How To Feed A Baby Parrot? Feeding Schedule

Anyone who can take care of and feed a human baby, can also care for and feed a baby parrot. Parrots are desirable pets, however, we choose grown-up parrots mostly.

Having a baby parrot and seeing them grow in your house gives you a feeling of a child growing in your home. It’s not easy to raise a baby parrot. The baby parrot needs extra care and effort with various responsibilities included while raising a baby parrot. 

Baby Parrot Feeding Guide & Things To Take Care Of!

The most important part that needs to be emphasized is the feeding process of a baby parrot. A baby parrot should be purchased after the weaned period. The process of feeding a baby parrot includes many factors. You should have a proper idea of the particular foods to be fed, the number of times to be fed, the temperature of the food, etc. 

In this article, we have covered all the things related to feeding a baby parrot. It will help you understand the process and criteria to feed a baby parrot. So let’s get started with the article on how to feed a baby parrot. 

How often do you feed a baby parrot?

Just like humans, baby parrots also require a proper schedule for feeding. Young baby parrots need regular feeding as compared to grown-up parrots. The frequency of feeding depends upon the parrot’s growth cycle. You need to understand their growing phase to feed them properly. As the days pass by the number of feeding reduces. 

Listed is the number of times a baby parrot should be fed as per their growth phase: 

• First two weeks- They need to be fed 5 to 10 times, every 2 to 3 hours per day 

• Second and third week- They need to be fed 5 to 6 times, every 3 to 4 hours per day 

• Third and fourth week- They need to be fed 4 to 5 times, every 4 hours per day. After the fourth week, they can be kept in a cage. 

• Fifth and sixth week- They need to be fed two times every day 

• From the seventh week- Proper nutrition filled food should be provided with a decrease in the number of feeding time 

After feeding, examine the fullness of the baby parrots. Check their regular droppings. A healthy parrot will respond well to feeding and will have regular droppings. 

Can baby parrots eat fruits and vegetables?

For up to five months the baby parrots should be hand-fed. Within this period, you can get a ready-to-feed formula to feed them. Read all the instructions carefully before mixing the formula. Hand-feeding a baby parrot has many difficulties and can affect the health of the parrot thus It’s better to get a parrot after the weaned period. 

After the weaning period, the baby parrots are allowed to have some normal foods. They can eat soaked seeds, fresh fruits, vegetables, a few green leaves, and cooked corn. You can get some fruits and vegetables that a baby will be able to eat easily. The baby parrot’s digestive system needs time to become strong and healthy enough to have solid foods. 

How do you syringe feed a baby parrot? 

Cook and mix the ready-to-feed formula properly. Check the temperature of the formula and then fill the mixture into the syringe. Hold the baby gently while feeding. Normally, the birds start gaping to get fed. If the baby is not gaping then tap the beak gently so the baby will open its beak.

Place the syringe on the left side of their mouth and pass it towards the right side carefully. In this way, you can feed the baby parrot with the help of a syringe. Check the fullness of the crop during the feed to avoid overfeeding. 

Things To Consider While Feeding A Baby Parrot 

You need to handle the baby parrot very carefully while feeding them. Baby parrots are delicate and have soft bodies. Dealing with them is difficult. They shouldn’t get hurt or contaminated while feeding. Feeding a parrot requires caution. There are a few things you need to consider while feeding a baby parrot. Listed are the things to keep in mind during feeding. 

• Hold in a correct position: In the initial phases, the baby parrot needs hand feeding. While feeding you need to hold the baby in the correct position. The baby is delicate, so holding it the wrong way might be hurtful. Learn to hold them in the correct way for feeding properly. They will not be in the mood to eat if held incorrectly. You need to hold the baby parrot’s head. Place your fingers on both the side of the parrot’s beak and the back of the head. Place the feeding device near the bird’s mouth and start to feed them. 

• Place the feeding device into the mouth carefully: You need a device to feed the baby parrot. The babies have tiny mouths, so the device needs to be placed inside their mouths very carefully. They should not be hurt while feeding. Mostly the device is kept on the left side of the baby’s mouth and then passed to the right side while feeding. 

• Check the volume of the formula to be given: You need to check the volume of the formula to be fed. Overfeeding as well as less feeding can cause health issues for the baby parrot. When you start feeding, examine if the parrot is full or not. Touch their crop to the fullness of the baby. By this, you can know the volume of the formula to use daily. 

• Do not reuse the formula: Never reuse the mixed formula more than once. It is not healthy to reuse the mixed formula. Learn how much to be mixed to avoid waste. Storing the formula for many days is not an option as it will get wasted. If necessary an amount that can last up to 2 to 3 days can be refrigerated. Heat the refrigerated formula before feeding, but never reuse it.

• Check the temperature of the food: Always check the temperature of the food before feeding. Do not feed the baby very hot food. Read the instructions in the package and bring it to an adequate temperature. You can check the temperature of the food with a thermometer. Check the formula’s temperature with your finger once again before filling it into the feeding device.

• Feeding area: Baby parrots can be kept inside a cage after four weeks. However, hand-feeding them in a cage is difficult. Take them out and place them in a comfortable and safe area inside your house. Place them in a soft and clean towel, they can grip it with their feet to properly stand. Place all the food nearby and hold the parrot in position for feeding.

Summarising

It’s not especially difficult to feed a baby parrot. They require similar care as human babies. You need to understand and get habituated to the process, then it will become a quick and simple task for every day. However, you need to handle the babies very gently. Make sure you are using clean utensils every day to avoid bacterial infection.

We hope this article on how to feed a baby parrot helped you to understand the whole process of feeding a baby parrot. It is a task that requires gentleness and care. We hope now you can feed your baby parrot easily and with time you will get better at it.