How to Feed an Orphaned Baby Bird
When you find an orphaned baby bird, make sure it really is abandoned. Look in nearby trees and bushes for a nest. Sometimes they fall out and just need a little help getting back in. Or, if you know that the mother bird is dead, you can take on the task of trying to feed it.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Set up a day's worth of food. Orphaned baby birds that are weak need to be fed every 15 minutes or so. As they get stronger you can slowly increase the time to around every half an hour to an hour. Since you'll be feeding it so often, it would be much easier to have the day set up beforehand.
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2
Prepare the food. Canned dog food works well for protein. You need to cut the pieces small enough for the baby bird to handle. You can also soak dog or cat food in hot water. You should use sugar water for the first few days. Mix this with a hard-boiled egg yolk and baby cereal if you have any available. Other meats you can use are raw kidney or liver. Keep the food that you're going to use soon at room temperature.
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3
Let the orphaned bird know that it's time for feeding by putting a hand gently over its back and wings and holding its neck up. You can also gently tap the base of the beak. If this doesn't work, open its mouth yourself to try to coax it to feed.
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4
Feed it by hand or with tweezers. Drop a small amount of food into its mouth. Aim for its throat. Continue to feed until the orphaned baby bird stops opening its mouth for more.
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1
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Comments
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found a fledged baby bird on my door step upon coming home from work today. I made a nest for him and have seen the mother visiting him throughout the day but don't know if he was fed. going to try the cat food b/c I'm not grinding up worms lol. thx for the tips.
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mine is a really really baby bird with only little feathers. I'm feeding it grain pellets soaked in water so its mushy and I'm feeding it but I'm too scared to hold its head cause I don't want to crush the poor thing so I'm waondering how much should I feed it? and it keeps trying to spit it out :( and yeah please help me! I don't want it to die :(
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I found 3 baby blue jays infront of my nieghtbors house the nest was ripped apart on the ground I crush up snails and feed them i8 will try the cat and dog food.
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wow, first of all. They were naturally wild animals. Before we took them from there habitat. If they have a desire to go out side. So be it. There animals. not small humans
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we are trying to feed it baby food, but it wont open its beak. we just let it in the house. will it warm up in a while and start eating? it's a fledgling.
