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Raising Orphaned Wild Baby Birds I Found A Baby Bird - What Should I Do?
Rescuing Them, Raising Them, Their Food & Care
When springtime arrives, many people ask themselves that question. The right answer depends on many factors. 1) If the baby bird is not on the ground, leave it alone. As young birds learn to fl they leave their nests to perch on adjoining branches and nearby bushes. Because it becomes nearly impossible for their parents to supply their enormous food needs, hunger motivates them as well. Their parents go from one baby to the next continuing to feed them through this critical period. 2) Are you sure this bird is a baby? Many sick or stunned adult birds are mistaken for baby birds. Just because it is spring is no guarantee the bird is immature. 3) There are certain species of birds that normally rear their babies on the ground (atricial birds). Killdeer, plovers, shore and sea birds, all duck-like and chicken-like birds are among these. They only need your assistance if they are found in highly inappropriate areas.
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Many Sites I See Online Suggest I Leave This Baby Bird Alone Is That A Good Idea Or A Bad Idea?
It is not a good idea or a bad idea. This is a philosophical question and the right answer depends on what kind of person you are. There is nothing wrong with letting Mother Nature solve her problems in her own way. The baby you just found wasn't destined by Her to survive. Letting Nature take its course is fine in the grand scheme of things. In the United States, it is also politically correct. Bu if we all accepted that on an individual daily basis, there would be no need for veterinarians, physicians or good Samaritans.
What Is The Likelihood That This Baby Bird Will Survive If I Leave It On The Ground ?
Very, very unlikely. Here is why: Ornithologists are scientists who study birds. Their research has shown that, on the average, less than one third of the baby wild birds that hatch will survive thei first year and that the majority are lost during their first few weeks of life. For example, studies have found that only 36.7% of Colorado Lark Buntings survive their first 20 days, and only 14-29% of Maryland catbirds or Pennsylvania Hooded Warblers make it through their first eight weeks. These are studies of baby birds that stayed in their nests properly. Think how much poorer the odds are for the baby bird on the ground that should not be there. Those with missing feathers, unopened eyes, the weakness of hunger or injuries are certainly doomed; and those that can not or are reluctant to fly to a branch have only slightly better odds much less than those quoted in those scientific studies. This is because even well-developed young perching birds (song birds) that find themselves grounded are defenseless against the snakes, raccoons, and other small carnivores that rely on them as their food supply. These critters also have hungry babies to feed at this time of year. However, most of my readers live in suburban areas. And in suburban areas, the chief destroyer of young song birds are house cats. The number of young birds that house cats destroy is impossible to know with certainty. Cat-lovers tend to minimize the number and bird lovers to maximize it. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have estimate that 20-150 million song birds are killed each year in Wisconsin alone by free-roaming house cats. The US Fish And Wildlife Service estimates 60 million. I personally know that de-clawing cats or placing bells on their collars does little to deter them. They catch the birds with their teeth and by the time the bell rings, the cat is already in the air. Even the most pampered, well-fed feline has an instinctive urge to kill small creatures
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If that is not an option, here are some general observations for small songbirds. Not all "songbirds" have a pleasant songs. They are more accurately called perching birds and are referred to scientifically as altricial passerines):
1) If the babys eyes are still closed it is probably less than 7 days old. The baby in the photo at the top of this page is a 4-day old mockingbird. If the bird is weak due to stress or disease, it may also be reluctant to open its eyes. 2) By 12-14 days of age it should have most of its feathers erupted but not fully unfurled (still in pinfeather form). 3) By 16-20 days it should be completely feathered , fluttering and interested in leaving the nest. 4) By 22-34 days it should be flying well and able to grasp and eat food on its own although it will still beg its parents for food. 5) By 4050 days its tail feathers should be as long as its parents. But it may still be dependent on its parents for food.
Another common group of birds are born more mature. They are call precocial birds. Most of them do not have the right shaped feet to perch on branches. They include ducks and geese, shorebirds like sandpipers, killdeer, plovers, ducks, grouse, quail and partridge but there are many more. These birds are born with a fine coat of down or fuzz and are able to see, walk and feed themselves as soon as they have dried off and rested upon hatching. Precocial birds leave their nest as soon as they are hatched and follow their mother about feeding. The techniques that work for raising babies in this group differ from song birds and so does the food you must offer them.
Should I Put The Baby Back In Its Nest If I Can Find It?
Returning the baby to its nest rarely works. This is because it probably fell out or left its nest for one of the seven reasons I mentions earlier. Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to correct one of those a reason, the baby will fall again, starve or be eaten. Just putting it back rarely corrects the problem that caused it to fall in the first place. If the entire nest blew down, you can try to tie or wire it back where it was- or close by to where it was. But parents often abandon such nests. If they are not seen feeding the chicks within 1- 1.5 hours, it didnt work. If the baby is close to fully feathered but not yet able to perch, you can place it a shoe box, woven basket or similar container lined with hay or dry leaves in a safe, elevated, shaded area and wait 1- 2 hours to see if its parents begin feeding it. I look for containers with sides twice as high as the original nest. Another technique that works well for babies old enough to grasp your finger tightly is to place it in a leafy bush with many low and high branches. The thick leaves will conceal the baby from cats, and the many branches allow the baby to gradually hop to the top - out of harm's way. Its parents will locate it by its cheeping. If the
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bird is too frightend to stay where you put it - try placing it in the bush or tree again at night. Baby birds are clumsy, hyperactive and excitable. Baby birds of a younger age are not good candidates for this technique because parent birds do not usually feed younger babies in two different locations. If the baby is weak, injured, soiled , sleepy, or dehydrated do not attempt to return it. These re-introductions succeed best when the parent birds are still hovering about, concerned about their missing junior. After your attempt, observe only from a distance that does not cause the parents concern.
What If The Babies Are Still in The Nest And Their Mother Has Abandoned Them?
If you suspect that, you yourself may be the cause of the problem. One ought not bother active bird nests. Nesting songbirds do not like to be disturbed. They may appear to accept your presence, but an instinctive response of even a mildly distracted bird is to abandon its nest. If there are dead chick(s) in the nest it is truly abandoned. Attentive parents quickly throw dead or weakened babies out of the nest. If there are still one or two living chicks, they too will die unless you remove them and see to their care. If I Have Touched The Baby Bird Will Its Parents Reject It? No, they will not reject it because of that. Mammals identify their offspring by their scent. But song birds do not have highly developed sense of smell. They identify their offspring by the noises the baby makes and its appearance.
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When a baby bird is still too immature to leave its nest, it is called a nestling. B the time it has acquired enough feathers to fly and the strength to leave its nest, it has become a fledgling. Another defining difference is that nestlings have not yet developed the muscular strength and coordination to perch and grip - while fledglings have. This is Natures practical way of seeing to it that baby birds do not leave their nest too soon. How Should I Safely Hold A Baby Bird? For right-handed people, baby birds are best held in a cupped left hand and covered with the right hand, as in this photo. Babies capable of jumping, flapping or squirming are best restrained around the lower neck between the right thumb and forefinger. Do not hold them by their legs or wings. Move slowly and smoothly. Do not make loud noises. Older chicks are calmer in subdued light.
Is It Natural For A Baby Bird To Leave Its Nest Before It Can Fly Well?
It is natural for a baby bird to leave the nest and perch on a nearby branch or object before it gets the full knack of flying. It is not natural for birds that normally perch on branches to be the ground. Being on the ground greatly increases the chances that the baby bird will not survive. Its flying ability and flying coordination improve rapidly after it leaves the nest. Birds steer with their tail feathers, and their wing flight feathers wont give maximum lift until they are fully developed. So the youngster will remain a clumsy flier until all its feathers have unfurled and reached their full length.
Are There Any Laws That Say I Can Not Care For This Bird?
Yes, there are plenty of them. Government officials do not care about the fate of any one orphaned wild bird. They care about the fate of wild bird species in general. Laws that are in force in the United States and Europe are designed to protect species not any one baby bird. It would be very difficult to design laws that made exceptions for the birds that drop out of nests. As a tidbit to public opinion, and in attempt to make things more manageable, most government agencies make an exception for wildlife rehabilitation centers. However, this is not because they are particularly humane. The US Fish & Wildlife Service requires that all non-endangered wild birds that cannot be made releasable be promptly killed.
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Yes, in most cases, these people are better trained than you are. Baby birds have a very high metabolic rate and they cant go long without a meal. So dont dally around. Generally the person in charge at a Center has rehabilitated baby birds for many years. If you have found a baby sparrow, pigeon or a starling, be sure to get a specific answer as to what they will do with the baby before you leave it off. Also ask for their criteria for euthanizing wildlife. There are un-rewarded wildlife angels on this Earth. I have known a few of them , I am sure there are many more. If your little bird survives, help the ones that were not fortunate enough to find you. If you live on the Eastern Coast of the United States, I suggest you make a generous donation to Wildlife Inc. If you live in the Central United States contribute to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation . If you live in California, send it to The Wild Bird Center, California State University, Bakersfield. All birds with hooked beaks (owls, hawks, eagles) have extremely powerful claws (talons) that will hurt you. They develop strength before the birds leave the nest. Once they have locked on to your body they are extremely difficult to pry off. Herd small ones into a bucket with a broom, or use welders gloves and cover the bucket with a towel so they do not jump out. Place them in a darkened room. Better yet, coral the bird and call an experienced person to come get it. Fish-eating shore birds such as herons, egrets and cranes have very sharp beaks and an exceptionally long range at which they can spear objects. They can easily put out an eye. Be very careful with them too.
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individual preferences, experiences and successes. This is particularly true when diet ingredients are discussed. That so many different formulas seem work well is a tribute to the adaptability of wild birds.
Caring For Orphan Wild Baby Birds - Rescuing Them, Raising Them, T...
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uncomfortable, it is often too late. However, some wildlife rehabilitators are quite comfortable and successful using aquaria to hold their baby birds. As soon as the baby is able to grasp your finger when you feed it, it is time to place perches here and there in its cage. The baby will find it easiest to perch on branches that its toes cannot completely surround. Do not use branches that are too small in diameter. Do not use branches with sharp points. Do not place branches in a way that allows them to roll. Scrap them free of poop from time to time or replace them. Do not use the same perches again with subsequent baby birds.
What If My Cat Brought Me This Bird As A Present? Cats derive great pleasure from catching birds. They often deliver them to their owners with pride, in what appears to be good condition. However, I have had great difficulty in saving these birds. They are usually babies or youngof-the-year that didnt recognize that they were in danger. These babies often died suddenly within 12 - 18 hours of being brought to my
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animal hospital. Many appear to have died of an overwhelming bacterial infection. We know that the mouths of cats harbor many bacteria among them Pasterella multocida. We think that these bacteria gain access to the bird through small bites and nicks that may not be readily apparent. No doubt, the stress and terror of being caught in a cats mouth plays a part in these deaths as well. Many of these cat-presented babies can be saved with a single timely injection of antibiotics. Water-soluble injectable antibiotic drugs of the penicillin class (but not procaine penicillin) such as ammoxicillin and cephalosporins often save these birds. Giving the medicines orally wont due. Ask a neighborly veterinarian who works with pocket pets to give the injection for you.
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a veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitator. 10) If the baby refuses to eat it needs to be looked at by a veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitator. 11) If the baby does not steadily gain weight until it leaves the nest it needs to be looked at by a veterinarian or a professional wildlife rehabilitaror. It is normal to loose some weight at fledging. 12) If the baby develops stress bars (hunger stripes) on its feathers or the ends of its feathers break off straightly, it needs to be examined by a veterinarian or professional rehabilitator. 13) If the baby falls to one side or is weak in one leg or wing, it needs to be examined by a veterinarian or professional wildlife rehabilitator. 14) If the babys feathers remain fluffed (ruffled) and it shivers, it needs to be examined by a veterinarian or professional wildlife rehabilitator. 15) If the baby birds unfeathered skin is excessively wrinkly or shiny it may be dehydrated and needs to be examined by a veterinarian or professional wildlife rehabilitator. 16) If you or your family develop health problems, you need to see your physician and let him know you are caring for a wild baby bird.
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Dry Purina Kitten Chow contains approximately 34% protein, 12.5% fat, no more than 4% fiber and adequate (1%)calcium. It also contains all the vitamins that baby birds require. Zoos use diets for baby perching birds that contain 19.5 30% protein, 2.5 - 8.2% fat, no more than 2.8-6.5% fiber and 1.1- 1.2% calcium (1 2). You can use another name brand kitten or puppy kibble that meets the standards of the AAFCO . Chows marketed for puppies and kittens have higher protein, calcium, and vitamin content that products sold for adult pets. I do not use niche-market brands or brands sold only through specialty outlets because small producers dont have the resources for strict quality control. The Eggs 20%: Supermarket eggs of any size are fine. Shell color is not important. Hard boil them until the shells peel easily. Save and grind up the shells or substitute one crushed standard Tums-type calcium carbonate tablet for the shell. Whole , shelless egg is about 26% protein, 1% carbohydrate, 9% fat, zero fiber, 0.5% calcium and 180ppm iron. The Mealworms 20%: Mealworm larva are available online. Don't be squeamish, they eat them in China They will need to be cut up for little birds. Mealworms are about 20.3% protein, 12.7% fat, 1.7% fiber, and much too low low in calcium as a sole-source diet for wild baby birds. There are a lot of negative sentiments against feeding earthworms. Earthworms contain whatever pathogens the soil they burrowed through contained. But this fear is primarily based on a particular parasite earthworms sometimes carry called Syngamus trachea, which they ingest as the burrow along in the poop from previously infected birds. Worms you grow in your organic garden are probably fine but their protein and gross energy content is considerably less than mealworms.
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a protein level in the diet can lead to kidney damage and gout. Too low a calcium level or too high a phosphorus level will lead to soft bones and rickets. Baby birds do not handle milk sugar (lactose) well. So do not give your baby bird any products containing milk, lactose or dairy. Bread and pasta products are empty calories. They should only be given to birds to dilute out other ingredients not to birds on a well-structured diet. What Should The Food Consistency Be When I Feed It? You can alternate feeding bits of moistened kitten chow, egg and mealworm. I dont mix the chopped egg with the moistened kibble because it tends to fall off the tweezers. I run the kitten chow through a crank meat grinder before I add water. But you can just cover the chow with water and place it in the refrigerator until the formula becomes soft. Once it is soft, it should be heated to 160F (71C) to destroy bacteria, such as salmonella, and then allowed to cool to 95F before it is fed. If you reheat the formula, beware of microwave hotspots that will scald the babys mouth and throat. You can make a few days batch, freeze it in an ice cube tray and store it in ziplocks. Thaw only the cubes you are about to use. It is not freezing that destroys nutrients; it is repeated freezing and thawing. You would like the feeding consistency of the chow to be as moist as possible and still be able to pluck up bite size portions in a pair of plastic tweezers. Thicker than oatmeal - thinner than mashed potatoes. Chop the hard boiled eggs into pieces small enough for the baby to swallow without a fuss. Do the same with the mealworms.
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work it over the end of the syringe. Shorter sections of tube that work loose are sometimes swallowed by baby birds. Rolling the babys soft beak gently between your thumb and forefinger will usually begin its wing trembling and drinking response. Do not overfeed these birds. Feed slowly. Stop feeding just before the level of milk in their crops reaches the base of their neck. Do not feed again until their crop is empty. Be sure the formula is not too hot or it will scald through the crop wall. Pigeon formulas hardens like cement. So after you finish feeding, clean off the birds beak and neck feathers with a dampened Kleenex. Pigeons and doves do well when fed Kaytee Exact - hand feeding formula for parrots. They also do well on a mixture of commercial feed store turkey starter and water. Mix one part starter with an equal volume of warm water. Blend it to soup-like consistency and let it stand in the fridge. After a time, it will thicken up. Then a more water and blend it again to a soup like consistency. You can make ice cubes from it and store them in the freezer. Feed the thawed or fresh mixture at about 85-95F. I do not like to purchase turkey starter by the scoop-full from uncovered bins because of rodent contamination problems. Chicken starter will also do. You can use the large part you won't be using in your bird feeder. Because doves, pigeons and parrots store a large volume of food in their crop. They do not need to be fed nearly as frequently as other bird species.
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cage out well. When pigeons or doves are found with developed feathers, pigeon flies can be a problem. They are fast! Any water-based kitten/puppy flea spray that contains only pyrethrins and pipronyl butoxide can be applied to baby pigeons sparingly to kill these critters. It works well on all surface parasites except ticks. Does My Baby Need A Vitamin Supplement? No. If you are feeding one of the diets I suggested, no added vitamins or minerals are needed. Do I Need To Provide Grit? Not until the baby is eating whole seeds. Birds do not need grit when they are eating a diet that is already ground up. Do I Need To Accustom The Baby To Its Natural Diet Before I Let It Go? Yes. Much of your birds preferences in food are instinctive. But you will give it a head start if you accustom it to eating the things it will normally feed on in the wild. For birds that will primarily feed on insects, place mealworms, crickets and other small critters in its cage. Leaving the light on, on your front porch should attract a number of food candidates. Dont feed ants or indoor cockroaches. Things living under flagstones are usually fine. It will be hard work locating enough insects to meet the youngster's needs. So, it is OK to also offer supplemental moistened kitten chow crumbles. For seed-eaters, a fortified cockatiel seed mix works well. Supermarket wild bird seed is not a suitable diet. Seed-eaters must have grit. The best is ground oyster shell. You will need to crush it with a hammer as it is sold too large for songbirds. A mixture of diced fruits works well for birds that normally eat fruits and berries. Do not include avocado. It will be slow going, because it is hunger as much as curiosity that motivates baby birds to feed on their own. That fledgling hunger is what causes the dip in their growth curve just before they leave their nest. With you as an ever-present source of lunch, they dont have their normal motivation. Do not stop feeding them cold turkey just gradually cut back. Does The Baby Need Quite Time and Sleep? Yes, the room it is kept in should be dark when it is dark outside.
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Before baby birds are well feathered, they are very susceptible to chilling. This is because their body surface is very large in proportion to their body weight and because they lack insulating feathers. Small songbirds bodies operate a much higher temperature than yours. The average human body temperature is 98.6F. That of an English Sparrow is about 105 F. Once the baby is well feathered, it can maintain this high body temperature using its food calories as fuel. But before it is fully feathered, it needs you to keep its temperature up. You can do this with a heat lamp similar to the one in this photo. It should be kept at 95F for the birds first week of life then dropped 5 degrees per week until the baby has fledged. It is very important not to overheat the baby. To prevent this, you need an aquarium thermometer places next to the infant bird and you spend a lot of time in the set up. Check the thermometer temperature frequently. Drafts can cause an inaccurate reading. If it gets too hot, altricial babies can not move away from the heat as little chicks and other mobile precocial babies can. Some people are more comfortable using a heating pad under the babys container set at its lowest setting. If you use a heat lamp, be sure it is not a Teflon-coated shatter-proof bulb. Hair dryers can also be a source of toxic Teflon. I find than an ordinary 40 watt light bulb placed in a tin can works quite well. The acceptable temperature range for baby songbirds is a narrow range. Too high a temperature will cause them to dehydrate. If you are very careful to avoid fire hazard, you can drape a towel over the cage to help hold in heat. Too low a temperature leads to digestive upsets and infections. Chilled baby cannot digest their food. What About Humidity? The wild birds that nest in your area have adapted to your local humidity levels. You only need to adjust humidity if your house is air-conditioned or you run dehumidifiers. Air conditioners lower room humidity. If you cover the birds cage with a towel, you can keep one end of it dipped in a bowel of water outside its cage. Close the AC vent to the room will also help, as long as it does not become unbearably hot. What About Lighting? Baby birds do best in natural sunlight or a full-spectrum substitute. If a potted Philodendron does fine in the room, the baby should do well too. Baby birds need UV light to manufacture their own vitamin D. Full wavelength lighting probably also helps them learn to eat more rapidly on their own. However, the cat chow and turkey starter you are using are fortified with enough vitamin D to meet your babys needs. Can I Tell A Male Baby From A Female Baby Bird?
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I cannot do it and there is really no reason to know. When you have more than one juvenile songbird, the larger ones tend to be the males. In hawks and owls, it is reversed the larger ones are usually females. Feather colors do not differ until the birds matures. There are DNA and laparoscopic techniques but they dont apply here. What Are Some Common Problems I Might Encounter In Raising This Baby? Sometimes, baby birds are just too weak to survive when you find them. The smaller, unfeathered ones are just too fragile to survive long without food or proper temperature. If you encounter a baby in that condition, bring it to a bird rehabilitation center or a kind-hearted veterinarian and hope for the best. If you follow my suggestions as to diet and environment, the most common remaining problem is not using a well enough constructed cage and having babies hopping out, getting lost in the house, underfoot or caught by your pets. Spraddle leg can occur if the bird must stand on a slick surface. Hopelessly tame babies are hard to successfully release. Too small a cage leads to worn and broken feathers. Will It Learn To Fly? Yes, baby birds ability to fly is instinctive. It just wont happen as quickly in a bird you raise by hand. You will need a spacious flight cage, screened gazebo or a screen porch dont let baby birds fly around your house. Open toilets, ceiling fans, mirrors windows and lit stoves are all major hazards. When Should I Release It? The first week after release is the most dangerous for hand-raised baby birds. The time to release baby birds is when they are eating well on their own and capable of confident flight. The biggest problem is that many baby bird species are fed by their parents for months after they leave their nests. I dont have an easy answer for this just do what you feel is best. I take city birds to a large park and release them there. In Chicago, I took them deep into the Forest Preserve, in Sarasota, FL, I released them on large tracts of county-owned land. If this is a suburban bird, leave its cage door open and its food bowl full and let it decide when not to return. In Northern Israel, I had barn owl chicks return every night for food for over 6 months. What Is Imprinting And How Will It Affect This Birds Future? All animals decide what they are during their first few weeks of life. That means, whoever feeds them is what they think they are. This is called imprinting. Imprinting as a human can make life very hard for a baby bird. It can be a big enough problem so as to make successful release impossible.
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For that reason, handle your little bird as little as possible. Keep their cage area screened of from passing people in the house. Do not expose them to the sight of pets or children. Babies of birds that can walk from birth are particularly susceptible to imprinting on people. It is also a bigger problem in species of birds that form flocks. This mis-imprinting on humans is contrary to the inborn, genetic tendency of birds. So with time, it becomes less and less of a problem - if you do not reinforce it with human contact. What Should I Feed Birds That Normally Eat Fish? The babies of fish-eating birds (those that live near water) need to be feed a diet of fish. The fish needs to be brought to room temperature, minced into appropriately small sizes and fed with forceps. Fish from the supermarket will not do. The baby needs to consume all the parts of the fish bones, guts and all - in order to receive all of the nutrients it requires. Fishing bait stores are a good source of minnows. Ask for the ones that bellied-up in the tanks and were moved to the fridge. It is OK if these fish are frozen but not if they are stale. Stale fish do not have enough thiamine and they contain rancid oils that are unhealthy to the baby birds. I freeze them all to destroy the parasites they sometimes contain. What Should I feed Birds of Prey? Small owls and hawks normally eat insects as well as small rodents and birds. Their menu items get larger as their species size increases. To thrive, these birds need to consume all of their prey. What they dont utilize, they will cough back up as a casting. You can purchase appropriately sized rodents and frozen chicks from Rodent Gourmet and appropriate insects from Grubco. Local snake people will know where to find them. These birds need to learn to hunt in order to survive. As they mature, their food needs to be offered to them alive. This is a really gruesome business and not for everyone. You cant just drop in the rodent you need to stay and be sure it does not bite the bird. That is why I suggest you drop these youngsters off at rehab centers when you find them. What Should I Feed Chicken-like Birds? All gallinaceous birds (chukars, pheasant, peafowl, quail) do well on turkey starter or game bird starter. They need a shallow water dish from day one. Fill it with marbles so they dont stand in it. What Should I Feed Baby Ducks and Geese? They also do well on turkey starter and wild game bird starter. They need a shallow water dish from day one. Fill it with marbles so they dont stand in it.
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What About Shore Birds and Killdeer? Plovers, avocets and killdeer do well from day one on a diet of mixed insects and crustaceans that are appropriately small for their size. They also enjoy tubifex worms you buy at a pet fish store and the small sea life you find under the kelp when the tide recedes. You can add pieces of minced, hardboiled egg and shrimp. Remember, these birds need a water dish from day one. I fill it with marbles to keep the birds from standing in it. Place the food items in a very shallow tray of water. Do not allow them to become stale. What Should I Feed A Baby Hummingbird? Hummers do well on Nektar-Plus They will not live more than a few days on the hummingbird food sold in supermarkets. There are some home-made formulas, but I have no experience with them.
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and overwhelmed with seasonal babies and injured and sick wildlife of every kind. There are some steps you can take to minimize potential health problems:
1) Do not keep orphan wild birds in your kitchen, near food storage or in high traffic areas 2) Wash your hands before and after handling wild birds or cleaning their cages. You are just as likely to infect birds with unhealthy bacteria as they are to infect you. Better yet, wear disposable gloves when tending to your orphan. If you don't, rinse your hands with 70% isopropyl alcohol after you have handled them. Do it where the fumes will not intoxicate the bird. 3) Store refrigerated items in well-sealed containers. 4) After removing soiled material, dip all utensils in a mixture of one part household bleach and twenty parts water. Then air dry them thoroughly before you use them again. Bleach does not work well when thick grim is present. 6) Keep the bird on shredded newspaper or plain, untreated absorbent paper towels and change them daily. 7) Do not mix sick birds with healthy birds and care for sick ones last. 8) Be clean. Fallen food attracts rodents. Wild mice and rats carry diseases that can affect you and the baby bird.
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