How to feed little chicks. Why did the chick end up on the ground?

Understand the possible risks. Remember that if you keep the bird, you may be breaking the law. In addition, you most likely do not have enough experience to properly feed the chick, so it may die on you. Additionally, caring for a chick is a challenging task as the chick needs to be fed every 20 minutes or so. Finally, you don't have the specialized equipment to teach the chick what its parents can teach it, such as how to hunt or watch out for predators.

Determine the species of the bird. You can determine the species identity of the bird using the online identification of birds of the CIS countries or the atlas-identifier of birds of Russia.

  • The success of identification will depend on the opportunity to look at the chick's parents. However, if the parents are nearby, you should let them take care of the chick themselves. They have strong innate instincts caring for offspring and are much better suited for this.
  • Determine the type of food the bird eats. What the chick eats will depend on what its parents eat. For example, finches are granivores, while crows eat everything from nuts and berries to insects and small rodents.

    For omnivorous birds, use dog or cat food. Many wild birds are omnivores, and parents feed their chicks mainly with insects. This means that the diet of these birds is rich in animal protein, just like cat or dog food.

    Feed granivorous birds with a special grain mixture for feeding chicks. If the chick you find is an exclusively granivorous bird, purchase a grain mixture for feeding chicks at a pet store. Usually in pet stores you can find a mixture for feeding large parrot chicks.

    Give the chick food until it is full. A chick that is hungry will eat actively. If he is not particularly active, he is probably already full.

    Do not give the chick water. If the food is sufficiently soaked, then the chick does not need additional water, at least until it fledges. Giving water to a chick may do more harm than good as the chick may inhale it and die.

    Handle the chick as little as possible. So that it can later be released into the wild, you should not allow the chick to become too attached to you and rely on you for everything. Limit your interactions with him and don't treat him like a pet.

    Instructions

    If the chick is still naked and unfledged, it must be constantly warmed. It is best to place it in a small bag (knitted sock, fur mitten, etc.) and wear it on yourself for the first time. Chicks need a temperature of 38 degrees.

    Such a baby needs to be examined frequently, every thirty to forty minutes, using tweezers. you will have caterpillars, flies and flies, small spiders, worms, beetles. You can add a hard-boiled egg or minced meat. You will need a lot of food, so try to constantly look for it or in a pet store for flour beetle larvae.

    Starting from 9-12 days, when the chick tends to leave the “nest”, it is placed in a small cage. Regardless of the location, the chick should have dry, soft bedding, for which moss or dried grass is suitable. If they are not at hand, you can lay down cotton wool for the first time. In this case, it is important to constantly ensure that the chick does not get entangled in the fibers. The litter needs to be changed when it gets dirty.

    The first days of their life chicks budgerigar receive goiter milk from their mother. But situations often arise when chicks are left without parental care. And we have to use all our strength and skills to artificial feeding.

    Comfortable conditions for chicks

    If the chicks have not yet fledged, it is necessary to create and maintain optimal temperature and humidity. The air temperature in the nesting area should be about 33°C. You can create such conditions by wrapping the house in a thermal blanket or placing it on a heating pad with warm water. Check the nesting box temperature regularly to avoid overheating, which can kill the chicks in just a few minutes.

    To maintain optimal humidity, spray the house with warm and clean water from time to time.

    Feeding chicks

    Until the seventh day of life, use a special formula for feeding (sold in a pet store). If you don’t have one, you can use dairy-free, which needs to be diluted to a liquid puree consistency, adding a couple of drops of carrot or apple juice, a small piece of boiled egg yolk (crushed).

    The temperature of the mixture should be about 39°C; be sure to check it with a thermometer before feeding. The low temperature mixture is not digested, the food remains in the crop and begins to ferment, as a result the chicks die of hunger. Mixture high temperature the goiter will burn. Take the chick in your hand and place it on its back. Using a small brush, take a drop of the mixture and apply it to the chick's beak (side). If he is not weakened, he will be able to swallow.

    There is another way of feeding. Fill a syringe with the mixture and squeeze the contents into the chick's beak in small drops. You need to give 1-2 milliliters of the mixture at a time. Feeding should be done every half hour to hour. The chicks may refuse the mixture at first, but hunger will take its toll and they will begin to eat this way. Every day, increase feeding breaks and the amount of formula.

    A hungry chick raises its head up and begins to squeak.

    After a week of age, you can stop feeding the chicks at night (from 00 o'clock to 6 am). Daytime feedings should be done every two hours. To the chicks' nutritional mixture you need to add liquid porridge made from crushed millet, which includes half a boiled quail egg and half a tablet of calcium gluconate. Every day the porridge can become thicker. After another week, include finely grated carrots or beets (in turns) in your diet.

    From the age of three weeks, teach the chicks to feed from a spoon stuck through the door. During this period, parrots begin to fledge, so they do not require additional heating. After life, accustom the chicks to adult food, put porridge in the feeder, offer dry grain food and sprouted grains.

    Video on the topic

    First, find a place for him. A small box with a soft cloth on the bottom will do. Make sure that the chick will not jump out of it. Very tiny ones need heating. To do this, you can use a heating pad or just a bottle of warm water.

    What can you feed a sparrow chick?

    First of all, it should be remembered that the chicks of insectivorous small birds - larks, tits - eat food equal to 3/4 of their weight in one day. It is best for the bird’s diet to consist of familiar insects: worms, flies, grasshoppers, beetles, and larvae. However, of course, getting them is not so easy.

    For some reason, in books, fairy tales, and films, sparrows are usually fed. But this is by no means allowed. Give to the chick bakery products it is possible no more than once every 2 days, and even then only in the form of a crumb soaked in milk. In addition, you can gradually give finely chopped boiled or raw meat, ground in a mortar and steamed cereal seeds or oatmeal.

    Vegetables - beets, cucumbers, carrots - are also suitable for feeding. They need to be grated and squeezed out of excess juice. You can also feed the sparrow chick boiled egg or cottage cheese. The main thing is that this food is unsalted. It is advisable to add a little coal or crushed chalk to the food - the chick will be happy with this seasoning. In turn, giving salt to birds is strictly prohibited.

    Try to let the chick eat on its own, however, if this does not work, you can give it food by unclenching its beak with tweezers. Since she is still small, she needs to be fed often - at least once every 2 hours. This is quite a difficult task, and therefore it is considered difficult to feed the chicks of small birds. In addition, do not forget that in addition to food, the bird should have free access to pure water.

    Before the sparrow chick comes out, think

    Before releasing a sparrow chick, think: perhaps it is better to leave it where you found it? In most cases, fledglings fall out of the nests. This is the name given to chicks that do not yet know how to fly, but have made their first attempt to try it. Their adult parents then try to feed their offspring already on earth.

    If the area does not have large quantity And

    Every person is characterized by mercy. It is this feeling that elevates us above other beings. We are especially kind to our smaller friends - birds. Often a sparrow chick comes to us. What to feed your baby and how to care for him? The material will tell you about this in detail.

    Heroes of folklore

    Both adults and children are well aware of the characteristic singing of birds, which are the closest neighbor of humans. Sparrows are recognized both because of the special beauty of their feathers and by their behavior. There is a lot about these creatures. interesting legends and stories. Each nation attributed its own symbolism to this animal.

    Proverbs and sayings about them also exist on our territory. So, for example, if a winged one flies past you, then expect failure. Flew into the window of a house - trouble will come. But such prejudices do not prevent people from thinking about what to feed a sparrow chick that has fallen out of the nest.

    It should be noted that the negativity that peoples felt towards these flyers was imposed by history.

    An old children's riddle that asks which bird cannot walk but only jumps is still popular. It is with this puzzle that the main myth of this species is connected. According to legend, the winged ones laughed at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Lord decided to punish the whole family for disrespect and bandaged their paws invisible thread so that they cannot walk. The Almighty also forbade the consumption of the meat of these birds. That is why many indifferent people do not worry about what to feed a sparrow chick that has fallen out of the house.

    Big city problem

    Modern people have little faith in such legends. Scientists are also breaking myths. Zoologists have found that the legs of this bird are very short, and it is this length that helps to maintain balance. In addition, all tiny winged birds move by jumping.

    The researchers first added the prefix “pet” to their name. Indeed, now these birds live very close to human habitation. The homeland of birds was Northern Europe, but over centuries of evolution they have settled throughout the globe.

    Today it is increasingly difficult for them to survive in major cities. More often, parents think about what to feed the sparrow chick. There are few insects in large populated areas, so dad and mom add bread and seeds to the child’s diet, which they don’t really like.

    Lifestyle

    In general, these are cheerful and funny birds. They, unlike their relatives, wake up late in the morning, and not at dawn. Flyers gather in noisy groups. In spring, males fight for a long time for the best place for nests. Females lay eggs as the weather warms. There can be from 4 to 6 pieces in the basket. Next, parents worry about what to feed the sparrow chick. A yellowthroat is considered strong if it opens its beak wide.

    Cubs that do not eat well may be thrown out of the nest by their parents. But such situations occur very rarely. Only half of the newborns survive by autumn. Most often, a bird that knows how to defend itself and clearly senses danger can survive for two years. But there are cases when sparrows lived at home for more than 15 years. Such animals are very jealous and require increased attention.

    Role of parents

    Most often, cubs that are just learning to fly fall out of their nests. The first attempt may be unsuccessful, but next step It's worth gaining strength again. Having found a child, do not rush to drag him to your home. With the help of its parents, a sparrow chick can survive. What to feed birds at home? Feeding a baby is a difficult and responsible task that not everyone can handle. But the mother or father bird will be able to carry food to the child on the ground until he recovers.

    If there are no dangers nearby, such as dogs and cats, then it is better to trust nature. Additionally, you can place a plate of cereals with the winged ones and thus simplify the task for the mother and father of the baby.

    If you decide to take a defenseless bird home, you should be aware of the rules for handling this animal.

    portable house

    Before you talk about what to feed a sparrow chick that has fallen out of the nest, you should build a comfortable home for your new friend. The owner must make an artificial cradle in which to place the guest. Any box will do for this. It is worth throwing pieces of soft fabric into it. If the chick is still very small, you should constantly keep the nest warm. A heating pad or bottle of water can help with this task. hot water. Since the cub needs a stable temperature, it is better to melt the “batteries” more often.

    It is very important that the box in which the chick will live is comfortable for you. After all, before you find out what to feed a sparrow chick at home, you should realize that the baby will want to eat every two to three hours. Therefore, it is quite possible that you will have to take the animal with you. Even an adult bird will die without eating for just one day. A hearty lunch can also be fatal.

    Basic nutrition

    If you take home a defenseless baby, you should take his diet seriously. The first and main rule is to focus on natural ingredients. Don't forget that a bird's daily lunch is insects and bugs. This is exactly what you should feed your friend.

    They have very fast exchange substances, and a normal, healthy flyer of this class must eat food weighing ¾ of his own body weight per day. Therefore, the owner is faced with the question of not only what to feed the sparrow chick at home, but also how often to do it. Experts recommend giving food at least once every two hours during daylight hours.

    If the bird does not eat enough, you will have to feed it more often. Sometimes the interval can be even 15-20 minutes. It is very easy to understand that your baby is full. He will stop opening his beak. Besides this, there will be no problems with feeding. The chick will quickly get used to you and will constantly open its mouth. It is better to pull food out with tweezers.

    Sometimes parents throw away the baby because it doesn't open its beak well. In this case, you should open your mouth slightly.

    Flies, bugs, larvae, worms, ant cocoons - this is what to feed the fledgling sparrow chick.

    Additional feed

    You can buy some of the above delicacies in stores that sell fishing supplies. It is possible to find or catch lunch yourself.

    You can also dilute your diet with products that you can always find in your refrigerator. Steamed wheat porridge, pulp of white bread soaked in milk, boiled chicken eggs, cottage cheese - all this in small quantity can be given to birds.

    You should also treat your new friend to boiled chicken and veal. You can add carrots to lunch, from which you have previously squeezed the juice. Lettuce and leaves - the sparrow chick will also eat this. The winged one himself will tell you what else to feed. If his afterbirth is irregular and without a characteristic white, then either the diet or the lunch interval is incorrect.

    On a note

    We should not forget that the bird needs water. It is best when the animal has constant, free access to a fresh drink. When a sparrow is still too small to drink on its own, it should be helped. You can pour one or two drops after meals, through a pipette.

    Everything you give to the winged one should be unsalted and without spices. You should also finely chop or grind all food. You can also purchase additional supplements from pet supply stores. Vitamins and minerals will help the substances be better absorbed.

    WITH the right approach The sparrow chick will recover quickly. The bird itself will tell you what to feed and how to dose the food.

    Good comrade

    As soon as your friend starts trying to fly, choose a small cage. You will be able to release him later. But it is worth noting that some animals, accustomed to everything ready-made, are not able to survive in the real world.

    For those who do not intend to part with their new friend, there is good news: Sparrows are trained. They understand perfectly well when a person wants to help them and when he is trying to harm them.

    One Moscow zoologist working with these birds even taught his experimental subject to give his paw. He also noted that the bird is jealous of other animals and tries to completely capture his attention. She sits on shoulders and arms, and also sings great.

    Owners should also know that this class is afraid of blue color, so you should be careful with such shades.

    A sparrow chick will be a good friend (photo). What to feed and how to care for it is entirely your business; the main thing is to be merciful and reasonable.