Now hand rearing tiny baby blue tits :0)

[Bub-les]

Originally Posted by owlmomma

It is rewarding when it goes right, unfortunately, by the time they get here there is always a problem so inevitably they can't all be saved but the ones that survive make it all worthwhile.

Update.....now they are starting to grow and feather up, you can see that....they are not all the same. the smallest 3, I think are blue tits but the largest who came from a different place is not the same, He is coming through brown with a finch type beak so not too sure on him yet. I will post some pics and see if any of you can ID him

Very difficult when they come in as hatchlings

Have you managed to ID the bigger one yet?
Barbara

[owlmomma]

Yep, he is a greenfinch.........and the others aren't blue tits, they are greyish with white banding on the wings, maybe pied wagtails

[Bub-les]

Its just as well that your feeding program and food seem to work for most babies! Had a skeet at the webcam and they seem to be thriving.
Barbara

[owlmomma]

I use hand rearing formula for tinies and it seems to work well. They certainly are thriving. It is very difficult to tell what they are when they come in as bald hatchlings so you need something that is fairly broad spectrum and this stuff seems to do the trick

[pat362]

I saw you feeding the chicks last night - what's the thingy you use to put the food into their mouths? They're looking good!

Pat

[owlmomma]

The technical name for it is a cocktail stick with the end snipped off Perfect for tiny beaks.

They are doing great, d'Artangon flew for the first time last night, on to my shoulder then round the room. The others are getting so much livelier too, they won't stay in the nest now. It will soon be time for a proper cage I think.

[Bub-les]

Looking good.
I'm being nosey... .. how many different species have you been successful with?
What is your favorite species and the least favorite?
Barbara

[owlmomma]

It's hard to answer that,I have had quite a lot of different species but the success rate depends more on what is wrong when they get here than the type of bird they are. For example, hatchlings and nestlings aren't too bad whereas fledgelings with cat bites I tend to lose a lot of because of infection.

My favourites I suppose are baby pigeons and of course, corvids, they are just darling. I think it is the enthusiasm once they get used to being fed that gets me.

Having said that, they are all darlings and they do seem to know that I am trying to help them.

Each year is different with different species being predominant...that's one of the things I love about doing the rescue work, you never know what is going to arrive next.

[Bub-les]

It must be a very rewarding and time demanding occupation!
I tried (many years ago) with a young rook unfortunately I did not succeed but the time I had him was fascinating. I almost got him to fly but one night when he was in his cage unfortunately some cats found where he was and although they didn't touch him my father reckoned that he'd died of fright! I was devastated. Haven't tried anything like that since. I take my hat off to you and people like you. Keep up the good work.
Barbara

[owlmomma]

Once you start, it takes over your whole life. It takes all my money, all my time and the whole of the home, can't go anywhere as I can't leave the little ones, not that I can afford it anyway, it is heartbreaking when you lose them and wonderful when they survive and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I guess I was lucky that my first ones, three tiny great tits survived, if I had lost them as you did the rook, everything might be different.

[pat362]

Originally Posted by owlmomma

The technical name for it is a cocktail stick with the end snipped off Perfect for tiny beaks.

They are doing great, d'Artangon flew for the first time last night, on to my shoulder then round the room. The others are getting so much livelier too, they won't stay in the nest now. It will soon be time for a proper cage I think.

So glad all is going well! Thanks for the feeding info

Pat