Some Do's and Don't's to Bringing Your New Baby Bird Home
So, you've finally found that perfect feathered companion. You met those round soulful eyes and were instantly hooked. The feathered bundle was playful and talkative and wanted every bit to do with you. So, finding this perfect bird, you bring him on home.
That lovely little spunky bird is now sitting still as a rock on his perch, not chirping, playing, or moving. He does not eat and does not drink. Now you start to worry if something is wrong with him.
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Don't panic!!! Your bird is in a new environment. He was taken away from what he knew. He does not know where he is or if there are any scary monsters that might get him. Just let him settle for a few days, talking quietly to him unless it scares him. He may not eat for a day or so, this is normal and not to be too worried about, as long as we monitor his weight daily.
What can you do?
Blow on his seed bowl daily. If empty shells fly off, he has been eating when you are not around. Offer spray millet close to where he is perched too, so he can eat a tasty treat with more comfort in his new home. He may be too uncomfortable to go to his food bowl in a strange place. Try hanging a spray millet right above his food dish to lure him over!
A lot of sites and groups will tell you not try to handle him right away, and let him get used to his new home. That all the sights and sounds are all new to him, and he needs to settle to make sure all is safe before he is comfortable enough to be that birdy you seen playing before. This is absolutely true to some degree. Here, your Baby was handled and played with daily and multiple times each day, and it was never quiet! Things were always loud and active! Keeping things TOO quiet at home or leaving him all alone in the cage might make him just as nervous as not! We DO suggest you follow our 3 Day Rule and limit handling the first 3 days, however this doesn't mean ignore him entirely! DO include him in your daily activities as much as possible, even sitting near him and talking to him while you go about your daily routine while he watches.
Try to set up his cage as similar as you can to his last cage. It will make him feel more comfortable. Also, if you can, try to have the same food he was on at first (you can change it slowly later) so it too is something familiar and comforting to him. We send you home with a good size bag of the foods your Baby has been eating and ask that you feed that food strictly for the first two days that Baby is home. Starting on Day 3, you can mix in some of your own brands of food if you wish. *Please Note: By our saying to only feed our food blend, we mean as their only DRY food. Please still give plenty of fresh veggies, sprouts, and such! :)
Try to purchase toys that he has seen in his old cage so that he has something familiar. If he is a rehome, ask about his likes and dislikes and try to make him feel more at home. The less change he goes through, the more comfortable he will feel. If he's from a breeder, don't feel silly asking about his likes and dislikes!
Some birds take weeks to fully settle into their new home, some only take a few days or even a few hours. If your bird seems scared, or becomes a "statue", just leave him be for a little while to get used to his new home and start playing and feeling safe.
Once he feels comfortable you can let him out and play with him and work on your new relationship.
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If you have bought a recently weaned baby, please note that going to a new home can cause what is called regression. The baby will not eat and will bob its head, cry, and beg for food. It will need to be brought back to the breeder to be handfed again, or else the baby could slowly starve to death. If Baby does not eat on his own by Day 2, we urge you to speak to your breeder, or whomever you got the Baby from!
Be sure you are buying a weaned bird of the appropriate age. Knowing what age the bird should be weaned at is part of the research of the species you should do before bringing the bird home. You do not want to bring home an unweaned baby, and we never send a baby home that we feel is still needing feedings.
It is also a myth that handfeeding a baby bird will make it more likely to bond with you. This is not how parrot psychology works. A baby bird being handfed will see the feeder/breeder as its parent. Parent raised birds are reared by the parents and reach independence and leave the parents once old enough. A handfed bird is the same, they will soon want independence from the "parent", and this will mean less of a bond with the handfeeder.
Handfeeding babies is risky and should only be done by experienced individuals. You can seriously harm or even kill the baby if you do not know what you are doing, so please do not buy a baby unweaned. Do your research so you do not get conned into taking one either.
If Baby isn't drinking enough water, there are a few tricks you can use. Hanging up some moist greens, or giving fresh fruits and veggies can help provide water if the bird is too scared to drink from the water cup. Nibbling on hanging food is less scary than sticking one's head into an unfamiliar cup, since it lets the bird eat and watch for danger at the same time. This is another reason we suggest clear food and water dishes. Baby can see clearly what is going on around him.
While Baby adjusts, you can help them feel secure by partially covering the cage for awhile. Covering the cage on three sides might help the bird feel more secure since it only has to watch for danger in one direction. Be mindful that this might also cause Baby to startle when you suddenly come from a side he cannot see you. Always announce yourself as you are approaching to help him know you're there.
If Baby isn't eating as much as you'd like him to, and they're a recently weaned handfed baby, holding food in the palm of your hand will encourage him to eat, and will also speed up the bonding process between you. Handfed babies associate human hands with food so eating from your hand seems natural to them. Let him see you slowly drop or sprinkle the seed on to your palm and hold your hand out for him.
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