Artificial (hand) feeding of chicks. What to feed a pigeon chick at home

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. A lot has been written 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 think 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 a very fast metabolism, and a normal, healthy flyer of this class should eat food weighing ¾ of their 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 the 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 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.

Fledglings usually require human care. These are songbird chicks, 8-12 days old, that have fallen out of the nest. It also happens that you need to show care when caring for a chick of a corvid or a wild pigeon. Someone might suggest that the parrot chick come out on his own.

In all cases, you must act quickly. If it is not possible to return the chick to the nest, what will happen? the best solution, first of all, it is necessary to provide him with warmth, since he himself is not yet able to regulate his body temperature.

A chick left without warmth and food quickly dies. The reason lies in the very quick exchange substances. So, if you do not feed the chick for 3-6 hours, and then start feeding, it will still die in a couple of days from metabolic disorders.

In this article, we will not consider methods of artificially feeding poultry in incubator conditions, which are used by specialists, since such conditions cannot be created in an emergency. We'll tell you what to feed the chick in an emergency, depending on the type of bird.

Songbirds

Most often, chicks of the order passerines - warblers, buntings, and sparrows - fall out of their nests. They must be fed with the same food that their parents feed them - mealworms, ant cocoons, fly larvae. Without this food, it is impossible to save the chick with any substitute.
In addition to this, a nutrient mixture is prepared to feed the chicks of these species: boiled chicken or beef is mixed with grated boiled egg. Add low-fat cottage cheese, finely chopped greens (lettuce, dandelion leaves), and a little grated carrot, squeezing the juice out of it. You can add the minerals calcium glycerophosphate, phytin, and a little multivitamin to the mixture. To prevent the mixture from sticking to your fingers, add grated white crackers to it. The mixture is made for one day and stored in the refrigerator.
The chick needs to be fed every 15-20 minutes throughout the daylight hours. The mixture is rolled into balls the size of half a cherry pit and placed into the beak using tweezers. The chick is full when it stops demanding food.
You definitely need to give the chick water. This is done using a pipette directly during feeding.

Pigeons

When deciding what to feed a pigeon chick, there may be serious problems. Until the age of one month, parents feed it with crop milk, which regurgitates directly into its beak.

To feed the chick yourself, you will have to do much the same; the design of a soft and long beak will not allow the chick to feed differently. Once every three hours you will have to put liquid boiled porridge into your mouth and stick the chick’s beak into your mouth right up to your eyes. Then he will be able to swallow food. The chick should be watered in the same way.

Parrots

There are relatively fewer problems with the question of what to feed a parrot chick. To do this, use baby food without milk (for example, porridge). The mixture is diluted to a liquid state at a temperature of 37 degrees. The chick is fed every two hours, lying on its back, and introducing food from the side of the beak using a brush or an insulin syringe.

Well, have you decided to take care of the winged baby? Then good luck to you!

Budgerigars are the most popular birds to keep at home. A variety of colors, a cheerful, playful disposition will give good mood any owner. Caring for them is not difficult, feeding does not cause any difficulties, but with chicks not everything is simple. The usual litter of budgerigars is 3–12 babies, hatched 18 days after laying eggs, subject to temperature conditions and maintaining the required air humidity. Occasionally, two chicks can hatch from one egg. The first eggs to hatch hatch. When hatching, the baby weighs about 1 gram. Every owner who decides to start breeding birds for the first time is concerned about the question of what to feed not only the adult bird, but also the small chicks. Proper care, maintenance, and a proper diet are important for health and long life. happy life pets

In a year, a pair of budgerigars can hatch offspring 4 times. This should not be allowed: the female’s body is depleted.

Small birds feed on a special substance in the form of a mucous mass mixed with almost liquid pieces of food and protein-rich milk produced in the mother’s crop or gizzard. After two or three days, grain, partially digested in the crop, is mixed with the milk.

Once born, babies are defenseless and completely dependent on their parents. The female cares for and feeds the cubs from her beak, turning each one onto its back, regardless of their number and timing of hatching. If the female's diet contains a sufficient amount of sprouted grains, then the mixture for feeding the babies is completely sufficient. Over time, the older birds that have grown up receive grain food from the crop, the remaining milk goes to the babies that hatched last. There are cases when, together with the mother, the father also feeds the offspring, in whose crop grain is also processed. Intensive feeding of parrots provides them with all the necessary nutrients and enzymes to ensure the smooth functioning of the digestive tract.

The parrot owner must provide a full menu to the parents, changing the diet in a timely manner. It is recommended to constantly add egg mixture, sprouted grains, and herbs to food.

After leaving the nest, the babies come completely under the care of the male, while the mother prepares for the next clutch. The feeding period lasts 1.5 months, after which the young animals become independent from their parents and begin to feed on their own.

Artificial feeding

Sometimes situations occur when the female abandons her children, and the role of parents of the parrots has to be performed by the owners themselves, feeding without the help of the real father and mother.

It is important to know: if a newly hatched chick does not eat for more than 12 hours, it may die.

Reasons for switching to artificial nutrition at home:

large offspring, parents cannot cope with providing food for all children;
aggression of the female, refusal to feed the cubs. Why this happens is difficult to answer. Perhaps she does not have or has not yet awakened the maternal instinct. Perhaps the reason was that you picked up a barely born chick in your arms or another shock to the parrot;
the baby loses his appetite and is unable to feed on his own;
quarantine or illness of the baby, requiring separation of the sick parrot from the rest of the birds for the duration of treatment;
death of parents;
the female is ready to produce the next clutch, the offspring become a hindrance to her.

It is important to know: depriving a barely born chick of food for more than 12 hours is critical and can cause death. It is necessary to remember this deadline and have time to prepare food. Sometimes the remaining one chick may be placed with an outside pair of parrots or another species of bird. They will become the baby's adoptive parents, although the chance of the chick's survival decreases; otherwise, the owner of the birds should take care of feeding. The best candidates for this role would be Japanese finches; other types of parrots often refuse to accept a stranger and can injure or peck at him.

For fledgling babies, it is important to maintain optimal temperature and humidity. To do this, periodically spray the nest clean water. The temperature in it should be maintained at 33 °C, lower or higher will cause the death of the birds. The process can be organized using a cardboard box, constantly heating its bottom. You can put a warm towel and use an incubator with a setting that is optimal for chicks. From the twenty-first day, the thermoregulation of young animals is improved; additional heating is not required.

Most experienced breeders advise feeding babies with slightly diluted baby food, heated to 37 °C.

When artificially feeding with a cannula, food is poured not into the beak, but into the crop, this will prevent the chick from choking on the contents. You can prepare the following mixture: part baby food, two parts of millet decoction, one part of oat decoction, part of a solution with glucose, vitamins, amino acids.

Types of food

There are several types of feeding for newly hatched wavy birds.

Use of a donor bird

This method is used by experienced breeders who are professionally involved in breeding birds. The grain mixture is fed into the parrot's crop through a catheter, from where the digested form is sucked out by a probe. A dangerous, but the most effective type of food for artificial birds, while all the substances necessary for life will be supplied to the bird’s body.

Feeding malt milk

Malt is prepared from sprouted grains, crushed, filtered, mixed with water and egg until a paste-like consistency is obtained. Feed warmed to 39 °C. At a lower temperature, the mixture is not digested, it begins to ferment in the goiter, and the bird dies of hunger. More heat food causes a burn.

Porridges with added enzymes

You can feed the wavy with porridge by mixing mezim or festal. The exact dosage of the drugs should be observed; it is advisable to use it with malt milk.

Feeding with ready-made formulas

Most convenient way feed the chicks. Special branded balanced ready-made feeds good quality, for example NutriBird A19 and A21, are bred warm water to the required density, taking into account the age of the young animals, they are fed to babies. Birds receive the necessary components with such a daily diet: lactobacilli, enzymes, nutrients to promote health and growth, similar to those produced by the mother's goiter.

Dairy-free porridge

Buckwheat, oatmeal or corn porridge is cooked without milk, salt and sugar. You can feed the birds with dairy-free rice porridge. From the third day of life, the menu includes vegetable juices from carrots, pumpkin or beets. You can add a piece of mashed through a sieve egg yolk. From the tenth day, fruits are added: banana, apple, low-fat cottage cheese.

On the twentieth day they begin to feed the little bird from a spoon, try self-catering, offering budgerigar crushed sprouted grain.

From the age of thirty days, whole grains begin to be introduced. Even if there is no one to show how to eat it, after a while the chicks will learn to peck on their own.

Water

When feeding birds with liquid porridges and mixtures, there is no need for water, with the exception of hot days. Over time, when the bird grows up and begins to feed on its own, clean filtered water should be in the drinking bowl at all times.

How often to feed

Barely hatched wavy birds are fed every two hours, the night interval between meals is 4 hours. Gradually the meals are increased to six times. From the twentieth day they give food 4 times. The chick, which is 1 month old, is transferred to three meals a day. You should listen to the sounds coming from the cage - hungry birds remind you of themselves by squeaking. Starting from the 21st day of life, parrots that acquire feathers are fed, strictly observing the regime, sometimes doing it by force - they stop vocalizing when they get hungry.

A sick adult parrot is fed more often.

You need to give food to the bird carefully, try not to oversaturate, take your time, and make sure that food does not leak out of the beak. It is better to teach him to eat from a spoon. You have to be patient - it won't work out right away. At the same time, only one chick should learn to eat independently - the rest will follow his example. It is recommended to keep the syringe on hand for now - the parrot may be malnourished.

To ensure that artificial nutrition causes fewer problems, you should follow some tips:

A single serving of food for wavy is from 3 to 5 ml; you should not cook more: the food turns sour and causes digestive problems.
There is no need to supplement the birds with water: the diluted mixtures contain a sufficient amount of liquid.
From the age of seven days, fruit juices are introduced into the diet: thanks to them, the immune system is strengthened and growth is accelerated.
Mineral food is required in the cage for correct formation bird skeleton. You can give coarsely grated chalk or eggshells. A lack or excess of minerals impairs development, growth, and sometimes leads to illness and even death.
Grain mixtures are introduced from the moment the birds begin to sit on a perch or perch on the owner’s finger. They cook semi-liquid or thick porridge, offering a choice.

At proper care and feeding, the life of your pets will be long, happy, and fulfilling. After studying all the recommendations and advice, you can save the life of the little chick. You can be sure: artificially fed birds are more tame and trainable, they begin to talk better and faster than those raised in a nest with their family.

08/10/2016, 18:00

Beginners may find the instructions for feeding chicks very complex and confusing. Often, new owners of a young bird are told about the need to fill the chick's stomach as soon as it is empty - and so on until it learns to eat on its own. But the definitions of an “empty” and a “full” stomach are very vague, and often cause misunderstandings. Unfortunately, such vague instructions have detrimental consequences for the chick itself.

Another common option: owners are given instructions to feed the chick at certain intervals with a strictly dosed amount of food throughout the day. But sometimes, following this advice, zealous newbies practically force food down the chick’s throat, regardless of its reaction. During the period of weaning the chick from the mixture, this scenario is aggravated by the fact that the first stage of growth has already been completed, and the bird no longer requires as much food. If the chick is overfed at this stage, it may not have the desire to forage for other food. In particular difficult cases grown birds generally refuse any other food except mixture. Such battles can end tragically: the birds inhale food particles, leading to pneumonia or even death.

In this article, we offer a simple and clear plan for feeding a chick that will allow you to avoid these problems.

How much food does a chick need?

The maximum amount of mixture that can be fed to a chick before switching to regular food is approximately 10% of its body weight. The intervals between feedings will depend on how long it takes for the baby's crop to empty. (The crop is considered empty when there is no or almost no food in the pharynx). In most chicks, the crop is emptied within 4-6 hours.

Once a day, preferably at night, you need to take a break. For example, if your chick's crop empties every 4 hours, then from 6 a.m. to midnight you feed it every 4-5 hours. From midnight to six, the night break continues, which allows you to remove food debris and bacteria from the chick’s body. Plus, you'll be able to sleep.

The larger the chick becomes, the less frequent the feedings will become, but the amount of mixture will increase. Most importantly, you need to carefully control the size of each portion. The amount of the mixture should in no case exceed 10% of total mass chick.

The matured chick will gradually begin to resist attempts to feed it with mixture. At this point you will need to reduce the number of feedings. When there are only 2-3 meals left per day, begin to introduce your bird to solid food: softened kibble or food from your table. On average, the process of transitioning to solid foods takes about 2-3 weeks, after which the mixture is completely eliminated from the diet.

From May to July, chicks hatch in sparrow nests. For a number of reasons, babies who are not yet adapted to independent life may fall out of the nest. In this case, the life of the little sparrow that finds itself on the ground will depend entirely on the qualified help of the person who picks it up. Caring for a found chick includes feeding with a specially prepared mixture, drinking from a pipette and additional heating if it has not yet fledged.

Feeding the chick.

Sparrow chicks beg for food from their parents, opening their beaks with a bright yellow rim wide. In captivity, their behavior does not change and if the chick is healthy, then it will react to a touch or any loud sound in the same way, squeaking and fluttering its wings to reinforce its request. Refusal of food can happen only in two cases: if the chick is sick and very weak, or you picked up a fledgling that recently fell out of the nest and has already learned to fear people. It is better to return the fledgling to the place where it was found. For a weakened chick, first try drinking warm boiled water from a pipette, and then force-feeding it with a specially prepared mixture. You can make a mixture from finely chopped boiled chicken eggs, grated carrots, semolina or millet porridge cooked in water and without salt. To provide the chick with the calcium necessary for its growth, add powdered shells and low-fat cottage cheese. You can add a little dry fish food, chopped boiled heart and finely chopped dandelion leaves to the mixture. The result should be a moist, crumbly mass from which lumps of food the size of a pea are formed. It is more convenient to give food to the chick from tweezers, placing peas directly into the mouth until it opens its beak. The periods between feedings are approximately half an hour. If it is possible to catch flies or collect caterpillars, then it is better to give such food, since in nature sparrows feed their offspring with insects.

Chick drinking.

In order to give water to a small sparrow, you will need a pipette with a rounded end. The water must be boiled room temperature. It is better to give water during feeding, alternating lumps of food with a drop of water. To understand how much water a chick needs, take a closer look at its droppings. Watery will indicate excess moisture. Too dry - about its lack.

Many people often have a question about how long a sparrow chick will grow. The answer is simple. At good feeding and reliable shelter, the chick will always be healthy and after 2 - 3 weeks it can be “walked” by taking it outside so that it does not develop rickets from lack of sunlight. When he feels his strength and begins to fly around the room, then he should be released into the wild.