Baby canarie

[Tenesexx]

I have taken in one baby canarie from the 4 that have hatched a few days ago as it seems weak? It's quite sleepy and not as loud as its siblings is it near death or baby canaries meant to be this sleepy? I just want to help it out I'm feeding it hand rearing food for canaries and anyone know how often? It's also the smallest from the rest by a bit

 

[sourland]

Are you providing supplemental heat ?

 

[Tenesexx]

Are you providing supplemental heat ?

Yes iam I think it's fine now outside was pretty cold and the mum wasnt on them for a bit now she is though and I've been feeding the baby now it sleeps after its fed

 

[JaeG]

Keep it warm and toasty so it can digest its food. Feed it when it's crop is almost empty. I've hand reared finches a few times when necessary and I started out feeding hourly, and you are supposed to feed them all night as well but I could never get them to wake up and feed, so I'd leave them between about 10pm and 5am.

If it hasn't been getting enough food it will take awhile to get its strength back. I'd be tempted to take the next smallest baby to rear with it. It's more active begging should encourage this little one to beg too, and, unlike their mother, you'll still make sure the littlest gets sufficient food too. They'd keep each other warmer too.

 

[Tenesexx]

Keep it warm and toasty so it can digest its food. Feed it when it's crop is almost empty. I've hand reared finches a few times when necessary and I started out feeding hourly, and you are supposed to feed them all night as well but I could never get them to wake up and feed, so I'd leave them between about 10pm and 5am.

If it hasn't been getting enough food it will take awhile to get its strength back. I'd be tempted to take the next smallest baby to rear with it. It's more active begging should encourage this little one to beg too, and, unlike their mother, you'll still make sure the littlest gets sufficient food too. They'd keep each other warmer too.

I read online that you should only feed them 3 to 5 times a day and that you dony need to feed them at night but this little buddy is always hungry every 20 mins or so

 

[JaeG]

I read online that you should only feed them 3 to 5 times a day and that you dony need to feed them at night but this little buddy is always hungry every 20 mins or so

I'd go with what your baby needs and forget what you read online, especially if he wasn't fed enough by the parents. He'll be making up for lost time. YouTube is often a good place to find videos of people doing what you're doing.

If he wasn't being fed enough his crop would have shrunk, but now that he's getting regular feeds it will slowly adjust and gradually he will be able to go longer between feeds.

Only once my finches were well on their way to weaning did I drop them down to 3 feeds a day and they were the bigger Java finches.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Do you have hand rearing formula? Are you planning to spoon feed or syringe feed the chick? If it's only a few days old, it will need to be fed often (including through the night). When it gets older you can start introducing a gap in the night.

Here's the link to a page about hand raising
https://birdsville.net.au/hand-raising-baby-birds/
It is mainly about parrots, but it can also work for other birds. It also has a guide for feeding intervals.

I also have a chart from a hand raising book I have

This is for finches, but it can be used as a guideline for canaries.

 

[Tenesexx]

I'd go with what your baby needs and forget what you read online, especially if he wasn't fed enough by the parents. He'll be making up for lost time. YouTube is often a good place to find videos of people doing what you're doing.

If he wasn't being fed enough his crop would have shrunk, but now that he's getting regular feeds it will slowly adjust and gradually he will be able to go longer between feeds.

Only once my finches were well on their way to weaning did I drop them down to 3 feeds a day and they were the bigger Java finches.

What do you do during the weaning period I'm very new to this I know you still have to feed the formula but what else

 

[JaeG]

What do you do during the weaning period I'm very new to this I know you still have to feed the formula but what else

The baby should instinctively start to peck at food at the point where its ready to fledge. Millet is generally an excellent first food and a little soaked seed is also good to offer initially. You can use your fingers to 'peck' at it and rub it between your fingers as if they are your beak and you are eating it. That can encourage them to explore it. As soon as it is in a proper cage and perching well provide a dish of water.

Keep me updated please. Your baby is a lot cuter than my naked Java finch babies were (but I still got very attached to them and thought they were the cutest things).

 

[Quailobsessed]

What do you do during the weaning period I'm very new to this I know you still have to feed the formula but what else

Like @JaeG said, millet and soaked seeds are good. Also, fresh vegetables are great because you can get softer textures for when they start weaning, and vegetables are super healthy for them and should be included in their main adult diet. About 80% of my parrots' diet is fresh vegetables (with about 15% pellets and the remaining 5% for treats).