Fly Away Birdy

The following formulas are designed for altricial birds (birds which are born naked, eyes closed, and needing to be fed by parent).  Precocial birds (born covered with down feathers, eyes open, able to move around and self-feed) will not gape and do not need to be fed by hand.  Offer correct food for adults of the species.  Some newborn precocial birds must be shown where the food is.  Sometimes tapping food with the point of a pencil will start the chick eating.
 

JUDY’S SEED-EATER FORMULA

Doves, Sparrows, Finches, etc… 

½ cup Science Diet Canine Growth – soften in water
¼ cup Gerbers High Protein Baby Cereal
1 jar baby strained chicken
2 tablespoons Superpreen vitamins

-Mix in food processor with about two baby food jars of water. Freeze in ice cube trays.  Mix should be sloppy.  Use feeding syringe.
 

Note:  Doves do not gape for food.  At first you must open their mouths.  Eventually they will nuzzle your fingers and open their beaks through them.  They do not need to be fed as often as other birds as their crops can be filled quite full.

JUDY’S INSECT-EATER FORMULA

Jays, mockingbirds, starlings, etc…

Add the following to Judy’s Seed-eater Diet:

2 tablespoons soy protein
2 tablespoons Neo-Calglucon (liquid calcium gluconate)
200 mealworms
2 hard cooked egg yolks.

- Mix in food processor and freeze in ice cube trays.  Mix should be thicker than for doves. 

- Use feeding syringe, broad pointed tweezers, damp artists watercolor brush (non-shedding) or coffee stirrer to feed.

MA’S BABY BIRD FORMULA                                                                  

This formula is good for most omnivorous songbirds (mockingbirds, bluejays, English sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, etc…) past the first week.

 
1 Cup Science Diet Maintenance or Growth or Iams dog kibble
                                        (grind in food processor and sift. Sifted out particles                                             can be moistened and used for adult birds)
2  teaspoons bone meal
1  teaspoon Superspreen (Bird vitamins)
2  teaspoons Heintz Instant Apples
1  teaspoon Heintz Instant Peaches
1  teaspoon Heintz Instant Carrots
½  teaspoon Geveral (Ledderly Labs)  (order from drug store)
½  cup Gerber High-Protein baby cereal

- Mix.  Add water to consistency so it can just be picked up with tweezers use pointed or round tweezers. A feeding syringe may be used instead. Only mix as much as is needed for the day.

- Feed several mealworms plus this formula at each feeding. For young birds, use very small mealworms.  Feed every half hour to hour (or as demanded if more frequent), sun up to sundown.

SHERRY’S DEL AMO ANIMAL HOSPITAL FORMULA

This formula is good for most omnivorous songbirds (mockingbirds, bluejays, English sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, etc…) from newborn on.

 ¼ can PD dogfood (from a vet)
2  jars Gerber baby beef
¼ cup Geveral Protein Powder (order from drug store)
1  tablespoon Ledderplex Liquid Vitamin B complex
                                   (order from drug store)
1  teaspoon avian vitamins (Superpreen)
1  teaspoon bone meal
½ tube Nutrical

- Process in blender or food processor with enough Lactated Ringers solution to thin to consistency which can just be drawn up a needle-less syringe or eyedropper. Freeze in clean, small jars (i.e. baby food jars).  Defrost as needed.

- Newborn birds should be fed as often as every 10-15 minutes, sun up to sundown.

LISA'S DOVE FORMULA

This formula is good for doves, pigeons, and other seed-eating birds (i.e. song sparrows, finches, etc….

1  scoop Isomil (baby formula – buy in the market)
2  Oz. Warm water

- Enough Gerber High Protein baby cereal to make it pourable and able to be drawn up by a needle-less syringe for doves, thicker for sparrows, finches, etc…

SHERRY’S HUMMINGBIRD FORMULA – UC DAVIS

In a blender, mix:

3  oz. Honey
2  teaspoons Superpreen
5  teaspoons Geveral Protein Powder (order from drug store)
2  teaspoons Low fat soy powder (Health food store)
¼ teaspoon pollen granules (Health food store)
1  teaspoon Avitron or Avivite Avian vitamins
1  teaspoon Ledderplex Liquid Vitamin B complex
                                        (Ledderly Labs – order from drug store)
4  teaspoons Gerber strained beef
2  teaspoons Gerber strained carrots
2  teaspoons mealworms (about 50)

- Mix with 14oz. hot water in a blender.  Makes 17oz. With honey.

-Blend at high speed for 10 mins.  Add enough water to make 32oz.

-Let set, will be foamy. Strain (an old clean nylon stocking is good), put in ice cube trays and freeze

JUDY EVERETT’S HUMMINGBIRD FORMULA

From Jean           

1  cup Gerber High Protein Cereal
1  jar baby strained chicken
1  jar baby applesauce
1-2  teaspoons Superspreen
heaping teaspoon calcium
50  mg tablet B vitamin
¼ teaspoon Brewer’s yeast powder

- Mix.  Freeze in ice cube trays or small sauce cup

SERIOUSLY DEBILITATED/UNDERWEIGHT BIRDS

If a bird is severely underweight (weak, sharp-keeled, etc...) it can’t afford the expenditure of energy necessary to digest its “normal” diet.  It must be tube-fed, using and easily digested formula.  Do not feed the bird if it is cold; warm it first. Start by rehydrating with Lactated Ringers.  (If not available, Gatorade may be used but is not as good.) When bird has “perked up” a bit, mix and warm about 1 tablespoon Neutrocal with 30-40 cc Lactated Ringers. Feed small amounts often (i.e. every 20 mins.)

SOME OTHER BIRDS’ FOOD

(hawks, owls) - Raptors:  Slice of beek heart dusted with Superpreen and bone meal, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, or Reptocal, mice, chicks (for bird-eaters), crickets and mealworms for small raptors such as Kestrals.

Seagulls: Defrosted frozen anchovies (buy frozen from bait shop), supplement with vitamin B-1 pill in one of the fish.  Don’t use frozen smelts. Canned dogfood.

Crows: Dogfood (canned or moistened kibble), some fruit and grain products (cereal, seeds)

Shorebirds: (precocial): mealworms, tubafex worms, blackworms, goldfish, crickets, snails

GENERAL CARE OF ORPHANED BIRDS

• A bird that is hopping along on the ground but unable to fly probably has a parent or two coming down to feed it.  Put it in a safer place, such as in a bushy tree or shrubs, near where you found it.  In general, birds can’t smell and parents will not reject their young, even if they see you touch them.  When you are no longer visible the baby will “call” its parents.  Stay out of sight and watch for parents to come.  If you see no sign of parental attention in 1-2 hours, the bird will need human care.  Call a local rehab.  If you must care for the bird yourself, use the appropriate diet listed...
   

• Baby birds that can’t walk should not be out of the nest.  If you find such a bird and know where the nest is you can put it back.  However, the bird may be on the ground because the parent has rejected it.  Keep an eye out for a few days to see if this is so again.
   

• If you take in a nestling it will need a nest!  The nest should be small enough and low enough for the baby to lift its rear over the edge of deficate.  A low bowl lined with a washcloth is good for most birds.  Baby hummingbirds can be put in a ¼ cup measure, lined with soft fabric.
   

• Nestlings may need additional heat.  A shielded nightlight (7 ½ watts) plugged into an extension cord and suspended in the corner of a box close to the bird is a good source of heat.  I have also used a 15-watt bulb in a shielded socket with the opening of the shield covered with aluminum foil so as not to disturb the birds with excessive light.  A feather duster or a yarn pom-pom next to the light makes a good foster mother for the baby to get under.  At the bird’s level the temperature should be 85-90 degrees f. for naked nestlings, 75-80 degrees if partly feathered.  Keep humidity adequate with a damp sponge in a dish.
   

• Wire cages (i.e. canary cages) should never be used for adult or fledgling birds as they may break feathers or bones.  They may be used for nestlings if partially covered with a towel or other cloth to shield their corner.  If you have small children, or pets, you must be very careful they do not hurt the baby bird.  (Cats can tip over boxes and reach through wire cages.)  The container should be covered at night.
   

• Newborn birds need to be fed every 10-15 minutes sun up to sundown.  Only night flyers such as owls should be fed after dark.  The older the bird, the less frequent the feedings, so the time may be extended to every 30 minutes, then every hour.  It is critical that you do not miss any feedings.  Also, do not overfill the crop, which will show as a bulge on the side of the neck.  Many baby birds will continue to gape for food even though full.
   

• When the bird is out of the nest, hopping around, leave a dish of milk, a dish of mealworms, and a dish of water in the cage.  The water dish should be filled with clean pebbles to avoid overturning and so the young bird cannot become soaked and chilled by walking in the water.  Also offer a variety of fruits (i.e. apples, berries, such as: raspberries, grapes, etc.), seeds, dry cereal, hard cooked egg yolk, etc.
   

• Fledglings need frequent exercise time, out of the cage each day to learn how to fly.  A room with the curtains closed and a ready supply of paper towels for clean up may be used.  Their own curiosity and instincts will teach them.  DO NOT throw them into the air.
   

• Birds should not be released until they are flying well, feeding themselves, living outside for several days, and cautious of people and other animals.  They should be released in an area that has adequate food for their species.  Pick days when the weather is good.  Provide back-up food out of harm’s reach until no longer needed.
   

• Raptors (birds that kill with their feet) do not eat any above formulas except for the seriously debilitated.  Their requirements are different and you should seek help from a rehab licensed to handle them.  Most wildlife if protected by law and must not be kept as pets without special permits.  Most raptors are aggressive and potentially dangerous to you.

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