Babysitting...

[lovezebs]

Hello All...

Just after I went on and on about not needing anny more Canaries, lol

Well yesterday afternoon, I got a call from a friend, who is in the process of moving and ended up with 2 Canary fledglings who jumped the nest and Parents stopped feeding.

Having already lost 2 or 3 other chicks from different pairs to the same issue, he decided to take me up on my open ended offer to feed unwanted babies, and made the call.

And so, these two little ones arrived home with me.

The younger one is a struggle to feed, and you just about need a crow bar to get his beak open, but the slightly older one, is picking up very quickly on eating nibbling on his meals from the end of a tooth pick.
He's also had a drink, when I put the tip of his beak into a spoon of tepid water.

Wish me luck guys.

[MisterGribs]

Ohhh my gosh that pathetic little face!! How cute...

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

Isn't he/she sad looking?
Yet his brother is bright eyed and bushy tailed. Go figure....

I guess some kids who are unwanted and unloved, suffer more emotionally than others

These little fellows are frilled Canaries, so they will look a bit weird anyway, but babies, are babies, and need tending.

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Ohh I posted for pictures on the other thread before I saw this one!

AWWW! You adopted some grumpy old MEN!!!! How adorable!!

[Vera]

So I'm just curious for my own information - in a case like this, would a pair of society finches be able to save the day?

[Sheather]

Hope they do well for you Elana! I did have success once hand-feeding a fledge when its mother died. It didn't beg for me like the babies I hand-fed from birth did, but it learned to lick food from my finger.

@Vera unlikely, because canaries especially at this age beg very differently from society finches. They make very little sound and keep their mouths mostly shut while fluttering their wings. In other words, they speak a different language, and the finches don't understand.

Apparently, some people have had society finches raise baby canaries from the egg, though. This is likely possible because newly hatched canaries gape widely and the finch can easily figure out where the food goes. The progression from the "gaping" to the "wing fluttering" stage happens slowly over two weeks and I suppose that the finches in that instance are able to slowly pick up what their adopted babies are saying in a way they couldn't if they were suddenly given fledglings to raise.

[Vera]

Thanks! I was curious as I have heard socieities make good foster parents (mine are on stand by) as I am hoping to have some Gouldian babies soon. I suppose Gouldian babies would be closer to societies than canaries would.

[lovezebs]

Babs

Grumpy old men, evolving into adorable juvies...

[lovezebs]

Vera

Hi Vera,

At this stage of the game, other birds wouldn't feed, nor would young fledges normally accept other birds' feeding.

It is a difficult stage, and a bad one for parents to stop caring for their young.

When younger, hatchlings and nestlings will accept feeding from pretty much anyone who will shove food into their mouths. However once their eyes open, and particularly once they fledge, it becomes much more difficult to get them to open their beaks for a feeding, and yet they don't know how to feed or drink on their own yet.

In many cases, without intervension, these youngsters will literally starve to death, with food all around them.

That's when you need to roll up your sleeves and step in. You basically need to begin by forcing their beeks open and putting food into their mouth.

Many (like these two babes) will begin to accept feedings in a day or two, but with some, it's a coninuous uphill battle until they learn to eat on their own.

[MisterGribs]

lovezebs I'll accept feeding from anyone who will shove food into my mouth as well.

How are your little refugees doing?

[lovezebs]

Sheather

Thanks Dylan,

I am cautiously optimistic here.
Since Sunday we have gone from this:

To this:

So I think things are coming along pretty nicely.

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

I draw the line at grown up people, unless they are deathly ill

The little tiny tots are doing quite well, as you can see up above.
They just completed a nice big breakfast, and I stuck some slices of hard boiled egg, cucumber, and apple between the bars for extra snackage if they feel so inclined.

I have to get them up and running and gone back to Kevin, before I fall in love with them too much and start making excuses as to why they should stay longer and longgggerrr

[MisterGribs]

lovezebs Oh nooo I feel deathly ill.. The only cure is lasagna and someone else to wash the dishes after... Whatever will I do!?

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Wow! What difference just a few days make! They look great! Thats not fair........not yet. You can't just let us fall in love with them and then give them back right away.

Weaning......we have another 10 days. Hmmmph! 10 days of pictures.
Not budging.

@MisterGribs

Thanks. Now I want lasagna and all I have is leftover chicken and broccoli.

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

Is your name "Garfield" by any remote chance?
Deathly ill, my foot.... buh humbug!!!