Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 the little baby is back to a 1 gram gain. At some point soon we may have to go to the veterinarian for some cultures. In looking back at our weights January 20th, we started at 8 grams. This morning we are at 20 grams. Only a 12 gram gain in 7 days. The older baby hit 53 grams today. A 9 gram increase again today. On January 20th we started at 25 grams. That is a 28 gram gain in 7 days.
Some of the things to look at are weighing the babies about the same time of day. I like to weigh before a feeding so the crop is empty. My gram scale is metal so I set it in warm water for a few minutes to take the chill off before their little rear ends touch the surface!
I might question what handfeeding formula I'm using. In this case it is Zupreem's Formula. I have been using their handfeeding the last 3 years. I have fed a wide range of species and have been pleased with this for the most part.
I have fed African Senegals many times and never encountered any special differences in their nutritional needs over other babies.
Is it possible this younger baby has a defect? Of course. That may be why it was rejected by the parents in the first place. As long as we keep inching forward we will put this thought on hold. Hopefully it quickens its pace!
Thursday, January 29th, 2015 another night done is one closer to the babies being able to sleep through the night. I am now waking up just before my timer goes off.
At weigh in this morning both babies have gained 3 grams. The youngest baby is at 23 grams and the eldest is at 56 grams. The youngest baby is opening its eyes now. The older baby has opened its eyes all the way. The older baby is taking 4 cc at a feeding and could take 5 but we're waiting for the little one to catch up. I have switched the older baby to a 10 cc oral medication tip syringe but the little one is still on a 1 cc tuberculin syringe. It's taking 2.3 cc now but its beak is so tiny; the larger syringe is just too big.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
The Senegal babies are growing!
Saturday, January 24th, 2015, the younger baby is now taking 1.2 cc but only gained 1 more gram today. We are still on 3 hour feedings. The older baby is taking 2.5 cc and its eyes are starting to open. Its eyes are only a slit today but it's major progress! Birds of Paradise was really busy today. It was after 4pm before I finished trimming birds. I fell asleep on the sofa after the 10 pm feeding and woke up at 2 am. I got 1.5 cc in the younger baby and 3 cc in the older baby. We celebrated by going to 6 am for the next feeding!
Sunday we stayed on 3 hour feedings during the day. I do not have a scale at home so tomorrow will be interesting at weigh in. The younger baby is now a week old so I am only going to get up once at night but continue our 3 hour schedule throughout the day. I am really exhausted from my sleep pattern being so interrupted. Hopefully I can bounce back to my regular level of tired! New pictures soon!
Monday the youngest baby moved up to 2 cc at a feeding. Its weight today is 16 grams. That's only 4 grams since Saturday, not very impressive. But, we continue to gain weight with no losses and its feeding response is good, color and demeanor are good, and it's pooping. The older baby has gained 9 grams in the same time frame. Again, I am holding at 3cc per feeding so it doesn't get off schedule from the youngest baby.
Tuesday - My couple of hours extra sleep last night helped a lot! The babies seemed to have taken a growth spurt! The little baby is 19 grams today!! That is the biggest increase yet, 3 grams since yesterday. The older baby jumped also going from 43 to 49 grams. A 9 gram increase from yesterday. This baby is starting to show the pin feathers under the skin. They resemble tiny blackheads at this point. Its eyes are a little more open. I fed 4 cc during the night. They're starting to grow much faster, like weeds!
Sunday we stayed on 3 hour feedings during the day. I do not have a scale at home so tomorrow will be interesting at weigh in. The younger baby is now a week old so I am only going to get up once at night but continue our 3 hour schedule throughout the day. I am really exhausted from my sleep pattern being so interrupted. Hopefully I can bounce back to my regular level of tired! New pictures soon!
Monday the youngest baby moved up to 2 cc at a feeding. Its weight today is 16 grams. That's only 4 grams since Saturday, not very impressive. But, we continue to gain weight with no losses and its feeding response is good, color and demeanor are good, and it's pooping. The older baby has gained 9 grams in the same time frame. Again, I am holding at 3cc per feeding so it doesn't get off schedule from the youngest baby.
Tuesday - My couple of hours extra sleep last night helped a lot! The babies seemed to have taken a growth spurt! The little baby is 19 grams today!! That is the biggest increase yet, 3 grams since yesterday. The older baby jumped also going from 43 to 49 grams. A 9 gram increase from yesterday. This baby is starting to show the pin feathers under the skin. They resemble tiny blackheads at this point. Its eyes are a little more open. I fed 4 cc during the night. They're starting to grow much faster, like weeds!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Starting 2015 with a baby crisis!
Tuesday (January 20th, 2015) was one of those days that I already had too much on my plate. The perfect time for a baby bird crisis!
My friend and owner of an African Senegal pair called. I already knew that they had fertile eggs and one had hatched January 11th. I had been planning its arrival to be handfed next week but this afternoon she had found the 2nd baby, who was just 3 days old, in the corner of the nest box cold and almost dead. She wisely knew to slowly warm the baby with her hands.
We both scrambled to meet at my store, Birds of Paradise. She brought me both babies and kept them warm with her body heat while I got a brooder ready. The cold baby was alive but struggling. It could not stay right side up and kept falling over onto its back. The older baby seemed to be doing well and was quite a bit larger.
Finally the brooder was up to 95 degrees. The babies' crops were almost empty but I chose to wait at least an hour to feed them. I wanted them to be fully warmed and stable. I have found one of the most common errors in handfeeding is to feed food that is not warm enough or the babies are not warm enough, or both. Then you are just asking for yeast to start forming in the crop.
First handfeeding for these babies came about 8 pm. The older baby took 1 cc and the younger one took less than 1/2 a cc. I will start at 3 hour intervals and observe how long it takes them to empty. My 1st night on a 2 or 3 hour schedule is always the hardest. I usually go to bed and sleep til morning. Wish me luck!
Wednesday (January 21st, 2015) the babies and I all made it through our 1st night together. They were empty at 3 hour intervals. If you plan to handfeed and have to travel with little babies, an inverter for your car is essential. Thirty years ago I learned a hard lesson with newborn Umbrella Cockatoo chicks that chilled while in transit without a heat source. Even worse, I didn't know to warm them slowly in my hands. I plugged the brooder in when I got to work but they died of hypothermia.
The little baby is still having trouble staying off its back. I have it in a small dish with scrunched up paper towel so it can hang its head over the ridges. The older baby is still doing well; active and moving normally.
We hit the scales this morning. The older chick weighed in at 25 grams and the younger baby was just 8 grams! Wow, that's little! I am using Zupreem's handfeeding formula with boiled water and a tuberculin syringe. I mix the food in a jigger glass and that works well for me. Its small in diameter so the food does not cool as fast and can easily be set in warm water to hold the temperature. The younger baby is almost at 1/2 cc. The older baby is up to 1 1/2 cc. We are going to stay on 3 hours for now. Gotta go, it's time to feed babies!
Thursday (January 22nd, 2015) morning. We have two successful nights behind us. I have a queasy feeling this morning. It seems to be my body's response to sleep interruption. The little baby is looking much better today. Having a lot less trouble staying upright. Finally a strong feeding response! Take a full 1/2 cc or a bit more per feeding. At weigh in this morning, we are at 10 grams. Moving in the right direction! The older baby is really starting to move forward. Taking 2 cc per feeding and body weight is 29 grams. We will stay on 3 hour feedings again today.
Whatever caused the parents to not care for the youngest baby, so far, doesn't seem to be an issue. Perhaps they only want to feed one chick? The breeder will note this in her records and be watching carefully when they have another clutch.
Record keeping is important for many reasons. This is just a few examples: keeping track of the time of year, number of eggs laid and hatched, how well they fed, did they start picking the babies at a certain age, certain foods or other factors that were needed to get them to go to nest, are all important facts. If only you have one or two pairs, your memory may be your filing box. I, on the other hand, like to commit some of this to a 3x5 card filed by species.
My friend and owner of an African Senegal pair called. I already knew that they had fertile eggs and one had hatched January 11th. I had been planning its arrival to be handfed next week but this afternoon she had found the 2nd baby, who was just 3 days old, in the corner of the nest box cold and almost dead. She wisely knew to slowly warm the baby with her hands.
We both scrambled to meet at my store, Birds of Paradise. She brought me both babies and kept them warm with her body heat while I got a brooder ready. The cold baby was alive but struggling. It could not stay right side up and kept falling over onto its back. The older baby seemed to be doing well and was quite a bit larger.
Finally the brooder was up to 95 degrees. The babies' crops were almost empty but I chose to wait at least an hour to feed them. I wanted them to be fully warmed and stable. I have found one of the most common errors in handfeeding is to feed food that is not warm enough or the babies are not warm enough, or both. Then you are just asking for yeast to start forming in the crop.
First handfeeding for these babies came about 8 pm. The older baby took 1 cc and the younger one took less than 1/2 a cc. I will start at 3 hour intervals and observe how long it takes them to empty. My 1st night on a 2 or 3 hour schedule is always the hardest. I usually go to bed and sleep til morning. Wish me luck!
Wednesday (January 21st, 2015) the babies and I all made it through our 1st night together. They were empty at 3 hour intervals. If you plan to handfeed and have to travel with little babies, an inverter for your car is essential. Thirty years ago I learned a hard lesson with newborn Umbrella Cockatoo chicks that chilled while in transit without a heat source. Even worse, I didn't know to warm them slowly in my hands. I plugged the brooder in when I got to work but they died of hypothermia.
The little baby is still having trouble staying off its back. I have it in a small dish with scrunched up paper towel so it can hang its head over the ridges. The older baby is still doing well; active and moving normally.
We hit the scales this morning. The older chick weighed in at 25 grams and the younger baby was just 8 grams! Wow, that's little! I am using Zupreem's handfeeding formula with boiled water and a tuberculin syringe. I mix the food in a jigger glass and that works well for me. Its small in diameter so the food does not cool as fast and can easily be set in warm water to hold the temperature. The younger baby is almost at 1/2 cc. The older baby is up to 1 1/2 cc. We are going to stay on 3 hours for now. Gotta go, it's time to feed babies!
Thursday (January 22nd, 2015) morning. We have two successful nights behind us. I have a queasy feeling this morning. It seems to be my body's response to sleep interruption. The little baby is looking much better today. Having a lot less trouble staying upright. Finally a strong feeding response! Take a full 1/2 cc or a bit more per feeding. At weigh in this morning, we are at 10 grams. Moving in the right direction! The older baby is really starting to move forward. Taking 2 cc per feeding and body weight is 29 grams. We will stay on 3 hour feedings again today.
Whatever caused the parents to not care for the youngest baby, so far, doesn't seem to be an issue. Perhaps they only want to feed one chick? The breeder will note this in her records and be watching carefully when they have another clutch.
Record keeping is important for many reasons. This is just a few examples: keeping track of the time of year, number of eggs laid and hatched, how well they fed, did they start picking the babies at a certain age, certain foods or other factors that were needed to get them to go to nest, are all important facts. If only you have one or two pairs, your memory may be your filing box. I, on the other hand, like to commit some of this to a 3x5 card filed by species.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
5 Tips to Preparing Your Birds for Severe Weather
Spring has sprung and us Kansans know what that means... severe weather. We're no strangers to nasty storms no matter what season it is, but it never hurts to be prepared. Rather be safe than sorry I always say! So here are some tips that could make the difference if you only have a matter of seconds. Most of these tips work for almost any natural disaster and to keep almost any animal safe.
1. Be aware! If you hear on the news or the radio that your area may experience bad weather in the couple days, always take it seriously! Again, you're better off being safe than sorry.
2. Prepare! Take the time to gather items that you can have ready with your animal's carrier or travel cage such as extra bird food, bottled water, towels/blankets, newspaper/paper towels, sandwich baggies (can be used for daily portions of food), and of course your usual disaster prep items: batteries, flash light, radio, food, etc. I like to keep these items ready all the time in a bag or backpack near my animals or in my basement. Again, if you only have a matter of seconds, having these things ready before disaster strikes could mean saving lives!
~Another important step to preparing is to have carriers or travel cages ready. Make sure they're thoroughly cleaned and have their cups and perches in place. Line the bottom with newspaper and/or paper towels. Have spare towels/blankets set with them just in case you need to keep your animals warm.
3. *IN CASE YOUR BIRDS ARE NOT TAME OR ARE IN FULL FLIGHT* - This is very important! A lot of people have birds that are temperamental and may not come out of the cage easily or aren't trimmed. If you have to get your birds out of its cage in order to put it in a carrier, take a thick towel (make sure your hands are covered!) and grab the bird gently but firmly. The easiest and most comfortable way to do this is to wrap the towel around the bird's body, restraining its feet and wings but keep the head exposed. Keep a firm hold on the bird and put it in the carrier. The bird will most likely not enjoy this, but the key is to keep them safe without you getting bit or the bird being hurt.
Here are some pictures of Nancy catching up "Joker", an Umbrella Cockatoo that came in for a trim. Nancy is demonstrating how to properly catch up a bird with a towel safely.
4. Try to get your bird adjusted to your travel cage/carrier BEFORE an emergency happens! Your bird should not be afraid of the carrier. If they're not familiar with the carrier it can cause a traumatic experience and give the bird more stress than necessary. To do this, put your bird in its "back-up transport" at least once a week, comfort it and give it treats. This will help immensely any time you have to take the bird somewhere.
5. Another tip that most people don't think of is having an ID or info sheet attached to the bird's cage or carrier. Just like how dogs and cats can have ID tags on their collars just in case they get lost, an info sheet for your birds (or any other animal that doesn't wear collars) can be just as important. Some details to include would be bird's name, type of bird, your name and contact information, what the bird eats, and any other emergency contacts such as a family member, friend or even us at Birds of Paradise.
When anything happens suddenly or unexpectedly, we all would like to think that we'd know what to do, but the only effective way is to organize and set up an emergency plan with your family. Go over drills once every six months and keep items on standby just in case. Another thing to keep in mind is that although we would want to save as many living beings as we can, the reality is that sometimes you just don't have time. That's why it's so important to pay attention to the weather and prepare as much as you can ahead of time.
If tragedy does strike and you need somewhere to take your birds while you settle your affairs, you can always board your birds with us at Birds of Paradise. We board birds 365 days a year and every major holiday. You'll know your birds are in good hands and are safe with us while you're away. Give us a call at 316-263-0850 if you ever need to set up a reservation for your birds.
1. Be aware! If you hear on the news or the radio that your area may experience bad weather in the couple days, always take it seriously! Again, you're better off being safe than sorry.
2. Prepare! Take the time to gather items that you can have ready with your animal's carrier or travel cage such as extra bird food, bottled water, towels/blankets, newspaper/paper towels, sandwich baggies (can be used for daily portions of food), and of course your usual disaster prep items: batteries, flash light, radio, food, etc. I like to keep these items ready all the time in a bag or backpack near my animals or in my basement. Again, if you only have a matter of seconds, having these things ready before disaster strikes could mean saving lives!
~Another important step to preparing is to have carriers or travel cages ready. Make sure they're thoroughly cleaned and have their cups and perches in place. Line the bottom with newspaper and/or paper towels. Have spare towels/blankets set with them just in case you need to keep your animals warm.
3. *IN CASE YOUR BIRDS ARE NOT TAME OR ARE IN FULL FLIGHT* - This is very important! A lot of people have birds that are temperamental and may not come out of the cage easily or aren't trimmed. If you have to get your birds out of its cage in order to put it in a carrier, take a thick towel (make sure your hands are covered!) and grab the bird gently but firmly. The easiest and most comfortable way to do this is to wrap the towel around the bird's body, restraining its feet and wings but keep the head exposed. Keep a firm hold on the bird and put it in the carrier. The bird will most likely not enjoy this, but the key is to keep them safe without you getting bit or the bird being hurt.
Here are some pictures of Nancy catching up "Joker", an Umbrella Cockatoo that came in for a trim. Nancy is demonstrating how to properly catch up a bird with a towel safely.
5. Another tip that most people don't think of is having an ID or info sheet attached to the bird's cage or carrier. Just like how dogs and cats can have ID tags on their collars just in case they get lost, an info sheet for your birds (or any other animal that doesn't wear collars) can be just as important. Some details to include would be bird's name, type of bird, your name and contact information, what the bird eats, and any other emergency contacts such as a family member, friend or even us at Birds of Paradise.
When anything happens suddenly or unexpectedly, we all would like to think that we'd know what to do, but the only effective way is to organize and set up an emergency plan with your family. Go over drills once every six months and keep items on standby just in case. Another thing to keep in mind is that although we would want to save as many living beings as we can, the reality is that sometimes you just don't have time. That's why it's so important to pay attention to the weather and prepare as much as you can ahead of time.
If tragedy does strike and you need somewhere to take your birds while you settle your affairs, you can always board your birds with us at Birds of Paradise. We board birds 365 days a year and every major holiday. You'll know your birds are in good hands and are safe with us while you're away. Give us a call at 316-263-0850 if you ever need to set up a reservation for your birds.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Springtime ~ The birds are all atwitter!
Spring is finally here! There's something about this time of year that makes the animals so chipper. Now is the perfect time to get your birds outside to enjoy the beautiful weather!
Natural sunlight and fresh air is essential to a bird's health and happiness. It also gets you outside to enjoy it for yourself! We encourage all of you to make "outside playtime" as part of your routine but there are a lot of steps you need to consider to keep your birds safe.
How do you plan to take your birds outside? There's plenty of easy and safe options! Consider a "travel cage". This is a smaller cage than what your bird may be used to, but if your bird's cage is large and difficult to move, a smaller cage would be much easier for you and would only be for temporary reasons, such as travel or just to enjoy being outside! A travel carrier would work just as well. However, if your bird's cage is not too large and is easy enough to take with you, you might be better off just using that!
Another option, but would take some time to get your bird adjusted, would be a harness. Avian harnesses are growing in popularity but finding the right kind and size can be tricky, as well as training your bird to wear it. Once the bird is comfortable in the harness, your bird will have the freedom of being out with you while also being safe and you being in control. We've started carrying Feather Tethers which seems to be a decent product that our customers have been happy with.
Other simple things to remember when getting your birds outside to play:
Natural sunlight and fresh air is essential to a bird's health and happiness. It also gets you outside to enjoy it for yourself! We encourage all of you to make "outside playtime" as part of your routine but there are a lot of steps you need to consider to keep your birds safe.
How do you plan to take your birds outside? There's plenty of easy and safe options! Consider a "travel cage". This is a smaller cage than what your bird may be used to, but if your bird's cage is large and difficult to move, a smaller cage would be much easier for you and would only be for temporary reasons, such as travel or just to enjoy being outside! A travel carrier would work just as well. However, if your bird's cage is not too large and is easy enough to take with you, you might be better off just using that!
Another option, but would take some time to get your bird adjusted, would be a harness. Avian harnesses are growing in popularity but finding the right kind and size can be tricky, as well as training your bird to wear it. Once the bird is comfortable in the harness, your bird will have the freedom of being out with you while also being safe and you being in control. We've started carrying Feather Tethers which seems to be a decent product that our customers have been happy with.
Other simple things to remember when getting your birds outside to play:
- Provide lots of water
- Keep all cage doors closed (locks, clips or wire ties)
- Most importantly - NEVER leave your birds unattended outside! You never know when a predator or person might have their eye on your bird. Always keep close watch over them while outside!
- If it's too hot or too cold outside for a human baby - same for your bird.
- Try to keep them off the ground if you can to prevent bugs from entering the cage/carrier.
- Make sure they are freshly trimmed! (But remember, even if a bird is trimmed, a gust of wind can pick up your bird and take it great distances! Avoid taking your bird outside on windy days without protection.)
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Feeling Lucky?
Stop by Birds of Paradise this weekend March 14, 15, & 17 for our annual St. Patrick's Day sale.
The sale will include;
Green Budgie Parakeets- $10
Toys with green parts - 20% off
Perches and ladders with green - 20% off
Green cages and carriers - 20% off
Green cups and mineral blocks - 10% off
There will also be select cages with green bows on them, these cages will be 20% off as well
Here are some other birds we have that will not be in our sale this weekend.
3 Green Cheek Conures (2 yellow sided and 1 pineapple)
2 Sun Conures (still being hand-fed)
Cockatiels (hand-fed)
Society & Zebra Finches
Barraband Parakeet
White-eyed Conure
Peach-fronted Conure
Budgie Parakeets (other than Green)
Stop by to see all the birds!
Friday, February 21, 2014
It's Cookie Time!
One of our customers has a daughter who is a Girl Scout. They asked us if they could sell cookies at our store and of course we said yes! Last year we had a Girl Scout troupe come by on a Saturday to sell cookies and they were so successful that they sold out of cookies!
This troupe is going to be at Birds of Paradise from 11 am to 3 pm, Saturday, February 22nd.
Come by and support local Girl Scouts while you get your birds trimmed or buy bird supplies! The Scouts will have cookies here on site so you don't have to worry about them arriving in the mail. You get your goodies when you buy them!
We're so excited and just love supporting groups like this that promote educating children and brightening their lives. Plus we get to purchase some cookies for ourselves!
This troupe is going to be at Birds of Paradise from 11 am to 3 pm, Saturday, February 22nd.
Come by and support local Girl Scouts while you get your birds trimmed or buy bird supplies! The Scouts will have cookies here on site so you don't have to worry about them arriving in the mail. You get your goodies when you buy them!
We're so excited and just love supporting groups like this that promote educating children and brightening their lives. Plus we get to purchase some cookies for ourselves!
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