How to Handfeed a Baby Bird

You have to just look at a baby bird to know how delicate it is. They have to be handled very carefully so that you don’t injure them accidentally. When you think about their nutrition, hand-feeding is the only thing which can be done so that the babies can take in food little by little. You must know the right procedure of hand-feeding so that the baby does not choke on the food or get asphyxiated. Pet birds usually trust humans implicitly and depend on them for their food. Although Nature teaches them to search for their own food, they love being fed by the humans. The grown up birds don’t need as much care as the babies.

The fundamental principle of hand-feeding is the amount, nature and frequency of food that you should give the baby bird. The bird might be a baby when you start feeding it but it can grow very quickly and you will have to be very careful that you increase the amount of food gradually. You should also study the nutritional needs of every type of bird. The development of the bird should be noted so that you can decide the type of food suitable along with the quantity.
When you think of hand-feeding the baby bird, you must first observe how it is done and then gradually develop the knack and the habit of feeding the bird. It is also necessary to know something about the digestive system of the bird so that you know where to place the food and how the bird takes it inside. There is a food compartment which you can see when the bird opens its beak. This compartment gets ready when you give the bird its food.
Before you hand-feed the bird, you should find out the capacity of the food compartment or the crop. The baby bird will not have much feathers and so when you guide your thumb and index finger against the crop, you can know its capacity. This will tell you the amount of food you should provide.
4. Since you are dealing with a baby bird, you should know that its crop should never be empty. It is alright to maintain an interval of 4 hours between each feed. If you find the crop still has food after 4 hours, then there is some problem with its digestion.
Hand-feeding requires you to position your hand in the right way. It is much easier to feed wild birds as they take in food through the dropper and you don’t have to carry them in your hands. But the pet baby birds need to be held with a towel and you have to hold them properly and position your hand well to feed them.
If you want to prepare some formula food, you can use some egg yolk. The best way to feed the bird is to take it in your hand, resting it against its back and wings. Tilt the beak open and you will find the bird gaping at you. You have to keep feeding it till it stops gaping.
You can use a small paintbrush to gather some food. Place the brush at the back of the throat so that the food drops in its mouth. If the bird is very small and new-born then you should feed it every half an hour. When the baby is a bit more grown up, you should wait for about 45 minutes to feed it again. Gradually, it can be increased to 4 hours.

Hand-feeding a bird requires skill and the baby should feel comfortable and happy in your hand when you feed it.