TigerTeaux
New member
Hopefully someone has some suggestions for me...
While we were on vacation, a pair of mockingbirds set up shop in a very small shrub outside my door. About a week after I noticed their nest, we had 4 baby birds chirping. Oddly enough, the Mamma/Daddy never attacked us, they would just fly away when we walked outside. Babies were about 4 days old when I last saw the Mom. On day 5, I noticed there was no peeping so I looked and all birds were dead except ONE. I took it in and have been hand feeding the little guy (Exact bird food and cut up mealworms) for almost 2 weeks now, around the clock. (I know.... I know.... wild birds shouldn't be raised by just anybody but I couldn't live with knowing he would have died like the others if I left him.) He's fully feathered now and can fly a short distance. He will be 3 weeks old Friday.
He refuses to eat on his own and anything other than the Exact bird food mush. Even if I cut up raisins and give him a teeny piece, he spits it out!! I've tried leaving food in various containers in his cage but he ignores it. I've started calling him Angry Bird because if I delay feeding him to see if he'll figure it out, he puffs up and screeches at me!! He doesn't peck at anything, even out of curiosity.
How do I wean this bird???
I know it's my fault for hand raising a wild bird, but honestly he was so close to death when I took him, I never thought he'd make it this far.
While we were on vacation, a pair of mockingbirds set up shop in a very small shrub outside my door. About a week after I noticed their nest, we had 4 baby birds chirping. Oddly enough, the Mamma/Daddy never attacked us, they would just fly away when we walked outside. Babies were about 4 days old when I last saw the Mom. On day 5, I noticed there was no peeping so I looked and all birds were dead except ONE. I took it in and have been hand feeding the little guy (Exact bird food and cut up mealworms) for almost 2 weeks now, around the clock. (I know.... I know.... wild birds shouldn't be raised by just anybody but I couldn't live with knowing he would have died like the others if I left him.) He's fully feathered now and can fly a short distance. He will be 3 weeks old Friday.
He refuses to eat on his own and anything other than the Exact bird food mush. Even if I cut up raisins and give him a teeny piece, he spits it out!! I've tried leaving food in various containers in his cage but he ignores it. I've started calling him Angry Bird because if I delay feeding him to see if he'll figure it out, he puffs up and screeches at me!! He doesn't peck at anything, even out of curiosity.
How do I wean this bird???
I know it's my fault for hand raising a wild bird, but honestly he was so close to death when I took him, I never thought he'd make it this far.
