Emergency Hand Feeding
Formula Recipe
For strong, healthy
baby birds, always use a high quality, commercial brand, baby bird
hand feeding
formula which you can purchase at a pet shop. They contain
all of the nutrients needed to raise healthy birds. Although breeders frequently
add 1/2 baby food applesauce to the morning feeding to help the crop
drain, experimenting with homemade formula recipes,
instead of using a commercial brand can result in babies having crop problems, stunted
growth and poor feather quality, You should always have hand feeding formula available if you are breeding birds, even if you don't plan
on hand feeding the chicks. Sometimes an emergency occurs and you have to
hand feed a
baby unexpectedly. If you don't have hand feeding formula and pet shops are closed, this recipe will make a
formula for baby birds until you are able to buy some the next day. The
ingredients should be available at any 24 hour grocery store.
* 2/3 cup of Gerber's or
Beech Nut mixed grain or high protein baby food cereal,
* 1 teaspoon of peanut butter--only use a commercial, name brand , NOT organic.
* 1 teaspoon of baby food applesauce
* 1 cap full of unflavored Pedialyte
* Distilled or bottled water, enough for needed consistency
* Dip a plastic, disposable spoon in boiling water then bend the tip to make a little funnel for
hand feeding. This will work if you do not have feeding syringes.
Boil the water for 10 minutes to destroy any bacteria that may be present. Add
enough water to make a very thin formula for newborns. For older babies, thicken the formula
to the consistency of a soft pudding. If the formula is too thick, it won't go through
a feeding syringe. Formula temperature should be 104-106 degrees Fahrenheit,
tested with a digital food thermometer or candy thermometer when feeding babies. A few degrees higher and
you will burn the crop. A few degrees lower and the baby will have
crop/digestive problems. If you don't have a thermometer, test the formula by
putting a drop on your eyelid. Sometimes babies will eat from a small spoon if you dip
their beak in it. For further and normal hand feedings, use a disposable
syringe.
In an emergency
situation, you can also feed baby birds, human baby food dinners, stage 1 for
infants instead of the recipe above. Choose a chicken, turkey, veal or beef
dinner with noodles or rice. Serve with a syringe or a plastic spoon that
has been dipped in boiling water then bent to make a little funnel.
CLICK HERE
For Breeding Cockatiels Part 1
Click Here to See Hand Feeding Video
Thank you to all visitors to CC who have
shared photos of their birds with us.
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