|
First of all, handfeeding should always
be left to the experts. A novice should never attempt
handfeeding a baby bird without the expert advice and
guidance of someone who is experienced in hand-rearing
baby birds.
The problem is that sometimes, even when you don't plan
on handfeeding, unpreventable circumstances can occur
and so the novice owner must handfeed the baby in order
for it to survive. If this happens, my first bit of
advice would be to try to find someone local who does
know about handfeeding and who can guide you in the
proper way to administer food to a baby bird.
There are a number of things which can go wrong with
handfeeding and there are way s of preventing these
things from occurring, so my advice this month is how
to prevent or avoid some of these things from happening
when you are a handfeeder.
|
Sour Crop:
Sour Crop gets its name because of the smell that
often accompanies the hardening of food in the
crop of a baby bird. It is characterized by a
hard blob of food in the crop which doesn't disappear
and is not absorbed into the bird's system with
time. Often, a sour smell can be present. There
are ways to avoid this from happening.
Don't feed thick food to the bird. You can feed
food which is mobile, meaning it will pour out
of a teaspoon if the spoon is turned sideways.
Don't feed food that has sat at all. Fill the
cup up with food and then feed it to the bird
as soon as possible. Letting food sit more than
15 minutes can cause it to sour, and is one of
the major causes of Sour Crop.
Don't feed old food to the bird. If your food
has expired or if it smells "funny",
do not feed it to your bird.
Do not feed cold or cool food to a baby bird.
The food should be warm.
Do not overfeed. Overfeeding is a major cause
of this. You should always wait until the crop
has emptied entirely before the next feeding of
a baby bird. Feeding when there is still food
in a crop can cause Sour Crop.
|
 |
|
acrylic
bird cages
|
Crop Infections:
Crop infections can stem from bacterias which form in
the crop. These can be birthed into the baby from its
parents or they can be formed from feeding bad baby
food to it. Feeding old food or food which is not sterile
can cause Ecolli, and other harmful bacterias to form
in a crop. Always feed food which is not stale.Do not
lick the syringe, and do not feed out of anything that
has been in your mouth. Your mouth contains some really
gross bacteria.
Crop Burn:
Burning a bird's crop isn't hard to do. If you use a
microwave to sterilize your water prior to use, you
could overheat the water and then feed it to a baby
bird without knowing how hot it is, causing a burn which
goes from the inside of the crop to the outside of the
crop.
Prevention is simple. Don't overheat the water. Test
it on yourself before you feed it to a baby bird. Crop
Burn can be agonizing and can lead to death . It is
a horrible way to go. Use a thermometer or just take
the time to test the water before feeding and you shouldn't
have to deal with this.
Aspiration:
Aspiration can occur very easily. This is the one
most common cause of baby bird death caused by human
handfeeders.
Don't overfeed the bird. If the crop is semi-firm, it
is firm enough. There is NO need to overstuff a baby
bird. This can cause the food to expel into the throat,
causing the bird to suffocate on its own food.
Don't feed food fast. Let the bird swallow it at its
own pace. Don't hurry. Take your time. Choking is a
horrible way to die and sometimes it takes hours.
The Do's:
Feed the bird on a schedule. You are less likely
to forget a feeding if the times are scheduled, IE:
6:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m..
Hold and pet the baby bird while feeding and take time
to touch it all over. This will rear you a tamer bird.
Throwing it in and just letting it sit there alone is
not going to help it bond to humans.
Talk to it while you feed it. They rely on the voice
and this helps them feel better.
Check the baby frequently. Checking on it frequently
lets it take assurance in its human mother that it is
wanted and loved.
Put a friend in the brooder with it. I give mine a stuffed
animal resembling a parrot and they are very comfortable
with this stuffed bird friend.
|