Starving finches, how to revive

[Trecorum]

My family have just discovered a relative had passed away in his home 2 weeks ago and he had an aviary of about 40 zebra finches in his backyard. The seed supply has been exhausted and I immediately bought some finch seed and filled the feeders. However, one bird had already died.

Three others lay on the ground with their eyes closed but they are still breathing. I picked them up and placed them near the seed and they woke up but they don't seem interested in eating. I fear they're going to die very soon.

Is there anything I can do to try to save them? Could I perhaps force feed them something? It makes me feel terrible seeing them suffer and I hope there is something I can do.

[G8love4finches]

Could they be dehydrated?....I would try an electrolyte solution with a dropper on the edge of their beak so they can take a small amount at a time.....I hope you can save them!....Good luck!...Keep us posted

[DanteD716]

If you have natural cornmeal, mix it with some warm water and you coukd add some apple sauce to thicken it. Max up hard boiled eggs into a paste also, try feeding with a medicine shooter, in the mean time, put tyem in a small cage with a heat lamp.

[Chrismurdoch3]

Yeah i agree give them a warm environment and some type of high energy food source you might have to force feed them to get a little bit of energy in them, then they should get enough energy to be able to feed themselves. Also make sure their food source and water source is on the floor next to them so they can find it easily.

[cindy]

If the birds are dehydrated which I suspect they are, was there water available for them when you found them?

If not the tissues in they bodies will be dry, swallowing anything solid may be difficult. The only thing I would concentrte on is fluids, For the ones that are to weak take a dropper with pedialyte and drop the moisture into the side of their beaks.

Put dishes of water down for those that are still able to stand and move. You can hold the bird over the bowl and dip the end of it's bek into the water, it will suck the water up, the tongue is like a straw.

Once they become hydrated they will want to eat.

[Domenic]

Make sure to give them heat. I've dealt with finches near starvation and heat will usually give them enough energy to put some food or water into their system.

[Lisa]

What a sad situation all the way around.

I'm sorry for the loss of your relative

Let us know how the birds make out.

[CandoAviary]

Once starvation is at a certain point the body will start feeding off of fat reserves, then muscle. Unfortuneately the heart, liver and other organs are affected and there may be to much damage done.
Most of the time, heat, electrolytes offered in the water and spray millet, egg food and seed offered on the floor of the cage on a paper towel so that the finches can eat without exerting energy trying to perch/balance is the best you can do. You can try to feed with a crop tube if you are confortable but weak birds aspirate fairly easily.
hopeful you can save them

[Trecorum]

Thanks for the replies.

Unfortunately, the ones that were all near-death have since died. I guess the stress of me going into the cage pushed them over the edge.

The other finches seem okay, they can fly and have been eating. But they are mostly sitting on the perches with their eyes closed.

It is quite warm here today so they don't need any heating.

There was only one water source when I found them, which contained a dead finch so it was foetid. It smelled rotten. Could this have killed some of them also?

Any suggestions on what I can do with the remaining birds to ensure they recover fully?

[LuxandLolita]

I would say,fill up a bird bath with water and electrolyte solution and let the birds have at it. See if any will eat eggfood and if. They will,make a ton of boiled egg and egg food refrigerate half and give. The other half to them. Get some liquid calcium as i am sure the lady birds will need it and cuttle bone as well.
Plenty of seed nd millet as well! Best of luck!

[cindy]

Wash the water dish out well with little bleacha and rinse well let it dry and give them another clean dish full of fresh water.....poor things. Hope they will be alright. Thank goodness you found them.

Katie suggested eggfood...if you serve this only leave it out for short time, it will spoil quickly in the heat. You can also try a head of romaine, rinsed well, it will give them extra water and nurishment.

[CandoAviary]

A lamp with 40 watt bulb would help still. Without body fat...or if they have picked up bacteria from the foul water heat will help tremendously. Also they need light. they don't need to be sleeping, they need to be eating.
Spray millet will usually temp a finch to eat if you have that. Cooked rice is a great emergency food.

[Sally]

A sad situation all around, condolences to your family. I believe that birds, like us, can last longer without food than without water, and since the only water source was fouled, that may be what killed the ones that didn't make it. They have been through a huge stress, so just keeping them quiet, plenty of clean water with electrolyes, and good food may be all it takes to pull them through. They are sitting quietly, trying to conserve their energy.

[LuxandLolita]

Yes this is why i said millet,get about two bags full,poor zebbies!
Millet is quite the treat for zebbies,they love it so hopefully they will take interest in it.
Also,if you can,you might want to clean up the aviary because the dusty droppimgs cant be good for them at this stage.
I forgot it was hot,yes leave the eggfood in a shady area and only for say a half hour maybe 45mins very good and fattening and will.provide some needed calcium as well

[ac12]

careful of the electrolites
Some/most of them have sugar in them, and are good only for a few hours before it could go bad. It is just like leaving juice out of the fridge. So if you do give electrolites, change it every few hours, especially if the temp is warm.