How to Feed Newly Hatched Birds

It's hard to leave a newly hatched bird outside when you know it has little chance of survival. If you make the decision to care for a baby bird, be aware that it has to be fed every 14 to 20 minutes from sunset to sunrise, or it will die. A baby bird must be given a proper diet that is rich in protein. Canned dog or cat food, raw kidney or liver can be fed to baby birds, but you have to know how to get them to eat.

Things You'll Need

  • Tweezers
  • Dog biscuits
  • Milk
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • 1/4 cup lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp. cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup canned dog food
  • 1 tsp. dried turtle food
  • 1 tsp. fine dirt
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Instructions

  1. Prepare Food

    • 1

      Soak a dog biscuit in milk until it is very soft. Break it into tiny pieces.

    • 2

      Mash an egg yolk with the back of a spoon and mix it with enough water to form a thin paste. Five to 10 drops should be enough.

    • 3

      Cut an egg white into small strips.

    • 4

      Mix together 1/4 cup lean ground beef, 1 tsp. cottage cheese, 1/4 cup canned dog food, 1/4 hard-boiled egg yolk, 1 tsp. fine dirt and 1 tsp. dried turtle food. Keep some of the mixture at room temperature for feeding and refrigerate the rest.

    Feeding

    • 5

      Place your hand gently over the bird's back and lift its head.

    • 6

      Tap the beak slightly to indicate that it is time for feeding. Your bird should open its mouth. If it does not, gently open it.

    • 7

      Drop a small amount of food into the bird's mouth with tweezers. Get the food into the throat, if possible.

    • 8

      Keep feeding the bird until it closes its mouth.

    • 9

      Repeat every 15 minutes to 20 minutes.