IndianRingNeck.com

Hi all, new to the forum, i have a 7 week old blue ringneck named Marley. Very loved.
I have been hand raising him/her (not DNA tested yet) since 3 weeks, (ill just say he) is very affectionate, LOVES being with me and is happy with the family and all my friends. anyway, all has been going well but about 4 days ago he stopped taking his formula. I have done my research, and i understand he is fledging, trying to lose weight to fly etc however I really am struggling to get hardly any food into him. During the day I offer him all kinds of things. I have read the weaning sticky, so I have done the mashed sweet potato with peas and corn, still not interested. I offer him finely cut nectarine, Oranges, seeds, cereal and pellets, so he is getting a wide variety of foods. Im really trying to do everything right but he just seems to not be interested in it. He ignores it all most of the time. Sometimes he picks out a few peas and a little bit of corn but I know its just not enough. And on the days that he hardly eats any formula before bed I get really worried. He has lost weight but still looks healthy. He also seems perfectly fine during the day (hes not lethargic or anything), seems quite happy. sometimes he gets really loud and constantly bobs his head up and down, so i assume he is telling me he is very hungry. So i try feeding him and have no luck. just runs away. Im offering him food out of a shallow white bowl or plate.
So what is it that I am doing wrong? I feel like im doing everything right and its not working the way Id hoped. Is it just a stage he is going to pass through and will start making a solid effort to start eating soon?
This is my first bird so maybe my expectations of weaning are a little out, however from all that I have been reading, it seems he should be eating a bit more than he is. I just dont want him to be hungry all the time. especially when the food is there to be eaten.
any advice would be great.
thanks

hi there, try mixing in a small amount of baby food (apple flavour or the peas and carrots) and offer it to him, usually best thing in the morning when he is most hungry, also try offer a dish of warm veg and see if he shows any interest, they can be very tricky at this age, but you just have to find whatever it is that he will decide to fancy! apple baby food mixed in the porridge works well as it tastes lovely for them.!

If he wasn't offered the foods until he got to the weaning stage, it might take him a little longer to recognize it as food.

Leave a sprig of millet in his cage to play with and nibble on and continue what you are doing offering him foods throughout the day. Try to get at least that last nighttime feeding into him if you can to tide him over through the night. He might be eating more than you realize, after all their stomachs are small and you say he's still acting cheery so watch. Let him fledge properly and he should start tucking in his food like nothing else.

i have a blue ringneck that i weaned from 2 weeks, it was very stressful when trying to feed him once he started to wean ..i found that warmed mashed veggies worked the best. do you add extra flavours to the mashed sweet potato? because my bird doesn't like it just by itself, if i add some garlic, cayenne pepper or lime juice he absolutely loves it. the weaning phase didn't last long with my bird, good luck with your fid