Baby Sparrow - problem growing feathers

[gaebe]

I found a baby sparrow three weeks ago and have been taking care of it since then. I'm thinking that it shouldn't be much older than three weeks now, since at the time, it hadn't even opened its eyes yet.

Now, it has almost all of its feathers, but I've noticed that It's having problems with growing feathes on the tail. It only has one row of feathers on there, and brecause it's learning to fly now, the tail is getting mangled. Also, it's got bald spots under the wing and one on the throat, but feathers aren't growing there either.

I've been feeding him mostly rice and bread with a bit of meat. And i'm afraid that it might be improper nutrition that caused this problem. Yet it seemed to have no problem before that. What should I do?

[Pidgey]

Well, there are people on this forum who do know a little bit about sparrows or, at least, links to others who do. I'll email one of them. That would be Terry Whatley (TAWhatley) and she's already viewing this thread.

Pidgey

[TAWhatley]

Improper nutrition may well be the cause of the problem. Please go to http://www.starlingtalk.com and have a look at the diet and care information there. It is applicable to both starlings and sparrows. I'd definitely change the diet to the Starling Talk diet for a couple of weeks and then start weaning the sparrow to a seed based diet.

Terry

[gaebe]

Ok, then. I definitely will. What is odd is that it had no problem growing feathers at first. Now that I think about it, it had been sick one day, and nearly died. But it recovered afterwards. Does it has anything to do with this? Would the baby sparrow re-start growing the feathers if it get proper nutrition?

[Pidgey]

I think Terry could answer that but she's made a commando raid on this thread and now she's gone off to help some other bird. She's like that. She wears a cape and a mask, by the way. Anyhow, you might go to that StarlingTalk and discuss it with them because I think they're an active forum.

Pidgey

[gaebe]

ok, i will. thank you. if you have any other advice, even if after a while, i'd appreciate. ^^

[TAWhatley]

If the poor feathering is due to diet, it may be necessary for the young bird to go through a molt before the feather situation is corrected. The bird is definitely not releasable with poor feather condition and may not be releasable anyway if it is tame and human friendly. You might also want to offer a "dirt" bath of chinchilla dust once in awhile and also a water bath every couple of days. If the bird will bathe and preen, this will also help get the feathers back in good condition.

Starling Talk is an excellent board for sparrow discussions and information as is the Passerdomesticus list on Yahoogroups. I belong to both and highly recommend them .. not that we're slouches here at Pigeon-Talk .. we just don't specialize in sparrows

Please do keep us posted here at Pigeon-Talk and best of luck with your little feathered charge.

Terry

[pdpbison]

Hi Gaebe,


Has the Bird been gapeing and chirping to be fed? and or how are you feeding it?

Too, they MUST be kept adequately 'warm' or else their digestion and system generally will slow down and their ingested food will sour and ferment and kill them or make them ill.


I have had excellent results feeding baby Sparrows rised water-pack ( two-layer, as it has more skin and little soft bones in them that way) Sardines and Crickets ( head-first with any bugs, and NO 'earthworms' because they can make them very ill...) and small bits of fresh ripe Fruits such as Cherries or Nectarines and so on.

Also I feed them chopped ( ad rehydrated if too dry, of) Goji Berries and soaked cut up small Bird or Dog Kibble...no dairy...a little Misu maybe dabbed onto their other foods...

Defintely NO liquids ever...too dangerous - they get their 'water' from the moisture content of the food given them...

Meal Worms in light moderation, raised yourself in a bowl with fresh slices of Apple in Oat Meal for the Worms to fatten up on. Mash the Worm's head before feeding it to the little Sparrow.

Next time I get a Songbird, I will go to a Sushi-Bar ad make a deal for daily fresh fish guts and skins and so on...and cut those into small pieces for the little one(s) to be fed along with various Berries and other stuff...

To which medlys I also add a light bit of Olive Oil and powdered Vitamies and Mierals and powdered Chlorella and powdered Seaweed...I swish their lunch or supper or what around in a Tea cup so it all gets lightly coated. Then feed them a bite-at-a-time as they elect with their gapeing.

The food will be seen to slide down the side of their neck inside, and for those ones whose Crops are hard to tell by, when they are "full" you can tell because that last bite kind of hangs up in the last part of the slide at their shoulder.

Even if they want more, best to hold off till the next feed time in an hour or something...one kind of plays these things by ear...

They love these meals and make great poops and grow wonderfully and are happy...

Sorry I did not see your thread sooner...hope all is going well with you two...!



Phil
Las Vegas

[pidgepoo]

Hi,
Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Hoping the little one is O.K.. We live with a sparrow that we hand reared (Sadly she is not releasable..... don't tell the RSPCA..... in this country they would euthanise her!). She came to us in a similar state. We reared her on EMP egg food... moistened, of course. Simple, almost nutritionally complete. She's seven years old now. And she's priceless. Good luck dude! Anna

[Maggie-NC]

Hii Gaebe - just want to reimphasize something Phil told you. Their crop is on the side of their neck. It's not very big and if feathers are already grown in that area it may be hard to see. Sometimes the very young birds will still cry to be fed even after they have had enough. They don't need a great deal of food initially, just fairly frequent feedings.

One thing I have found that sparrows love is the Pretty Bird Premium Seeds for Finches. They are tiny seeds but they can shell them really fast. The Kaytee seed for both finches and parakeets is also good and nutritious for them. Keep unused seed in the freezer and they'll stay fresh a long time.

You can grate a cuttlebone and sprinkle a small amount on their seed which will help their bones. Give them plenty of fruit in small pieces.

Good luck.

maggie

[pdpbison]

Hi Maggie,


Yahhh...those quite young ones do sometimes continue to peep, chirp or gape even when 'full'.

This I imagine sometimes is due to them needing nutrition not well enough represented in whatever they are being fed.

Also, the Sparrows I have raised, once self feeding, enjoyed when I would cut a ripe Bartlett Pear in half, and sprinkle 'Vitamix' or other powdered Viatmine-Mineral powder on it...they'd just stand on the pear half and peck away...

They also enjoy to catch little insects, ones one finds for them or ones they find on their own about the house.

Seedwise, just as you say, since they 'hull' their Seeds, smallish neat Seeds that hull easily are a good choice.


Love,

Phil
las vegas