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We hand-fed our 5 java rice birds from the time they were a few days
old. As they were very tiny and they were completely bald, we watched over
them very carefully. We fed them Kaytee Exact hand-feeding formula which
we bought from the pet shop. We fed them about every 2 hours when they were
very young, and increased that time as they got older.
We used the basic hand feeding principles that we learned from bird
books and from reading BIRD TALK magazine. Basically, we fed them enough
so their crops were almost full, and then didn't feed them again till we
saw their crops were just about empty. We did a night feeding (about 2
AM) up until the time they started to develop feathers and looked
stabilized.
I don't know if a night feeding was needed, but we did it just to be on
the safe side. We received the birds unexpectedly, so we just
used our instincts and luckily every thing worked out and they all thrived
without any problems. They were a most unplanned addition to our family,
but we developed a strong bond with them and they made wonderful pets and were a great joy to us.
When they were tiny, we placed them in a plastic animal carrier, and
used a heating pad to keep them warm (on the side of the box, not on the bottom) until they had enough feathers to keep warm themselves. When they were small, we hand-fed them with a small dropper, and fed them until they lost interest and started eating seeds on their own.
We used a parakeet mix. We also fed them vegetables, watermelon, romaine lettuce, broccoli, cucumber, sprouted wheat bread (They love this. Available at health food stores), granola, corn on the cob, etc. Experiment. I don't know how experienced you are with hand-feeding. If you aren't experienced, make sure you read books on it before you attempt it. It will give you some tips and confidence. We hand-feed wild birds only as we find babies that have fallen out of their nest.
We have had success with doves, a bulbos, a japanese white-eye. We also lost some babies and when that happens, we feel sad. Ask your pet store for tips. Check with other bird owners in your area. Hope this helps you with your baby birds.
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