robin eggs pipping

[adrian]

Please, read the link. Worms are not good.
Earth worms and any live worm is not good.
Earthworms can contain deadly parasites and bacteria that can harm a baby. The best bet is to use the moist cat food.

 

[Dirt Road]

Quote:
Somebody forgot to tell the 4 pairs of Robins raising youngsters in my yard!

Jim

 

[Akane]

Robins will eat a mixture of bugs and other things not just one food. Worms are not a sufficient diet. Cat food is a much better choice. Feeding can also be tricky. Do a search on google for how to feed altricial chicks. The information for hand raising parrots and pet birds mostly applies except they require a different diet and the amount will vary by bird size. It's easy for them to aspirate the food by placing it wrong or giving too much. You also want the food to be the proper temp. Both too cold or too hot and it will cause crop problems. Over feeding is actually a major cause of death in wild orphan animals. People try to get as much food as possible down them and end up causing digestive problems. You want to control the amount they are fed preferably by weighing the animal several times daily and feeding a percentage of their weight. The proper amount for each animal takes some searching to find. That's why wildlife rehabbers get training and information on these things. Aside from feeding altricial chicks will not regulate their temp like precocial chicks (chickens, quail, etc...) and move in and out of a heat lamp. You will have to maintain very specific temperatures where the babies are.

I had some very good links from when I hatched a robin egg after the nest got destroyed in a very bad storm. I don't remember them though and my computer has crashed since then losing all bookmarks. The information is out there and there was a very good blog by someone who really watched a robin nest and recorded everything. That's what helped me hatch the egg since they even put temp probes in the nest.

 

[shawnkfl]

you can also buy a tube of anchovie paste at the grocery store. they'll eat that right up and get plenty of protien from it. plus you won't have to grind up worms and bugs.

 

[adrian]

Quote:
Somebody forgot to tell the 4 pairs of Robins raising youngsters in my yard!

Jim

It has been said robins can somehow tell the difference between healthy vs. non-healthy earthworms... I don't know why, but every vet and wildlife rehabber I've talked to strictly said no earthworms.

 

[redhen]

First thing is..Do you know how to hand feed a baby bird? Do you know which side of the mouth to feed on? and remember dont force feed them..if they arent bobbing their head for the food..dont force food down the throat. it will choke them. MY friend saved a baby robin once with canned kitten food. you need to warm it and thin it a little bit also. hand feeding is very hard. Please be careful or you can asperiate the chick. good luck! also, dont over feed! keep checking its crop to see its not too full..that can choke it also.

 

[Akane]

Just because you see robins getting worms and feeding them doesn't mean they don't get lots and lots of other things as well. Even if we ignore the potential problems with worms and live food it's still not a complete diet by itself.

 

[redhen]

I'd use canned kitten food. My friends robin did fine on that. easier than trying to hunt up worms..IMO

 

[redhen]

What about Kaytee hand feeding formula. I think that works for any baby birds??

 

[ChickenSmitten]

I raised a Robin ( Woodstock) when I was a kid, all on worms from the concrete downspouts on apartment buildings a few blocks away that were full of decomposing leaves. i also carefully gave him little droppers full of water, a tried a little wet cat food... he loved the worms and grew fast and strong. I remember if you send the little worm down the wrong way it would crawl back out! That bird lived to fly around with me and follow me and go in the car to go for hikes in the country and screamed for his breakfast at my window until he started hanging out with some grown up Robins in the yard who took it from there, they left in the fall and I never know if I saw him a gain. Awesome bonding and memories!