| Try Avi-Start or Lakes Hand Feeding formula...where are you located?
Some pet stores carry this, but more likely a store specializing in
birds will have either or both of these on hand. The temperature of
the food is critical...needs to be at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit
but don't go much over 105 degrees. Too low and the food won't digest-
will sit in the crop and rot. Too hot and you burn a hole in the crop
and are likely to loose the chick. Use a basal thermometer available
at drug stores -- digital readout -- about $5 at most places....some
use a candy thermometer. If you are in the New Hampshire or Mass.
area, a couple of places you can call during the day are Wingsong
Aviaries in Merrimack, NH at 603-880-6383 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday
through Saturday and Pet Source in Stow, MA at 508-897-9599 -- I think
they are open 7 days a week roughly 10 a.m. to 6 or 8 p.m....Keep
the chicks warm!! This will help a lot. A heating pad under a 5 or 10
gallon aquarium (under about 2/3rds of it) is a fast, easy, inexpensive
way to help the chicks survive. Someone who has recently volunteered
to help those who call her at home is a non-Digital person, Bobbi
Desautels (day-sah-tells) in Nashua, NH at 603-886-0427...she is home
during the day and has bred and hand-fed cockatiels and is willing to
try to help over the phone. Let us know how things go! /Linda
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| I successfully hand fed a 2week old baby with something called MONKEY
CHOW it is made for monkeys of course. It has a wide variety of
grains. I took about 4 nodules and ground them in the blender to
a fine powder, mixed with warm water to make an loose "milk" then
administered with a Dropper made for babies medicine. It has a
round tip and a large hole. The hard part is getting the bird to
accept the surrogate. I was most successfull when I held the head
gently with my thumb and middle finger close and behind the beak.
Then I moved the dropper in from the left side of the beak, you
can use the fingers holding the beak to help open it. Help only
at first to squeeze a little of the milk down. Later they will draw
it out themselves. Always clean up any that you spill around their
face with a soft warm damp clothe then keep them warm until the
feathers dry.
I hope this did not come too late. I just started reading this
file. MONKEY CHOW is available at most pet stores.
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