HELP! Trying to save baby sparrows!

[ellie97]

Yesterday I found two orphaned baby sparrows in very bad condition (not injured, just cold and starving) Their two sibs were already dead and mom was nowhere to be found. Anyway, all has been going fairly well except the smaller one has been having some eating problems. What he does is he takes the food (sometimes he gapes, othertimes he's forcefed, because I don't want him to starve) and sometimes swallows it, but most of the time just holds it in the back of his mouth and starts opening his mouth really wide and then closing it again and again like he's having a hard time breathing. As soon I get the food out, he's fine within a matter of seconds. I'm afraid he's not getting enough to eat...he's only eating a mouthful every 30-45 minutes...what should I do? What's wrong with him? The other baby is completely normal and fine.
p.s.-They eat this recipe:
1 boiled egg yolk
1 single serve regular applesauce
1 cup soaked dry cat food
Water as needed for proper consistency
They sleep in a little bowl (one of those single-serve cereal ones) with shredded up toilet paper. They were using hot water packs and a heating pad at first but now they only need the heating pad.

 

[equine623]

Without actually seeing the behavior one can only speculate on what he is doing. It sounds more like he is hungry/starving though, if he's only taking in a mouthful every 30-45 min.

Any idea what type of sparrow? Are they feathered? Downy? Pink and naked?

What are you using to feed? (I mean the implement, not what kind of food - I saw the recipe) Are you certain the food is going past the opening in the tongue to avoid aspiration?

Are they pooping? What is the consistency and color?

And finally, have you contacted a rehabber?

 

[animalpro24]

I'm am pretty sure they should be getting food a lot more than that. We have starling parents in a whole in our roof and the parents are going in and out for at least an hour, different times of the day, bringing food in every couple of minutes.