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How to feed a baby bird? If you are also looking for the answer to this question, this is the perfect place for you.
When you find a baby bird lying on the ground, most probably the first thought that comes to your mind is to protect that bird because it hurts. In this case, doesn’t matter if you are a bird lover or not, the sense for protecting that baby bird will become a necessity. That may happen because of the looks of that baby bird.
So, if you have also found a baby bird while just walking in your garden, it is very helpful for you to understand how to feed a baby bird because most probably the bird’s mother wouldn’t come back. If you think that you can comfortably feed and nourish that baby bird until it becomes capable to live on its own then just go through this article. Here you will get to know every essential thing about feeding the baby bird.
Should You Really Feed a Baby Bird?
Firstly, it is very important to determine that whether this baby bird really needs you to carry them in and feed them. If you notice that this baby bird is abandoned and requires some nutrition, the first thing you should do is contact the wildlife rehab center and ask them if they can help you in any way.
If you tried your luck and got no help from the wildlife rehab center, you can try to feed them some foods that are discussed in the next section of this article.
What You Can Feed a Baby Bird?
As how to feed a baby bird is important, what to feed is equally important for feeding accurately. A baby bird will need the type of food that is soft and high in protein, just like what their mother used to feed them. The food that you can feed to the baby bird is:
- Moistened cat or dog food.
- Raw liver
- Hard-boiled eggs
One important thing that you always keep in mind: The food that you usually feed the birds in the back of your yard is not a good fit for a small baby bird. The water and seeds that you generally leave out for the adult birds are not an appropriate food that you should even try to feed to the baby birds.
What You Should Never Feed a Baby Bird?
These are some of the foods that you should completely avoid to feed a baby bird:
- Bread
- Milk
- Worms
- Water
- Bird seeds
These foods should never be fed to the nestling because they are too young and can’t even manage to eat these foods properly.
How To Feed a Baby Bird?
Food that you feed to your baby bird, make sure that it is freshly prepared. You may find this task slightly boring but remember you can’t be that much careful while feeding a baby bird. The food kept from one feeding to the next one is an automatic area for all the harmful bacteria.
Baby birds demand food that is all at one temperature. The absolute temperature would be 102 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit. If you feed too cold food it won’t digest properly, and feeding hot food can cause a burn in the crop. The crop is a term that is used for the little pouch that is stated on the front of their chest where the food passes when swallowed by the baby bird.
The younger your baby bird is, the more you should water down the food. And as they will turn older and older the food will become thicker. One of the easiest and most reliable ways to feed the baby bird is by using a syringe. It will be very helpful in measuring the intake at every meal.
You may notice that the baby bird is bobbing its head up and down, it will seem like it is performing a happy dance and this is a great sign. If you notice this sign, well and good otherwise it may be not the right time to feed them.
How Often Should You Feed a Baby Bird?
Well, how often to feed is completely dependent on the age and weight of the baby bird. Such as if your baby bird is less than one week, feeding should be 6 to 10 times per day. When they have opened the eyes, feeding can be reduced to 3 to 5 times a day.
How Much Food Is Enough for a Baby Bird?
You can find out this with the help of the crop. As I mentioned above that it will be located in front of the bird’s neck and right above the chest. It will be easily visible when you will feed your baby bird. So, when you notice that the crop is filled, you can stop feeding.
Final Thoughts
Taking up the full responsibility of feeding and overall caring for the baby bird can be slightly challenging for an individual especially when that individual is not fully trained for the bird rehabilitation. But that doesn’t mean this is completely impossible. Anyone has the potential to take care of a baby bird if they invest some time in learning about how to feed a baby bird and what are the right foods for them.
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