How to Hand-Feed a Bird With a Pipette

A pipette is a useful tool for hand feeding baby birds because it allows you to get the food down into the bird's mouth where it can swallow. If you have ever watched a momma bird feed her young, you will see that she sticks her beak all the way down the open beak of the baby bird. You need to do the same thing and a pipette allows you to do that. It also allows you to slowly push food out so that the baby bird can swallow small amounts of food at a time until it is full.

Things You'll Need

  • Electrolyte solution
  • Pot
  • Thermometer
  • Bowl
  • Scissors
  • Commercial baby bird food formula
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Instructions

    • 1

      Schedule regular feeding times based on the bird's age. One recommended schedule is to feed baby birds under 1 week old every 2 hours round the clock. If you need to, set a really loud alarm that goes off every 2 hours, even at night. Feed every 3 hours if your baby is between 1 and 3 weeks old with a 4-hour break in the middle of the night. Feed every 4 to 5 hours for baby birds between 3 and 5 weeks of age. For older babies, feed them as needed by observing how much food they eat on their own and the size of their crop.

    • 2

      Heat an electrolyte solution to between 105 and 108 degrees Fahrenheit in a pot over the stove. Use a thermometer while heating to ensure the correct temperature. Baby birds are very sensitive and food fed at the wrong temperature can kill.

    • 3

      Fill the pipette with the heated electrolyte solution. Keep a bowl of warm water at the same temperature as the solution nearby to keep the pipette warm while the baby is swallowing. The solution in the pipette will cool quickly as it contacts the cooler room temperature. If your pipette has a sharp tip, remove it or cut it with a pair of scissors so that you don't stab the bird during feedings. Place the filled pipette in the bowl of warm water.

    • 4

      Pick up the baby bird gently and hold it in your palm with its head between your index and middle finger. Gently stick the end of the pipette into the left side of the bird's beak. Push the pipette so one drop is released. Watch to see if the bird swallows it. If your bird refuses to eat after several tries, check the temperature of the solution to make sure it is warm enough. If it still refuses, put it back in its brooder or nest box and try again in 15 minutes. If it swallows the first drop, continue giving it drops until its crop is gently rounded.

    • 5

      Look for an empty crop. The electrolyte solution is fed as the first hand-fed meal to ensure that the bird's digestive tract is working. The crop should also empty after a time. Once you see that the crop is emptying itself, you can now begin feeding your bird commercial formula.

    • 6

      Mix commercial baby bird food formula according to the manufacturer's instructions. Keep it diluted for young birds under a week old and thicken it on a weekly basis as the bird grows and can have more food in its crop.

    • 7

      Heat the commercial formula to the proper temperature. Fill your pipette with the solution and place it in a bowl of warm water at the same temperature as the formula. Gently place the baby bird in your palm with its head between your index and middle finger. Gently insert the end of the pipette into the left side of the bird's beak and give it a drop or two. Wait to see if it swallows it. Let it breathe and give it another drop or two. Increase the number of drops as the bird gets older and can swallow more. Feed until the crop is gently rounded.