Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 11/11/2006

Question
Dear Chrys.

We bought an African Grey baby 2 days ago. We we all are in love with the baby now, and he/she really crept into our hearts.

Well. This is what happened.
I went to fetch the bird 13:00 two days ago. All was fine until yeasterday. The lady is an african grey breeder.

Yesterday morning the bird was just laying down, and it was obvious that something must've been out of place. So later it got a bit worse, and it seemed that the bird got fewer. (Excuse my english)

So I took the bird to the veteriny. He is not specialised in birds, but he also said that the grey has a fewer. He phoned someone specialising in birds,and gave the grey an anti-biotic injection.

Yesterday afternoon the bird was ok. And today, all seems to be back as before - fewer and a bird seems to be.. I don't know.

We got some Avi-Stress as well. Now, the main thing is also that the grey does not want to eat. Well, it is surly hungry, but as soon as the grey tastes the food, it doesn t want to eat.

I read from a letter you answered for someone else, that the food must be about 38-40 degrees celcius. I'm so afraid the food is too hot?

Please help.

Grey is about 6 weeks old.

Answer
Hi, Tony.  Thanks for posting.

I'll try to help, but I'm not an avian veterinarian, so I can't diagnose and treat.  I can only help you from my personal knowledge and experience.

If this grey is only 6 weeks old, it must be handfed at least 4 times per day.  It must be kept at 98 degrees Farenheit (I'm sorry, I don't know celcius) until it has some pin feathers (so it can stay warm) and so it can digest it's food.  The handfeeding formula must be 102 - 103 degrees Farenheit when it is FED to the bird...not when you put the formula in the handfeeding syringe (or spoon or whatever method you are using to handfeed).  The food must be the same temperature as the bird's body temperature or it will cause problems in the bird's crop (gizzard) and the bird won't be able to digest the food.  Don't make the formula over 104 degrees F or you can burn the baby's crop from the inside out (called crop burn).

If this baby will not eat on it's own, you'll have to force the food down.  This is not easy to do...birds usually don't like this, but you have got to get food into your baby grey.  If the bird will not accept food via a handfeeding syringe, you'll have to try other methods, such as a small spoon.  However, you don't want to aspirate your baby either (get food into it's lungs).  If the baby is really sick and can't eat, you can gavage or tube feed s/he.  This is where you insert a gavage or rubber tube down the esphagus directly into the crop and feed.  Someone with experience needs to show you how to do this.  Can you contact the breeder to show you how to do this?  S/he should be experienced in doing this.  

In fact, if you just bought this baby and it's already sick, I'd talk with the breeder about this situation.  The baby could have been sick when you bought it.  Also, the breeder should have NEVER sold you an unweaned baby, unless you have experience handfeeding a baby parrot this young.  

As far as what is wrong with your grey, Tony, I don't know.  You really need to take this baby to an avian veterinarian who can take mouth and fecal swabs and examine them under a microscope to tell you exactly what's wrong with your bird.  The vet can then provide the proper medications to treat your baby.  A bird vet should also be able to teach you how to feed a sick baby like this.

I'm not sure how much I've help out here.  Visit my website for more information about all of this:

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo.index.html

Come back any time with additional questions.

Chrys