How to Spoon Feed a Baby Bird

Spoon feeding a baby bird is necessary when the parents of the bird are unable or unavailable to feed it. Having a human feed a baby bird does have a few benefits, according to the Petalia website, "The hand-raised baby usually makes a better pet as it has been completely socialized with humans." At the same time you should exercise extreme caution when spoon-feeding a baby bird as improper feeding could hurt or kill your pet.

Things You'll Need

  • Scale
  • Commercial hand-rearing formula
  • Thermometer
  • Spoon
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Instructions

    • 1

      Weigh your baby bird. Calculate 10 percent of its weight. That's how much food you should feed it.

    • 2

      Prepare the commercial hand-rearing formula exactly according to the directions. Do not add any other ingredients unless specified by a veterinarian.

    • 3

      Test the temperature of the food with a food thermometer. Baby birds won't eat food that's too cold and food that's too hot could potentially kill them. Food should be between 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 4

      Stretch the baby bird's neck straight up carefully and, according to the Pet Place website, "support the head with one hand, with your thumb and forefinger placed gently at either side of the upper beak close to where it comes out of the skin."

    • 5

      Tilt the spoon with a nickel-sized amount of food toward the baby bird's mouth and let it swallow some.

    • 6

      Wait a few seconds and give the bird a few more spoonfuls until it has eaten enough food to equal 10 percent of its body weight.