Page 529 - Hand rearing birds second

Hummingbirds 527

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Table 34.2 Hatchling Recipe Option 1: Vivonex Plus.
Ingredient Amount

Water 33 ml
Vivonex Plus powder 8 g
B complex plus C tablet, crushed 1/20 tablet, to turn solution light lemon‐yellow color
Supplemented oil (see Table 34.6) 0.025 ml
Yogurt, plain live culture a 0.05 ml per ml diet fed
a Though some feel that the addition of a probiotic such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and its yogurt‐producing
relatives is beneficial, this author feels that adding a live bacillus to a rich medium is asking for contamination issues.

Table 34.3 Hatchling Recipe Option 2: Nektar Plus with whey.

Ingredient Amount

Water 30 ml
Nektar Plus 1 tsp
Nekton I vitamins 1/8 tsp
Whey powder 1/16 tsp

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Table 34.4 Hatchling Recipe Option 3: Vivonex Plus, Nekar
Plus, and whey.
Ingredient Amount

Water 50 ml
Nektar Plus 6.5 g
Vivonex Plus 1.5 g
Whey protein isolate 2 g

insect larvae can be added to the slurry or to the fluid mix. As with all baby birds, diverse foods are
always beneficial. “White” mosquito larvae, fruit flies, and dried versions of these – all are good
foods. Frozen tropical fish dealers have a variety of such foods to choose from. Cricket powder can
also be obtained commercially and is a very finely ground insect material. The innards of meal-
worms are not recommended because they seem to make the birds logy and unresponsive. It is
beneficial to add some recently live insects to the mixture to provide certain enzymes and microbes
that may not be present in the dried or preserved foods.
Tiny arthropods such as fruit flies, midges, leaf hoppers, or even brine shrimp can be fed whole
with forceps to gaping birds. The chitinous coverings of any of these little animals all break down
into tiny plates that can be digested without problems by baby hummingbirds.
“Bloodworms,” which are actually midge larvae (blood, red, or black), may be either live or fro-
zen, and should be drained on a paper towel before weighing. Crush the worms with a mortar and
pestle. Grind ingredients together, mixing well, and draw into a 1 ml syringe. Freeze stock and keep
amount in use very cold. A very small container in an ice‐filled thermos is an excellent way to keep
this food very cold between feedings.