FINCHforum

I get asked about newborns and feeding them. I recently had 3 kids tossed yesterday. So I made a quick clip on how I feed those tiny mouths quickly.

This is why I use a glass pipette and not a scoop or toothpick. Its faster and the formula stays at the temperature I heated it at. I hope this helps someone!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFWNCHD ... e=youtu.be

OH NO! The newbs got thrown out??

I'm sure it will help me; I don't have a glass pipette, I use a lot of medical plastic syringes. I made the end of one extra, extra small for a finch using the end of a mechanical pencil that had never been used.

Where can I find those glass droppers??

MisterGribs

In the US you can ask a pharmacist for one and they will give it to you for free. I order mine online from Ebay.

Are you able to order from Ebay in Finland? Maybe a simular website.

Here's an example of where I can order the type of pipettes I use.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4OZ-GLASS-EYE-D ... SwUuFWvrRq

I will only use the rubber topped droppers, because it gives me absolute control over how much liquid comes out.

Very cool thanks for the video Babs such tiny little guys they are lucky to have a good mom.

Chrismurdoch3

Aww thanks Chris. I just love the babies.

Not happy my fussy-butt hen tossed the kids, but I try my best to make sure I am prepared for those times.

MisterGribs
I have a gouldian hen named Brat. She is known for being......a bit of a demanding handful. She is an amazing mother MOST of the time.

I made a major change in flight cages and made the mistake of positioning a flight cage filled with flighty juveniles (who were all parent raised) very close to her nest. The sound of all that panicky fluttering around inches from her nest.....it got her very nervous, she decided her nest was no longer safe, so off the kids went into the air and onto the cage floor.

So , in hindsight it's my mistake.

Babs yep, can order from Ebay, but I doubt they will get here on time! I will try the locsl pharmacy.

Babs
I hand reared a couple gouldian and zebra chicks a few years back, although it was very rewarding it was incredibly time consuming and difficult.

Best of luck with them and keep us posted.

Chrismurdoch3

You betcha. ;) I made an earlier video of a hand feeding for a chick last month. We named him WonTon (he looked like a fortune cookie, as most of the gouldian chicks do). Hes weaned and in the flight cage, but if you say 'Wonnnn Tonnnnn!" he will fly right up to your face for some talk-time. (I will get a video of that soon)

Another hand fed kid I've bonded to, so he's going to be kept in the adult flight with the non breeding adults and my hand tamed Hammy & Her boyfriend Merlin (who mimics my whistle).

I get so attached when I hand feed. I need help. LOL

Babs

Thats awesome and so rewarding when you get great results like that. One of the gouldians that my wife and I hand raised is named tiny because he was the runt of the clutch, it was so hard to wean him cause he would fly across the room and beg in our hands and it was so hard to resist him lol

Chrismurdoch3

Awww!! Bill keeps saying" Noooo, don't you give them a NAME!" . Once I name them, it's like a done deal.

Babs

Im usually on the same page as bill, i don't like to name them unless I'm keeping them forever. I figured so much had happened to raise the little guy i didn't want him to leave so we named him and kept him.

Babs wrote: MisterGribs

In the US you can ask a pharmacist for one and they will give it to you for free. I order mine online from Ebay.

Are you able to order from Ebay in Finland? Maybe a simular website.

Here's an example of where I can order the type of pipettes I use.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4OZ-GLASS-EYE-D ... SwUuFWvrRq

I will only use the rubber topped droppers, because it gives me absolute control over how much liquid comes out.

@Babs Are the ends of these eye droppers smaller than normal? Would they be small enough for the mouth of a tiny waxbill?

Sally

They are just the average size dropper, so the tip is normal size. However, reading MisterGribs post I am facinated about how he got a mechanical pencil tip onto the tip of a syringe. I would be willing to bet that method is small enough for a waxbill.

Mistergribs, what did you use to secure the plastic pencil tip to the syringe?

Chrismurdoch3


I'm glad you kept him. It sounds like he got incredibly attached! What did you name him?

Babs

Yes he is a great bird, we initially called him tiny and then my wife called him Tim like " Tiny Tim". he is pretty funny