FINCHforum

Hi, I need your help please....
My babies Zebra finch is 20 - 25 days old. I hand feed them from first day with Kaytee Exact Formula. Today formula is ended. I will get a new package in 5-6 days. ((((( We do not have Handfeed formula in my town in pet shops.

I need recipe for hanfeeding food.
3 hours ago I fed the babies. I grind the clear millet and spread in the warm water. The result was a cream like a Kaytee Formula. I gave the kids 1ml. I guess they did not like it. Birds did small poop with water. Then I give them little bit of applesauce.

I have Powdered baby food too (grain based) without milk in home. May be is it better?
I look for one recipe here - http://www.cockatielcottage.net/formula.html
* 2/3 cup of Gerber's or Beech Nut mixed grain or high protein baby food cereal,
* 1 teaspoon of peanut butter--only use a commercial, name brand , NOT organic.
* 1 teaspoon of baby food applesauce.
Will its work better than grind millet???

What u think? Help pls.

I've never had to make handfeeding formula, but you could try hardboiling an egg, then mash it (without the shell) till it is like a paste. You can add some baby cereal to it, or some baby applesauce, till it is about the same consistency as the handfeeding formula when you were feeding it. These babies have fledged, I imagine, and they will soon be sampling foods too. Do you have them in a cage now? I'd set out some small dishes of seed mix, a bit of chopped broccoli, some hulled millet if you can get it, spray millet, nestling food, very tiny bird pellets--whatever you can tempt them with, and they will start sampling the various foods. Good luck, and please keep us posted.

I agree with Sally. They need to be weaned soon, so I'd give them the smashed up eggs, maybe mixed with some seeds and veggies. Then, they can learn to eat on their own, while you try the mix with baby cereal and smashed eggs.

Thanx.
Yes, now they always have a seed mix and egg food. The older kids are starting to eat a little bit. But younger still need to eat every 4 hours.
I continue to feed them with grind millet. I hope they survive. I am very worried (((

I use to make my own forumla back before KayTee was on the market.

Baby cereal, unsweeten applesauce (limit sugars since it can cause yeast) Petamine nestling food, wheat germ, unsweeten, monkey chow biscuit (soaked to soften). Mixed with boiling water. Vitamins can be added into the mix after the water has cooled to the right degree for feeding.

Bear in mind this is before handfeeding formula, today you have other products available. You can add dried eggfood or soaked egg biscuit to the mix or crushed bird pellets soaked in hot water can also be used as handfeeding formula in a pinch. Meanwhile in between feedings they should have some of the items Sally and Deborah have suggested.