# Babies eating whole seed? Hull and all??



## kfelton0002 (Mar 12, 2010)

I noticed my older babies nibbling at their millet spray, but they haven't quite figured out how to crack the hull and eat the seed within. They simply roll the whole thing in their beaks a few times and eat the darn thing hull and all! I know that in birds, their gizzard acts to grind and break down solid foods in the way that teeth work in other animals. I haven't seen any solid seeds being passed in their droppings, so maybe I'm just worrying too much! Is this okay or should I only be offering like weaning pellets or something?


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

LOL that would be cute to see. Clearly I have no idea of the answer because I don't deal with tiny baby birds.
But it just sounds so adorable to see babies attempting to start eating on their own!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

If you are not seeing any of the millet in their droppings then they are digesting it properly. I noticed most of mine just rapidly pick of and eat the seed without hulling from the millet sprays.


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## kfelton0002 (Mar 12, 2010)

Good! Sounds like my babies might just be trying to wean! The older two aren't wanting to take as much as they used to with each feeding. I guess because they've got a belly full of millet. What are some other good weaning foods? I have some weaning pellet morsels, but they don't really seem interested in them..


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

I would start introducing greens and veggies. You can clip them to the inside of the cage for them. I ususally offer new foods an hour or two before any scheduled feeding. Have a bowl of pellets and seed available in addition to the millet. As long as they are getting formula there is no need for a water bowl yet. I introduce a shallow water bowl when they are down to only 1 feeding per day (which is the nightime feeding)

It is the lunch/middle feeding that is skipped first. PRIOR to skipping a feeding I reduce the amount fed by 1cc per day. 

Also you can feel the base of their crops prior to feeding. If you feel food in there give less formula.


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## Karine (May 28, 2010)

Trying to compare with mine, how old are your babies? And what kind of weaning pellets do you offer them?


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## kfelton0002 (Mar 12, 2010)

I think my pellets are a Kaytee (Exact) product if I'm not mistaken. I bought them because since the hand feeding formula I use is from the same company that they would eat them better, but that little idea went up in smoke. They pretty much just walk through the bowl and scatter them all over the place. I have yet to see them eat one pellet! They will eat millet and other seeds all day long though! And they will nibble at wheat bread and crackers. 

My oldest two are 27 days, the third oldest is 25 days, and the youngest is 23 days. They are all in the mid 90's in weight and are gaining as they should be.


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## kfelton0002 (Mar 12, 2010)

I was thinking about offering them some Zupreem pellets since they are colorful and fruity. Maybe they will think they are fun (like cereal is for kids) and eat them!! lol


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

They may like the Zupreem pellets better. Now is the time to offer a variety of food, whether they eat it or not, at first, so that they are used to a varied diet.


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## Karine (May 28, 2010)

Kfelton - our babies are the same age!  who are the parents? I would like to follow their growth along with mine.


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## kfelton0002 (Mar 12, 2010)

The four gray babies' mom and dad is Duke and Daisy. Duke is a normal gray and Daisy is a gray split to pied. I have two normal babies and two split to pied babies and I think they are all boys! lol 

I have four younger chicks as well that I have been handfeeding from day 1 and they are from Coby and Angel. I have a whiteface pied, a normal whiteface, and two whiteface lutinos from them. The oldest is 14 days old and the youngest is 11 days old. I will be weighing them when I get home from work this evening or in the morning. I pulled a double shift last night so all I feel like doing right now is catching some Z's!! lol 

The last time I weighed the oldest four I'm thinking that their weights were (from oldest to youngest) 95, 94, 98, and 97, but that was a few days ago. And no I didn't get that backwards. The two youngest ones are little pigs!! lol


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

The greys should start dropping some weight about now...as much as 10 grams. This is normal and due to their fledgling age. Then they will gain it back. If these babies are this weight they will probably wean out at around 110 to 120 grams.


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## kfelton0002 (Mar 12, 2010)

I just posted my "concern" about that on my post about the wing spots! lol 

My second oldest has dropped a few grams and I was just starting to worry, but now I'm okay so THANKS! lol 

At what age do you take your babies down to a twice a day feeding and then finally a once a day feeding??


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

At 3.5 to 4 weeks old I an reducing the middle feeding by 1cc a day. Once down to 0cc then I skip that feeding. By then the babies will be picking and eating more. PRIOR to each feeding I will give them fresh food and greens, then at feeding time feel the base of the crop between my fingers to see if there is any food in it. The next feeding to start reducing by 1cc a day is the morning feeding. Night time feeding starts getting reduced 1cc per day once I start feeling food in the base of the crop.


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