jasper65 6 Posted June 21, 2006 Report Share Posted June 21, 2006 Hi All I picked up a chaffinch chick this afternoon what next doors cat had caught, the chick looks like it has just fledged the nest and thankfully totally unharmed, I have tried feeding it some egg food and CE-DE mix and a few Insects but it won't eat! I picked it up about 2pm so its now gone a fair while without any food, can anyone tell me what I should be doing and what food should I be getting down its neck? I have tried to open its beak to get some food down but it won't have it, any advice would be apreciated. Cheers Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jasper65 6 Posted June 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Cant you try force feeding it with that canary chick crumb stuff.? .Im not really sure at the end of the day though mate.. peter the beater or darcy should know.. . Millet Many Thanks for that mate. I have tried force feeding with some chick food and some of the Cee Dee stuff for rearing Canaries or whatever but it will not open its pecker, I can get a little just past its tongure but it still shakes its head and throws it out, perhaps the Cat has done some damage as this bird will not eat for some reason, as a last resort I'll crop tube it with a fine tip! hopefully it won't come to that! I was told when they're youngsters they get fed alot of Insects and hardley any seed? I can get some meal worm from the local pet shop too if this is ok for it? Cheers Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J Darcy 5,871 Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 You will need some 1mil shringes and also a 2-2 1/2 mil shringe. Fill the larger shringe with a soft dog food...pedigree chum pouches are ideal. Use this large shringe to fill the smaller ones. Use the shringe to open the chafys mouth and place the shringe in the birds RHS of its mouth and make sure the shringe is a fair way down. Then just let it have some nice and steady. I wouldnt touch th ce-de or egg food or even the "hand rearing" food either with a barge pole. The chaffy should swallow automatically with the shringe method. Obviously it depends on how old it is. good luck.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jasper65 6 Posted June 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Many thanks for the top posts Peter and Shaggy I have some 1 mil ultra pep tips hear which are very flexible that I use for AI on the hawks which is ideal, I use these to crop tube any young Hawks when they need some fluids so I'll try one of these should I need too, the Chaffy was calling alot this afternoon so I chopped some meal worm and dipped it in some cool boiled water! it begged pretty much straight away and thankfully has been calling for food since, hopefully its sorted now but if not I'll use a syringe as adviced , one more thing I wanted to ask is! is there a time when this chaffy can come of Insect food stuff and switch onto seed? Thanks again Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J Darcy 5,871 Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Personally,having reared a few ophraned birds, i would continue to feed the chaffy for four or five days with the syringe and also a few maggots (white) or mealworms from my fingers. The chick will beg and expect you to go to it. But after a few days, if its hungry it should go to your fingers for its feed of magots. Once it is taking them from your fingers you have cracked it. Feed a maggot to the bird but as it takes it lower your fingers so that the bird is taking it from the floor. The next maggot put on the floor and just place your finger on it to stop it wriggling. If the chaffy is hungry enough it will take it off the floor. The bird may beg a little before taking the maggot, but this is normal. Once the bird is taking maggots off the floor at the "end" of your finger then simply place maggots/mealworms down in front of it and it should gobble them up. I also would continue to syringe feed it as well. Then mix some soaked seed and maggots in a low dish and drop a maggot in that before its eyes. It should start eating from it. and that should be that. good luck matey. The hardest part of rearing most orphan birds is to get them to eat for themselves, they can have loads of food all around them but they will sit there and die if they dont get educated how to eat it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jasper65 6 Posted June 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Personally,having reared a few ophraned birds, i would continue to feed the chaffy for four or five days with the syringe and also a few maggots (white) or mealworms from my fingers. The chick will beg and expect you to go to it. But after a few days, if its hungry it should go to your fingers for its feed of magots. Once it is taking them from your fingers you have cracked it. Feed a maggot to the bird but as it takes it lower your fingers so that the bird is taking it from the floor. The next maggot put on the floor and just place your finger on it to stop it wriggling. If the chaffy is hungry enough it will take it off the floor. The bird may beg a little before taking the maggot, but this is normal. Once the bird is taking maggots off the floor at the "end" of your finger then simply place maggots/mealworms down in front of it and it should gobble them up. I also would continue to syringe feed it as well. Then mix some soaked seed and maggots in a low dish and drop a maggot in that before its eyes. It should start eating from it. and that should be that. good luck matey. The hardest part of rearing most orphan birds is to get them to eat for themselves, they can have loads of food all around them but they will sit there and die if they dont get educated how to eat it! Much appreciated Shaggy you're a top man , I'll follow your advice mate.. Cheers Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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