[Guest]

hey guys. i have kept racing birds for many years and have noticed today one of the birds has avoided its young altogetrher and havew stopped sittin on and feeding the baby(only one) ive got it on the house with me now and have been feeding it moistened feed but am unsure whatamount of water to give it per day. any help will be greatly appreciated


david

 

[spirit wings]

hey folks 1st time poster but in need of help here so gona ask the web.

was out wit my birds today and noticed one bird was v small compared to its sibling so have decided to hand rear it, wasnt gona make it was very cold and empty belly.

i am feeding it moistened seed that the rest of my birds eat but how many mls of water shud i be giving this wee guy all day???

cheers david

Are you in Ireland or Scotland? perhaps there is a memeber closer that can suggest some product for the little one, keep checking back.

 

[Charis]

David...please tell us how old the baby is and that will help us better tell you what kind of supportive care you should be giving the little one.

 

[Skyeking]

hey folks 1st time poster but in need of help here so gona ask the web.

was out wit my birds today and noticed one bird was v small compared to its sibling so have decided to hand rear it, wasnt gona make it was very cold and empty belly.

i am feeding it moistened seed that the rest of my birds eat but how many mls of water shud i be giving this wee guy all day???

cheers david

How old is the baby?

Be sure to warm him up before feeding. You should feed baby bird formula to a small baby that is not thriving. Make sure to follow instructions carefully, keep baby warm and only feed when crop is empty.

You can feed older babies pigeon seed that has soaked and drained for 10 minutes, and then they don't need water. But that should be used for thriving babies.

Never re-use any soaked seed that has been sitting longer then an hour, it will kill them.

Also, sometimes when parents refuse to feed their babies,it can be because they sense it is sick.

PLEASE note I am merging both your threads, since they are on the same subject, so there may be some repetative information.

 

[lavo]

its bout 9 days old or so now. just starting to get its feathers through. been givin it soaked seed the rest of the birds eat. how do u get the seed soft enuf thou if u cant soak it longer than an hour???

 

[Charis]

You need to go to the pet store and get a hand feeding formula for birds. I have a feeling you are in the UK so if you can tell us where, we may have a member that can talk you through it and tell you what is available, product wise. In the Stated, many of us use a formula called, Exact. You feed it with a syringe.

 

[lavo]

im in northern ireland. north coast. im in the club its just i only joined this year after keeping birds as pets for many a year and actually dont no anyone yet. thought id try here ffor help and it seems ive got it

 

[Skyeking]

its bout 9 days old or so now. just starting to get its feathers through. been givin it soaked seed the rest of the birds eat. how do u get the seed soft enuf thou if u cant soak it longer than an hour???

The seed just needs to be soaked/drained for 10 minutes, it doesn't need to be softened. This is only for older babies.

Seed gets rancid after an hour and can be deadly. You need to get the baby bird formula. It will help this baby thrive, as it has a nutrition profile needed for these tiny ones.

 

[Feefo]

Hi Lavo,

Can you buy some baby bird formula? If not, you can get some original flavour Complan, mix it according to the instructions then take a piece of at least day old wholemeal bread, cut off the crusts, cut it into little pieces and feed them to the baby. Do that three or four times a day, ensuring that the crop empties between feeds.

Another alternative is Ready Brek, mixed with water into a smooth cream. You have to judge the best amount to feed by watching the crop, Feed by the "syringe and balloon method" described at this link, 30 mls a day should be OK, but it depends on the crop size.

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/BabyPij&DuvFeedg.htm
I have soaked very small seeds, like you find in conditioning mix, and shovelled them in until the crop is soft and squidgy.

 

[lavo]

ok thanx. ive got the vet hes gona ring me back shortly, he shud have something for it, but if not ill trythe redi brek idea until the morning as the pet shops arent open. thelittle bird canot stand on his own feet yet but his sibling can now. his feathers are startingto grow through as well and he is really tiny. hope he makes it

 

[lavo]

the vet hed no suggestions. do us think the redi brek idea will hold out til hes big enuf to have soaked seeds???

 

[spirit wings]

the vet hed no suggestions. do us think the redi brek idea will hold out til hes big enuf to have soaked seeds???

....bump........

 

[maryjane]

Thanks for hand rearing this youngster. The ready brek is fine for now, I believe, until you can go to the pet shop and get some formula. Or, as Cynthia said, "you can get some original flavour Complan, mix it according to the instructions then take a piece of at least day old wholemeal bread, cut off the crusts, cut it into little pieces and feed them to the baby. Do that three or four times a day, ensuring that the crop empties between feeds." I would wait until it's a bit older to give him only moistened seeds. I hope he does well, good luck!