Well I must be known as the "bird lady" around these parts as just over an hour ago I got a knock at the door and a complete stranger stood there holding a Magpie chick in his hands ...

 

To my private horror he had decided that I was the best person to care for it ... Despite my protestations he was not taking no for an answer and politely but firmly (he was a gentleman) handed the chick over into my care.

 

I reckon he's about 2 weeks or so old.

 

Well I gave him some water and made up some budgie hand rearing mix and had a go at crop feeding it. From what I can see magpies don't seem to have crops, I suppose 'cause they are not seed eaters ... anyway he took 7mls okay.

 

While I was attending to his immediate needs a nasty flea like creature crawled off him so next on my list was a dose of lice/mite/worms treatment.

 

Now he is wrapped up in a tea towel in a cage in the house.

 

I don't rate his chances due to my complete ignorance on magpie rearing but should he survive the night the vet is paying a house call tomorrow so I will see what he says.

 

In the meantime, Does anyone have any tips for the short-term????!

I think renee what you are doing is the best thing the only other thing I would do is contact wildlife and see if you can hand him over as they probably have better resources plus you don't know if the chick is carrying any diseases that can be passed on to budgies, you may also want to google taking care of magpies and see what you come up with. Good luck with the baby and keep us informed.

I think renee what you are doing is the best thing the only other thing I would do is contact wildlife and see if you can hand him over as they probably have better resources plus you don't know if the chick is carrying any diseases that can be passed on to budgies, you may also want to google taking care of magpies and see what you come up with. Good luck with the baby and keep us informed.

Well thanks for the quick reply :hi:

 

He is not going anywhere near my budgies! He is in "quarantine" in the house for now.

i rassed heaps thoughs things as a kid

it will let you know when its hungry ren and just soke some bread in milk and yolk not to soggy but not hard it has to be like when you dip it into warm soup

he will eat thet

you may need to open its beak by gentally pressin the sides where its soft near its lets call it cheeks

then just poke the bread in to the back of its throught with your finger keep pokeing untill it is right down it wont choke its what its mum would do

just like most birds behind the tounge and your all good

they love worms also just mushed with a fork

their hardy and hard to kill

Yep I figured I just think about carrying something on your clothes or hands inspite of washing and being careful.

Yep I figured I just think about carrying something on your clothes or hands inspite of washing and being careful.

All clothes are in the washing machine and I have had a very thorough shower! :hi:

i rassed heaps thoughs things as a kid it will let you know when its hungry ren and just soke some bread in milk and yolk not to soggy but not hard it has to be like when you dip it into warm soup he will eat thet you may need to open its beak by gentally pressin the sides where its soft near its lets call it cheeksthen just poke the bread in to the back of its throught with your finger keep pokeing untill it is right down it wont choke its what its mum would do just like most birds behind the tounge and your all good they love worms also just mushed with a fork their hardy and hard to kill

okay, good advice ~ Thank You

Yep I figured I just think about carrying something on your clothes or hands inspite of washing and being careful.

All clothes are in the washing machine and I have had a very thorough shower! :hi:

i rassed heaps thoughs things as a kid it will let you know when its hungry ren and just soke some bread in milk and yolk not to soggy but not hard it has to be like when you dip it into warm soup he will eat thet you may need to open its beak by gentally pressin the sides where its soft near its lets call it cheeksthen just poke the bread in to the back of its throught with your finger keep pokeing untill it is right down it wont choke its what its mum would do just like most birds behind the tounge and your all good they love worms also just mushed with a fork their hardy and hard to kill

okay, good advice ~ Thank You

 

welcome and good luck

they get pretty atatched to their feeder

and it may start following you around as it grows

we usto take ours out to the back and dig it worms

dad would teach it to eat by tossing it a few worms and making it pick them up its self

they are reliant on their mum for a while dad would need to incorage it by letting worm wiggle on his hand near birds beak sometimes just putting it in beak a tad

they get the idea but always cry when hungry every 3 to 4 hours like budgies ren while little

salatters or butcher boys as some call them are also loved food you can just feed it whole ones of them

also raw mince can be feed but with all the stuff put in it these days id go dig worms

Renee, I used to work for Kanyana Animal Rehabilitation Centre in Gooseberry Hill. My mother is the managing supervisory head something or rather (some flash thing). If you'd like to keep looking after the maggie, I can get some products to help you with that, or I can take it there for you? :)They make a meatball mix which has mince meat, calcium, insectivore, and some other yummy goodies in it. Sorry I can't remember off the top of my head. I am seeing mum tomorrow morning so I can get the mix information from her for you :hi: They also eat meal worms too. Oh yes and the meal worms are chopped up too - they don't start off with a full sized worm

Just had a check on the little one and I'm afraid he didn't make it through the night

 

I guess he was just too malnourished when I got him and I gave him too big an initial feed? I subsequently learnt you are only supposed to feed a little at a time ...

 

I hope he is happy in Bird Heaven.

Just had a check on the little one and I'm afraid he didn't make it through the night

 

I guess he was just too malnourished when I got him and I gave him too big an initial feed? I subsequently learnt you are only supposed to feed a little at a time ...

 

I hope he is happy in Bird Heaven.

 

you did try ren

Just had a check on the little one and I'm afraid he didn't make it through the night

 

I guess he was just too malnourished when I got him and I gave him too big an initial feed? I subsequently learnt you are only supposed to feed a little at a time ...

 

I hope he is happy in Bird Heaven.

Thats very sad Dont beat yourself up over it....you stepped up to the plate and did what you could with the very best of intentions. I am sure it didnt die because of anything you did mate

I'm so sorry

I'm so sorry

I am not so sorry, he was a wild bird and no doubt full of nasties as well as the fleas I saw.

 

He was a bag of bones and obviously very dehydrated, who knows how long he had been out of the nest? We have had very hot weather lately .... he certainly drank up the 4 tablespoons of water I offered him ... I think he was just too far gone by the time I got him.

 

Have spoken to the vet and should I be dumped on with any further wild birds he has agreed to take them off my hands. He has an interest in wildlife, so that is good.

 

I prefer wild birds to be a pretty addition to my evening skyscape .... that is in the trees over the road.

Edited January 6, 201015 yr by renee

Sorry to hear the maggie didn't make it Renee. I'm positive it wouldn't have been any fault of yours especially if it was extremely dehydrated. And you're right - who knows how long it had been out of the nest OR another point being how long had the man had the chick before trying to give it to you.

 

Least you tried

 

Good to hear your vet will take wild birds off your hands! That will definitely make your life easier.

I'm so sorry

I am not so sorry, he was a wild bird and no doubt full of nasties as well as the fleas I saw. :rofl:

 

He was a bag of bones and obviously very dehydrated, who knows how long he had been out of the nest? We have had very hot weather lately .... he certainly drank up the 4 tablespoons of water I offered him ... I think he was just too far gone by the time I got him.

 

Have spoken to the vet and should I be dumped on with any further wild birds he has agreed to take them off my hands. He has an interest in wildlife, so that is good.

 

I prefer wild birds to be a pretty addition to my evening skyscape .... that is in the trees over the road. :hap:

 

 

I agree with you here! I once picked up a fallen nest, and got tiny little creepies all over my hands. YUCK! Gave me the willies for days!! The thought of you having that bird in your house made me worried. Thank goodness for that vet, you could get the next foundling waif right over there without contaminating your home/aviary.

There has been a tragic conclusion to my accepting that magpie chick.

 

Although we took the cage outside and hosed it down and then dowsed it with AIL some nasties remained.

 

We then proceeded to catch up all our canaries and bring them indoors to treat for Scaly Mites - and housed them in the 'clean' cage. It is easier to catch them up indoors than in their outside aviary.

 

Ten days after we brought them indoors I found 4 dead canaries on the floor of the cage.

 

 

Here's how they used to look:

How did you dose them ?

The magpie would have be carrying red mites maybe,,,,,,,treatable with A.I.L.

Edited February 2, 201015 yr by KAZ

So sorry for your losses

 

I wouldn't blame the magpie for the canary deaths. Personally, i would suggest that there was a latent desease in the canaries, that became active with the stress of being put in a different cage.

Edited February 2, 201015 yr by **Liv**