Expert: Christopher Emory - 1/27/2011

Question
i came home to find one baby budgie on the floor of cage and it had not been fed. I mixed up egg/biscuit mix with warm water and fed it with a 3ml syringe. It seemed quite keen to keep eating but the mixture became cold and i have read it should be at correct temperature. Will this be okay? how often/how much and can i leave it whilst at work? taking it is not really an option. I think its about 10 days old no fluff, eyes open, feathers look as though they're forming ie. looks like its getting a tail. I have put it back with other babies to hopefully keep warm will this be okay or will mother attack it, she is certainly vicious toward me (drawing blood!!). Thank you for any insight this is my first baby budgie experience.

Answer
Carolyn,

You will need to fix only enough that you can feed in one feeding. It does have to be at the correct temparture or it will cause sickness/death on the bird. You will likely need to research handfeeding techniques which should have ideally been done BEFORE your birds were allowed to rear young. A 10 day old bird will require 8-10 feedings per day, or every 3 hours around the clock. This will lessen as the bird gets older, but certainly feeding a baby bird at 3AM, 6AM,9AM, etc.. is not for everyone.


Best of luck!