Not pigeons, but need help

[ernie]

We are now the proud parents of a pair of baby barn swallows. The owner of a property down the road, started to tear down this old barn. When we discovered a nest of baby barn swallows. Of course I couldn't leave them there, as the big dozer was standing by.
I've fed them strained turkey baby food and pieces of cut up cooked chicken, thinking, that since the parents feed them insects, they will need a high protein diet.
I've searched the web high and low, but can't find any info regarding handfeeding them. the local wild life rescue place, told us to just find another nest of barn swallows and put them in for the new parents, they would feed them. Problem is, I have not found any other swallow nests around.

I'm not sure how old they are, but they have their pin feathers already and the eyes are starting to open.

Does anyone here know anything about barn swallows or maybe can direct me to a site where I can find some info on handraising them?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Erna

[Snowbird]

Lean ground beef, very small strips of raw beef, bread and milk mealworms, flies

[Geranyl]

I read that they have to be fed 18 hours a day. I think there will be a lot of constant feeding to do.

[xavior]

I did a google search and there are a lot of web sites about Barn Swallows so maybe you'll be able to find all the information you need by reading some of them. When I googled wildlife rehab barn swallows I found a site that list rehabs.. hopefully there's one near you because that could be a good place to go for information:
http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/rehab_usa.html

and there's a forum:
http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/forum/
It doesn't look as active as this one but it even has a place for rehabbers to email eachother so maybe some of them take some time to help people.

[ernie]

Thanks for all the info.

So raw beef is OK? Well, I guess it would be, since the parents feed them 'raw' insects. Have to stop at the pet store and get some meal worms.

Yep, feedings are 18 hrs a day, every 20 minutes, but it's a lot easier and less messy, since they open wide. And if you thought pigeons poop a lot, well, they are a quater the size of a baby pigeon and can match their manure output.

The thing I'm a bit concerned with, is how do I teach them to catch insects on the fly (so to speak). With pigeons you can peck at the seeds and they 'get it', but I can hardly fly along side them and show them how to catch bugs.

Still pondering that one....
Erna

[e0emouse]

Hi, Erna,

Please DO NOT feed raw meat to these birds. They do not have the capacity to fend off the bacteria that is often in ground meat. There are several diets that are more appropriate, and based on puppy or kitten chow. Barn swallows are a peculiar bird to raise. They do not learn to feed in captivity. You should take them to the rescue center if at all possible, as there is a protocol to releasing them that is critical. (When old enough, they are released into flocks of adults that help them.) This should not be done by someone unfamiliar with these birds, as timing is critical to their survival.

It is not true that because they are insectivores that raw meat is an adequate substitute. Part of the benefit of live bugs is the good bacteria that the baby birds ingest from eating the bug "guts." You can't just feed them mealworms -- the mealworms have to be fed correctly to have nutritional value to the baby birds. This is called "gut loading" the worms.

You are wonderful to care so much for these little ones. Please continue to be the best guardians they could find by getting them to a federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator who is familiar with their needs. Best of luck to all of you!

Kimberly
Wildlife 911

[ernie]

Thanks Kimberly,
OK, no raw meat of any kind.
So far I have struck out with every rehabilitator I've called.
One won't anwer their phone, the other one's phone is being checked for trouble. I've left a message with 2 other ones, but have not heard anything back.
I'm still trying to find swallow colonies in our area. Problem is we've just recently moved to this county and I don't know anybody yet.
Can I add a bit of probiotics to the baby food for now to help them with their gut bacteria?

Thanks for all the help so far.
Erna

[bklowe]

We have raised 13 Cliff swallows this year to date .... we were told to feed them mealworms [ crush the head first ], flies, and bits of soaked cat food.
They all released well, or so I hope. I know they were glad to be on the wing. Watched them for about an hour, they seemed to be adopted immediately by the many swallows at the release site. Our were mostly fledging when we got them so feeding was a bit hard as they were used to the adults feeding them [ we lost five because they just would not " gape " ]. We also [ as instructed ] made them a home in a tall box lined with towels with a tissue box [ the one that pullout of a oval hole at the top ] taped to the side of the box for their home [ leave some tissues at the bottom ]. We had them in our master bath [ shower and toilet area could be closed off ], with everthing covered with towels it was still a mess [ about 24 days.
Bruce

[e0emouse]

Erna,

Where are you located? Please feel free to email me directly at critterhelp911@aol.com .

Kimberly

[Yong]

Hi Ernie,

I'm no expert here, but many years ago, I found a baby barn swallow (Oregon). My parents didn't have money and wildlife places were much too busy and too far away. I fed the baby with small size mealworms (they come large and small), and Gerber strained turkey (mixed with a small amount of water. I didn't give it a ton of food at one time, but smaller meals more often. The baby grew quite quickly, and was released. She often landed on me when I went outside, then she started to keep her distance, but I always recognised her. She found others like her, and seemed to find food easily enough on her own.

Just do your best with what you have or can easily get, it's hard to do everything right when you aren't prepared for it. keep us posted. Yong

[Jeff Eubanks]

I am a purplemartin landlord ,had 37 pair this past season. And barn swallows catch there food on the wing just like martins. The young learn how to do this from the adult birds.

The martins have allready left and started south again, I have seen a few barn swallows around but it want be long before they all start south, and they young need the older birds to show them the ropes.

So good luck it just might work.

[Yong]

Hi again, I forgot to mention, Kimberly is right...do what you can and hope that it will all work out. Although Kimberly is a compationate person and a TRUE wildlife rehaber, do be leary of some. Floridas wildlife carecenter has a bad rap for birds. But it is always best to hand them over to a pro. Good job for at the least caring for the little guys! Yong

[ernie]

I finally got a hold of a rehab place.
I'm not too asured after my conversation with them, though.

The lady that answered the phone, didn't know if they knew how to care for swallows, but kept urging me to bring them in anyway and kept telling me it's illegal for me to keep them.

I've read on this board somewhere, that some rehab places use pigeons to feed and train raptors. I know they mainly have raptors at that place. They wouldn't use swallows for that same purpose, would they?

Is there any certain questions I should ask them, or anything to look out for when bringing them in? (I've never dealt with any wildlife rehab places before, but have gathered from posts on here, that not all of them have the same caring atitude)

Off to feed the peep-squeaks, again
Erna

[Feefo]

Hi Erna,

It is a shame that they don't have the experience of swallows, but I would think that swallows would be in safe hands with all rehabbers. It is the non-protected "pest" species like pigeons, starlings, sparrows and gulls that I would always worry about.

Cynthia

[Snowbird]

Ask them if they have the resources currently available to treat your birds. Ask them what their policy on euthanasia is. Ask them if you will be able to visit your bird. Ask them how they intend to reintroduce your bird to wild.

The more questions you ask the better chance you give yourself to know their real policy. I think you may do better yourself because you care. People are making this more complicated than it is. The birds know how to catch insects on the wing. They don't know where find them and find the adults that will show the roosting sights as well. I would look for a concentration of birds in your area that are feeding reliably at a certain place and time on a a reliable hatch of bugs. You might take the bird there a few times to watch and when the bird is fully weighted and flying strong you could release early in the normal feeding period.