underfed nestling

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Fri May 30, 2008 7:41 pm

I don't guess there is anything you can do to help a nestling that is not being fed enough other than supplement, which I don't really want to do.
I noticed tonight that one of my three owls that the society finches are fostering is about half the size of the others. I don't think he is getting enough food. Any thoughts or ideas?

fairestfinches · Post by **fairestfinches** » Fri May 30, 2008 9:46 pm

One thing to consider is that this smaller chick may not be begging like the other two and not being fed as much a result. This chick may have a failure to thrive. I say this because the other two are being fed well. As you stated, you could supplement feeding, but if you do you may be adding weak genes to the gene pool if the chick fully developes to an adult. We all hate loosing chicks, but it is part of natural selection. The strongest survive to keep the gene pool strong.

Other than hand feeding the chick I know of nothing that can help the third chick develope as well as the other two, and even if you hand feed, the chick may not develope as well as the other two.

Sean