Nissili
Walking the driveway
Okay, so brief preface. Family had a pair of zebras, were under the impression they were the same sex, and didn't realize they had laid and hatched an egg until yesterday, and for some reason, separated the baby and parents for who knows how long. They bring them into my work, wanting to return them all, cold hungry baby and incredibly stressed parents, who of course, don't even give the baby the time of day even though it's vocal and trying to get their attention. It was easily 4-5 hours they barely even moved, and the baby whined for food and warmth to no avail. Work makes the collective agreement that the parents are probably not going to calm down enough soon enough to get back in the nest and take care of the baby, and so trying to care for it gets put on me first, because out of everyone available I've dealt with birds the most and had supplies at home already (my emergency sort of.. incubator for lack of a better word, in the event of a sick bird) and we just want the baby to survive.
So! We made it through night one, and I want to make sure I'm doing the best possible that I can manage, and I have my info straight.
Baby is about a week old, I figure based on the pin feathers on the tail and wings, but not a lot elsewhere, and only a Tiny bit of down on the head, eyes open, very vocal. Pretty decent feeding response, takes a little bit at a time ("borrowed" a couple of our smallest oral syringes with permission, just small enough to fit in the beak when they grab onto it) and I'm watching closely to make sure we're swallowing and not aspirating. (I keep getting super anxious when they decide they're done and just lean their head down, but so far so good)
I unfortunately lack a scale to check exact weight with as the days go by, so I'm doing my best to give them a good look over in their makeshift nest (small tank, heat mat under the bottom, paper towels lining a small mammal fleece bed, thermometer right next to them to make sure it's not too hot or too cold, we're managing around 82 degrees right now, though I've read warmer is better, so I covered half the tank with one of my spare coats, and it seems to be helping warm it up a little more)
They seem to respond best to less watery food, but I know they're not ready for solid yet, so I'm going for a mushy consistency and here and there a little more water for hydration. I've got baby formula (for birds, of course) but I'm also wondering if it would be okay to soak some pellets in warm water and use that? It's what I had to do at work to feed them, as we had nothing else, but I'm not a huge fan of the brand of formula I'm having to use right now, and if it would be safe/better for them, I'd rather soak some roudybush and use that.
I just want to take proper care of the poor thing, I'm planning on making a warm little sort of neck sling to insulate, because there's a very high chance I'm going to have to bring them with me to work so I can keep them fed. (Thankfully, my bosses weren't too bothered by this idea.) I read that at this age, they eat roughly every 3 hours, but to make sure the crop has either emptied or mostly emptied. I work full time shifts now, and though my mother offered to feed the baby while I'm gone, bless her heart, she's never fed a baby before, and I've at least done it a couple times, albeit larger babies. I don't want her to accidentally do something wrong and lead to disaster and guilt.
I'm in a bit of a pickle because I've never reared a bird before, and while I have approximate knowledge from researching here and there for such an emergency (for lack of a better word) i want to ask for advice in general. Anything helps, both to know what im doing right and what I may be doing wrong or could do better.
So! We made it through night one, and I want to make sure I'm doing the best possible that I can manage, and I have my info straight.
Baby is about a week old, I figure based on the pin feathers on the tail and wings, but not a lot elsewhere, and only a Tiny bit of down on the head, eyes open, very vocal. Pretty decent feeding response, takes a little bit at a time ("borrowed" a couple of our smallest oral syringes with permission, just small enough to fit in the beak when they grab onto it) and I'm watching closely to make sure we're swallowing and not aspirating. (I keep getting super anxious when they decide they're done and just lean their head down, but so far so good)
I unfortunately lack a scale to check exact weight with as the days go by, so I'm doing my best to give them a good look over in their makeshift nest (small tank, heat mat under the bottom, paper towels lining a small mammal fleece bed, thermometer right next to them to make sure it's not too hot or too cold, we're managing around 82 degrees right now, though I've read warmer is better, so I covered half the tank with one of my spare coats, and it seems to be helping warm it up a little more)
They seem to respond best to less watery food, but I know they're not ready for solid yet, so I'm going for a mushy consistency and here and there a little more water for hydration. I've got baby formula (for birds, of course) but I'm also wondering if it would be okay to soak some pellets in warm water and use that? It's what I had to do at work to feed them, as we had nothing else, but I'm not a huge fan of the brand of formula I'm having to use right now, and if it would be safe/better for them, I'd rather soak some roudybush and use that.
I just want to take proper care of the poor thing, I'm planning on making a warm little sort of neck sling to insulate, because there's a very high chance I'm going to have to bring them with me to work so I can keep them fed. (Thankfully, my bosses weren't too bothered by this idea.) I read that at this age, they eat roughly every 3 hours, but to make sure the crop has either emptied or mostly emptied. I work full time shifts now, and though my mother offered to feed the baby while I'm gone, bless her heart, she's never fed a baby before, and I've at least done it a couple times, albeit larger babies. I don't want her to accidentally do something wrong and lead to disaster and guilt.
I'm in a bit of a pickle because I've never reared a bird before, and while I have approximate knowledge from researching here and there for such an emergency (for lack of a better word) i want to ask for advice in general. Anything helps, both to know what im doing right and what I may be doing wrong or could do better.
I am so sorry. My husband and I have often worked soooo hard to try to save one, only to have it pass away, so I know just what you're going through.
