Reply With QuoteThis is a wonderful piece you have writen Tracy and so needed, just how many babies you will have helped today with this information we will never know
One of our members had a very close call today with a feeding tube coming off & getting caught in his baby's greys crop .Therefore i feel it's necessary that you are aware of the potential risks / dangers that may occur when hand feeding your grey.
Crop Punctures...
Crop punctures are normally caused by either carelessness or inexperience in tube feeding. Tube feeding is a method of feeding, in which, the food is pumped into the crop through a tube that has been put down the esophagus and into the crop. If the tube is pushed too far, or if the baby jumps, the tube may be pushed through through the crop membrane and the outer skin to cause a puncture. If this happens, food put into the crop will leak out of the puncture. The only way to correct this problem is to suture the inner and outer layers of the crop and skin. Antibiotics must be administered to prevent infection. If left uncorrected, infection will set in, and the baby will starve to death because the crop will no longer hold food.
Crop Burn...
Crop burn is one of the most preventable of all of the maladies. It is caused by feeding food that is so hot it literally burns the inside to the crop. Crop burn is most easily recognized in babies that do not yet have their crops covered with feathers. A day or so after the incident, you will see a white patch through the skin of the crop. This is a blister that has been caused by the burn. If the food was hot enough, it can actually burn a hole through the crop and the outer layer of skin. Depending on the severity of the burn, digestion of food will become slow and infection can set in. A hole, burned through the crop, will have to be sutured.
Most often crop burn occurs when food has been warmed in a microwave oven, and was not checked for hot spots. Here again, using common sense will prevent this tragic accident from ever happening.If it is too hot for your finger, it is certainly too hot for the baby. This is another condition that it is necessary to empty the crop of any undigested food, at least once every 24 hour, to prevent souring and bacterial infection, until the crop is able to function properly.If you suspect that your baby's crop has been burned, he should have immediate medical attention. Unattended, crop burn can, and usually will, be fatal.
Sour Crop and Slow Crop...
These conditions will be observed only in a parrot baby that is still handfeeding. Each may be the cause of the other. A baby's crop must empty completely at least once in a 24 hour period. If the crop is slow to empty, the soft food in the crop will begin to grow bacteria, and sour. A sour crop will cause digestion to be slow, and, therefore, cause a slow crop. Although, a slow crop may be caused by a number of different problems, which will be described in the following topics, in every case, the condition will elevate bacterial growth, and possibly sour crop. If a baby's crop does not empty in a 24 hour period, it must be emptied in order to prevent further complications. This may be done with a piece of plastic tubing used for aquarium air line, or the baby may be held with his head lower than his body and the soured food massaged from the crop, through the esophagus, and out of the mouth. The latter method has a higher risk of aspirating the baby if he breathes food into his lungs in his panic while being turned upside down. The first method may be risky if the tubing is forced though the walls of the esophagus. If you have never emptied a baby's crop, it is best to contact an avian vet or an experienced breeder to do the task.
Stretched Crop...
A stretched crop is a condition seen in handfeeding baby parrots. It is caused by trying to give a baby too much food in one feed, and, thereby, overfilling and stretching the muscles of the crop. The crop skin and muscles have a natural elasticity that assist in the digestion of food and retain their shape as the food is digested. When empty, the crop should be flat. If the crop is overfilled to the point of stretching the skin and muscles, it will hang onto the breastbone, and a portion of the food will remain in the part of the crop that is overlapping onto the breastbone. It will appear very much like a deflated balloon. If left uncorrected, the food remaining in the crop will develop bacteria, which will slow the digestive process even more, causing weight loss and possibly eventual death.
This is a wonderful piece you have writen Tracy and so needed, just how many babies you will have helped today with this information we will never know
Never take life seriously, no one gets out alive anyway!
I think we have a "Must Read" Sticky here!
It is a sticky Fal
Very useful. Hopefully most will not embark on hand feeding but will instead buy babies completely weaned. However, this information is very good for anyone that is handfeeding babies for whatever the reason!
I agree Mark, personally & my opinion only, id be far happier if breeders,petshops etc.. were only permitted to sell fully weaned babies,but at least there is some information available here for when the need arises,& we will try to help as much as we can.
Some really good information and advice LMG. I agree with you also on buying a baby grey and would suggest to anyone buying one that they buy a baby which is fully weaned and fledged.
I would also like to add that there are reputable breeders who will not sell their babies until they are fully weaned.
Not sure that if this is the right place to post this but anyone thinking about getting a baby should do a lot of research on the species make sure that they have the space, time and effort to care for one. Make sure your breeder is reputable do some research on them and their background to ensure your baby is being cared for well before it comes home.
Cheers
Nims
Thanks for your input nims.
Here in the UK it is illegal to sell unweaned babies,just a shame that law isn't enforced globally
OMG !!! i did just buy a baby grey and no she's not weaned. I am having trouble feeding. they told him she should get 2 droppers full 2x a day and it takes me and 1/2 hour to do it. the first day i did okey but since then it's harder. the ladie said her food is too thick and she doesn't like it but i have tried thinning it and it doesn't help. I did heat her food but i know it has to be well mixed and tested I checked it on my pinky and arm. having 3 children i know of the danger ... but after reading this i'm scared
Welcome dennisandholly,
How old is your baby? Is she eating anything else other than her formula?
Below is a link on handfeeding for you to read which I hope will help, if you read through it will tell you of the consistency and temperature the formula should be which is very important when feeding your baby.
http://www.greyforums.net/forums/the-nursery/73409-handfeeding-a-baby-grey.html
Please post with any questions you may have, there are lots of members who would be able to help if you give a little more information about your greys age and diet.
Welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy it here.
Posting Permissions