Does anyone know how to care for a baby barn swallow?

[QuackerMama]

I found a baby barn swallow today, and I know that the mama is probably aware that it's out of the nest (it wasn't far from it), but the only thing keeping me from putting it back in the nest is that it's got a deformed foot. It's got me thinking that perhaps it got pushed out of the nest because of it?I have it in an ice cream bucket filled with hay and dried grass where I found it, and the bird seems to be perfectly fine besides his foot. The adult birds keep coming to the bucket but not feeding the baby. He looks to be about fledged, but not quite.

 

[tacothechicken]

Can you hang the bucket sideways or put the chick out on a flat surface? Barnswallows don't land to feed usually post the chicks fledgling but if they won't feed chick, try small wax worms as food and either tap area beside chick or blow air to trigger feed response. You can use prongs to feed but if so be very carefully as it can damage their mouth. Also if you can mimic mom's feeding sounds as you do it they'll usually get the hint

 

[tacothechicken]

Also can you post picks of foot? Sometimes there just not developed looking due to age of bird such as chick not being fledgling aged.

 

[QuackerMama]

I will get something to place the chick on. I'm just worried about ants getting him, which is why I put him in a bucket in the first place. One of his feet is normal, claws and toes all formed right, looks like a bird foot. The other is smaller, kinda nubbly and folded underneath him. But i peeked at him earlier and he was sitting up and chirping for food. I'll see if putting the baby on a flat surface will help.

 

[QuackerMama]

Got some pics while moving the baby to a flat surface:

His little hurt foot is black and curled. He was grasping that hay pretty tightly with his good foot. Here's what I put him on:

Do you think he'll be alright on there?

 

[Ladybird CA]

are you going to keep him inside? Just thinking of predators that can get to him. At this point it doesn't look like his parents will go back to him/her

 

[Broodygranny]

I can't say if it is a good idea or not. That is up to you. If you want to give it some food while it is outside, then you can feed them baby food. Mix about one part baby food meat with twice as much baby food grains. Put it in a Ziploc bag. Snip off a small bit of one bottom corner, then when the chick opens its mouth to eat squeeze a tiny bit in its beak. Be careful not to give it huge bites. I hope its mom starts to feed it because they eat about every 20 minutes all day. I hope it works out. It is so cute! I also want to add, I am talking about the baby food in a jar, because it has to be moist. If you use egg yolk and the powdery baby food grains then add water to the consistancy of thick pudding.

 

[QuackerMama]

I'm hoping to not have to keep him inside because I'm not sure if I could take proper care of him with my busy schedule. I'll keep an eye on him and my cats, and I'll move him indoors in a safe place during the night/rain.

 

[QuackerMama]

Still watching for the parents. They're acting interested but wary.

 

[tacothechicken]

So now the issue is that that baby is weeks from fledging needs to eat every 15-20 min and that bad foot may not be worth leaving him to his parents...they are cliff birds and need to be capable of grasping thin reeds and hanging at 90-45 degree angles off walls and cliffs which it looks like he won't accomplish plus they are high flying migratory birds who won't wanna live in a house at adulthood. I'd advise a wildlife rehabber take him in as soon as you can find one so he can live a good life to adulthood and onwards swallows are the hardest things to raise I actually raise wild colonies and generally sneak abandoned babies into other nests of the same age since our nearest rehabber is 4 hrs away