Question 'bout a found baby bird

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#1
Hi all!! I know it's been a while, sorry about that. With summer here we're doing the car show/racing things a couple times a week and I was going to the gym every day(though money's low for a while so I'm having to cut that out for just a bit) plus we've been doin' a few CHEAP mini vacations here and there - no big ones this year - again, money's low...we're trying to pay extra on the house and cars for a while to try to pay them off faster. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have a car payment or house payment each month, that'd be AWESOME!! Also I've been real busy painting and wall papering and putting down new floors etc. Anyway - it's like 2:00 am here and I can't sleep at all. About an hour ago I was in the living room on the couch with the dogs watching cartoons (yep - I still LOVE cartoons!!) when I heard a bird chirping. Now I hear birds chirping all the time but this was like an hour ago and I know it's awful late for birds. Plus it was sooo close I thought it had to be on the porch. I just knew it was one of the cats killing another bird (we've had 2 mice, one mole and 3 birds left on our porch the last 3 days). I rushed to the door to find one of my girls with two baby birds in her mouth. As soon as she saw me she knew she was in trouble so she dropped them and ran in the house. One was already dead but the other is actually in real good shape. I have no clue where they come from or I would put it back in it's nest but I'm also afraid she'll find it again so right now it's in a box in the garage. It's so cute and it's only about the size of a golf ball. I think it's asleep now but I'll try to get pics of it if it's still okay tomorrow. (I know - I'm also supposed to be getting ya'll pics of our not-so-new anymore pit-puppy cisco too, who by the way is growing like a weed and is sharp as a tack!! Already takes good baths and lets me clip his toenails and brush his teeth and coat and is potty trained and knows to sit and kiss and was 11 weeks old on saturday and is 15 lbs...anyway back to the subject...) The bird can't be more than a week or so old, 3 at the most. I have no clue what to feed it or how and i-be-darned if I'm going to chew worms and spit them out to feed it (although as much as I'd hate to I'd probably find some and crush them if I had to). A guy that I work with's wife works as a wildlife rehabilitator and takes in all kinds of wild animals to care for (they have a stray emu now-very funny long story). I know they'd take it but I won't see him agian until Tuesday and I have no clue how to get a hold of them until I see him then - their # is unlisted and I don't think it'd live without food or water that long - even if it could I'd hate to make it do that. Does anyone know what to feed it or how? Right now I have some crushed up (powdered) bird feed mixed with water to a paste for it but I'm afraid to feed it that, it's digestive system must be so delicate right now I know that can't be good for it. I'm going to do some research as soon as I post this to see if I can find what type it is and how to feed it but I know ya'll know tons about everything so I was hoping that someone else who may know was having trouble sleeping too and might happen to be on here. Anyone out there?? Ya'll have any ideas on the subject?? Any and all help would be most appreciated!!
 
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#3
When I was young we found a nest that had fallen out of an eave over a parking garage. Two of the chicks were dead, but the third made it. Ugliest little thing I've ever seen, but still cute at the same time. :) Our vet had us soak cat kibble in water for 10 to 15 minutes until it was really squishy, then feed it to him with a pair of tweezers. All you had to do is drop it in; his head was mostly mouth anyway. When he was done, he shut the mouth. We just kept him in his nest, put the nest on a folded towel, and put the towel on a heating pad turned on "low". We had to alternate putting him on the heating pad and taking him off every 15 minutes so he wouldn't get too hot or too cold. It was easy enough and it kept him alive until the wildlife rehab came to get him. He turned out to be a little starling (a much-hated invasive species), but he was released when he got old enough and I don't regret helping him out when he needed it.
 

smkie

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#4
the very best thing is to call your nearest nature sanctuary and see where you should take the bird..here they won't take it if you have had it more than 24 hours so that has to be done post haste..that is the very best upon best thing you can do..if that doens't work you need to realize that if you keep it, what the laws are about native song birds in your area ...can type out a long story of a lesson learned on that one but i will spare you) ...and then if you are still willing..you need to figure out what kind of bird it is, and without a pic i can't help you there. You need to know that first because birds like doves received what is known as crop milk..a partial digested food where as robins and jays and such you can mix up soaked dog food, mixed with cooked egg yolk.and other stuffs..let me know what you decided to do and if you need the formula for insect eaters i will call mom and get it for you..if it is a dove i can't help..i never found a good substitute tho believe me i tried. I hope you can reach your nature sanct. because they can not only bring it up they have the resources to rehabilitate it. one thing you can not do is teach the baby bird to water proof it's feathers..that is something they learn from their parents so often people raise and release only for the bird to become drenched in the first downpour and die a hard death.
 

bubbatd

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#5
I agree with the partially digested food .... better chew up some bugs and worms and feed the poor thing !
 
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#6
Thanks guys for the advice and suggestions. I went online and found a ton of info. I made a temporary incubator for it for last night and fed it some mushed up puppy food. This morning it was chirping and hopping all around it's box just fine - I know it would have froze to death last night for sure. They said it's supposed to be kept 80-90 degrees at all times!! Anyway, I found where I thought it came from like the websites said and I set it out on the ground and then waited. I made sure my cats were inside. They said to wait 2 hours and keep watch for predators and that within that time the mother should come back for it (if not I would have had to keep it until tomorrow to give to the wildlife rehabilitator I know, I'm much happier that it could be saved this way, it's better for the bird). Sure enough it did so it's a happy ending. Now I know what to do incase it happens again ( I so hope it doesn't though). I had to hurry to get all this done this morning so I didn't have a chance to get any pictures but trust me - it was sooo cute!! Thanks again!!!
 

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