Hand rearing
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- Pip
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Hand rearing
hi have been away for a while. I am hand rearing a heck's finch chick.
it is about 10 days old. I am using exact formula. lt seems to go through it very quick and its crop is empty within half an hour. appreciate any advice.
Dek
it is about 10 days old. I am using exact formula. lt seems to go through it very quick and its crop is empty within half an hour. appreciate any advice.
Dek
Dek
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Re: Hand rearing
Dek
Welcome back!
Thicken up the formula and it will digest it slower. We have good hand feeding tutorials in the "Stickies" section of the forum.
Be sure to feed the chick inside the brooder so it's crop stays warm at all times. ;)
Let us know how it goes.
Welcome back!
Thicken up the formula and it will digest it slower. We have good hand feeding tutorials in the "Stickies" section of the forum.
Be sure to feed the chick inside the brooder so it's crop stays warm at all times. ;)
Let us know how it goes.
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- Pip
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- Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2017 4:16 am
- Location: Handforth Wilmslow Cheshire UK
Re: Hand rearing
All
All going great thanks. Very vocal and real pleasure to rear.
Dek
Hi PamBabs wrote: Dek
Welcome back!
Thicken up the formula and it will digest it slower. We have good hand feeding tutorials in the "Stickies" section of the forum.
Be sure to feed the chick inside the brooder so it's crop stays warm at all times. ;)
Let us know how it goes.
All going great thanks. Very vocal and real pleasure to rear.
Dek
Dek
- Fraza
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Re: Hand rearing
Hope it ends up tame with u 

FINCHES I HAVE
Bengalese
zebras
Java sparrows
Silver bills
java x beng hybrid
PETS IVE HAD
dogs
Fish
Cocktiel
Doves
Hybrid cherry x Bengalese
Stars
Heck’s
Canary’s
My favourite is COCO my grey pearl society cock been here since the start my flock leader
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fraser% ... de101&sm=3
Bengalese
zebras
Java sparrows
Silver bills
java x beng hybrid
PETS IVE HAD
dogs
Fish
Cocktiel
Doves
Hybrid cherry x Bengalese
Stars
Heck’s
Canary’s
My favourite is COCO my grey pearl society cock been here since the start my flock leader
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fraser% ... de101&sm=3
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- Pip
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2017 4:16 am
- Location: Handforth Wilmslow Cheshire UK
Re: Hand rearing
Hi re the chick I have hand reared it is about 4 weeks old now. At what age would you stop feeding the chick formula.
Dek
Dek
Dek
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Re: Hand rearing
The chick is very tame Fraza and at this moment is invertigating my keyboard. She/he loves to snuggle in the cup of my hand and go sleep.
Dek
- cindy
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Re: Hand rearing
Love shaft tails... I have raised them though out the years. Love their sounds!! The thickness of the formula should be like a pudding consistency, if too watery it will pass through the crop too fast. Soon you can start offering some millet, dried egg food, seed to nibble on. Sounds like he is really bonded to you!
Good luck with him!!
Good luck with him!!
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- lovezebs
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Re: Hand rearing
Dek
What a darling baby!
Looks like you've done a a wonderful job with him.
Shaft-tails, will usually wean at around 6 weeks of age, so I would start introducing him to soft foods slowly, like crumbled hard boiled egg, spray millet, bits of cucumber, etc.
Good luck, he is adorable.
What a darling baby!

Looks like you've done a a wonderful job with him.
Shaft-tails, will usually wean at around 6 weeks of age, so I would start introducing him to soft foods slowly, like crumbled hard boiled egg, spray millet, bits of cucumber, etc.
Good luck, he is adorable.
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- Fraza
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Re: Hand rearing
Dek he looks amazing h
FINCHES I HAVE
Bengalese
zebras
Java sparrows
Silver bills
java x beng hybrid
PETS IVE HAD
dogs
Fish
Cocktiel
Doves
Hybrid cherry x Bengalese
Stars
Heck’s
Canary’s
My favourite is COCO my grey pearl society cock been here since the start my flock leader
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fraser% ... de101&sm=3
Bengalese
zebras
Java sparrows
Silver bills
java x beng hybrid
PETS IVE HAD
dogs
Fish
Cocktiel
Doves
Hybrid cherry x Bengalese
Stars
Heck’s
Canary’s
My favourite is COCO my grey pearl society cock been here since the start my flock leader
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fraser% ... de101&sm=3
- Sally
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Re: Hand rearing
What a cutie! As others have said, I would start offering some egg food, spray millet, and chopped veggies such as greens. He will start to experiment, but I find that hand-reared babies may tend to take longer to wean than parent-raised. Perhaps that is because we are such softies that we can't ignore their begging, while the parents will force them to wean! lol
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- Pip
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2017 4:16 am
- Location: Handforth Wilmslow Cheshire UK
Re: Hand rearing
Have a adult bengalese in with the chick and is quite happy until hunger calls and out she flies making a great deal of noise. Nice to chat and gain knowledge on this site. Only know of one other person on this site from the UK.
Dek
- Fraza
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Re: Hand rearing
Dek I’m from the UK GREATER MANCHESTER AUDENSHAW
FINCHES I HAVE
Bengalese
zebras
Java sparrows
Silver bills
java x beng hybrid
PETS IVE HAD
dogs
Fish
Cocktiel
Doves
Hybrid cherry x Bengalese
Stars
Heck’s
Canary’s
My favourite is COCO my grey pearl society cock been here since the start my flock leader
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fraser% ... de101&sm=3
Bengalese
zebras
Java sparrows
Silver bills
java x beng hybrid
PETS IVE HAD
dogs
Fish
Cocktiel
Doves
Hybrid cherry x Bengalese
Stars
Heck’s
Canary’s
My favourite is COCO my grey pearl society cock been here since the start my flock leader
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fraser% ... de101&sm=3
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- Pip
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2017 4:16 am
- Location: Handforth Wilmslow Cheshire UK
Re: Hand rearing
Finally weaned my little finch who is now eating soft food, soaked seed etc. we had a few tantrums but now she has got the message although just now when I got some tissue to wipe a bit of pooh she associated the tissue which I used when feeding her to feed time
I put her in my outside bird room but she was not impressed.

Dek
- Fraza
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- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2017 12:16 pm
- Location: UK
Re: Hand rearing
Dek any more pics and I’ve never seen chick heck’s but I do have to say they are so tiny and cute hahahah
FINCHES I HAVE
Bengalese
zebras
Java sparrows
Silver bills
java x beng hybrid
PETS IVE HAD
dogs
Fish
Cocktiel
Doves
Hybrid cherry x Bengalese
Stars
Heck’s
Canary’s
My favourite is COCO my grey pearl society cock been here since the start my flock leader
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fraser% ... de101&sm=3
Bengalese
zebras
Java sparrows
Silver bills
java x beng hybrid
PETS IVE HAD
dogs
Fish
Cocktiel
Doves
Hybrid cherry x Bengalese
Stars
Heck’s
Canary’s
My favourite is COCO my grey pearl society cock been here since the start my flock leader
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=fraser% ... de101&sm=3