Hello,

I have been trying to join the forum for days and have had hiccups but I will give a full intro later.

Right now we need some urgent help!! I have hand raised baby birds before without any problems. On friday a girl at work brought in a tiny Lutino baby, not sure how old it is but it has head and wing feathers, tail feathers but rest of the body is not featehred in. On Friday it was okay but we have had big trouble trying to get it to feed!! It just wont accept anything we do. Now it is very quiet with only tiny little chirps, it sits with its eyes almost closed. We are definately loosing it but I will do what I can to keep it going.

Does any more experienced breeders out there have any Super Quick pick me ups for this little critter? We are feeding it via a dropper or suringe with a hand rasining mix it is very weak and I am suprised it has lasted this long. We ended up with it as it had been kicked out of the nest but it seemed perfectly okay then.

Can anyone help with our tiny Lutino?

Oh, no we do not have any Avian vets in the area, we live in a small country town and the local vet isnt even a good pet vet!

Thanks in advance, dont want to be digging a hole!

Hi and welcome. I can't help you, but someone will be on soon that can help. I can only suggest making the mix runnier. What is he doing? Just not opening his beak? I hope all goes well for you.

I've tried runny mix, crumbly mix, homemade mix! ( i think its a she) She wont open her beak to feed so we have to force feed her but I am scared i will hurt her by doing that. When you do get some mix into her beak she spits it out. Its not too hot and not too cold... I am now trying to give Calcivet liquid mix with boiled water via a dropper. To keep her going. I had a look at the hospital cage post and I will rig up something simular with an old desk lamp I have. About to go down to the shop to get some light globes.

Her eyes are almost closed and she can only open them a little bit. Doesnt chirp back at you now like she was the other day. Maybe she has caught a chill???

She also has a bit of feed stuck on her little face where it has ran out of her beak I was wondering if this has got into her eyes? How can I clean her up without hurting her?

She was given to my little 7 yo boy so I would dearly love to keep her going.

Once you have the lights set up for warmth, then use a cotton bud dipped in warm water to clean her up. I really hope all goes well, I have no experience with this so can't help you, and it is night time overseas, where some of our most knowledgeable people are. I will pm Karen for you, and see if she has any advice.

Sorry to say but I think it is too late for the little mite especially if it is refusing food. At the stage you describe I would say it will die sometime today or overnight.

You have been doing all the right things. Sometimes the babies just give up and there is nothing you can do.

Keep trying until the end though it might turn around.

A tip - mushy weet bix is an old time recipe.

Melt some sugar in water and put (only barely slightly warm) drops on the end of your finger and put it to the side of the babies beak. Some should go in it's beak where it might swallow.

Feel it's crop - is there any dried food that could be stuck in there?

 

Good luck but I do fear it is too late. My fingers are crossed for you.

She has little bursts of brillance. I thought she would have died Sunday night but every now and then she will get a little kick. She is sitting close to the lamp now and I did get a little bit of liquid into her. Her crop never seems to fill up though and I am too scared to poke and prod too hard in case I hurt or damage her. I will just keep doing what I am doing I suppose and hope for the best

We hand raised a Rainbow lorri that got real sick and we had a plot picked out for him. Next morning we woke to sounds of him chirping and hopping down the hallway!

This little birdie must be pretty tough to have lasted this long!

I will try the weetbix though.

thanks will let you know how she is later tonight.

I hope the little one is okay, and welcome here.

If you were to go to the vet they could show you how to feed it with a crop needle or they could give it a feed or two with a crop needle. Crop needles are tubes that are put down the throat straight into the babies crop so it at least doesn't starve. Other than that you sound like you are doing everything right, you could add some apple sauce into the handrearing mix cause this make it tastier for them and the baby might like it enough to eat more. Hope the little guy makes it.

Well this must be the toughest half dead baby budgie I have ever seen! I just walked in the door from going down the street to get some supplies and my Boston terrier greated me at the front door all excited like he had something to say. He had been asleep on my bed and I didnt even know he was in the house. Imagine my horror when I went to check on our little baby in the sick box, on the dining table, under lights etc.... It wasnt there!!!! No where to be found!!! I instantly thought the dog had eaten it. Then I found it in the lounge room in the middle of the floor!!

I guess its just not ready to go out yet. maybe it has cat lives!!

 

We will keep trying with it poor pathetic looking little bugger!

I bet that terrified the poor dog Sounds like this little baby really wants to live, might be worth a visit to a vet. Or is there a breeder who can show you how to use a crop needle? Wildlife sanctuary? Can we have some photos of the tonka tough little guy?

okay well, we have had a little more dribble of liquid and a little dribble of running feed mix. I put a tiny bit of honey in it as honey has natural antiseptic agents in it. I will have to try little feeds and often instead of a big feed to fill its crop. It is sitting up now but still with its eyes closed. The feathers are still fluffed up but not as much as they were before. I now believe it has caught a chill on top of not feeding properly in the begining hasnt helped. I think the lights are helping.

Someone has suggested I give a tiny drop of antibiotic. What can I safely use? Any recomondations?

We do have some ammoxylin liquid and we also have some clavulox tablets.

Our local vet doesnt really deal with birds so they are no help. Maybe there is some improvement???

:mellow:

I wouldn't give him those antiobiotics. I know Clavulox is for cats. The physiology of a bird is totally different to other pets. The honey has antibiotic properties, just do what your doing.

I wasnt real keen on that idea either but I dont know much about birds only what commonsense the good lord gave me! There has been some light at the end of the tunnel. She now responds when you call her, she has had some poos and they look quite normal so perhaps she is on the up? Her eyes are still mostly closed though so maybe some feed has dribbled into it? Anyway, I will keep plodding along and hoping for the best.

We will have to call her lucky after all this I think!! (Laughing out loud)!

OH MY GOD!!!!!!! WE"VE DONE IT!!!!!

 

I just mixed up a little weetbix and honey and It guzzled it down like there is no tomorrow!! My word this bird is a toughie!!! I think she will be okay now!! lets hope anyway!

She has never fed like that so I think I will throw the expensive hand raising mix out the window and keep using the weetbix!!

Oh my little boy is so thrilled!! Now how often should I be feeding it? every 2 hours? Should I be offereing any greens or seeds for her to pick at? I think its a her... cere is very pale blue to white and she is a red eyed Lutino is this right?

 

Thanks for the support and talking me through geez I hope she makes 100% recovery!!!

You should probably feed her every 2-3 hours from 6am - 11pm with one feed at about 3:00am. Sprinkle some seed on the floor of whatever you're keeping her in so that she can start picking at that. From how you described her with feathers on the wings and tail and head but not body i'd say she's between 2 and 3 weeks old so she'll probably not eat too much seed for another week or so. Once she starts playing with the seed you could also sprinkle finely chopped veggies around with the seeds (brocolli buds, grated carrot, etc) so that hopefully she won't become a fussy eater. I would also add a bit of the handrearing mix to her weetbix because that has the important vitamins she needs to grow at a almost normal rate. I also think it's likely it's a she because inos are most often females. It's so great she's eating well!

Hey great news! I must say when I read your first post, I thought she would be dead in a matter of hours, hence why i pmed Karen - I thought it would be too late by the time she saw it herself. I am sooooo pleased, we definately need pics now

okay great thanks Bea,

I just had a good look and she does have body and leg feathers just not realy thick so she maybe in the 3-4 week range? I just didnt want to give her the runs now we have come this far. Can you give them lettuce?

Geez I'll need a stiff drink after this I think!!

I've hand raised puppies and kittens and foals and even a potty lamb before but I know what I am doing there! Poor little bugger I though I might have killed it by trying to shove food down her little beak! They are so tiny and fragile!

I will try and get some photos when she doesnt look so dreadful! I'll have the RSPCA cart me away if she is seen in public like this!

Got to be bloody mad I think!!!

 

You can give them lettuce, too much will give them the runs though, so I would start with the other vegies. Have a look in FAQ you should find a list of suitable and not suitable foods. From memory avocado and apple seeds are a no no. Congratulations again, I think your fantastic, and you are going to have the tamest budgie ever, having been 'raised from the dead'

It's amazing what the old tried & true methods will do. My father used weetbix 40 years ago before there was all this fancy hand rearing mixtures & the birds back then were often better than they are these days, rarely did they get sick.

 

I'm glad the little one is healthier. I would guess s/he is around 3+ weeks old. I hope s/he makes it.

At the Native ARC (Animal Rescue Center) honey is used alot and we all swear by it...It's amazing stuff!!! Good on you for helping that little bird and not giving up him/her???Hope all goes well.

Sending healthy vibes you are getting some awesome advice here :bluebudgie: