- May 11, 2008
- 288
- 13
- 291
I think they are Carolina Wren eggs. I've seen lots of wren nests and eggs before. They will nest in cavities or sheltered areas such as a thick pine tree.
First of all, I do hate to say this, but it is illegal to raise them without the proper license. Your best bet is to call a licensed bird rehabilitator.
Now, if you plan to incubate and raise them on your own, that is your decision. You can use handfeeding formula from the pet store, even though it says not to use with wild birds. You don't have to feed the babies throughout the night, since they would not eat at night in the wild anyways.
This is from my own experience, as I have raised many baby birds in the past.......
You should use a tiny instrument, like the end of a pen cap or a flat toothpick, and mix up a tiny amount of food. Not too thick or runny. Put it in the tiny baby's mouth when it opens. In the beginning, you'll have to feed them several times per hour, from sun up to dusk. Every time they open their mouths, feed them. You won't need to give them water in the early days. There is enough moisture in the formula. Make sure it's not too runny though, because the baby can accidentally breathe it in.
These babies will grow quickly--about 2 weeks, and they'll be feathered. However, it is a huge commitment to raise baby birds. You must take them with you wherever you go throughout the day, to be able to feed them. They must be kept warm too. When I raised mine, they lived in my R-com incubator for the first week. My little incubator was portable, so if I had to go somewhere, I could plug it in to my car lighter converter, and we would take the babies with us.
Here is the not-so-fun part....once they learn to fly, they must learn to eat. On their own. So, you must still handfeed them while teaching them how to eat! You will still need to care for them for a few more weeks still. If they are wrens, they will be attracted to a variety of foods later, but mostly insects for now. You should order mealworms, and the wriggling worm will stimulate their urge to eat. But, baby birds need to learn how to pick up food with their beaks. It will take a lot of patience on your end while they learn. You can also cut up food into bite sized pieces, like eggs, grapes, or whatever else you've read that your bird eats. Wriggling insects catch the bird's attention, so that's why they are good to teach with.
If you've gotten this far with your babies, then I can write more later. There is still more that goes into teaching them how to be independent, so I can write about that when the time comes.
Please keep us updated.
First of all, I do hate to say this, but it is illegal to raise them without the proper license. Your best bet is to call a licensed bird rehabilitator.
Now, if you plan to incubate and raise them on your own, that is your decision. You can use handfeeding formula from the pet store, even though it says not to use with wild birds. You don't have to feed the babies throughout the night, since they would not eat at night in the wild anyways.
This is from my own experience, as I have raised many baby birds in the past.......
You should use a tiny instrument, like the end of a pen cap or a flat toothpick, and mix up a tiny amount of food. Not too thick or runny. Put it in the tiny baby's mouth when it opens. In the beginning, you'll have to feed them several times per hour, from sun up to dusk. Every time they open their mouths, feed them. You won't need to give them water in the early days. There is enough moisture in the formula. Make sure it's not too runny though, because the baby can accidentally breathe it in.
These babies will grow quickly--about 2 weeks, and they'll be feathered. However, it is a huge commitment to raise baby birds. You must take them with you wherever you go throughout the day, to be able to feed them. They must be kept warm too. When I raised mine, they lived in my R-com incubator for the first week. My little incubator was portable, so if I had to go somewhere, I could plug it in to my car lighter converter, and we would take the babies with us.
Here is the not-so-fun part....once they learn to fly, they must learn to eat. On their own. So, you must still handfeed them while teaching them how to eat! You will still need to care for them for a few more weeks still. If they are wrens, they will be attracted to a variety of foods later, but mostly insects for now. You should order mealworms, and the wriggling worm will stimulate their urge to eat. But, baby birds need to learn how to pick up food with their beaks. It will take a lot of patience on your end while they learn. You can also cut up food into bite sized pieces, like eggs, grapes, or whatever else you've read that your bird eats. Wriggling insects catch the bird's attention, so that's why they are good to teach with.
If you've gotten this far with your babies, then I can write more later. There is still more that goes into teaching them how to be independent, so I can write about that when the time comes.
Please keep us updated.
Last edited:
