In Depth Information on Breeding and Hand Raising

The  first week is critical as they are extremely delicate. Please make sure you are feeding full strength formula to aid in development. Their cells are replicating at a exponential rate and require the energy to build their body. Furthermore, make sure you are using an appropriate  size catheter- otherwise air can be trapped in the crop.

Day 7 to 8:Instead of kleenex use papertowels for the 'nest' in the brooder so they can have traction to prevent splay leg syndrome.

I  start to add in a thicker formula (2 parts water to 1 part formula like thin pudding). Since you have thicker formula, and you are feeding a larger quantity you can space out the feeding times to whenever the crop is empty- every 1.5 -2 hours, and 2-3 night feedings.  Watch for  dehydration, if signs are present immediately warm re-hydration fluid and provide 1ml every hour until the baby regains its color (never force liquid- tap the baby on the butt or the beak to engage a feeding response). Be careful to not underestimate dehydration, it can strike fast, and linger for days. Remember, dehydration is not just the fluid in the  crop/'belly' is it the fluids in the muscles, skin, etc. This takes some  time to replenish, and can often relapse.

Day 9: (eyes should be open).  Feed when the crop is empty every 2- 2.5 hours, (gradually stop night feedings over the course of the next 2 weeks). (images of growth on the  right hand side of this page toward the bottom). Note the color of skin-  while this can change depending on mutation- they skin should be close  to the original color of the hatchling- if it darkens, or looks  'leathery' or 'shiny' the bird is dehydrated.

Day 12: Pin feathers should be visible- starting with the head, wings and back.  Under the wings develope later, so do not be alarmed if there are bald  spots.

Temperature in the brooder can be slightly lowered to 90 degrees. 

At 16 days, I give one night feeding (10:45pm,  1:45am and 5:45am). However your birds may vary. Note that birds are  very transparent- depending on crop, skin and feces you can determine  cause and effect extremely easily and this is what you should gauge your  feedings on- not the side of a formula box. It may seem daunting or  frustrating at first, but soon it becomes abundantly clear.

18-21 days, the birds will fledge. I keep the room temperature at 78 degrees. Allow  ample physical therapy (do NOT leave them in the brooder all the time if  you desire tame birds).

At 21 days stop night feedings with last feeding 10:45pm and a early feeding (6:45am). Each bird is unique- so be sure to monitor each bird closely to ensure they are getting the proper nutrition.

I  may mix the formula closer to 1:1- (when feeding one bird, I use 3  parts water to 2.5parts formula- but all formula is different) this  thick formula is extremely nutrient dense and becomes a supplement  rather than a full diet once they start ingesting solid foods. They are transferred to a separate enclosure for muscle conditioning and training  as they now have feathers. During this time, they are offered millet,  sprouted seed, soaked pellets, egg food (or nestling food) and still are hand fed until they are fully weaned. However, with handfed babies,  many dont wean on 'schedule', and instead require had feeding up to 8  weeks, which can be extremely frustrating. DO NOT FORCE WEANING BY  LIMITING FOOD OR INCREASING SPACING OF FEEDINGS EARLY.

I  will note that as you become more comfortable with the process, your  babies will wean faster as you become more versed in the procedure.

Begin slowly lengthening time between feedings- at 25 days- weaning I am usually feeding every 4 waking hours. But please make sure they  are beginning to eat on their own. If they are not consuming solids,  then you must continue hand feeding. (more details below)

WEANING DETAILS:

This is what I consider the most complicated because you are not dealing with scientific fact, but rather individual choice and personalities of your birds. Furthermore you can have quite a large span of ages....depending on the clutch size (I usually have 6) that is almost a week difference.

Once birds are feathered out, offer "adult" foods such as sprouted seed, soaked pellets, finely chopped vegetables, millet sprays, egg food and a shallow dish of fresh water. You will have to 'teach' the bird to wean, simulating a 'pecking' behavior by tapping the new food items with your finger. Once they start to understand, then provide them with the seed mix they will be fed as adults in addition to other things.

The most  important items you can provide are sprouted seed, millet, egg food  apricots and vegetables. Leave apricots to a minimum, but they do  provide a very specific digestive enzyme that helps them break down the  food they are consuming.

Ultimate weaning food: Sprouted Spray Millet

Take Spray Millet, and place in strainer and submerge in water in glass dish. Rinse a few times a day for 24-48 hours

As soon as it starts to grow strands- You have the ultimate weaning food!
(refrigerate to prevent overgrowth/mold. you will use a lot of this- so keep it constantly growing). Regular sprouted seed is also good, but this is visually very pleasing to them.

During the weaning process, birds will often lose weight (10% - which can be  quite scary to the diligent breeder) however common, it should be  avoided. Offer more and more 'healthy' alternatives, but do not starve  the baby by limiting hand feedings or 'favorite items (such as millet).  This will inhibit growth, and cause premature death- also known as  'failure to thrive' in 2 months time, therefore it is important to monitor them closely.

This  is another reason I don't recommend hand feeding to anyone other than a  dedicated individuals. I hear numerous stories of people assuming 'no  night feedings because they are 2 weeks old). Baby birds are very  similar to humans- in fact, just a few protein short. The baby may be 3  weeks old, but still require hand feeding every 2 hours and supplemental  through the night). You need to be a mother bird- I witnessed in the  wild, and in captivity the rate of feeding, and each one in the nest is  unique.

Remember the proper amount of formula (10% bodyweight) and estimate what else they have consumed to prevent crop issues during weaning.  The crop does shrink as they start to wean- so please be mindful of the consumed amount of items beyond formula. I use a webcam to watch the birds during the day and assess the consumption rates.

Note about raising single babies:
Raising single babies may be the most difficult but the most rewarding. Finches are social, and often reliant on their companions. When finches are in the nest together, they utilize their nest mates for proper development:
Splay leg: Tightly packed in a nest prevents spay leg syndrome
Grooming: Mates help open pin feathers and therefore they can better control their temperature
Notification: One baby crying triggers a feeding response to everyone in the nest,  they also help them wean, which can prove difficult when hand feeding.
Companionship: To keep warm and emotionally healthy having other birds around.

If you are raising a single chick, you have to be very diligent and work extremely hard to provide the things above as if they did have the interaction of other nestlings and parents.

If you have a single  raised finch- be prepared that in the future, your finch may die of a  broken heart. Finches are such social creatures, they cant possibly be  left alone. Even as fledglings.... You will leave for work, and come  home to a dead bird- cortisone levels spike so high they can experience  strokes due to you (his flock) not present. They NEED you, to the point  where they will imprint on you, and if you are not there, they cease  functioning (eating, drinking). While having a 'velcro-bird' may sound  enjoyable, it is actually very dangerous so much care has to be taken to  determine if this method is something you wish to pursue and you are  prepared to give them at least one bird friend.    

RECOMMENDED METHOD FOR TAME FINCHES:

Note: I  am not referring to 'hand tame finch', but social and interactive  feathered friends. Following you through the home, doing commands, and  completely docile at all times. If you just desire a finch that will eat  from your hand in an enclosure (hand tame), this is not the process for  you. This is time consuming, and can only be accomplished as a young if  you are available full time. Purchasing a truly hand-raised finch with  this method is a solution for a long term feathered companion.

When  the finches are 1-1.5 weeks old, I will hand feed the babies inside the enclosure nest on occasion to  relieve the burden off of the parents. Finches are ready to be transferred into your care at about 2 weeks when they have ample feather development  (you may only take the older chicks- and leave the smaller ones with  the parents a few more days- but be mindful- the parents may abandon the  nest due to intrusion). During exceptionally hot weather, they may  develop faster- and cold weather may develop slower. A proper method for  testing readiness is to place your hand at the front of the nest before  the birds are fully feathered (pin feathers should begin opening): They  normally will beg for food and have the ability to move legs  independently, if they pull away (scooting their butt up in the air)  then you are too late and should allow the parents to raise the clutch  as they will not be 'companion tame'.

The chicks are transferred  to an aquarium/brooder with controlled temperature and humidity and hand fed  (every 2-4 hours depending on age) and are closely monitored (follow additives for hand feeding listed above).  Socialization is CRITICAL at this time, and exposing the birds to common  household items, sounds, surfaces, colors and smells should be part of  your routine. They very quickly become attached, and you will have a  hard time staying away from them (they will scream for you and follow  you around the home- be careful underfoot and with hot items such as tea  or pans).

People have difference methods for handfeeding chicks.  I believe they should be raised closer to the way many large parrots  are reared- have 'group contact', 'seclusion' and 'individual contact'.

Note: NEVER feed a finch inside the enclosure when hand feeding. This instills a bad behavior:
"I  get fed no matter what" when instead they should come 'to you' for food  (similar to training a dog (they should not be rewarded for antisocial  behavior). Either gently remove the bird for feeding, or coax them out  for feeding. When they become older, they should fly to you on command  out of the enclosure.

SOCIALIZATION:I  find that people have the most trouble with this portion: "I handled  and interacted with them regularly but when they are older, they become  completely wild again" -false.
I will explain techniques which will  allow you to imprint on the bird, rather than 'feed and play' with the  bird. The nature of the bird will allow them to inherently be aware of  how to be a 'bird' but imprinting fully on humans by way of a very  specific manner ensures they recognize humans AND birds as flock  members, allowing your bird to remain tame, even as they age.
Group Contact: This  is when they are in the brooder. Birds choose a group mentality, and  this constant interaction while helping them to develop, also inhibits  the imprinting process that you desire.Seclusion: This is a specialized enclosure where the bird is left alone, and  becomes independent (also dependent on YOU, therefore desiring more  contact with you). This should be a 'fun land' with interesting and  stimulating things like torn paper, inanimate objects and millet. There  should also be a higher temp, to reduce any stress (78F degrees).Individual Contact: This is where you spend time with the birds, individually outside of  the normal environment.  Often this is spent exposing them to stimuli  (TV, clapping hands, microwave, barking dog, etc).

Daily Routine: Feed birds and allow then to relax and digest for 30 minutes. Then  spend individual time with each one for 15 minutes each. When done  individually interacting with the bird, move them into different  enclosures for seclusion (no other birds or people)  for 30 minutes.  (You) Returning as the victor in 30 minutes to escort them to the  brooder or continue spending time with the bird outside the enclosure.
Note*   Feeding, 'playing' and directly returning to brooder after each feeding  does not enforce the positive behavior for a strong bond to humans.  Instead they must remain secluded after play, and then have a positive  interaction for you returning them to the brooder with the other birds.
               

At 21-24 days fledgling conditioning begins and chicks are transferred to a cage specifically designed  for completing the weaning process. The same technique above still  needs to be followed, utilizing time outside of the enclosure in between  each feeding. The structure of activities to preform with your bird are  very important. Simply 'playing' with your bird does not allow proper  imprinting. I will cover the Conditioning Enclosure details, then go  over the techniques for imprinting. Coincidentally, the period of  weaning, is the most influential portion of their lives, and must be  taken with rest care.

The Conditioning Enclosure has  low branches, and food containers designed for easy access. The room temp around the cage is kept at 78 degrees during the day, and  70 at night and a source of UVB for vitamin D3. The chicks are handled at  numerous times in between feedings, and are introduced to the home. They  are taught clicker and verbal/visual cues at great length. The more  time spent with them, the better companions they will become. You are  teaching them that birds, and humans are both viable options for future  relationships. Sitting on the sofa for an hour, side of the sink while  doing dishes, or while reading a book are good options for individual  time.

               Activities with your fledgling:One of the most important activities you can preform with your fledgling is bathing. Bathing involves a preening method- in which they will imprint on you. The first bathing ritual is important, and the utmost care must be taken as it should be extremely enjoyable.

It  should take roughly 15 minutes per finch. After the bath, they should  be held close to your body to dry completely. (I will explain more on  this later).
       

SURFACE INTRODUCTION:

Surfaces  are also a very new thing to young babies. They have now grown up with  tissues, paper towel, and natural branches. It is imperative you go over  different surfaces: marble (countertop), sanded wood (table), hair  (head- although I do not condone training them that this is a suitable  place to land), fabrics (towels/blankets), Leather (accessories,  furniture) and odd places- boutique of flowers, candlestick, etc. Other  the course of their lifetime, they will encounter these things- and  more. They need to be aware of how to position themselves to feel  secure. These should all be slow and calm exercises as young.

Each bird is raised as an individual, and  with that comes different personalities, and different progression  rates. The birds do not all wean at the same time, and I practice  abundance weaning, therefore I will hand feed until the bird refuses. Do  to try to 'force' a weaning process on the young by 'estimating the  feeding schedule due to age'. This can easily cause stress, and death.  You must follow the same protocol that adult birds would, which means  night feedings are eliminated according to each birds progress. 

This is a video of a 7 week old, who  unfortunately had a very difficult beginning due to environmental  factors out of our control. She is now growing fast, and catching up to  the other birds in the facility with proper supplementation. However  often birds that seem 'sweet' are actually ill, and all measures must be  taken to ensure their livelihood. For more information on illness, see  the right hand side of this page and the Ailments & Remedies section  of this website.

WARNING:

Birds get increasingly hard to  control as they can fly and want to be ‘on’ you at all times. That is  why a form of training is advisable (I will elaborate on this at a  another date). But do train your birds early on with rewards the  same you would a parrot or canine. At this stage, with a clutch of birds  following you around the home, accidents happen. Often there are  bird-on-bird collisions as they cannot anticipate how to land and fly  with moving objects (chasing humans around the home).

NOTE: Always  offer adult food before offering formula during weaning. Once they are  eating 100% on their own (about 7-8 weeks), and they have their adult  plumage they are ready for their new homes. I do not allow them to leave  until thy have adult plumage- Moulting is very stressful on the system-  and disrupting this cycle, or providing improper nutrition can have  significant consequences.

HAND-FEEDING TIPS 

• Feed 10%-12% the body weight of the bird per feeding in 3 bites, pausing in between bites as babies don’t breath while being hand fed.
• Be very diligent wiping up any formula. I use a damp cotton swab to wipe the beak after each feeding just in case there is any residue.
• Before (or right after) each feeding, I use a damp cotton swab with warm water to  stimulate defecation before changing the bedding and clean the rectum.  This must be done at every feeding cycle. Do not let your babies wallow in shit.
  

Dehydrated finches have dark red skin that may look dark and shiny. Re-hydration liquid should be warmed at 103 and  given immediately (higher temp because it cools quickly... must be  administered drop by drop) but not forced as this can cause aspiration.  You need to feed with a feeding response: Stimulating a feeding response  can be accomplished by touching the beak or the back of the bird with your clean finger- or a cotton swab. Do not coax the chick  using your feeding instrument as this can get formula on the chick, or bacteria on the instrument.

THE MAIN CAUSE OF DEATH IN BABIES- DEHYDRATION AND CROP DISORDERS

PREVENTION
 OF
 CROP
 DISORDERS:

1. Provide 
the
 correct
 ambient 
temperature
 for 
chicks
 in
 an 
incubator
 or
 brooder.

a. 92-94
F
 Hatchlings, 
day 
1‐4
b. 90‐92
F
 Neonates (Unfeathered Nestlings)
c. 85‐90
F
 Chicks (Pin and down feathers)
d. 75-80
F
 Fledgelings 

e. Wean at no less than 75 degrees to prevent stress.

1. Maintain 
humidity
 above
 50%(not above 70% without ample air circulation as this  encourages respiratory infections- in which antibiotics and antifungals  must be administered and can stun growth)
   
2. Use suitable
 substrate (paper towels, tissues, puppy pads) and keep sanitary conditions.


3. Feed 
specified amount (10-12% body weight)- and do not overfeed. 
4. Maintain
 consistent
 formula
 temperature
.  
5. Make
 fresh 
formula
 for 
each 
feeding. 
6. Disinfect
 hands before feedings and equipment after each feeding (20 to 1 bleach solution).  
7. Use 
separate 
feeding
 equipment for each 
clutch
 to prevent spread of disease.
8. To prevent Candidiasis
 (yeast) 
administer cider vinegar
 (1tsp per 16 oz water) and use in place of water once a day twice a week until
 weaning. 
9. Add Spirulina 1% (or Jumpstart Mix) to the formula once a day from age 5 days on.

              Video by efinch. An amazing website with beautiful birds.
       

PREVENTION OF DEHYDRATION:

1. provide correct humidity, 70%
2. Have ample rehydration liquid on hand (pedialyte, AVIPRO or otherwise) and don’t be afraid to use it.

Unlike  many people, I believe rehydration liquid is extremely important. If you notice a bird with symptoms of dehydration,  do not delay and provide 102 degree rehydration liquid. Proceed to thin all  feedings very subtly for the next 12 hours with part rehydration liquid.not a 1-time occurrence, and if not corrected properly it is recurring. After  the initial onset it will return an hour, or even a day later. After signs of dehydration, check  in your your chicks every few hours for the next 24 hours.