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.

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For Breeding Cockatiels Part 1

Click Here to See Hand Feeding Video