Many people choose to adopt papiller birds to carry out the filial imprinting, in this way, the little pigeon recognizes us as its mother and acts with us in a familiar and close way, thus achieving a relationship beyond the usual.
However, getting a porridge bird forward is not an easy task We must be clear that it is a long process in which the bird You will need us constantly. Being such a small and fragile living being, the chances of it surviving if we do not have experience or are not properly informed are low.
In this article on our site we will detail with you everything you need to know to get ahead with a bird of these characteristics. Discover how to feed and care for baby food step by step.
Previous details you should know
Having a porridge bird and keeping it going is a wonderful experience, however, it is a very complicated job at risk of not surviving our young pigeon. If you are not going to be able to serve him 24 hours a day, do not consider adopting a papillero bird, better look for an adult and sociable one.
On the other hand, if we have found a bird in the forest or in the field, it is very important to go to the forestry to discard that is a bird endangeredFor example, the possession of goldfinches without a license is totally prohibited, especially that of females, which is illegal. If you are clear about it and want to know how to care for it and feed it properly, continue reading:
The papillero's nest
Upon arrival at home, the papillero bird should have its nest prepared so that the inconveniences of the trip are minimal and it can quickly acclimatizea your new residence.
Do not use plastic containers as they can reach too high temperatures as they are not breathable. You can make a wooden or cardboard box and cover the base with newspaper. Newspaper is very useful to be able to change the soil and avoid the accumulation of excrement, it is also perfect to conserve heat. We will place inside the box a small prefabricated nest where the papillero will rest. You can find the nest in any store. We will cover the open box with a cloth that provides privacy and conserves heat without being excessive.
The ideal nest for the papillero will be a basket type nest to be able to observe it without difficulties. To make your stay more comfortable and avoid problems of deformation of the legs, we recommend putting a padded base using goat hair for nests or coconut hair. You will also find these elements in a regular pet store.
On the other hand, comment that the box where the papillero resides will need to maintain a constant temperature of between 37ºC and 39ºC A lower or higher temperature could put the life of the chick at risk. To know what the real temperature of the box is, you can incorporate a classic thermometer in the box. To provide warmth we recommend using a thermal blanket, never directly in contact with the box. For this we can place a towel between the blanket and the box.
The feeding of the papillero
Papilleros will need a complete and quality food to be able to develop as they deserve. At this stage they still do not know how to feed themselves based on seeds, so we will have to prepare specific porridge according to their species specifically.
The main thing will be to go to a specialized bird shop and look for porridge for young of the species of our bird. Preparing the porridge is very simple: we must heat a small amount of water (to about 38ºC) and add the powder preparation until we form a homogeneous mixture, without lumps. It should not be too thick or too runny.
Emergency porridge
If you can't get a specific porridge for your little bird momentarily, you can make an emergency porridge. The necessary ingredients are as follows:
- Hot water
- Boiled egg
- Cuttlefish bone / Calcium
- Bread crumbs
- Additional features
The process is similar to the previous one, we must heat the water and add the ingredients. Use the grater to crumble a bit of the egg, a small amount of calcium or cuttlefish bone, and the breadcrumbs. We can also remove the calcium and directly add the eggshell, which has a high calcium content. As an extra we can add vitamins for birds, insectivorous paste or any other nutritional requirement that our pigeon needs.
Finally you must grind all the ingredients so that the chick can consume them without any problem. You can use a mortar or a mixer.
Feeding a baby food step by step
Once you have the porridge ready, you must insert it into a small syringe without a needleTest the pressure first, if it comes out correctly and if it is hot. Details are very important. You can get the syringe at any pharmacy, they are really cheap.
Identifying when the bird is hungry is very easy: it doesn't stop chirping and usually repeats itself every 3 or 4 hours Although there is a recommended amount for each species of bird, the ideal is that you yourself understand the needs of your pigeon by observing how its crop is filled.
At first, birds that have not been fed with a syringe may be reluctant (they do not understand what this instrument is about), so a little trick is to whistle imitating a bird, in this way the little one usually opens the mouth and that is when we are going to very slowly empty the syringe into his mouth. Take your time so you don't drown him. Offer spaced doses of porridge.
When you are feeding you will see how the bird's crop grows slowly until it is swollen. If you haven't seen it before, don't worry, you will see how a part of its neck enlarges and acquires a yellowish color, similar to porridge.
Little by little the pigeon will get used to feeding in this way and will hardly need stimulation to open its beak asking for more food.
Food bird care
Preparing its nest and feeding it regularly are the main cares of the papillero but there are more things you should know:
- Hygiene: Cleaning the "nest" and all the bird's utensils on a regular basis is very important to avoid infections and any problems of he alth related. By cleaning your environment you will also prevent your bird's feathers from being filled with feces (something that happens easily). You can clean the accumulated dirt on their feathers with baby wipes.
- Numbness: It is common for papilleros birds to suffer numbness and subsequent deformation of their legs if we do not take the appropriate measures to avoid it. Using goat hair in the nest, getting it used to perching on our fingers and exercising it minimally will be good ways to avoid it.
- Deworming: Especially if you have rescued a wild chick you should know that you should not deworm it until it reaches its adult stage. If you suspect that it may have mites or other parasites, better go to an exotic specialist or use dewormers for natural birds that cannot harm it. Remember that he is still too young to be exposed to such products.
When to put a baby food into the cage
Approximately, Between 3 weeks and a month and a half of life we will observe a change in our pigeon. It will begin to develop adult plumage and will lose the small gray feathers typical of this stage. At this time we will observe much more activity in his day to day and he will go from small flight attempts to long and sustained displacements.
When we observe this physical and behavioral change we should move him immediately to the cage so that he gets used to being in it. Also add the prefabricated nest so that it knows where to shelter and sleep since it won't know how to stay asleep on a branch yet. We definitely recommend large, horizontal cages so that the young bird can continue to exercise and experiment with flight.
At this time, your bird will be more developed so it will be time to start him on the seedsLeave a well-stocked feeder in his new residence so that he can learn to feed himself. Little by little you will observe how he discovers this new food.
Novices and their care
When the chick grows up and begins to acquire an adult figure and behavior is when they become novel. It is a complicated stage since they require the same attention as in their younger stage.
To begin with, it will be very important for our bird to be able to fly and exercise, even though it has a large cage for it, it will be very beneficial to be able to stay outside its habitat. Let your novel fly freely around the house for at least half an hour each day.
Songbirds should also enjoy listening to members of their species Search the Internet and offer your newcomer half-hour sessions and an hour of melody. In addition to teaching them to sing, you will be promoting a very important enrichment in their day to day.
Manipulating him will probably be very easy for you since you have been feeding him for a long time and he will be used to you. However, if you want to continue enjoying it, you must continue to get used to your presence. You can even think about training him using appetizing food.
Don't forget to comment to share your tricks or ask us what you think, we encourage you to continue browsing to find out…
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