Baby Magpie help please

[jusdeb]

Picked up a little Magpie today , just at the end of pinfeather stage and not old enough to fly .
He was sitting with a pair of Galahs looking very lost and sad , funny thing was no adult birds swooped us when we picked it up and not under any trees .
So far other half has given him some runny hand rearing formula , mainly to rehydrate him a bit and a squished mealworm every half hour or so .

Question is ..What the heck do we feed it ?

Got him in a warm dark spot . Any help please as to what to do with him .

And please dont suggest Wires whom I admire greatly but not the local bird lady ...Im confidant my other half can do a better job with the bubba than her.

[natamambo]

Mealworms should be OK if you have them to spare. Good quality mince (not cheap fatty stuff) fed in very small portions is OK. Mix the meat with just enough sugary water & calcium powder (small quantities of calcium only) to make it a little soggy, as the bird gets stronger and more able to swallow gradually reduce / remove the water mix. Cooked sausages are OK as long as they are plain and not cheap fatty ones. He can get fat very quickly and that will make it hard for him to learn how to fly.

[vettepilot_6]

Mealworms should be OK if you have them to spare. Good quality mince (not cheap fatty stuff) fed in very small portions is OK. Mix the meat with just enough sugary water & calcium powder (small quantities of calcium only) to make it a little soggy, as the bird gets stronger and more able to swallow gradually reduce / remove the water mix. Cooked sausages are OK as long as they are plain and not cheap fatty ones. He can get fat very quickly and that will make it hard for him to learn how to fly.

As above plus a vitamin powder mixed in as well...or even baby food meal..

[matcho]

Deb,
Hand raised one years ago, same stage. Stick to the fresh earthworms, little bit of LEAN mince, maybe some live crikets that have been crushed. Used to make sure that there was some dirt on the worms. Nowadays the calcium powder will help. They are truly a great bird and if you do decide to keep it they make a great pet? Probably not the right word. Heaps of character and do become attached to the feeder..ie you. Is there a local WIRES person around? Maybe they can advise. If your up for it, go for it, only concern I have is that when they start to fledge maybe your beautiful canines might be a bit rough and they are also very inquisitive. Used to take mine to work (when I was butcher) and he would sit in the back room on a broom stick, home at night in a wicker creel and would poke his head out for a feed. Ah, the memories. Good luck.

[jusdeb]

Thanks for the feeding tips folks , I have all the above on hand just need to thaw out some mince .

Don't really want any more pet birds . The novelty wore off that with the Corella Love her but could choke her at the same time .

[Tintola]

A good basic mix is lean mince mixed with hard boiled egg add to that..... Earthworms.... any other insects, moths etc but not any that are brightly coloured, red/black or yellow/black as these are usually poisonous. If you have mealworms, these are good but the beetles are better as wild magpies eat a lot of beetles, (kill them first) the roughage is very beneficial. Sunshine is also beneficial for vitamin D and a healthy immune system.

[jusdeb]

Thanks T .

[desertbirds]

[quote="jusdeb"] Picked up a little Magpie today , just at the end of pinfeather stage and not old enough to fly .
He was sitting with a pair of Galahs looking very lost and sad , funny thing was no adult birds swooped us when we picked it up and not under any trees .


Sometimes these birds are just best left alone. Ok, you feed it get it through weaning then what ?? Hate to say it but i just see too many birds like this and then what happens next. Also had an experience recently where the person caring for the bird was exposed to an illness just for caring . Then theres your own folck . Mate sometimes nature should just run its course and i mean no disrespect for caring nature and best intentions. Ive seen a few youngens lately that should have just been left alone , Sorry.

[jusdeb]

Quaranteen is number 1 priority .

I cant help what I am , been like this for 50 years .

[desertbirds]

[quote="jusdeb"]Quaranteen is number 1 priority .

I cant help what I am , been like this for 50 years . [/quote

Quarantine all you like, the birds have been doing it 4 millions of years, all im saying is that sometimes theres a good reason they leave one chick out there on its own, sick , weak ect. Its hard to rehabilitate a wild bird even if you initially save it , i just learned very recently that some things are better left alone.