Urgent health issue with our owl fledgling

[cindy]

Well, our little Puff seems to be back in shape. Eager to eat, trying to fly into the formula mixing bowl because he is so excited, and chirping away like he is starving with all the carrying on. Things ae back to "normal" (at least for today)

We also are going to make the formula a little thicker because his crop seems to be empty after 2 hours. We fill the crop up to about what looks like 70 - 80% when viewing it from the side. We had the formula thick, but thin enough so it would still fall from a spoon when the spoon was tilted. We are thinking if it is like thick pudding, maybe he won't get as hungry so fast.

If the formula is not the right consistency for his age he will beg more because he is not getting what he needs...see if thickening it up more helps.

[Babs _Owner]

a_gouldian

Yes, I agree that would certainly help. I change the formula to pudding when pin feathers show with the first week of hatching.

Watery formula is for newborns. ;)

[Babs _Owner]

a_gouldian

This is a good chart to follow if you handfeed in the future for Kaytee.

1 days 6 parts Pedialyte 1 part formula Broth (very watery)
2 days 6 parts (water) 1 part formula Broth
3-5 days 3 parts water 1 part formula Creamy soup
5 DAYS -WEANING 2 parts water 1 part formula = Pudding

Hope that helps.

[Sally]

Babs

Thanks for that chart, I was looking for it to post it, as it is a good guideline.

[Babs _Owner]

Sally

I have it taped to my wall in the office. I cheated *giggle* I was wondering how this little guy's crops where emptying so fast.

[a_gouldian]

a_gouldian

This is a good chart to follow if you handfeed in the future for Kaytee.

1 days 6 parts Pedialyte 1 part formula Broth (very watery)
2 days 6 parts (water) 1 part formula Broth
3-5 days 3 parts water 1 part formula Creamy soup
5 DAYS -WEANING 2 parts water 1 part formula = Pudding

Hope that helps.

We haven't been using Kaytee but according to that chart we have been doing pudding for the last few weeks. I think we just need "thicker" pudding maybe. Unless we have a bird with a super fast metabolism Next time we feed we will measure to see how we compare to the chart. Thanks. I haven't seen anything in measurements before. Just the term "pudding".

[Babs _Owner]

a_gouldian

What brand are you using?

[a_gouldian]

a_gouldian

What brand are you using?

VetaFarm Neocare . In the first five days we used more of Avitech Formula One, and we mixed in some today to give him a boost. If I remember correctly it went from Formula One, to NutriStart, and then gradually shifted to NeoCare.

[cindy]

Formula One is suppose to be used with formula not instead of formula...it is really high in sugars and carbs...it is meant as a supplement not a replacement for formula...

[cindy]

Formula one is for chick severely under weight...

My suggestion is to use one formula right from the start. There are nutrtients in the formula the baby needs right from the start

[Babs _Owner]

a_gouldian cindy


I almost missed that you are putting Miracle Meal in the cage. Please no vitamin supplements while handfeeding. The formula has the nutrients he needs and you risk a vitamin overdose. Boiled egg is good if taken out after a few hours.

[a_gouldian]

a_gouldian cindy


I almost missed that you are putting Miracle Meal in the cage. Please no vitamin supplements while handfeeding. The formula has the nutrients he needs and you risk a vitamin overdose. Boiled egg is good if taken out after a few hours.

OK. Thanks. I took it out. He hasn't eaten any of it yet.

One thing we noticed the other day and tonight is that when the formula is thicker we have to wait longer for him to swallow it before he is ready for more, and sometimes he will sorta flop over while he is trying to swallow it and we steady him and he looks like he is working on swallowing it and chewing his food. Does that mean the formula is too thick or is that just what little fledglings sometimes do. I don't think it is an issue with too much because it is much less than we see people feeding using a large syringe on youtube videos.

[cindy]

it could be too thick... they do not be chewing it down. the fact he is falling on his side is concerning... they may be something else internally going on.. were you handfeeding him while he was in with the gouldian?

Is his breast bone sharp, lover belly what does it look like, is it lumpy, sunken in, swollen?

[a_gouldian]

it could be too thick... they do not be chewing it down. the fact he is falling on his side is concerning... they may be something else internally going on.. were you handfeeding him while he was in with the gouldian?

Is his breast bone sharp, lover belly what does it look like, is it lumpy, sunken in, swollen?

Yes, we were hand feeding when he was in with the Gouldian. He was only with the Gouldian about 6 hours and then we removed the Gouldian when it didn't appear to be helpful (although Puff was enjoying the company). The Gouldian was ignoring him and was missing his mate who was in another room. He did a flop over when we were feeding him the day before the Gouldian was in the cage with him so I am pretty sure that has nothing to do with it. It may just be that he is gulping the food down too fast. He gets really excited when it is feeding time. He even tries to fly into the little glass bowl that the food was mixed in and that we are getting the food from to feed him.

Tomorrow I will try to look at him closer. I have no idea how to evaluate a breast bone so I won't even go there. I hold him in my hand often and don't notice anything unusual other then he is a small bird, but we have never had a fledgling so I have no idea how big they should be at this age. When you look at him he looks normal, but I haven't examined him under the feathers. I have never done that with any bird.

I noticed tonight that his beak is starting to turn color like the adult beaks, starting at the face. It has just started, but I was wondering when he would get the lighter color beak that the adults have.

Tomorrow we will try putting his parents in with him and see how that goes. They may not be thrilled because they have been in a large double flight cage since we received them in April.

He accidentally jumped into the water dish tonight and although he got wet, he didn't seem to mind it as much as when I put him in the water dish last week. It isn't deep enough to drown in, but it does get his tail, tips of the wings, and his lower body feathers wet.

[Babs _Owner]

a_gouldian

I thought you said he flopped over due to bad advice on you cutting back the feedings?

Yet you just posted this now two days after your owling passed out and made no mention of it happening earlier in the prior posts.

He did a flop over when we were feeding him the day before the Gouldian was in the cage with him so I am prett y sure that has nothing to do with it. It may just be that he is gulping the food down too fast.

The "bird flopping over"(like what happened in the beginning of this thread) has happened admittedly before you even introduced the gouldian or cut back feedings "a little bit". It happened days ago, but you said it only happened now when you tried to cut back the feedings.
You say you were feeding a soupy mix since birth,now change and say you were feeding pudding mix all along. Now you go backwards and are saying the finch is not good with pudding (chewing).

Good luck, I am sure the little man with get through. Sleep well. I got breeding stuff am, off to sleep after a full time job. Show pics when you are finished. I look forward to seeing the little guy grow.