Birdy is wrapped in tissue paper before each feeding session so that they sweat of my palm will not make her wet. The tissues have to be changed or added on because she flicks off access food. It’s not easy to get the amount “exactly right”. So, it’s good that Birdy shakes off whatever that’s access in each lump of food that I syringe into her mouth.
After each meal, she goes back into her tissue box, after it’s been cleaned and lined with fresh tissues. There’s always faeces on the tissues before each feed.
I decided to let Birdy have some flying lessons in the safety of our bedroom after her meal.
As you can see from this video, she would take off from this tray, flly low-leve and end up banging against the wall. It happened a few times, so I stopped letting her take off.
She perched onto this gadget and started pecking at the metal. I stopped her, of course.
After the next meal, we tried the flying lessons again.
The same thing happened again. She would either bang into the wall or the cabinet doors and end up on the floor, but thankfully, she was not injured.
So I changed the position of the take-off.
She wouldn’t take off from my hand.
I placed her on her tray thinking she likes to take off from it, and stood at the door, giving her more distance to fly, but she didn’t want to take off.
I figured maybe she might try it in the garden. So off we went to the garden.
Nope, not interested in taking off at all.
How about getting some hopping exercise then?
Birdy hopped off the tray and ended up…
…perching low on a branch and pecking at it!
She just loves to peck.
After all, she IS a woody-woodpecker!
Today, we had six meals in all, which I think is sufficient. Overfeeding is also not good, so I have learnt to watch her response and “read” when she has had enough.
The happiest is when I get the consistency of the food “just right” and the amount right, and the “hit the target”, ie. syringe the right amount into her mouth where she swallows all without shaking any off.
It works like this: First, I mix the pounded pellets (already in powder) with hot water, then wait for it to soften, then I put it into the syringe, but while feeding (because it takes time), the contents inside the syringe starts to dry up, so I have be very observant of the consistency. Once it is not wet enough, I need to start all over again. So I will put Birdy back into the carrier, while I restart the whole process by syringing out the remnants, adding hot water and repeating the process. That is why it still takes about 15-20 minutes for each session. With each lump being syringed in, I have to watch and ensure Birdy has swallowed before putting in the next lump. And towards the end, once Birdy starts spitting out the food, that’s my cue that she has had enough, and we have to stop. But if she finishes all the food and she still wants more, I make a new batch.