First attempt at hand feed.

kyle · Post by **kyle** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 3:44 am

Hi all. Today when I arrived home from work I found these little guys at the bottom of the cage. I have never tried hand feeding before and not knowing how long they were there at the bottom of the cage I don't hold out great I hope. All I could find at the pet store was Kaytee exact hand feeding formula. I did get them to take a few drops of the formula twice today and will get up a couple of times tonight I have my fingers crossed.

lem2bert · Post by **lem2bert** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 7:42 am

kyle

Oh so tiny, what kind of finch are they ? I hope you have good luck with the feedings

Fraza · Post by **Fraza** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 8:24 am

Sure really mashed up boiled egg is good for them

Icearstorm · Post by **Icearstorm** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 9:19 am

kyle
Did you try putting them back with the parents? Some gouldians toss one or two times before figuring out what to do.

Post by **Babs _Owner** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 9:40 am

kyle

Looks like they got tossed as soon as they hatched (they have some yolk in the belly). If you've got them warm enough and a few feeds in them, get some sleep (6-7 hours)...they will be alive when you wake up.

I don't feed my chicks after I head to bed, not even newborns. I give a last feed at 11pm, wake up at 6 am, have a cup of coffee to make sure I'm alert....by 6:30 I open up the brooder and they always greet me with a happy wobble-head ready for breakfast.

People get burned out hand feeding if they don't get sleep. And it's easy to make a mistake when you feed a baby while groggy.

Heres one of my videos where I feed two day old babies. Important to NOT remove them from their source of warmth while you feed them. Keep them warm as you feed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFWNCHDNQXg

Let us now how it's going daddy-bird. I'm here for you if you need me.

Post by **Babs _Owner** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 9:54 am

Icearstorm

Sometimes that works, and other times they toss again...the second toss is usually deadly. I've learned once they toss, to just scoop them up and head to the brooder with them.

The only time I returned a chick with success was when I saw the shell still attached to its butt on the cage floor and it was right below the entrance. It was pretty obvious mom & dad accidently did it trying to eat the shell. I was correct and they accepted it.

Post by **lovezebs** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:21 am

kyle

Keep them warm, under a warm light (60w) if you don't have a brooder, and go slow with feeding these tiny little guys. All too easy for them to aspirate, so a little bit of formula at close intervals is better than one big feed.

You can do it Kyle.

Good luck.

Icearstorm · Post by **Icearstorm** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:42 am

Babs
Ah, I understand.

Post by **Babs _Owner** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 11:04 am

Icearstorm

You can tell when they toss "on purpose". You'll find the baby on the other side of the flight, well away from the nest. ;)

Icearstorm · Post by **Icearstorm** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 11:32 am

Babs
At least they didn't kill them, unlike what my society finch did a few months ago.

kyle · Post by **kyle** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 12:26 pm

Thank you everybody. Babs. That's great advice. I know you've done quite a bit of hand feeding. I got up twice last night but tonight but tonight I will give them their last feeding before bed and just when I get up. One of the babies died an hour after I posted. The other one is eating and seems strong so I have hope.

I remove them from the brooder for feeding last night. But I will feed them from now on in the brooder for feeding. I will keep you posted.

kyle · Post by **kyle** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 12:41 pm

lem2bert they are gouldian finches.
@Icearstorm there were four babies scattered the whole distance of the flight cage. Two were still alive at the time. But it was clear that putting them back in wasn't going to work.
@lovezebs thanks Elana.

Post by **Babs _Owner** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 2:23 pm

kyle

Looks like you are all set up.

The water and aquarium heater is quite clever!

The chick that died probably had some unseen injury from the toss.

They can be tough little buggers, but even that first toss can be pretty brutal.

If you can find a pipette, use it. So much faster and it keeps the formula warm as it enters the babies crop.

Oh, and if you want to make sure they are strong enough to make it through the night....feed them every hour or so at this age during the day, as soon as that little crop empties, fill it again ;)

Post by **Babs _Owner** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 3:01 pm

kyle

One more tip Kyle, that package of Kaytee Exact is what I use and once it's opened the powder MUST be kept in the freezer or it will sour and kill the chicks. Take the powder out only to get a scoop to mix up for your next feeding and put it back in the freezer.

The label says to refrigerate it, but I take no chances with my babies, we know this. ;)

The label also says it can be unrefrigerated for a couple of weeks, but depending on your humidity it can sour in days. I've had a package of it smell sour after 5 days of being left on the counter top. Thats when I started taking better precautions.

lem2bert · Post by **lem2bert** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 3:34 pm

kyle

OH I have gouldians that I am planning to breed soon. Please keep posted on your progress so I can learn what to do and gain more confidence if that should happen. Good luck

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