Do wild baby birds need grit?

[lazy gardener]

I'm guessing that baby birds get all the moisture they need from what Mama feeds them. Contact a bird rehab center. What kind of bird is it? That's important information. Without that bit of information, a rehabber can't give you good advice. Can you get a photo, and e-mail it to the rehab center?

 

[cassie]

Thank you!
I got up this morning and the bird looks really sick! He isn't standing up anymore he's laying on his side with his eyes closed but he was doing great great yesterday. Do you know whats the matter with him? He seems like he's dying! He seems to weak to even eat.
Please help!

He may have gotten chilled. Put a little Karo syrup on his tongue for instant energy and warm him up.

 

[cassie]

When I raised baby birds, I fed them moistened dog food. Evidently there was sufficient water in food because I never had trouble with baby birds getting dehydrated.

 

[Aerliss]

Worms are a good source of liquid, but you could also dip them in water before feeding, for a little extra.

How much have you been feeding? Baby birds have tiny stomachs but are ravenous. Parents will feed small amounts throughout the daylight hours. Could be you're not feeding enough.

It's imports to know what kind of bird it is, so you're giving it the right food. In the wild babies will get a wide range of foods, depending on the species. But I think the wet dog food is a good plan, as it'll be fortified with all the important nutrients for life, just not necessarily in the perfect proportions.

Find a rescue or rehabber and have a good chat with them.

 

[cassie]

Worms are a good source of liquid, but you could also dip them in water before feeding, for a little extra.

How much have you been feeding? Baby birds have tiny stomachs but are ravenous. Parents will feed small amounts throughout the daylight hours. Could be you're not feeding enough.

It's imports to know what kind of bird it is, so you're giving it the right food. In the wild babies will get a wide range of foods, depending on the species. But I think the wet dog food is a good plan, as it'll be fortified with all the important nutrients for life, just not necessarily in the perfect proportions.

Find a rescue or rehabber and have a good chat with them.

Just a comment. If you are raising baby birds, a few worms would be OK, but they are mostly water and you would have to feed quite a few of them for the babies to get enough to eat. Obviously the dog food is far more nutrient dense. I fed the babies several times a day during the daylight hours, and when they are hungry they will let you know. If you are not sure, they will open their mouths when you approach, and the wider their mouths are open, the hungrier they are. When the babies were all feathered out and able to fly, I would hang their cage on a tree branch for a day or two. Then I would open the door. I would leave the cage there with food and water in it for a few days. Sometimes the babies would come back to rest and feed and some I never saw again.

 

[sassysarah]

Thanks guys for all the info, but he died this morning. I buried him in my field. On all the sites I read it said don't give the bird water! It said it gets it from the worms and the some other foods you give it. So I didn't. I feel terrible that I didn't know any better.
Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[cbass422407]

Nice try anyway!

 

[cassie]

I don't know if this will make you feel better or worse, but I have raised a lot of baby birds. I never gave any of them water until they were able to eat by themselves and were hopping around the cage. At that time they had both food and water available. When they were able to fly, I prepared them for release as I mentioned earlier. I am sorry you lost him but you will be better prepared next time.