Baby not eating enough

[chickabee]

The little chick I saved from the feather plucking mum wont eat much , im trying to feed him every two hours, but he just will not have a good feed, I'm getting worried that he is not getting enough tucker
He has just opened his eyes this arvo,.....I had not much hope that he would survive as he was near gone when I rescued him, but he is a little fighter, any suggestion on what I can do for him.

[Smiley]

You have not had the little for long..He will get better as time goes..try and feed him three hourly..That mite help...have you got the temp of the food right as well..They will not feed if it is a bit to cold...and if he is not brooded at the right temp that does not help as well..


Natalie



Natalie

[fischer]

Deb, Try a little Glucodin or glucose mixed with slightly warm water as well, just a small pinch of it in 100ml, Iv'e seen this work wonders reviving young and sick bird's .
Good luck with him, Tony

[chickabee]

No luck guys, think this was an up hill battle from the start, was hoping for a true miracle. He was so small, his siblings were nearly twice his size, he really was the runt in the litter. I had a talk with the chap at my local bird shop this morning, he said that the baby may have had a problem and even the parent would have known this, that’s why he was rejected and the other two sibling were well fed, she plucked the feathers of the two older ones but she didn’t even pluck his feathers, he said I did all that I could and that it’s just one of those things, most babies pull through and occasionally one wont. I think in the back of my mind I new that this chap was not well, but I had to give him the chance, as you just never know. I cried over the poor little bugger this morning. I even thought how he was number 13 that hatched. Anyway I’m not going to be very happy at all today so I have Merry in my office with me, she is a beautiful Latino that I rescued last year and she is an absolute darling.
Has anyone else gone thru this as I’m not coping and really need some support with my loss

[pollyparrot]

iam so sorry deb i know its hard i have lost a few baby tiels and of course wild life babies i have tried to save but it never ever gets any easier if it didnt upset u you wouldnt be the loving sweet kind friend we have all come to know we all know what u are going through and sympathise with u no end but u did your best and thats all anyone can do my sympathy love and hugs are with you:)
vicki

[kim1]

I really feel for you, I had this happen with a 3 day old ringneck this year, poor little guy fought for 3 days before he gave up, and I kept thinking the maybe's ie maybe if I had pulled him sooner instead of giving the parents a go, maybe I did something wrong and there may have been something else I should have done etc. It made me sad for a couple of weeks and I even thought about giveing up the breeding, I just couldn't stand the thought of it happening again, I was on the edge with all my handraised babies worrying about the things that could go wrong, and I even thought that I should have just left him to die instead of prolonging it by feeding him and trying to save him. Then I found one of my budgie chicks that another hen had attacked and chewwed off most of its skin on its head, blood everywhere etc, I asked hubby to just put it down but he wouldn't do it and I couldn't so I had to try to save it. Well it is now flying around my aviary ( although it has no feathers on its head because of the scarring) and it is the absolute boss and a real little character, I hadn't given it a chance but I guess it reinforced that all you can do is try, we can't predict the outcome, but good or bad we gave it a shot. Chin up you tried your best and the other two are doing well so you have saved them by putting them with other parents. Good job.

[fischer]

Deb, I'm sorry the little guy didn't survive, Its something I still havn't come to terms with in all my years of keeping bird's, you
have some win's and sometimes you don't, try to think of your
win's today, like Merry . When you breed bird's, occasionally you get a hatchling like this one and they don't respond to any treatment you can try, but you do have to try, and when you loose, it hurt's, but Deb, the victories far outnumber the losses,
try, today, to remember that, Merry is living proof .
Lot's of Hugs too,....Tony

[Smiley]

Yes it has happen to me as well..Your are not alone there It is very hard when these things do happen...And yes it is right if the parents dont feed them,there is normaly some thing wrong with them..But I always give them a go...Some do pull through,some dont.You tryed your best thats all you could do...Big (((hugs)))..remember you do have a heart..If not you would have not tryed to save the little one...I have two right now that I am doing..so far so good...



Natalie

[hillcresttiels]

Hi Deb sorry to hear of your loss as Mother Hen said nature has a way of doing things some right some wrong, but if a loss doesn't hurt the inside the Old Ticker then that person shouldn't be involved in Aviculture good luck with the rest and Chin up

Lots of hugggggs Frank

[chickabee]

Thanks for all your kind words and hugs, I new I would get the understanding that I need, you try and tell non birdie people and they just give you the “I know, its hard” saying and I hate that because you know that they really don’t care there just trying to be nice.
Today has been horrid, I have been so busy and all these darn phone calls, its hard to sound like your normal self when your heart is breaking, I wish I could have had the day off, I really felt like just chucking in breeding birds, its all too hard, I get too attached to the little buggers, god I wish I was a bit tougher and not such a softy.
Anyway as you all say time heals the hurt, but you never really forget the little ones that don’t make it.
I am so glad to have found your Aussiebirds forum John, it is the best thing in the world to come and chat with people that have the same passion for their animals. People that love animals have the kindest hearts and the best understanding, I am proud to know you all.

[pollyparrot]

i know what u mean about lack of understanding i remember when my lorikeet died was like part of me had died too but apart from family anytime i looked for sympathy as u do when u loose a loved one people would brush it off or some even actually laughed , i dont think they mean to be horrid they just dont understand and should be pittyed as they are missing out on such love being non bird lovers
hope u are felling a little better

[kim1]

No way can those who don't have birds understand the emotion we feel for these special little animals that enhance our lives so much, I have just been offered the money I have been asking for ,for my handraised baby ringnecks , by a petshop, I said no and my neighbour couldn't get his head around why I would say no when I would be getting what I asked for anyway, even after I explained that the shop puts all its handraised babies in one big box and lets all and sundry pick them up and cart them around and terrify them and the other birds in the box have mites and half their feathers twisted up or missing, he said " so what once you get your money it shouldn't worry you where they go". Well it proberbly would be easier if I didn't care where they go but I do and thats why I have too many birds I guess.

[josiedownunda]

Hi Deb,
Somehow it is those poor little frail ones that we get the most attached too. Its almost like somehow just by loving them that bit more we can give them the will to live and pull them through. I lost my first ever platinum chick that hatched to crop stasis. All his siblings were fine and he just shut down on me. I spent nearly 2 weeks with long nights and days, trying everything to no avail. I used to sit with him for hours nestled on my chest just patting him and talking to him trying to somehow perform a miracle. One night when it was time for his late feed I picked him up and he chirped at me as usual but I had a feeling the end was near. I just held him for a while and he nibbled my cheek and then laid his head on my hand and was gone. He had his own little teddy bear that he slept with and I have kept that as a reminder. I bawled like a baby for days and even now i still get tears thinking about him. His name was Trooper and he fought like one. I think back now and wonder if I was cruel trying to keep him going but I had to try. Here is a pic I took of him and his teddy near the end. He will always be very special to me!
Never feel silly for crying over a lost bird .....all of us here feel the same way at some point.......if we didn't get attached to them it would time to stop owning them.
You have my deepest sympathy Deb!



Jo-Anne

[pollyparrot]

i understand why u did it kim thats why i give my baby tiels away and dont advertise or go to the pet shop i wait until i see an ad in the paper or a sign up on a tree for someone whos heart is breaking after they lost their much loved companion the ones who offer rewards are even better as i know the bird means alot to them i then give them my condolences and tell them if they do no good with their advertising to get their baby back i have a lovely free baby needing a home its hard to find a lost bird so they often take me up on the offer and i know for sure the baby has gone to people who will love it for ever
i dont think ill ever be a good buisness woman:)

[AussieBirds]

You may never be a good business women Vicki but you will always be a good women. It never fails to amaze me the feelings that pour out on this forum to friends and, Im proud to say, family when there is a loss of a feathered friend. You lot make an old man very proud that he knows you all ;D ;D ;D.

John

[josiedownunda]

Well John I think all of us here are proud to know an old man like yourself too and be a part of his great forum! By the way I didn't know you were so old.......or maybe I am just a lot older than I think!!!LOL
Jo-Anne

[chickabee]

Hi again...it's me, and today I feel a bit better, actually I feel a lot better after reading all your posts this morning. It's comforting to know that we are not alone when things go wrong and that we all care so very much for our birdies.

John, you have the best bunch of friends here, it has become very much a family flock, all looking out and caring for each other when the need arises.

I have friday off, and I'm feeling the need to make some mischief tomorrow, so keep an eye out guys and see what I’ll get up too. I have a few things in mind

[Catbird]

Hey Deb,

Sorry to hear about your loss. It is an unfortunate part of birdkeeping. But luckily the weaker babies seem to be infrequent.

When ones like this die, I often wonder if it is all worth it? But then you see the joy and happiness you bird bring you and how happy they are breeding.

Good to hear you are feeling better. There was probably nothing you could have done, and at least you tried .

Chin up .... Claire

[kim1]

Oh Jo-anne you've got me bawling, I felt that pain before.

[josiedownunda]

Sorry Kim that wasn't the idea of the story..honestly though it got me bawling again while I was writing it! I believe though if we didn't get upset when these sad things occur then we need to really look at why we have birds at all. Anything we really love and cherish doing is filled with good and bad and if we can't cry during the bad times how can we really appreciate the good? I know personally with each chick I loose a little part of me dies too but then each time an awaited egg hatches the thrill and excitement makes me feel truly alive. I am sure most other breeders would agree!
Jo-Anne