A syringe or crop needle should be used for crop feeding.
In between feeds, boil the utensils to prevent infections etc
Any formula must be made fresh and the leftover discarded.
The size of crop needle and amount of formula needed when using Dr Rob Marshall’s ER Formula:
- Orphaned Wild Birds – Syringe or Small Spoon – 3ml Formula to be fed
- 18g for Waxbills and other small birds – 3ml Formula to be fed
- 16g for Finches / Canaries
- 14g for Cockatiels,Budgerigars and small parakeets, plus small raptors – 3ml – 5ml Formula to be fed, 2 times daily
- 12g for African Greys, Amazons and most Falcons – Parrots: 10ml Formula to be fed, 2 times daily
- 10g for Small Macaws and small Cockatoos
- 8g for Harris Hawks, large Macaws and large Cockatoos
Tips for preparing the ER Formula:
Always make the formula fresh and warm for each meal.
Hold a small cup in a larger bowl so that the hot water keeps the formula warm
adding a couple of drops of hot water from the tap at a time, use the back of a spoon to mix the powder into a paste and press the formula against the sides to squash out any lumps to make it smooth.
Continue adding a few drops of water until the formula is the consistency of maple syrup.
Mix by hand and double check the temperature before feeding.
Continue feeding for one day after the bird is seen eating seed on its own.
Spilled food around the birds beak should be cleaned with a warm cloth before it dries.
