Remember, the bird will readily accept the food, even if it is too hot, and the problem may not be noticed for several days after the burn occurs. If one infant in a nursery is recognized as having a crop burn, there is a good chance others in the nursery will also have this problem. If this happens, I suggest you contact your veterinarian immediately. If the baby is overfed or slightly dehydrated, it may regurgitate some of the formula, and it is common to see this happen during weaning. However, often, regurgitation indicates a problem, such as sour crop, infection, blockage of the tract by possible foreign bodies, or use of certain drugs.
Viruses can wreak havoc in a nursery and cause the deaths of every single baby.
I only mention this in regard to hand feeding because some of the problems aforementioned are symptomatic of viruses. Crop stasis, listlessness, regurgitation and vomiting, are listed in the new Avian Medicine book as problems of polyoma virus, as well as hemorrhages and plucked feathers. These days, with the advent of formulated hand feeding diets, most of the problems previously experienced by hand feeders have been eliminated. With care and common sense, few problems will surface in the nursery, and with the advice of your veterinarian and experienced aviculturists, hand feeding can be accomplished successfully. The Eclectus Forum - All rights reserved.