# Attention birders/bird owners, etc, etc...



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

I've been raising a baby bird for the past 4 days. I'm pretty sure he's a house sparrow. He was tossed/pushed/blown out of his nest and on the hood of my car, near death's door. Poor little guy. Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone here has experience in raising baby birds of any kind (but especially wild species). I'm feeding him a mixture of dog food, egg yolk, omega 3 oil and oatmeal (found a recipe online somewhere) but I'm not convinced he'll get all the nutrients he'll need. Do you think I can use the baby bird food that some pet stores carry? Any suggestions?

Forgot to mention - I think he's about 7-10 days old and he's just getting to the stage where he can stand on his own.
Also, I'm just calling him a him for argument's sake - I really have no idea


----------



## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

Earthworms, with todays weather your bound to find some outside


----------



## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

If he's a house sparrow, what he's eating now will probably be best for him. The house sparrows we see out in the feeder seem much more interested in seeds and such. Good luck with the little baby!


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

planter said:


> Earthworms, with todays weather your bound to find some outside


actually, sparrows don't eat earth worms. You must be thinking of the american robin. But thanks for the suggestion!


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

ameekplec. said:


> If he's a house sparrow, what he's eating now will probably be best for him. The house sparrows we see out in the feeder seem much more interested in seeds and such. Good luck with the little baby!


yes, they are primarily seed eaters, but from what I've read, the parents eat a lot of insects while raising young....BUT....there is no way I'm catching and crushing up insects! My nature-loving only goes so far! lol Thanks for the comment. If he makes it until fledgling stage, I'll start offering him some seeds. Right now he's too young to eat on his own.


----------



## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

"I'm feeding him a mixture of dog food, egg yolk, omega 3 oil and oatmeal"
versus
"He was tossed/pushed/blown out of his nest and on the hood of my car, near death's door."

I would say you have given him/her quite a new lease on life compared to the alternative. Kudos to you.  I know that even hummingbird infants are fed small spiders and other small insects for protein by their parents. They need it to grow. I have used Pretty Bird hand raising formula before with success. The baby bird food was left over from when I use to hand raise/train cockatiels. One important thing to remember is that when the baby bird gets older their crop gets smaller and it takes less food to fill them so don't worry. 
I hope this helps and good luck.


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

Calmer said:


> "
> I would say you have given him/her quite a new lease on life compared to the alternative. Kudos to you.  I know that even hummingbird infants are fed small spiders and other small insects for protein by their parents. They need it to grow. I have used Pretty Bird hand raising formula before with success. The baby bird food was left over from when I use to hand raise/train cockatiels. One important thing to remember is that when the baby bird gets older their crop gets smaller and it takes less food to fill them so don't worry.
> I hope this helps and good luck.


Thanks  I really hope he makes it!


----------



## JamesG (Feb 27, 2007)

I actually have a lot of experience with this as my parents would continuously be rescuing the baby sparrows that were pushed out of their nests at their office building. If the bird is still very small feed it Pablum, essentially human baby food. Do this with an eye dropper but otherwise just the way you would feed a child. 
Give them enough that they appear satiated. It should do fine with that for quite a while until it can eat solid foods.


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

JamesG said:


> I actually have a lot of experience with this as my parents would continuously be rescuing the baby sparrows that were pushed out of their nests at their office building. If the bird is still very small feed it Pablum, essentially human baby food. Do this with an eye dropper but otherwise just the way you would feed a child.
> Give them enough that they appear satiated. It should do fine with that for quite a while until it can eat solid foods.


any idea how old they are when they can start eating sold foods/feed themselves? I'm trying to gauge how old this guys is. He's starting to flap his wings a little, but he can barely even hop around yet. I'm hoping this is normal and that his legs weren't injured in the fall


----------



## JamesG (Feb 27, 2007)

I will speak with my parents to confirm and get back to you. I think it will probably be fine. They do have poor balance when they start out.


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

hehe he is better at hopping backwards than forwards!

let me know if you can.


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

Here is a pic of the little blighter, taken this morning. He's grown a lot of feathers since monday!


----------



## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Growing more feathers is a good sign of progress and that the nutrients from the food is working. It is amazing how much they eat and how fast they grow.  Flying won't be for a while.


----------



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I hope he does okay! We always had to leave the birds outside and then cats usually always got to them.


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

*Is anyone still out there?*

I haven't been on this forum in ages, but just came across my old post. I ended up keeping this bird (who, as it turned out, was female.) Phoebe lived with me for 7 years until the day she died (last fall). I'm not much of a bird person, but she was a sweet little thing


----------



## grgrn (Jan 14, 2016)

I raise a lot of parakeet type birds we use a hand feeding formula that is available at any 
pet shop specialising in birds I have lots here but I'm in Grand Valley. I get mine at Vinces Pet Shop at islington and steeles.what you are feeding is probably fine he won't wean till he is fully fearthered and flying. Like canaries they fledge pretty young about 4 weeks. Unlike some of mine they take several months. I'm surprised they are hatching young during the winter I didn't think they did that...........george


----------



## grgrn (Jan 14, 2016)

Ok it makes more sense now that I realise I was commenting on an old post, obviously im a greenhorn................george


----------

