Help re weaning.

11 Feb 2011, 22:45

I have been handraising a yellow gould finch for the past two weeks and it is at the stage of fledging/weaning. It is perky and comes to me when feeding time comes and can flutter/fly. For the past day or so it is getting harder for it to accept the feeding syringe during daytime feeding and is having a cursoury peck at the green/half ripe millet sprays I have put in its resting area (canary cane nest). What do I do from here on in? I would really like some advice but I dont want to seem critical but previous requests have ended up in a gab fest between users and the original question has gone unanswered. Example: There wa a question about how to help with cold times which turned into GUINESS. I just want to know how to wean the finch, nothing more, nothing less. After all isn't that what this site is for?

11 Feb 2011, 22:51

geez .... thats a bit harsh .

Sorry if being friendly offends you ...yes I threw in the guiness as a way to welcome a new forum member from Ireland ...

11 Feb 2011, 23:14

Didnt mean to sound harsh, just became frustrated with reading so many posts that had nothing to do with the original question because it was dear to my heart ........................the question died. So, any advice on weaning?

11 Feb 2011, 23:19

Sorry, forgot to add, being friendly doesn't offend me at all. I am probably the friendliest person I know.

12 Feb 2011, 04:53

when i reared my painted boys (was a post a while ago) i weaned them by leaving them in my breeding aviaries to see what real birds do and they weaned themselves!! like, one day they were feeding, next day they ignored me almost completely

so i'd suggest either putting it with other birds during the day then bringing back in at night or putting another (juvenile of same species preferably) in a small cage with it.

12 Feb 2011, 06:53

Make sure there is food in with it at all times, if it doesnot want to take the needle during the day, don't offer it, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't lose to much condition & just continue with morning & night feeds, when it starts to resist these cut back to the night feed only for a couple of day to a week then stop feeding altogether. Hand reared do seem to take longer to wean than parent reared birds, & some birds, particularly Quarrions, will take feed while ever it is on offer, I've even had hens breeding that would still come to the wire for a feed if offered.

15 Feb 2011, 21:05

Guys,

I am at my wits end, the bird now doesn't even look at the seed/water etc and every time I walk near the cage he goes ballistic for food. Begging and even flying against the wire to get to me. I am a bit of a softie and feed it. I know "tough love" may have to be only feed it once a day but are there any other options? I have a third flight that contains 1 canary but I don't have any birds or chicks of the same species as he is the 1st of the season and my 6 other pairs are all nesting in the other 2 flights. Do you think that putting him in the flight with the canary may help? I am dubious as I think it would be pretty frightening going from a small wire cage to a 180lx180hx90w flight but on the other hand he might learn to socialise as the other flights are all next to each other only seperated by wire. Any suggestions?

15 Feb 2011, 21:16

Can the canary go into the smaller cage with the finch ?

I would go back to square one with this one , resume 3 or 4 feeds a day and in between totally detach yourself from it ie. put it in another room until time to feed again .

Try this for a couple of days and then cut out 1 feed a day for a few more days and so on till just on a nightly feed .

Being with the canary might take away some of the dependence on you ( Im assuming you want it to be with other finches )and at the same time it may get some guidance in regards to eating seed .

Other than that make sure the seed is all over the bottom of the cage as foraging instincts might kick in . Good luck .

15 Feb 2011, 21:26

Or rather do you have any finches that may be suited to a bit of time in with the baby?

15 Feb 2011, 22:34

The unfortunate situation is that all of my birds (except for the canary) have never been in a wire cage and I am sure would freak out if I put them in one and brought them inside. I think bringing the canary in with the chick might be the go but will try and perservere for the next couple of days to see if anything changes. Will keep you posted.