How do you make an adult finch open its beak to be hand fed?

[Stephanie]

Hi

I need to hand feed some medicated food to a sick adult finch but he refuses to open his mouth. Is there a special method for persuading adult finches to open up?

Thanks.

[Chichireeo]

Say "Ah..." I don't know.
I had to give medication by mouth and I just gently tap on the beak. After awhile he's so mad at me he bites the syringe and won't let go.

[CandoAviary]

If he won't open or bite, you may have to pry it open. I use a banding tool on the side...towards the corners. This is a weaker point and most times with just a little pressure they will open.
Have the tube ready.

[Sally]

At the avian vet's office, they used a credit card to pry open the beak. It slid right in the side, they pried open the beak, then they inserted syringe, quick and easy.

[Stephanie]

Well I guess they might aswell make good use of the credit card during the vet visit because in my experience it's usually not much use to anyone afterwards.

Hmm...looks like I'll need to get that third hand of mine out...

[finchmix22]

It is a lot easier with two people! My daughter and I both give meds. One holds the finch and the other uses one hand to open the beak with the syringe/tool and the other hand inserts the medicine syringe. We have to move quick and be sure we don't push the meds thru until the syringe in actually inside the beak. Good Luck!

[nixity]

If you can't get them to bite at the syringe you'll have to pry it open as the others have suggested :/

I always just used my finger nail, but I guess if you don't have them you'll have to get more creative! ;)

[DanteD716]

Take your thumb and index finger and quickly brush them against both sides of the beak at once. That's what I do when I need mine to open up

[Stephanie]

Based on your earlier suggestions I found my own method that I can do when alone - put one finger (of the hand that's holding him) where he can bite it! Works quite well!



I will try the brushing thing tomorrow - sounds less uncomfortable!

[Ameza]

If you use a syrgrine you can press it to the corner of the bird's mouth, they usually open their mouth with that and then you can gently press it inside. Also you can use two fingers to press at each mouth corner and the bird will probably open it's mouth like that. Then you can use the other hand, or another person, to give the bird the meds.

Good luck!

[ac12]

The next part that is scary is now that you have its mouth open, you have to get the meds down the throat w/o aspirating the bird by putting it down into the lungs. I always forget which side of the mouth the throat is.

[nixity]

A useful tidbit of info based on Gary's comment: that only applies to hookbills, not to finches.

In a finch the back of the throat opens directly to the esophagus and the trachea is almost directly behind the tongue and only opens (in babies) while they are making noise. It closes almost reflexively when they are being fed.

If I remember correctly from handfeeding my lory, in hookbills the esophageal opening is on their left (your right if facing them while feeding).

If you're using a crop needle all of this is pretty moot but even though you can go straight back into the crop I tended to always enter the needle from my left while holding them because this was the side of the mouth closest to me.