Baby owl sick

[cindy]

Both the baby owls were doing well up until yesterday.they have been in theire own cage for about a week, eating drinking. I noticed one was not as active yesterday, sort of fluffed and sleepy but eating. I supplied a heat lamp, but this morning it seems to have some trouble breathing, no clicking just open beak light gasping.

It attempts to eat. I decided to remove it and place it in a hospital cage with Cozy comfort on the floor and low dishes with food and water with Amoitex in it along with millet. The three sides of the cage is covered the other has a heat lamp.

Can anyone suggest anything else...the parents were treated with RonivetS and dewormed before allowing them to breed. There are no other symptoms, no runniy stool, no discharge from the nostrils.

[bugaboo5]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. I know these babies are really special to you. Have you tried feeling them to see if they are getting enough to eat? I was thinking that maybe they were not fully weaned when you separated them from their parents? I hope you are able to get more answers and a solution. Prayers for the babies.

[cindy]

They were weaned and eating very well on their own. They stayed with the parents for an extra week and were not begging. The father was chasing them.

[Jan]

so sorry to hear about this little guy .. If he is not eating and you have some Thrive or Gaurdian Angel, you might try handfeeding it mixed in water..

[cindy]

Jan both babies were weaned eating on their own but one is the stronger of the two...I am going to try a thin handfeeding mixture to see if getting fluids and some food in her will help.

[cindy]

Jan, i took her out to feed her and she passed away in my hand before I could get her to eat.

[cindy]

The other baby is fat and strong, could I put him back in with the parents for company, the mom is on eggs. Or can i put him in the other flight with the other owls?

[Sally]

Cindy, I am so sorry to hear about your little one. I had the exact same thing happen once--two babies, one strong and then one got puffy and passed away--right after I weaned them. I even put the weak one back in the with parents, didn't help. I think Owl babies are very susceptible at weaning time, so it doesn't take much to do them in. You did all you could.

With the single baby, you could try putting it in with the other Owls. Since the daddy already chased the babies, he probably would not tolerate the baby back in the cage, though you could try it. Some daddies are better about that--I have four weanlings in the same cage with their parents, who are feeding a nestful of babies--no problems. Do you have any single Owls, without mates? That would be the best match, otherwise any pairs that aren't sitting on eggs or babies right now.

[cindy]

The parents cage and baby cage have a common side with a door, I opened the door and the little one few into his dad right away. He is the stronger baby, more vocal and eating like a pig. Something might have happened with the little one that past even before fledging. I noticed she was quieter than the other one. I read on Roy Beckham's site that the wing in the air during begging is a way to block the siblings from being fed. I was using a tube nest, the thrid baby due to fledge did not leave the nest but past away in the nest. I am wondering considering the size of the nest, the wing blocking if that lead to malnutrition in the nest before fledging of the two younger less stronger young.

The one that survived and is doing very well was more vocal, displayed more wing raising and got more attention.

He is in with the parents but dad is not happy right now and chased him, if this continues then he can go into the large flight with the 5 other owls and have a 5 ft long flight to play in.

I set the pair up with an ABBA nest box, it should provide more room for the young when they hatch.

[cindy]

Sally, I moved the two females (thought to be a pair into the larege flight with the two males and one female. I gould move the females back to their own flight and put junior in with them or add him to the flight with the 5, no one is on eggs right now but his parents.

[Jan]

Jan, i took her out to feed her and she passed away in my hand before I could get her to eat.

I am so sorry .. I do agree with Sally, I wouldn't put the other one in with the parents if the male was allready chasing them when you removed them.. I had this about a month back where the dad was trying to get back to business and I didn't think the two fledglings were quite ready & I put them in my Society flight.. They are doing great, of course they are sharing a nest with 4 young Societies (with empty nest baxes all over the place )

[cindy]

Jan I wrote a separate post in regards to what I think happened considering the begging techniques of the oldest. He is very strong, was the fatest and very vocal and demonstrative.

It is my only thought as to why, it is also their first clutch of young. Owls seem so fragile. Today I had a slight thought as to why I am doing this but it was at the moment the little one passed away in my hand. It was just difficult because I waited so long for owls then to get them to breed and have a clutch was wonderful. I do know whay I do this, it is because I love finches but sometimes the lessons and hardships that happen along the way are not easy and heartbreaking.

[Jan]

My feelings are you are correct that you had a dominate baby that got the lions share at feeding time & the other 2 were a little behind.. I believe it is nature & if you hadn't removed the fledglings, the male would have most likely killed them as he was trying to get back to breeding.. Don't give up by any means .. I have and continue to make so many mistakes .. I try to learn and adapt, but never give up..

[G8love4finches]

So sorry to hear about the loss of your little one...

[cindy]

Thank you Jan...you words mean so much...I know what you are saying. We do the best we can. Sometimes it is not enough. I was just happy to be able to experience the fledglings and the fact they had young. Thank you.

Thank you for your comforting words Debbie.