Hello to our friends in the UK!
Can you tell Deborah what you use to hand feed baby birds in the UK, and where to find it? Thanks much! Add a comment to this and I'll try to post it ASAP.
Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula is available online and can be shipped to the UK. However, Deborah needs it immediately. Thanks for the help!
2 comments:
That's so kind of you to try to help....thank you so much. Thought you might be interested in a quick update!
I have had a busy day making phone calls and trying to find the formula. I was running out of options when I found a supplier some miles away who had just one bag left! I rushed over and picked it up, got some droppers from the chemist and was hoping that the babies would still be ok when I got home. When I got home neither parent was near the nest and I took the chicks out to get a good look at them. I could see that the two larger chicks had some food in their crops but the two little ones just had baggy skin there. I decided to feed the little ones and got the formula mixed to what I thought was the right temperature and consistency. Having never done this before, it took me quite a while and when I went out to the aviary to bring the little ones in for a meal the daddy was sitting on the perch outside the nest box. I waited to see what he would do but he just flew off so I went ahead and got the babies out.
Would you believe it - both of the smaller babies now had food in their crops! I wouldn't say they were full to bulging but the crops definately had something in there! And all four babies felt nice and warm! Ruby and Alfie are obviously doing something to look after their babies but neither of them has been in the nest much.....I've been keeping a very close eye on them and they have both been flying the full length of the aviary together all evening like they didn't have a care in the world! And they have now settled down for the night on their usual perch a couple of feet away from the next box!
I guess that I should maybe just keep an eye on things for the time being. But at least I now have the formula in case there's signs of trouble! I have never held a live tiny chick before and it was amazing! The difference in size between the biggest and smallest is huge.
I would like to say, again, how grateful I am for your help and advice. And your blogs are so interesting, and your birds so beautiful....I don't know how you find the time for birds and blogs!
I'm glad the babies are doing okay. Keep watching. Hopefully, the weather is warm where you are since Mom isn't staying in the nest at night. If there was only one baby it would be at risk, but with four they will help keep each other warm. If you continue to help hand feed them, you can test the temperature of the food on your wrist just like you'd do with a human baby bottle. Very warm to cool is okay, not hot or cold. It cools quickly as you've probably found out. Newly hatched chicks need it much thinner than older chicks, but your package should give directions about that.
Post a Comment