Baby Starlings I think

[nabisho]

The air conditioning guys knocked a nest off the roof working on the system this morning and these two fellows fell out on the sidewalk. They put them in a box and brought them over to me to try and save them, I think they might be starlings - they got feathers so I think a couple bottles of baby food and a couple weeks and they'll be off - I hope. Wish me luck - probably gonna need it raising these two loud mouths.

NAB :-)

[pdpbison]

Hi nabisho,


Wow..!

...cuties!


Bear in mind, Starlings, (if these are Starlings, ) while Omnivores somewhat, are primarily Carnivores, and, like all Babys, need a high percentage of Protean in their diet, and in their case, Insect or the likes of 'Protean' (and ideally, the contents of the insect's intestines, outser exoskelitan and so on, or, as near as one may come to this by various extempores, ) rather than Grain or Cereal ( or 'dairy' derived ) Protean.


Far as I know anyway...


Do they 'peep'? 'cheap'? or 'hiss'?


Phil
Las Vegas

[TAWhatley]

Hi Nab and new charges! They are definitely starlings. Please take advantage of all the wonderful starling diet and care information at http://www.starlingtalk.com.

Terry

[nabisho]

I got a bottle of baby food (beef) and got a couple of shots down their throats with the syringe, I think one of the little fellows is having a tough time maybe hurt falling out the nest, the other fellow is starting to flap his little wings and scream for food, and trying to jump out of the box, I hope they both make it, they're both so dang ugly they're cute ya know. The other little fellow is kind of just sitting there eyes closed most of the time, but he does manage to get his mouth open and swallow the food, so he might make it. Thanks for the link I'm headed over there now. I'll progress report tomorrow. Somebody at work heard them screamin and named them Rob and Carl.

NAB :-)

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Nab,

They do look like starling babies. You may also want to try dog kibble soaked in water at room temp and feed the soaked pieces to them. This might work better and is fairly standard for songbirds. Best of luck and keep us posted

[Pigeonpal2002]

Sorry, didn't see Terry's response...


Hope everything turns out ok for them, Nab

[pdpbison]

Hi nabisho,


Any kind of 'liquid' or 'squirtable' could pose serious dangers for them. They are predisposed to handle what one might call 'solid' bits of food only, or, whole, small ( correct kinds of) insects handed them head-first.

The link Terry posted is a dandy, I just went there and fell in love, it is a very good link with all sorts of excellent info.

~ In fact, Terry !!!

Fast question ~


What do you think of two-layer water Pack Sardines as an extempore food ( in small bits of course) for otherwise Insectivores or Carnivorous Bird Babys?

I have relied on it many times with what I took to be happy results, but I would appreciate your opinion if you would?

Thanks...



Have fun nabisho!

Keep them little crops happy...!


Phil
Las Vegas

[Doves1111]

Whenever I find a baby starling or bluejay...I soak dry cat food ("Meow Mix") in some hot water to make it soft. I feed the baby(s) about every 4 hours or so the softened cat food with tweezers.

Dawn

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by pdpbison

~ In fact, Terry !!! Fast question ~ What do you think of two-layer water Pack Sardines as an extempore food ( in small bits of course) for otherwise Insectivores or Carnivorous Bird Babys?

Water pack should be fine .. no oil pack though. Sardines give the babies horrible bad birdie breath though .. (just joking here).

I think when dealing with any baby that needs high animal protein in the diet, that we need to do the best we can with what's available .. sardines, canned dog/cat food, baked/boiled chicken, hard boiled or microwave scrambled egg, mealworms, waxworms, minnows, crickets, etc. Depends on what kind of bird, of course, but what's important is the animal based protein in their diet.

Terry

[pdpbison]

Hi nabisho,

Thanks Terry!


My original election of two-layer Water-Pack Sardines, was to maximize the amount of Skin and Scales available in any given bite. Usually, I rinse them well, one fish at a time, to then feed it to the Bird in bites sized appropriately.

My recent young Duck, who now has a happy new home, was very fond of these, as well as being fond of Canned Alaskan Salmon and Seaweed things.

Yes, it gives them a pleasent 'Sea' breath...lol...

Small amounts of Purple Dulce or dried 'sheet' Seaweed I believe are also good for Baby or young Insectivores or Carnivore Birds, and will help them obtain the Iodine and other trace-elements which Insects to some degree would have had.

The smaller the Sardine Fish, the larger proportion of scales and cartaledge to muscle or flesh.

Small bits of ripe Pear or other fruit, are also enjoyed by these kinds of Birds, onto which one may sprinkle a dash of powdered 'Super Greens' or powdered Wheatgrass. This, to some extent, supplying something approximate to the chlorphyl and other related compounds which various Insect intestines would have had in them.


Phil
Las Vegas

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Phil,


Your dietary advice is very good. Fish is an excellent source of protein and amino acids readily accepted by nearly all forms of life. Although, not the "norm" for this type of bird to be eating fish, it's a good way to improvise a diet in order to fulfil another species requirements for valuable nutrients

[pigeonmama]

Having canned sardines during summer vacations, when I was a teen, and knowing what goes in that can, I wouldn't feed them to my worst enemy, much less eat them, myself. Oh, phew! Oh, yuck! And sardines do contain traces of mercury, so wonder if there would be concerns there as birdies are so much smaller than us. Would it accumulate in their bodies that much faster?
daryl

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Daryl,

Yes, you're absolutely right in thinking this! Studies have shown that fish these days unless caught in optimum and prestine conditions in fresh water lakes, have high levels of mercury. There are risks now in everything that we (humans) eat as well as what animals consume We just have to hope that the vital nutrients are still contained within and can have a beneficial impact on the consumer

[pdpbison]

Hi Brad,

Thanks...

My only concern, would be to wish to know more about how well various Birds may excrete or handle Sodium.

Now, likely, some 'dry' so called pet-foods, should have their labels scrutinized well for things which might be less than ideal in various ways.

Any 'margainal' Baby would benifit in theory from just that little bit 'more' toward our best reconning of the 'ideal', even if more robust ones can appear to handle heavier dietary compromise.


Recently, I read a short article on the extreme importance for Ppigeons, of their dietary grains to be properly 'Seasoned', or, dried over time.

Not so easy to guess how well that may be, when one buys a sack of it...

But anyway...
Pigeons, for whom there is never any occasion to feed Ocean Fish, I believe, excrete excess sodium or Salts, (through their nares? ) via some method which preceeds their little Kidneys having to deal with it.

Pretty handy...

Now, this would be nice to know more about, just on principle even, especially as concern those Carniverous or Omniverous Birds we sometimes encounter as orphan or seperated from-their-parents of Babys, who, we may wish to feed and nurture and raise.

Insects, we may recall, are in fact small 'Animals'...their Proteans are Animal Proteans.

Having to them the design of an exterior Kerotin ( of material somewhat like that of larger Animal's Beaks or Claws ) Skelitan, instead of an interior Calcified one.

The exoskelitan I am imagining is an important nutrient for the Birds who eat them, and, my guess had been that the smallest size Sardines, with the highest proportion of skin and scales, would be as close as I could get on usually some Friday night, with what I'd have on the shelves here at home...to the kind of mix of things, or of some of the things, such young Birds may need nutritionally.

Anyhoo...

I got in a Squeaker Dove youngester, couple hours ago, whose initial shyness is s-l-o-w-l-y yielding to moist finger tips caressing their Beak sides, and is now more or less beginning to get enthused to maybe be fed something...so...I gunna whip up some chow for them now...and see if they will let me feed them.

Someone found them in their yard, and there were Cats and so on about, so, they grabbed the little one and brought it here. Too young to fly, maybe, too young to have yet eaten or drank of it's own, so...


Little Wings...

Little Beaks...


Best wishes...

Phil
el ve

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Phil,


As far as salt goes, this is a something that needs to be limited as much as possible in a pigeons, or any animals diet. Salt is one of those things that has good and bad effects, mostly bad where animals are concerned.

Unfortuntately, salt/sodium is in EVERYTHING we humans concsume as well as animals food products, even less there but still.

There is never the "perfect" diet, nothing is absolute and guaranteed, so we have to work with what we know is best. Through education and talking, we all learn things which not to do and what to do in accordance to what we "perceive" as the best way to handle things. This is all any of us can accomplish without being "aliens or gods". LOL