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baby mousebird needs help

4Purplepeas

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Tracey
Hi. Please can someone help me. I live in port elizabeth south africa. We found a baby mouse bird lying on the ground yesterday. We left it for a while to see if mum and dad would come back but no luck. There was a storm brewing so i had to help it. It ate a bit of mashed apple and drank some sugar water when i first found it then went to sleep. It has now been almost 12 hours and it had had a few more sips of water and some raw egg mixed with water to make it runny. I have been carrying it on me to keep it warm. I have rubbed it to try get it to poop and git nothing. I dont know what else to try and i think it is dying. Judging by the pics here it is at leadt two to three weeks. Has a proper little tail already.
 

iamwhoiam

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4Purplepeas

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Hi. There r three vets listed. I have made some electrolyte solution up and it actually turns its face away from that.
 

4Purplepeas

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Thank you. I read the website and see if i can find that food in p e anywhere. In the meantime i will just use what i have.
 

4Purplepeas

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So in the mean time i mashed banana and pawpaw and mixed in raw egg and electrolyte solution and he gobbled some of that off a spoon and grudgingly drank a bit of electrolyte solution as well. I have named him Tom as today is the anniversary of my Dads death and have gifted him my dads old beanie which is his new nest. He is coming to work with me today.
 

Annarina

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Hi there. I have a pro-life rescue, rehab and sanctuary in Kuils River Cape Town, South Africa. I have raised most tipes of birds but my all time favourite is Mousebirds. My current beloved pet mousebird was found at only a few days old and I have managed to rear it successfully. It is now 3 months old and thriving. Although mousebirds are still relatively unknown as pets in South Africa, I endeavour to spread the word far and wide about their endless positive qualities as pets as so many people see them as a pest destroying fruit on trees. I am very willing to handrear any rescued mousebird babies or take in injured or rescued adult mousebirds to rehabilitate and if possible release in the same area in which it was found. I do not know whether I am allowed to post my contact details here?
 

soulie12000

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FallenFeathers Avian Rehab
0834434913 wild mousebird help ,assistance ,SA
 

BearMarais

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Hi...AND WELCOME!!!

Keep the little one warm and something fuzzy like a feather duster to snuggle into.

OK regardless of what species it is it is very important to empty the bird of feces either prior or after feeding. Have you noticed the little one pointing its rump or little tail up? If so what you do is take a kleenex, Q-tip, or your fingertip and massage the vent until it poops. In the nest the parent birds do this to help thge baby poop. The parent birds eat the feces, and many times it is fed back to the baby when they feed it food. You do not have to feed it back, I was just explaining what partents do. So Make sure that each time fed (either prior or after) the baby is stimulated to poop. I failed to do this on one, and I suspect I lost it from an intestinal impaction.

As to feeding....if you touch it on the side of the beak does it give a feeding responce? They will ususally flutter their little wings and their body looks like it is vibrating. You can chop up fruit into tiny sized peices and use a tweezers to place the fruit in the babies mouth when it begs/opens it's mouth for food. In addition use your commercial handfeeding formula, mixed with mashed or baby food fruits to syringe or feed from a tiny paddle or spoon.

Mousebirds do not have a crop, like parrots, which will hold quanties of food. The have an expandible esphogus, so they will only hold about 1cc or so of food at a time.

OK...PLEASE try and post a digital pix of your baby...TOP and SIDE VEIWS. I can get an idea of what species it is. And also time/amountsd to feed. I'm suspecting possibly a speckled, which I do not work with, but I do know there are some mousebird rehabbers in Africa....I can look up email info, if needed.

My other concern is cat saliva on the baby. This could be a problem. Do you have any access to penecillin...just in case, if needed for an infection?
Hello Srtiels,

I have a baby mousebird I rescued. I’m new to this site and have no idea how to contact you but I see you are an expert and I could really do with your help. I’m hoping you see this!
 

Shezbug

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Hello Srtiels,

I have a baby mousebird I rescued. I’m new to this site and have no idea how to contact you but I see you are an expert and I could really do with your help. I’m hoping you see this!
Unfortunately the member you are messaging hasn’t been online here since 2015 so I don’t think you’ll get a reply from them.
 

expressmailtome

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Hello Srtiels,

I have a baby mousebird I rescued. I’m new to this site and have no idea how to contact you but I see you are an expert and I could really do with your help. I’m hoping you see this!
This thread might be very helpful to you, especially if you live in South Africa: Mousebird care and species information . There is a phone number in the last post.
 
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