Ask Lafeber

Urgent: 5 weeks old green cheek conure hand feeding

I got a 5 week old gcc, blood tested as male with a ring around one of his legs. The breeder seems legit. I figured when we met at the mall, he was quiet because he was scared. He had a rough 2 hour trip where he was visibly trembling the entire time. That was yesterday. He barely makes any sound. Almost none. Not even when hungry. There are times when he is animated (flapping wings, stumbling around, preening, nibling) and he doesn’t appear sick at all. But he yawns a lot and basically doze off on his feet. Sometimes, he’ll doze off mid-feed and he won’t eat until his crop is full. Just til the point that it’s about half-filled around 5mL each feeding. Something feels off. I can’t tell if this is stress from a change of environment or if there is something wrong with him. His eyes are clear, no respiratory issues, and poop perfectly normal. But I’m afraid he’s not getting enough to eat and he’s too sleepy all the time. He was born February 7, so he is precisely 30 days old now. Please help. How much is he supposed to be eating per feeding. Based on this information, is there something wrong with him, or is he just still tired from yesterday’s tiring commute, change of environment, and feeding method, and he’ll get over it?

Hi,

Unfortunately purchasing a bird in that manner is not ideal. You should always visit the breeder or pet shop more than once, if possible, and see more than just one bird. It’s also not a good idea to buy a handfeeding chick if you have never handfed before. It’s actually illegal in many States. The chick does not sound particularly healthy. The best thing to do is contact the seller for advice, or take the bird to an Avian Vet. I can’t advise you on how much to feed because it can vary per bird. While chicks do mainly sleep when not being fed, at this age, he should already be interested in trying to eat food on his own and explore some of the time.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda