Aussie Finch Forum

Hey guys just thought i'd put a topic up about the little gouldian i'm handfeeding. I did a nest box this morning and he/she was very dehydrated and had totally empty crops, he/she was in really bad shape, so i got him/her in and set-up a nest under a lamp. We didn't have any rearing food so i mixed up some water and egg and biscuit, took the maw seeds out of e&b. Got home with the rearing mix, was half expecting to find him/her dead, but he/she was still kicking. He/she is looking a lot better now, will post some progress photos later on.

Can't foster it into another nest?
Good luck with you parenting if not.
Sounds like a very difficult task.
LML

Are you crop feeding or spoon ? Well done for making an effort just remember to keep everything sterile as the little gut often lacks the correct bacteria to cope with funky germs when being hand fed , and a probiotic when he/she is doing better will sort this out ....good luck

Thanks guys, unfortunately fostering is not an option. Deb im kinda spoon feeding with a syringe, yer im making sure everythings really really clean. Are all probiotic powders the same or are others better than others?

I used a soluble one in powder form but if I remember rightly Acidofilous yoghurt was a better option and cheaper , i went for convenience as I was working longer hours ...Do some homework on the subject coz the gut needs loading with the right bacteria so the bird will fend off bad cooties and grow well.
Has a quick look and probiotics for hand reared birds googled in had a good few pages of info.

ok, will do. Thanks very much for your help Deb.

hows the little one going?

He/she is doing pretty darn well Deb, I'm surprised at how well he/she has bounced back. He/she had his/her first day at work with me today and was very popular. Here's a pic i took before.

thats fantastic keep us up to date with pics and tips ....your doing well.

Got my fingers crossed for your success.
I do recall reading something about applesauce for handfeeding, something about helping with bacteria. Will have a search for it and post.

Ok found it......
its at the bottom of the article under "Problems to prevent and watch for"

http://www.finchinfo.com/breeding/handfeeding.php