what do I need to care for a baby bird

You’re lucky! I happen to have had lovebirds and have a book right here! Hand Raising Babies: Most lovebird breeders hand feed their baby lovebirds and make them tame for the pet market. Hand feeding is easy once you get the hand of it, but it can also be deadly to the babies if you don’t know what you’re doing. You can choke the babies if the formula goes down the windpipe. The crop (holding area for stomach) can burn if the food is too hot or become soured if the food is too cool.

The ideal time to remove lovebird babies from the nest is at about two weeks, or after their eyes have opened. Place them in a small fish tank or other container that they can’t tip over or escape from as they grow older. Fill the container with pine shaving and line the bottom with paper towels. Place a heating pad underneath half of the container so that the babies can move away from the heat if they become too warm. Cover most of the container with a dark towel, but make sure that the babies can still get fresh air. If you can invest in a professional brooder, do so. A very young chick should be kept at around ninety seven degrees Fahrenheit and an older chick that is “feathering out” should be kept at around ninety five degrees. These are the best temperature for the proper digestion of food.

Feeding There are many good hand feeding formulas on the market. Choose the on you like and prepare it following the directions on the package. You can feed the babies using a variety of implement: a syringe (without the needle), a pipette, an eyedropper, or a bent spoon. Novices should try the eyedropper first because it’s very easy to feed too quickly with the syringe, forcing food down the windpipe and choking the babies. The spoon is an easy option as well, but it can result in beak deformities when used by a novice.

Once you’ve prepared the formula, mix it well to ensure that it’s the same temperature throughout, place the tip of the feeding implement to the side of the beak to encourage a feeding response. The baby lovebird should “pump” the implement eagerly. Never try to force feed a baby bird. As the bird pumps, squeeze the formula slowly into its beak. This takes patience and a gentle hand. The baby is full when its crop looks full and when it’s satiated. Never feed a baby to bursting-this can lead to crop problems and choking. Two week old babies should be on a four hour feeding schedule, but as they get older you can cut back the feedings until they are weaned.

Hand feeding baby lovebirds will wean at between eight to ten weeks of age. Around seven to eight weeks you can begin offering them a wide variety of foods and a dish of water. Soft foods and “fun” foods, like cereal, are easy to eat. Never discontinue feedings until you are sure that the babies are eating well on their own.

The following is a list of a few of the many problems that can go wrong during the hand-feeding process.

Crop burn: If your formula is too hot, or has “hot spots” because you’re using the microwave to heat it, the food can actually burn the crop and the baby can die.

Infection: Clean all of your feeding implements thoroughly after use, and toss the unused formula after each feeding. These items can harbor bacteria and can cause a deadly infection in the babies.

Respiratory problems: It’s easy to choke (aspirate) a baby bird in an instant. Feed slowly. Sometimes, an eager hand feeder will force too much food down the bird’s throat, causing little bits of it to enter the respiratory tract, eventually causing pneumonia.

Poor socialization: A hand feeder must take care to properly socialize the chicks. This means offering them gentle attention and handling.