Macaw Handfeeding and Pediatrics

Abstract

Although I believe this guide can be useful for many parrots, the basis of my
experience is exclusively large macaws; hyacinths, green wings, blue and golds,
Buffon 's, scarlets, militaries and red fronts. There are four components to a successful handfeeding program: a nutritional diet ,ample amounts of food consumed, adequate temperature of food and environment, and daily
weight records. An understanding of the crop is helpful to handfeeding. The crop is an enlarged portion of the esophagus, best thought of as a pouch or holding tank. A full crop does not equal a full stomach. This is why, when you feed your babies late, they will continue to beg for food with bulging crops. Food is trickle-fed to the proventriculus or true stomach of birds where digestion is started. ext, the food travels to the gizzard or muscular stomach which aids in the breakdown of the harder nuts and seeds. However, the primary organ of digestion is the small intestine.