Help!

[MaxMouseDLL]

Hello All,

Was at my mum's house with the family today enjoying the sunshine, on the way back from the shop I noticed a very small baby bird on the floor, I assumed it was dead so passed it by, I looked back and the shadow I cast over it made it move... it wasn't dead, I couldn't leave it on the path so I picked it up and have brought it home, it's extremely young, it's eyes haven't opened yet, but it's begging for food and is squeaking when it opens it's mouth.

There is some damage to it's beak, but other than that it looks ok (Both legs seem fine and it's wings are ok), I've given it some water and some dog food and put it in my mothers shed which is quite warm as the sun is on it.

I need some advice as to what to do? the thought had crossed my mind just to put it out of it's misery, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I want to try and save it, I have no idea what kind of bird it is.

What I know:
It cannot regulate it's body temperature, so it must be kept warm (The shed is around 30 degrees, I assume it'll be ok there until I can get it home and get it up to about 35 degrees)

Others have suggested feeding it dog/cat food, I'm doing that, and it's taking it ok.

What I need to know:

• How often should I feed it, and how much?
• is it ok on dog food, or should I use something else?
• Does it need water? if so, how much and how often?
• Do I need to feed it during the night time?

I realise it doesn't have much of a chance, but I'm willing to give it a try... any advice would be welcome.

Regards
Max

[cara pace]

Hi Max and welcome to WAB!

Would it be possible to post a pic of the bird so that we can identify it? What you feed it is really important depending on it's species.

How badly is it's beak damaged? Depending on it's species, this could be a really important factor in it's survival (if it gets to the stage where it can be released)

It is also going to require a lot of feeding as I'm sure you are aware. You will really need to devote a lot of your time to it, from early morning through to early evening at least. How long ago was it last fed and when will you be returning to it?

[MaxMouseDLL]

Sorry, I can't post a picture right now, my mothers computer has damaged USB ports which I have been unable to fix (Quite a blow to my ego as I hold a degree in computer science, anyway I digress)

It's upper beak is cut and bent downward slightly, there is a small amount of blood on it, to be honest it doesn't look great, I'm thinking it's some kind of impact wound but were I found it, there where no trees... so it couldn't have fallen, I'm confused as to what happened there, I've been feeding it small chunks of dog food every 15 or so minutes, I find that if i push it to the back of it's throat using a corn-on-the cob holder it will take it, I give it two chunks then it doesn't beg for any more and crawls away to get comfortable again, I've also been giving it water from my finger tips, simply because I have no idea how long it had been sitting were I found it.

I have no issue with feeding it or time constraints, I'm up at 5am with my children and I rarely go to sleep before 11pm anyway, but I really want to save it, so I'll do what I have to do.

Picture... I'll give a description, it's your standard chick really, it's 2 inches long, has a small "tail", yellow rim around it's beak, other than that, it's a blob of flesh, when I feed it, I can see the food travel down it's neck...

[valleyforge]

Originally Posted by MaxMouseDLL

What I need to know:

• How often should I feed it, and how much?
• is it ok on dog food, or should I use something else?
• Does it need water? if so, how much and how often?
• Do I need to feed it during the night time?

Hi Max and welcome to the WAB forum.

To save time I've copied and appropriately amended text from one of my previous posts, but I'll start by directly addressing your queries.

How often should I feed it, and how much?
A nestling needs to be offered food every 20mins or so, during daylight hours ... so that means between 0600 hrs and 2000hrs ... it should take only as much as it wants, but depending on what you are feeding it, may opt to miss the odd feed. You can expect to have to feed like this for around 14 days or so (depending on species), then once it has fledged (grown most of its feathers and learning how to fly) you need to be prepared to continue feeding for a further 10-21 days at 2 hourly intervals, until it can feed itself. Note, this is a HUGE commitment in time and effort!

is it ok on dog food, or should I use something else?
No, of course not ... it's a bird not a dog! Some meat cat/dog food can be mixed within the feeding mixture, but on its own it's way too rich and will cause diahorrea. See following text for example suitable food mixture.

Does it need water? if so, how much and how often?
Don't attempt to give a nestling/fledgling water ... they can all too easily inhale it, develop aspiration pnemonia, and die. The foodstuff you provide needs to have sufficient moisture content to meet its needs ... parent birds don't bring beakfuls of water to the nest afterall.

Do I need to feed it during the night time?
No, thankfully ... that's when you need to get yourself some rest, ready to do it all again tomorrow.

Hand rearing a nestling of a small, seed-eating or insectiverous bird, is not an easy proposition if your aim (as it should be) is to eventually return it to living in the wild. Its nutritional requirements are quite specific and not easily replicated in captivity.

I feel your best bet is to make contact with an avian wildlife rescue organisation in your area, who can take on this task for you. Most wildlife rehabilitators will allow you to be present when birds or mammals you have brought them are eventually released, if you have indicated you'd be interested in witnessing that.

If you need assistance in locating a suitable wildlife rehabilitation organisation near you, let us know which general part of the country you are in, and we can hopefully supply you with some approriate contact details.

Meantime, it is very important that you keep the nestling warm ... it needs to be kept around 30degC day and night, ensuring that its temperature does not fluctuate too much (e.g. in sunlight).

Mix some oatibix or weetabix with a little warm (pre-boiled) water and a small quantity of well-mashed meat-flavour cat/dog food ... you need the mixture to have the consistency of a 'gloop', sort of like a thick wallpaper-paste ... the oat or wheat breakfast cereal contains glutens which help make the mixture sufficiently sticky so that it can be picked up on the end of a blunted cocktail stick, or with a child's paintbrush and presented to the bird.

If it's not sticking particularly well, your mixture is either too dry or too wet. Adding a small quantity of mashed banana to the initial feed mixture is useful too as it provides a good mixture of natural sugars and salts to help combat dehydration ... it also helps make the mixture 'gloopier'

The nestling may not at first open its beak to be fed. To encourage it, gently wipe the mixture along the side edge of the beak from hinge to tip a few times. Some of the liquid in the gloop should seep through between the upper and lower beak and persuade the bird to swallow it.

Do not rush this procedure ... it is very easy for a baby bird to breathe in liquids and aspirate, so go slowly and gently. As the bird becomes used to your presence it should eventually gape and allow you to place a small piece of the mixture into its beak. Ensure that you place this as far back in its beak as possible, and allow it to swallow completely before offering more.

There is sufficient liquid within this mixture that no further water needs to be supplied to the bird at this stage, and a seperate water dish should not be provided to any baby bird until it is able to feed itself.

The mixture I have described will keep the bird in good stead for a few days only, it is not sufficient as a rearing food. If you do need to keep the bird yourself for any longer, then you need to supplement the mixture depending on what species the bird belongs to, so early indentification is very useful.

Please bear in mind though that hand rearing a bird generally requires you to feed it regularly from dawn until dusk, for a period of perhaps 20 to 35 days ... so it is a full-time commitment and not something you can readily fit around a working, school or social life.

If you can provide a photo or better description (presence or colour of any down tufts, colour of skin, colour of inside of beak and flange colour) of the nestling, we'll have a better idea of just what it is, and provide more focussed support accordingly.

Best of luck.

[MaxMouseDLL]

Thank you, that was helpful... cereal (Wheetabix)/dog food it is... I'm fine feeding it every 20 minutes, I have all the time in the world right now, being unemployed sucks!, I don't have to force it, it's taking it very well... which is encouraging, no water.. ok...

When I can I will update with a photo.. wish me luck! I don't hold out much hope of it living the night, but we'll see, since me feeding it every 15 minutes for the last couple of hours, it seems to have become stronger and move around more.

[cara pace]

Nicely put Valleyforge. (is your info on the sticky?)

MaxMouseDLL, if you do decide to carry on helping the bird, do you think you could get hold of any plastic tweezers? It would be safer than using the corncob holder. You could get the birds beak checked at the vets in case it needs antibiotics and they would probably be able to lend you some.

Keep us posted, and good luck!

[MaxMouseDLL]

Originally Posted by cara pace

Nicely put Valleyforge. (is your info on the sticky?)

MaxMouseDLL, if you do decide to carry on helping the bird, do you think you could get hold of any plastic tweezers? It would be safer than using the corncob holder. You could get the birds beak checked at the vets in case it needs antibiotics and they would probably be able to lend you some.

Keep us posted, and good luck!

I know, corn cob holder isn't the greatest of things to use, but I'm being VERY careful, I have better things to use at home, including one of those injector things that come with calpol, I'm sure that would be much better.

I'm worried about the beak damage, I'll see if I can get some vet help if it survives the night, I'll say it again, it's beak looks bad... if I can keep it alive long enough to develop, yet it retains it's damaged beak, what should I do then?

[MaxMouseDLL]

It's getting stronger by the feed... squeaking louder... I'm trying lol...

At what point should I stop feeding it, IE: what time this evening?

[valleyforge]

You should be prepared to continue offering food until dusk ... when that is will depend where you are in the country ... but you may find that the bird will naturally settle and not want anything else some time before that.

As well as what goes in, you need to be monitoring what come out.

Droppings at this stage should come neatly wrapped in a milky-coloured membrane (for easy disposal by the parent birds) ... if the pooh comes out either very wet, or dark and sticky, then you need to alter your feeding regime and mixture accordingly. Also check that the vent does not become soiled.

If droppings are nicely presented as a parcel, then it's a good indication that things are working normally internally.

As long as the beak isn't bleeding still, then it shouldn't be your primary concern ... chances are that the beak has not yet fully hardened yet in any case, so may heal OK. Once the bird is a bit older and stronger, you should have the injury assessed properly by a vet or experienced avian rehabilitator.

best of luck for tonight ... let us know how things turn out tomorrow. The first 24hrs in care are the most crucial for any wildlife casualty.

[MaxMouseDLL]

It's excrement seems not too bad actually... it fits the description.. I'll need to move him inside soon as the shed will fall into shade soon.. other than that, it seems stronger, and I will update when I can..

Thank's for the beak info, I was worried about that, but I'll get it through the night first and then see what's happening.

Cheers all.. catch you next time.

Awesome forum btw, I'm a moderator of a couple, and the locals aren't as friendly as you lot.