Page 670 - Hand rearing birds second

Small Insectivores 671

Figure 43.3 Hatchling diet portioned into small freezer containers for storage, and into syringes when
thawed.

Mix well. Draw the slurry up into 1 cc syringes and store in the fridge. Warm each syringe of food
in a warm‐water bath before feeding. Discard unused food at the end of the day. Attach a cannula
tip to a 1 cc syringe, especially when feeding tiny hatchlings, such as of wrens and Bushtits.
Possible additions to the slurry:
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A dab of Pancrezyme : Pancrezyme provides pancreatic enzymes to pre‐digest the food and may be
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beneficial for hatchlings of species who are fed regurgitant, such as woodpeckers and possible oth-
ers – do your research. Pancrezyme could also be added when using this diet for emaciated birds.
A speck of feces from a healthy adult conspecific for the first feeding of the day only. This may
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help establish good gut flora. Do this ONLY for hatchling birds who may not have received a
food/saliva transfer from their parents and may have arrived with a sterile GI tract.

Nestling,­Fledgling,­and Adult­Diet
When purchasing cultivated insects for small insectivores, order small and mini sized mealworms,
not to exceed ½ in. (1.25 cm) in length for fledglings, and ¼ (0.6 cm) for nestlings. Pinhead crickets