What to feed a fledgling chick. What to feed a pigeon chick at home. When can you save a bird of prey chick?

Artificial (manual) feeding of chicks

This article is not the first on this issue.
I want to say again that, first of all, you should understand why you are going to do this and, accordingly, immediately, “on the shore”, weigh your strengths, because. this is very, very responsible and requires your constant presence at home, next to the chicks. And this can last one and a half and two months until the fosterlings acquire complete independence.
There is only one motivation - to save the little chicks. If you are driven by the desire to take the chick away from its parents in order to raise a small tame bird for yourself - do not do this, do not!
If there is a need to feed, then it must be done correctly and with certain tools and mixtures in order to increase the chances of chicks to survive and fully grow up, because. hand-feeding all weaver finches is much more difficult than rearing parrot chicks due to a different feeding technique that is related to the size of the birds.

Success has several parts:

1. Conditions for keeping chicks (temperature, humidity)
2. Feeding hygiene
3. Feeding technique
4. Quality of formula for hand-feeding

Conditions for keeping chicks (temperature, humidity) can be created using a brooder
Brooder is an important object for creating a comfortable temperature regime when feeding chicks, which can make your life much easier. But its cost is quite high, so you can get by with home "improvised means".

You will need:

1. Cardboard box, or some type of plastic container with a lid.
2. Heating pad with regulator
3. Canary socket device
4. Paper towels (mountains!) Washcloth or paper towels
5. A container for water, preferably "non-spill".
6. Thermometer and hygrometer.
7. Lid or towel to cover the climate box

At the beginning of the journey, the box may not have a lid, but some kind of lattice lid will be needed when the chicks grow up and begin to move around to protect them from falls and injuries.

Heating pad at the bottom of the box, on the minimum heating mode!
She is wearing paper towels in several layers, so as not to overheat the chick that has crawled out of the nest. The canary basket is lined with a towel.
When the chicks are small 1-5 days old, the canary basket is lined with soft napkins, forming a small space imitating a warm parent! The nest is also lined tightly so that the paws of the chicks are in the correct position - under the tummy - they do not spread, otherwise a “twine” may form.
The box also contains a glass of water for a local increase in humidity.
Test this complex for temperature and humidity conditions without chicks!!!
The parameters that you must observe in this incubator: humidity 30-40% temperature 38C in the first 10 days of life of the chicks, this is especially important, because it does not have plumage and thermoregulation is absent!
Regulate the temperature by heating the heater itself and the degree of cover of the top of the box. When everything is stable, you can put the chicks in the incubator.

Examples of mixtures for artificial feeding of weaver finches chicks

Now on the market there are several products for artificial feeding available to Russians:

Compound: Protein 21%, Fat 8%, Ash 6%, Fiber 3%, Calcium 0.9%, Phosphorus 0.6%, Methionine 0.53%, Sodium 0.2%, Magnesium 0.17%, Vitamin A 12.000 IU /kg, Vitamin D3 1.500 IU/kg, Vitamin E 80 mg/kg, Vitamin K 3 mg/kg, Vitamin B1 4 mg/kg, Vitamin B2 16 mg/kg, Vitamin B3 16 mg/kg, Vitamin B6 6 mg/kg kg, Vitamin B12 20mcg/kg, Vitamin C 60mg/kg, Vitamin PP 80mg/kg, Folic acid 1.5mg/kg, Biotin 200mcg/kg, Choline 1.000mg/kg, Lysine 1.15%, Threonine 0.80%, Tryptophan 0.19%, Iron 40 mg/kg, Copper 10 mg/kg, Manganese 100 mg/kg, Zinc 80 mg/kg
Ingredients: Bakery Products, Vegetable Protein Extracts, Vegetable Products, Oils and Fats, Minerals, Vitamins, Methionine, Lysine, Algae, Microelements, Prebiotic (Lactobacillus sp.), Enzymes

NutriBird A 21 is a complete food for hand-feeding birds of all types. The formula has been scientifically tested and is suitable for optimal growth.

Directions for use

NutriBird A 21 Hand Feed is prepared by adding warm water. Feed and water intake varies with the age of the chick, this combination is selected individually. For food preparation, we advise you to follow the following table. For the first preparation, we recommend that you accurately weigh the required amount of ingredients.
In a clean bowl, mix NutriBird A 21 with hot water according to the ratio shown in the table. Since tap water can contain dangerous microbes, it is recommended to boil the water or use bottled water before drinking.
The resulting mixture must be thoroughly mixed. Let the mixture stand for a minute. If you follow all the instructions, you will get a porridge of a pleasant consistency.
Let the porridge cool down to 39 degrees. Before feeding, it must be thoroughly mixed again so that water and food do not separate from each other.
Important: the mixture should be prepared only before use! Therefore, it is better to cook it in small quantities.

Age Volume
NutriBird A 21 Water
Hatching - Day 2 Part 1 Part 6
Day 2 - Day 3 Part 1 Part 5
Day 3 - Day 4 1 part 4 parts
Day 4 - Day 5 1 part 3 parts
Day 5 - weaning 1 part 2 - 2.5 parts

Composition analysis
Crude proteins 21%; Crude fats 8%; Raw ash 6%; Crude fiber 3%; Calcium 0.9%; Phosphorus 0.6%; Magnesium 0.17%; Sodium 0.2%; Lysine 1.15%; Methionine 0.53%; Threonine 0.80%; Tryptophan 0.19%; Vitamin A 12.000 IU/kg; Vitamin D3 1.500 IU/kg; Vitamin E 80 mg/kg; Vitamin K 3 mg/kg; Vitamin B1 4 mg/kg; Vitamin B2 16 mg/kg; Vitamin B3 16 mg/kg; Vitamin B6 6 mg/kg; Vitamin B12 20 µg/kg; Vitamin C 60 mg/kg; Vitamin PP 80 mg/kg; Folic acid 1.5 mg/kg; Biotin 200 µg/kg; Choline 1.000 mg/kg; Iron 40 mg/kg; Manganese 100 mg/kg; Copper 10 mg/kg; Zinc 80 mg/kg

Compound: Wheat flour, soy flour, various sugars, milk and dairy products, oils and fats, L-lysine (3.2.1), DL-methionine (3.1.1), yeast, prebiotics, enzymes, natural flavor.

If you are feeding African Starfish, they need a higher protein content in their diet.
Pay special attention to the water in which you prepare the mixture. It can be bottled heated, or boiled water, cooled to an acceptable temperature.
Prepare the mixture according to the manufacturer's recipe. The consistency of sour cream seems to be the most reliable when feeding, because. liquid porridge threatens with aspiration and rapid death during feeding. The mixture should be warm - 38C, but not more than 40C, so as not to burn the tender goiter of the chick, which will also lead to death. The mixture is prepared once, for one feeding, it cannot be stored!

Let's move on to the feeding technique:

You should know and remember that on the first day, parents may not feed their chicks, because a newborn chick has a supply of nutrients in the yolk sac, which allows the chick to live for about 20 hours. And you have a temporary head start to prepare for surprises from the parent couple. Do not artificially feed the chick during this period. Especially if the parents, nevertheless, warm him. There is still a chance that parents will take up their duties and cope with them! Wait for the end of 20 hours and check the nest for fullness of the goiter of the chick. Force feeding before this time is not necessary, because. the digestive system of the chick is not ready yet.
If the parents refused to feed, but are warming the chick, then you can try to leave the babies with them, or take them out of the nest and place them in an incubator or brooder and completely control the situation on your own. Healthy and active chicks open their beaks willingly with just a light blow on them, this is a reflex that you can delicately use at the beginning of feeding.
In the first three days, the chicks are very tiny and feed them with a reasonably blunt toothpick, placing a pea of ​​the mixture on its blunt end, the size of a millet grain. You need to place the "seed" in the back of the beak to cause a swallowing reflex and wait for complete swallowing. Take your time, feed all the following chicks, and only then return to feeding the first with the next portion. In the first three days, from one (for the first time!) To three servings each time interval will suffice. By the third day, this portion becomes already 3-5 "grains".

Feeding zebra finches chicks with toothpicks

Feeding zebra finches chicks with toothpicks

Feeding zebra finches chicks with toothpicks

Feeding zebra finches chicks with toothpicks

Feeding zebra finches chicks with toothpicks

Feeding zebra finches chicks with toothpicks

Chicks grow and change quite quickly, the portion increases.
You can also feed from special pipettes, which is safer, because. piston pressure is difficult to adjust, especially in the absence of experience.

pipette for manual feeding

Feeding Japanese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica) chicks with a pipette.

Japanese finches chicks_Lonchura striata var. domestica _ in the nest

Japanese finches chick_Lonchura striata var. domestica

Japanese finches chick_feeding_Lonchura striata var. domestica

Japanese finches chicks_Lonchura striata var. domestica _ with full stomachs

Japanese finches chicks_Lonchura striata var. domestica _ with full stomachs

Japanese finches chicks_ Lonchura striata var. domestica_ with stuffed stomachs in the nest

With artificial feeding, it is possible aerophagitis- the appearance of a small amount of air in the stomach. This is normal, not dangerous for the chick.
Let me remind you again that formula for artificial feeding is prepared only for one feeding. All excess is washed out, feeding utensils are washed in hot water and dried.
The chicks grow up and you can switch to feeding from a special syringe with a long tip, which allows you to correctly deliver the mixture deep into the beak.

syringe for manual feeding

Feeding with this instrument reduces the risk of aspiration. The tip must be placed on top of the chick's tongue and wait for the end of swallowing each time!
With any type of feeding, keep an eye on the filling of the chick's crop. The goiter is clearly visible on the bare neck, when it is filled, a yellow ball will be visible.
Do not overdo it, because an overflowing goiter will not benefit the chick.
Each subsequent feeding should be carried out as soon as the chick's crop is empty, so as not to cause stagnation and fermentation of food residues from the chick's crop, as this will be fatal for him.

The feeding regimen was given in the forum:

From 1 to 3 days: 30 minutes-hour; night feedings no more than 3 hours later; by the third day, the norm is 3-5 "grains" in feeding "
. from 4 to 7 days: an hour - an hour and a half; norm 6-8 "grains" in feeding
. from 8 to 15 days: 1.5 hours to - 2.5 hours; night interval no more than 4 hours; the rate depends on the type
. 16-30 days: every 2-4 hours
. 30th day and older: as needed; do not feed at night

End of artificial feeding

Chicks raised on artificial feeding need the care of a foster parent - a person longer, therefore, until they are completely independent, you need to offer them at least 3 feedings a day! And of course, if the chick asks you for food.
By day 20, the chicks have already been moved to a small cage. The mode of temperature and humidity, nevertheless, is subject to control even now.
In the cage, you need to place a drinker, a feeder with a grain mixture, a feeder with enriched mineral water, daily you need to offer sprouts for 2 hours, a homemade mash, industrial egg food can also be offered to chicks gaining independence as a variety and, of course, ears of red or yellow chumiza, ears piza, separate feeders with piza, as it peels gently and the chicks take it willingly, and feeders with mogar and canary grass.
With such a varied diet, the chicks will certainly show attempts at independence.
The duration of artificial feeding is 1.5 - 2 months in total.
It is very likely that the chicks, having become imprints, will shout “Give-give!” to you for a long time.
Be especially attentive to feeding at night, do not refuse! The day of complete rejection of your help will surely come! Then don't worry!

Having found a small chick on the street, most people immediately ask themselves the question: is it possible to feed a sparrow chick at home? Indeed, the main food for adults is the seeds of plants that chicks cannot yet consume due to their age. When kept at home, their main diet should be invertebrates or special feed mixtures, which will need to be prepared by oneself. From this article you will learn how to feed a sparrow chick found on the street, what kind of care a bird needs, and why you should not pick it up once again.

Basic data

Sparrow has been a permanent companion of man since ancient times. Despite the fact that earlier sparrows lived only in Africa, later they settled in almost all countries, even mastering Siberia and the tundra. Thanks to the settlers, this sparrow was even brought to America in 1850 and has firmly settled there since that time.

The sparrow belongs to the order Passeriformes, which includes about five thousand different birds. On average, the weight of an adult bird is about 30 grams.

The sparrow got its name due to the habit of flying to farmers' fields. People, chasing them away, shouted: “Beat the thief!”, later remaking this cry into the name of the bird.

Sparrow chick fell out of the nest - what to do?

If you find a chick on the street, you should first find out what class of birds it belongs to. In addition, even if you are sure that this is a sparrow, it will not be superfluous to find out from the veterinarian how to get a sparrow chick in an apartment setting. Before you take him into your home, make sure that his life is in immediate danger, because young birds quite often die in captivity. If you are sure that his life is not in immediate danger, it is better to leave the chick where you saw it.

In the event that the chick you found is already fully fledged, then this is a fledgling that is just learning to fly. If there are no feathers, then he is not yet supposed to be on the ground, so it would be best to inspect the surrounding bushes and put the baby in the nest.

Knowing how to feed little chick sparrow, within a short time you will be able, with a certain amount of effort, to grow a healthy, beautiful bird from a fragile baby that will delight you with a cheerful chirp.

Habitat

With the exception of some varieties, sparrows are sedentary. An example is the white-headed sparrow, which goes to winter in warm countries. If you find a flying sparrow on the street, be sure to consider the difficulties you will encounter. You need to know not only how to hatch a sparrow chick, but also how to adapt it to adult life in its natural environment.

When taking home a fragile baby, keep in mind that the more often you touch him, the greater your influence on him will be, therefore, over time, he will perceive you as a parent and will completely cease to be afraid of people, which in natural conditions can significantly complicate his life. Take the chick in your arms only if you firmly decide to keep it for yourself.

Nesting features

In most cases, sparrows nest in pairs, trying not to create colonies. They live in close proximity to human habitation. Most often they arrange nests in the crevices of buildings, among branches, in the nests of large birds that do not notice small sparrows and in hollows of trees. In addition, they can occupy the nests of other birds, such as swallows.

In the southern regions, they often build nests openly, placing them in bushes, on steep ravines, in close proximity to grain fields.

The nest, in whose construction both parents participate, is a sloppy structure of dry grass and feathers. Birds try to make a small depression in the middle part of it.

In late autumn, strengthened chicks, together with adults, renew the nest with new branches, due to which it provides proper protection from wind and snow in the cold season.

reproduction

Sparrows are monogamous by nature. Looking for a mate, they remain faithful to their partner for at least the entire season, and sometimes throughout their lives. The female carries out the first laying already at the end of April. The clutch consists of five to seven eggs, incubation of which lasts up to two weeks. Both parents participate in the feeding process, catching a large number of various insects during the day. With good nutrition and climatic conditions, chicks are able to fly out of the nest within a few weeks after birth.

Appearance

Sparrows are small birds with a strong build and a moderately long, strong beak. The wings are short and wide. At the end of a small tail there is a small notch. The color of the upper feathers is brown-brown, and the belly is light. In addition, individuals have well-developed sexual dimorphism, due to which it is quite easy to distinguish a male from a female.

The male has a fairly large dark spot on the chin, which smoothly passes to the rest of the body. The female, unlike the male, has a dark brown head, while the male has a gray one. In addition, the male looks much more colorful than the female, and his plumage is much brighter.

On the back, painted brown, there are many longitudinal stripes. Similar stripes can be seen around the eyes. The area above the tail is gray-brown. The feathers on the wings have a light orange border, while the covert feathers are white. The color of the beak and legs is dark.

Caring for fledglings

If you decide to take the baby home, you should know how to feed the yellowmouth sparrow chick, because he has not yet learned to open his beak when food approaches him.

Keep in mind that you need to feed such a baby, if possible, without touching him with your hands. Food should be brought with tweezers, carefully opening its beak. As the chick grows, he will begin to open it himself at the right time, perfectly understanding the purpose of the tweezers.

Ant eggs or small insects are ideal food for newborn sparrows. If the chick is not yet fledged, mealworms will be rude to him, and earthworms can be infected with helminths.

The most common types

In the CIS territories, 16 species of sparrows are most often found, which, due to their mass distribution almost all over the world, are not protected by law, as a result of which there are no prohibitions on keeping them as pets. Along the roadsides of city paths, the seeds of bird buckwheat and most other herbs are willingly eaten.

Despite the undeniable benefits that they bring to mankind by eating a large number of insects, they are still partially pests, because, arriving at the grain fields, they significantly reduce the harvest, pecking out the ripening grains from the ears, which are digested in their body for 3-4 hours. During the ripening period of various fruits, sparrows peck at the ripest fruits, as a result of which they quickly wither and dry out.

When taking a baby to you, you must know how to feed a sparrow chick, because if you give him large caterpillars and mealy worms, he simply will not be able to swallow them due to his age. Even adults in the wild do not eat them whole. The caught caterpillar warms up until the sparrow manages to peck out its insides.

Features of care

Knowing how to feed a sparrow chick at home, within a month of careful care, you will grow a beautiful strong bird out of it.

Bringing the baby home, first of all, place him in a box and put a heating pad next to him, which should first be wrapped in a towel. Whatever you do, move the bird as carefully as possible and keep the temperature around the baby within 30 degrees. Carefully observe the growth of the chick. A healthy individual should gain weight daily.

What you need to know when taking a chick home

Even knowing how to hatch a sparrow chick, you should not forget about your health, because chicks can be carriers of various infectious diseases. Always be hygienic when handling your pet. Thoroughly disinfect your hands, and also clean the nest from its waste products.

You should not accustom the bird to touch, try to distance yourself from it as much as possible - this will help feed the sparrow chick at home and easily release it in the future. wildlife. Keep in mind that you must create the most comfortable, calm conditions for him. A strong fright in a bird can lead to irreversible consequences, including death.

Complete Diet

As soon as the baby enters the apartment, a completely natural question arises: Having equipped it in housing, purchase it in veterinary pharmacy special food for chicks. In the event that the chick is still fledgling, ant eggs and special mixtures of cottage cheese and grated carrots, which you need to cook with your own hands, will be the best food.

Keep in mind that carrots must be present in the diet of the bird, because due to the high content of vitamins it helps to strengthen its still fragile immunity. As soon as the sparrow grows up, add as many insects as possible to his food.

If the chick has not yet begun to form its own feathers, it must be fed at least once every hour. Grown up individuals can be fed every few hours. Focus on your pet's behavior. As soon as he gets hungry, he will begin to squeak, invitingly opening his beak.

How to water a chick

Even knowing how to feed a sparrow chick, do not forget to water it in a timely manner. It is best to use a pipette for this, with which you need to pour a few drops of water into his beak after each share of food.

It is enough to apply the pipette only lightly to the beak, without trying to open it. Drink only water. At the same time, keep in mind that small chicks do not know how to drink from a bowl on their own and can choke.

Most people forget that the chicks they find are wild animals. For a wild bird, it is best to leave it in nature, especially if it is prohibited to keep wild birds at home in your place of residence. However, if there is a need to pick up a bird and feed it, then this article will provide you useful information for caring for her.

Steps

Part 1

Determining if a chick needs help

Put on gloves. If you will touch the bird, wear gloves. They will protect you from unwanted contact with the bird. Even a small chick may try to pinch you with its beak.

Check out the bird's feathers. If the chick has feathers, then it is a fledgling. If there are no feathers, then the chick is still quite a baby.

Leave the fledgling alone. Fledglings have good reasons to be out of the nest. Since they are fully feathered, they are most likely learning to fly. They shouldn't be in the nest. Parents will continue to feed them on the ground.

Return the little chick to the nest. Fledgling chicks need more help. If you find such a chick, you can try to return it to the nest, which should be somewhere nearby. If you can't find the nest, try asking for help.

Check out other chicks. If you find a nest in which the rest of the chicks are dead, you can confidently conclude that the nest has been abandoned, in which case you will have to take care of the surviving chick (or chicks) yourself.

If you are unsure of the age of the chick, do a finger perching test. If you can't figure out if the chick is a fledgling or if it's still small, try putting it on your finger. If the chick confidently grabs your finger, then most likely it is a fledgling.

Keep an eye on the nest. If you are afraid to leave the chick alone in the nest, you can check if the parents will return by watching the nest for a couple of hours. However, remember to keep a safe distance, as if you are too close, the parents may be afraid to return.

Create a makeshift nest. A real bird nest could have been destroyed by a thunderstorm, a predator, or humans. If you can't find a chick's nest, build one yourself. To do this, you can take a small plastic container. Line it with something soft, such as a washcloth, small towel, or blanket.

Wash your hands. Always wash your hands after contact with a bird. Birds can carry diseases, so it's best to wash your hands thoroughly after you've finished interacting with them.

Pay attention to the injuries of the chick. If the bird has difficulty flapping its wings, then most likely it is injured. Also, if the bird is trembling, it may indicate that she has problems. The presence of an injury in a bird also serves as a basis for seeking professional help.

Don't try to get the chick out on your own. In some countries it is illegal to keep wild birds at home. You may need special permission from local and state authorities to do this.

Contact a wildlife rehabilitation center. In rehabilitation centers, workers have sufficient professional knowledge and chick care skills. You can check the availability of such rehabilitation centers in your area by searching the Internet, or you can try calling the veterinarian or animal shelter, as they may know the contact details of the nearest rehabilitation center.

• Ask for advice on how to feed, water and keep the chick warm. Take your time, be patient when asking questions, and also ask for additional advice by asking the following: "Is there anything else I should know (or be wary of)?"

Part 3

Identification of the species of the chick and its feeding

1. Understand the possible risks. Remember that leaving a bird with you, you can violate the law. In addition, you most likely do not have enough experience to properly feed the chick, so you may die. In addition, caring for a chick is not an easy task, as the chick needs to be fed every 20 minutes or so. Finally, you don't have the special equipment to teach a chick what a parent can teach it, such as how to hunt or beware of predators.

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

   • The success of the identification will depend on being able to look at the chick's parents. However, if the parents are nearby, then you should let them take care of the chick. They have strong innate instincts for caring for offspring and are much better suited for this.

2. Determine the type of bird food. What the chick eats will depend on what its parents eat. For example, finches are granivorous, 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 omnivorous, and parents feed their chicks mainly with insects. This means that the diet of such birds is rich in animal protein, as is cat or dog food.

   Feed grain-eating birds with a special grain mixture for feeding chicks. If the chick you find is an exclusively grain-eating bird, purchase a grain mix for feeding chicks for him at the pet store. Usually in pet stores you can find a mixture for feeding chicks of large parrots.

   Feed the chick until he is full. A hungry chick will eat actively. If he is not particularly active, then he is probably already full.

   Don't give your chick water. If the food is sufficiently soaked, then the chick does not need additional water, at least until it has fledged. Giving a chick water can do more harm than good, as the chick can inhale it and die.

Noticing that the sparrow chick has fallen out of the nest, do not rush to drag it home. Assess the situation. A newborn will have to be monitored a lot: if there is no time, do not take on overwork. It should be fed often, and, most importantly, correctly. There is no possibility - give up the idea. Intervention would be a disservice if the bird accidentally fell from a tree while following its parents. See if they're looking for a baby. If you decide to help the baby, read how to do it right.

Sometimes the chicks fall out of the nests. To understand how to save a sparrow baby, you need to determine the cause. If you find a baby on the ground, look around.

The sparrows themselves will not throw the chick out of the nest. But other birds, swifts, starlings, can win back their homes, getting rid of the "enemy" offspring. In this case, try to drive away the fighters and help the baby.

If the sparrow chick fell out of the nest by accident, return it back. Sometimes babies instinctively reach for their parents, falling from trees. If everything is in order with the "bird house", the parents are in place, then the tragedy will not happen.

Don't worry about whether or not to pick up the baby and carry it to the nest. Sparrows do not smell, so they will not abandon the brood due to human interference.

Natural disasters can also destroy the nest: a hurricane, a thunderstorm. In this case, you can help the birds by restoring the home. Bring the little ones back to the renovated home and watch them. If the parents respond to the call of the cubs, the rescue mission is over. If this does not happen, you will have to feed the young.

Sparrow chicks grow up to an independent age of 2-3 weeks. That's how long it takes for the cubs to come out.

Sparrow classification

Newborn sparrow chicks are newly hatched, not covered with feathers, very small birds. It is hardly possible to provide them with food, since they will have to be fed often: once every 2-3 hours. The best decision- find an abandoned nest.

Yellowmouths are juvenile chicks that have acquired feathers. Despite the fact that sparrows look mature, they are not capable of self-feeding. At this age, babies often fall out due to negligence. It is possible to leave the bird, but you will have to feed it regularly, and this is the time.

Fledglings are called already quite matured, capable of self-feeding birds. Having found such a bird, do not touch it: let it learn to fly and get food. The only possible help in this situation is to plant them on a hill (to protect them from land-based predators).

This is important: water and food for the new tenant

Having picked up a sparrow, it is important to understand how to water the chick and what to feed. To give the baby a drink, it is better to use a pipette. Fill it with water and bring the tip to the beak. Do not put pressure on the "mouth", trying to open.

Newborn birds cannot drink on their own from a bowl - this must be remembered. If you put a container of water and leave, the sparrows will choke.

If you often pick up birds for treatment, then there will definitely be something in the house to feed the injured sparrow. Another thing is if the case is isolated. Before you rush to the pet store or prepare complex formulas, feed your baby something that is in the refrigerator. Suitable lean meat, minced meat, eggs (boiled), cottage cheese, fish.

First steps in nursing

What needs to be done immediately after picking up a chick is to ensure comfort. Nesting equipment is a top priority. Use a lint-free cloth, rolling it up so that it slopes.

Feeding fledglings from the first day requires a routine. It is important to observe a certain time between meals: 15-20 minutes for newborns and 2-3 hours for yellowmouths.

Below we will tell you how and what to feed a sparrow chick in order to grow it at home. Let's turn to nature. Give them:

• flour worms;
• larvae;
• small insects.

Human food will work too.

• cottage cheese;
• eggs;
• meat;
• fish.

The main thing is to feed the babies in a timely manner so that their own resources are not burned: sparrows have a fast metabolism. Read on to find out how to care for chicks and make the right diet.

Formula formula

What chicks eat with pleasure are insects. But feeding feathered birds and fledglings can be simplified by preparing a special mixture. The recipe is:

• three medium carrots and squeeze the juice;
• chop the egg (pre-cook);
• cut meat (veal / beef / chicken) and split into fibers;
• greens (lettuce / wood lice / dandelion) chop;
• add 10 g of cottage cheese (pre-squeeze);
• 2 tbsp. spoons of boiled millet (avoid salt or oil);
• a teaspoon of fish food (dry mix);
• pour calcium glycerophosphate powder (1 tablet per liter);
• put a teaspoon of crushed eggshells.

Mix the resulting feed until smooth. It shouldn't stick to your hands. Give to kids in portions, rolling up small balls, the size of a cherry stone. When we prepare the mixture for feeding the chick, we get a large supply. Food can be stored frozen.

How to feed a sparrow chick, we told. But do not forget that the birds should be watered: a few drops of water per feed ball.

Calcium: dosage calculation and sources

Calcium for sparrow chicks, as for all birds, is necessary to prevent the development of rickets. The mixture above includes the required amount of nutrients. Using it, you can not worry about the health of the kids.

Features of feeding a sparrow at home allow you to monitor the vitamins received. To calculate the need for calcium in a chick, it is enough to determine 2% of its mass. But remember that it is possible to overdo it with the additive, so it is better to play it safe and add more.

A bird can get calcium from chalk, edible clay or boiled egg shells. They are added in powder form. For a standard daily dose, take half a teaspoon - if there is no desire to make calculations.

Primary knowledge: what and how

Let's talk about how to hatch a sparrow chick, and what to use for feeding. Newborn birds are fed from a syringe with a catheter - this is more convenient.

It is forbidden to take a catheter for feeding grown sparrows, because of the danger to life: the birds can swallow the needle. The process of feeding a chick with a brush is less convenient: due to soiling of feathers. But for neat people, the technique is ideal, since a soft pile will not harm.

The sequence of feeding sparrow chicks is an important point. Don't give them all at once. Dose food for better absorption. One "dose" is 2/3 of the volume of the head. If the kids keep begging for treats, ignore it. Overfeeding is just as bad as undereating.

The importance of the intermediate stage

When caring for a sparrow, do not miss the moment of stopping feeding and transferring the chick to self-feeding. Remember that a baby's desire for independence does not indicate that it is necessary to reduce feeding.

In the natural environment, parents feed the chicks even when the kids learn to fly and get food. Do not miss this crucial moment. Make the sparrow chase you to get the desired food.

You can understand that the chick is ready for independence by weight. The norm is 20-27 g. The sparrow is completely covered with feathers, the tail is long, the beak loses its yellowness. Mature birds bite painfully.

When the sparrow chick grows up, the frequency of feeding is gradually reduced. Some birds switch to self-feeding quickly, for others the process is delayed - this is not scary. If your baby refuses to eat, don't worry. This is a normal process until their weight drops below 21g.

Painless weaning

A man-fed sparrow chick can be released into nature. The main thing to consider is how to properly conduct the process. Remember: if you are not going to leave the selected bird, start preparing for the "weaning" in advance.

If you are going to release a sparrow into nature, do not treat the bird like a pet. Don't spend more time with your baby than necessary. Don't play, don't caress. When feeding, it is better to wear something bright to divert attention "from yourself" and minimize addiction.

When the chick grows up, do not play with him. Do not accustom the baby "to the hands." If you do not give the bird a lot of time, the growing sparrow will quickly learn to be frightened of a person.

It is impossible to release a sparrow without preliminary preparation. Before the bird settles in nature, it is kept in an aviary. The street corral helps to adapt. Teach your chick to "local" food.

Before releasing a sparrow to freedom, make sure that the chick is healthy. Look at the weather forecast. On the day of "absentee" there should be no rain or strong wind. It is better that in the next few days the hydrometeorological center does not report on impending bad weather.

Discuss your concerns in the comments to the article.

Tips for those in whose hands the chick fell

This text is addressed to those in whose hands one way or another the chick of a wild bird fell. Of course, we assume that none of you would purposely take a chick out of the nest. But, despite numerous publications on the topic in popular sources, every year people come here with the same, in principle, questions: “We picked up a chick, and now what to do with it”? In ninety-eight cases out of a hundred, the most correct thing you could do when you see a chick on the road is to move away and not touch it in any way.
If the chick is small and screams loudly, this does not mean that his parents abandoned him. They must be around somewhere. In passerines, for example, chicks leave the nest when they are only two weeks old. They do not yet know how to fly and are unable to fly long distances. The same nightingale builds a nest on the ground, and therefore the chicks, having left the nest, for at least two weeks run quite quickly on the grass “on foot”. You can help the chick, which sits dangerously close to people, cats, dogs and cars, by gently moving it to the branches of trees or shrubs nearby. His parents will definitely find him. You can try to return the chick of a swallow or a swift to the roof, closer to the nest of the intended parents.
However, there are situations from which there is no way out, except to take the chick into your care. Let's say a well-wisher picked it up a long time ago and now asks you for help, because he can't cope on his own. Or the parents of the chicks, who now have no one to feed, died. Or you, with all your desire, cannot return the chick within the reach of its parents (swifts, swallows).
So, you have a problem. You brought a chick home, but do not know where to keep it and what to feed it. Perhaps the chick is chirping loudly and not taking food from your hands. When you, having suffered, get tired and want to return the chick to nature, then you will doom the chick to certain death. A human-fed bird will not survive in the wild. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that, with very few exceptions, you must provide food and shelter for the bird for its entire bird life. All daylight hours, you will have to regularly not only give the chick food, but feed it until it is full. Determining that the chick is full is very simple - it stops opening its mouth, begging for food.
Attention! Birds are very high level metabolism. A starving chick literally burns internal resources. It is enough to leave him without food for 3-6 hours (during daylight hours), the chick will die in a day or two due to metabolic disorders. Having eaten, the chick begins to back away, puts its tail over the edge of the nest and defecates. In nature, one of the parents picks up the excremental "capsule" and takes it away from the nest so as not to unmask it. The quality of the "capsule" can be an indicator of the correct interval between feedings. If you feed the chick too often, the "capsule" does not form a protein shell, and the droppings spread.
How and what to feed.
Most songbirds (this is a generally accepted ornithological term, this includes almost all small birds, with the exception of predators, plankton-eating birds and waterfowl. Accordingly, sparrows, nightingales, tits, larks and even corvids get here) feeds chicks with insects. This means that the food should be the same as for an adult insectivorous bird. It should include: ant cocoons (usually called eggs), flour worms, fly larvae, egg, cottage cheese and carrots, as well as vitamin and mineral supplements. Chicks can be raised only on live ant cocoons, but it will not work on just one chicken egg or any other substitute.
For feeding fledglings of passerine birds, a nutrient mixture is used. Boiled chicken egg rubbed on a grater. Boiled chicken or beef meat is minced with a knife. Greens are also chopped, for example, lettuce, wood lice, dandelion leaves (but by no means spicy herbs!). Carrots are rubbed on a fine grater and the juice is slightly squeezed out of it (“wet” carrots can cause diarrhea in the chick). Instead of an egg, you can add cottage cheese, but low-fat and non-acidic. If the cottage cheese is sour, it must be scalded with boiling water. All ingredients are mixed. Minerals are added to the mixture (calcium glycerophosphate, phytin), multivitamins (a little, an overdose is dangerous!) And grated white crackers. The mixture is made for one day and stored in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer. From the mixture, balls are made that are convenient for feeding - the size of a match head.
It is convenient to give food with tweezers. It should be ensured that from the very first feeding the chick itself opens its mouth. To do this, bringing the tweezers, slightly shake the "nest", simulating the arrival of the parent-breadwinner. Or they touch with tweezers the plumage of the head, the edges of the beak. Sometimes a light click on the beak helps. The younger the chick, the easier it is to develop a begging reaction to the approaching tweezers, since with age, a hiding reaction occurs to unfamiliar objects, and then flight. If it is not possible to force the chick to open its beak by any means, then the first feeding is done by force, opening the beak with your fingers (it is better to do this for a woman who has semi-long nails - you can carefully pick up the upper half of the chick's beak with the edge of the nail. Then you need to take a crumb of food directly on your finger, and how to “wipe” it on the lower half of the chick’s beak from the inside - author). However, you should continue to try to accustom the chick to tweezing. Then, at the age of 15 - 17 days, you need to start accustoming the chick to independent food intake. To do this, a little food is scattered on the floor of the cage. After the chick begins to peck off the floor, the food is placed in the feeder. However, feeding with tweezers is continued until the chick learns to eat its fill itself. From now on, he is placed in a larger cage in which he can run and fly.
Don't forget to water the chick. The easiest way to do this is with a pipette. After each ball of food - 1-2 drops from a pipette. It is enough to put a pipette to the tip of the beak without opening it. You should drink only water, you can boil it.
Since the chick needs to be fed very often, you need to either constantly be with him, or carry him with you. As long as he is small and does not run away, you can put him in a small box.
When the chick grows up, it is necessary, based on whether it is a granivorous bird or an insectivorous one, to adjust its diet.
It is impossible to feed a granivorous bird with only one type of seed. When kept in captivity, the basis of the nutrition of domestic granivorous birds is a grain mixture consisting of canary seeds (“canary seed“), flaxseed and millet (it is better to use light) - approximately in equal proportions.
Oat groats - whole, unflattened - are readily eaten by most granivorous.
Lettuce seeds - preferably light, perfectly eaten by all birds. Good, harmless food.
Spruce and pine seeds are one of the best food for all forest birds of our fauna. Especially desirable for schurs, crossbills, siskins. Unlike sunflower seeds, they do not cause obesity and metabolic disorders.
Hemp is a common and favorite food for birds, but it can "spoil" the bird. She will stop eating other food, and her metabolism may be disturbed.
Sunflower is a high-calorie oily food. It can be given to birds without harmful effects in larger quantities than cannabis. Crushed sunflower along with the shell is an excellent addition to the surrogate mixture for insectivorous birds.
Dandelion seeds are loved by all granivorous birds.
Plantain seeds are eaten by all granivorous, larks and some insectivorous birds. Collection is manual.
Seeds of meadow grasses, mainly cereals, are perfectly eaten by all granivorous.
Green fodder is a source of vitamins and minerals. Young shoots of spruce, larch, hardwoods, greens of cereals, legumes, wood lice, yarrow, dandelion, lettuce, spinach and even tradescantia are given as green fodder.
Their root crops use mostly carrots. Pieces and grated carrots are readily eaten by almost all birds.
Berry food and fruits are nutritious, contain many vitamins and microelements.
For insectivorous birds, as for all nestlings, the mixture already described should form the basis of nutrition. In addition to it, meat, chicken, cottage cheese and even cheese are given, as well as live food and gammarus.
Home furnishing.
If you had to bring up a fledgling chick at the age of 4 - 5 days, then for the first two - three days it will need to be heated. It can be arranged from a heating pad or filled with warm water in a flat bottle. Starting from 8 - 12 days of age, the chicks have a desire to leave the "nest", and from that time it will have to be placed in a small cell. No matter where your chick lives, he needs warm, dry bedding. For this purpose, you can take dry soft grass or moss. (You can use paper napkins torn into quarters - ed.) Cotton can not be used - the chick can get tangled in it or swallow.
Songbirds are extremely voracious creatures for their size, so a feeder with food should always be in their room. It should be remembered that free-born birds require much more spacious “apartments” than those accustomed to cages for many generations. A fairly universal principle for determining a sufficient cage size is that the distance between the perches located at opposite ends of the room should be such that the bird cannot jump from one to the other without using its wings.