Hand Feeding Owls

jimlas43 · Post by **jimlas43** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 4:25 pm

I am currently hand feeding two baby Owls.
They were hatched on the 9th and 10th of February.
Just wondering when they normally weaned??
I am also hand feeding a few Goulds, which are fully feathered.
Does anybody else have this experience??
Thanks!

PS, Not my choice to hand feed but you just can't let a baby die when it's been tossed.

ikhom · Post by **ikhom** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 5:02 pm

I'm hand-feeding Green Singer right now.
Not by my choice, either.

jimlas43 · Post by **jimlas43** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 5:22 pm

What do you to feed them with. I buy the hand made crop feeding tubes from LadyGouldian.com
Not sure if I could of fed these Owl's without them. Once they get big enough I hange over to a small eye dropper.
I also use Nutri-Start formula

The only thing I hate about tossed babies is when I find them dead. If I could of just found them sooner.

One of te baby Goulds that I saved had a sore on it's head and by the time it's eyes opened I noticed that one eye was not going to open and its beak is a little bit scissored. Not sure how it will make out when it's time to go into a cage and start on the millet.

ikhom · Post by **ikhom** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 5:55 pm

jimlas43 wrote:What do you to feed them with. I buy the hand made crop feeding tubes from LadyGouldian.com
Not sure if I could of fed these Owl's without them. Once they get big enough I hange over to a small eye dropper.
I also use Nutri-Start formula

I'm using the same that is recommended on the FinchInfo.com web site; 1cc syringe with T-connector that I cut of and use one part. So I have syringe with a small tube to feed the chick.

I don't squeeze food inside the beak for the first several days until the chick gets bigger, and later I crop feed.
I'm using hagen hand feeding formula.
Sorry for your Gouldian chick.

jimlas43 · Post by **jimlas43** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 6:15 pm

Yeah, there's no way to get that tube in at first. They are all tongue

I pay 2.95 per feeding tube. Is that a lot?? I feel like it is when they do wear out after a bit.
I got a few 1cc's from the pharmecy but with no tube I didn't use them.
How old are your singer babies??

Someone wants me to show them how to hand feed Scarlett parakeets because I guess the female just won't feed her babies and he has lost approx. 15 babies. I have hand fed 6 baby Parakeets just once and so I hope that I am some kind of help.

ikhom · Post by **ikhom** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 6:51 pm

jimlas43 wrote:Yeah, there's no way to get that tube in at first. They are all tongue

I pay 2.95 per feeding tube. Is that a lot?? I feel like it is when they do wear out after a bit.
I got a few 1cc's from the pharmecy but with no tube I didn't use them.
How old are your singer babies??

jimlas43,
I agree with you, at first it is difficult to get in that beak; they move their heads too fast and I'm afraid to give them too much.

I've never paid for syringes and connectors, so I don't know the price, but I have to change syringe every 4-7 days because it becomes hard. Connector is lasting me until I stop feeding. Then I just get rid of it.

My Green Singer is 12 days old- another week and it will fly. I assume it will be a couple days behind the parent raised chicks. I guess, I'm not the best parent.

Post by **Sally** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:12 pm

Congrats on the handfeeding successes--not easy. I have used the leg banding tool, offered with the groove side down and food in the groove, then let them lick it off. Less chance of aspirating. When they get bigger, I have used the syringes with feeding tips. I have used Kaytee, Lafeber, and Hagen handfeeding formulas.

Ikhom, that series of pics of your handfed is fabulous!

oneillbeck · Post by **oneillbeck** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:17 am

Whoa! That's a lot of hand feeding! You must have your hands full! When they get bigger I use a 1 ml syringe (the local pharmacy just gave me some for free). As far as weaning goes; I've found in can be bumpy. I have a couple zebras who are about a month or so old. I have been feeding at 4 hour intervals (or whenever they beg) and they are starting to wean. I've learned to let the baby's behavior indicate when it's time to work on weaning. When they start getting interested in pecking things I offer seed, millet stalks, and water. I actively play with them and the millet stalks until they get the eating part down. At first they can't even pick up the seeds, then they learn to pick them up, then how to open them, and then how to actually eat the seed. Then I increase the time between feeding intervals, once I know they can eat on their own, and slowly phase out the formula.
Good luck with all your babies!

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