# New at handfeeding and things are getting messy



## ssbam1986 (Mar 15, 2013)

So I have been handfeeding Lego for two days now and things are getting really messy. I am a total amatuer so I don't know if there is a tidy way of feeding but every time I'm done little lego has formula on his head and chest. I dip my fingers in warm water and try to clean him as best I can but his feathers are all crusty and I feel like I'm not doing this right. I always make sure his beak is totally clean and he does not have a buildup of formula but his feathers just seem permanently crusty no matter what I do. Is this normal?:wf grey::yellow pied:


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## WestCoast (Jan 25, 2013)

Oh I am so having the same issue, except for it's times four here!! I have four little velociraptors that are impossible to keep clean!! Like you I do what I can but it seems so futile. My older two are pretty good at cleaning their chest up, but the younger two don't have as many chest feathers yet. It sure makes life interesting that is for sure!!! Good luck with your baby


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Try a cotton ball or paper towel dipped in warm water to clean them up. But no, there really is no "clean" way to feed lol.


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## ssbam1986 (Mar 15, 2013)

Thanks that makes me feel better. I was worried about the crusty feathers but I suppose that those will be regrown eventually. It actually seems like he might be plucking out the crusty feathers on his chest. Is that okay/normal? it might jost look that way cause they're crusty and not billowy like the rest of his feathers but he seems slightly bald in the chest area.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

It depends on how bald he is....if he really is picking at those feathers it could mean that his crop is irritating him which is not normal and means there is something wrong. So I would keep an eye on that to make sure its just clumpy because of the formula and not an crop-related issue.


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## Sapphire4373 (Feb 8, 2013)

When I first started hand feeding I made a mess all the time, but I think it was because I was petrifed I was going to aspirate the baby! But as time went on I got better. But I also find that some of my babies like an actual tip on the syringe and others prefer the Luer lock type with no tip in it. I personally prefer the Luer lock without the tip because I can see how much is coming out and it doesn't squirt like there is a blockage or something in it.
I am pretty anal (pardon the statement) with them not being crusty, so I have natural baby wipes in one of those wipe warmers and if they get any formula on them while I'm feeding I pause and wipe them up and I also wipe them up when they are done.
They seem to enjoy the warmth of the wipe, it is all natural and it does the job rather well.  
Good luck with your babies, it is a fun yet messy experience to be had


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## ssbam1986 (Mar 15, 2013)

I think the feathers are just clumpy because they are still there just not puffed out so you can see his skin, but the feathers are still there.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I use a warm wet washcloth to wash their faces afterward. The direction that you wipe in makes a big difference. It seems natural to wipe downward and toward the back of the baby's head, but this is actually a mistake because it pushes the formula deeper into the feathers. Instead, you should wipe in the outward and slightly upward direction (toward yourself if the baby is facing you). The washcloth/cotton ball/whatever moves more or less toward the beak, not toward the back of the baby's head.


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## Erinsmom (Sep 7, 2012)

I use qtips dunked in the warm water that i make the formula with. If you roll them the formula will stick to the tip nicely and the water helps dissolve it a bit. i think it just comes with practice and learning how to control the flow better. When i first started i would sometimes squirt it on them but now I can almost not even have to wipe them up. Practice practice practice.


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