop is empty, I add another 5cc's to rinse the crop and intestines. When the intestines are totally empty, as evidenced by stools with no fecal material, I then feed 5cc's of Pedialite followed by formula as soon as the Pedialite passes from the crop. Usually this is all it takes to put the digestive process back on track. There is anecdotal evidence that feeding papaya for one or two feedings will flush the crop and restore normal motility.
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