Weaning my lovebird?

Question

My young green masked lovebird is now 11weeks old and I'm unsure about the weaning. I've weaned a lovebird before and that was actually quite easy, only this one wants nothing to do with anything other than his formula and some of his treats. I'm quite desperate, since I have to go away for a week at the end of June and can't take him with me. My fiancé can feed him but we can't keep feeding him forever.
If anyone has a link to a site or some useful advice that I could use I would appreciate it very much. Plus you could get 10 points =)

Answer 1

Start offering him soft foods like pasta with 15 beans and lentils with barley, cracked corn, white rice, brown rice, orzo, split peas, wheat germ and oat meal in it. Just add some water and micro wave it till the water is absorbed. Normally it's 1/2 cup rice mix to 1 cup water. cook till water is gone.

Birds love soft foods for weaning. Then add some veggies to the mix and feed in the morning. Remove dish early evening and then feed what you eat for supper. What rice and bean mix you have left over, put in fridge for the rest of the week.

Birds normally have a curiousity of colors. It might take a couple of days for them to look at it, but keep at it, they will look at what is in the dish for colors. It also will allow your bird to live longer.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

11 weeks is a little old for a lovebird not to be eating solid foods,but not all birds wean at the same rate. You can't force a bird to wean. They need the hand-feeding not only for nutrition, but also for security. If the bird feels insecure it may beg for feeding just to reassure itself that it hasn't been abandoned. Is the amount of formula it's taking at each feeding less than it used to be? Is it drinking water on its own? Water is the most important. Don't cut back on feeding until you are sure it is drinking. I let all my birds wean themselves. If a baby is asking to be fed, it needs to be, if only for its own sense of security. I've had conures and parrotlets refuse formula at 5 weeks, and at the other end of the spectrum our African grey was still getting an evening feed at six months. One thing to try is offer small pieces of soft, warm food by hand instead of formula. If it is ready for solid food this is a good way to introduce it. Plain Cheerios soaked in warm water or fruit juice work well. If the baby will eat for your fiance that is by far preferable to trying to wean it before it is ready. It will wean eventually.

Answer 3

He should wean soon...they are all individuals and wean at different times. Only hand feed him twice a day at this age. Make sure he has access to plenty of good seed mix, pellets, and millet spray. When you see him munching on other foods, only give him one feeding a day. Weigh him every day so you know if he is losing weight or not. Is his crop full? That can tell you if he is eating enough on his own. His keel bone shouldn't feel prominent or sharp...he should have a meaty chest. Baby birds will lose a little weight around weaning time, this is normal. www.cockatielcottage.net has good links on raising baby birds.