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Mousebird food intake versus poop

naudeap

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
4/7/22
Messages
1
Real Name
Antony
Hi all,

I found a juvenile Mousebird at my front door 3 weeks ago. he/she could not really fly, barley stayed above ground and bounced all over the place.
I did a quick google search on feed, etc. and 3 weeks later he/she is doing well, very verbal, wants my attention all the time, will fall asleep in the palm of my hand, does not like being in the cage, in fact his/her tail feathers are not looking good because he/.she keeps hanging all over the cage and the tail, being long, gets frayed by the cage.
Attacks my pc mouse, ruffles over my keyboard, nibbles on my earphone cable, and when perched on my shoulder, will nibble on my ear lobes, which can be quite painful at times.

He/she can fly now. He/she will follow me to the kitchen area where I prepare his/her food from the cage, which is about 30+ feet (10+ meters) away.

My question however is food intake versus poop. he/she eats a lot and poops a lot, and the poop looks almost as if it went straight through his/her system. The volume is identical.
How would I know if he/she is getting enough.

I feed him/her apple, strawberries, banana, melon, mixed with pellets which I have softened.
I mash it all as fine as possible, but sometimes the apple is slightly "chunky". I also cut the apple core and hang it in the cage which he/she loves to nibble on, but this too is "chunky" and seems to pass straight through.

Any ideas?

ps, taking this picture was a mission because he/she was so interested in the cellphone he/she kept running up to it.
 

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Feathery

Sprinting down the street
Joined
4/24/22
Messages
390
Location
United States
Real Name
Nichole
To answer your question, you should weigh the bird daily with a gram scale. You can determine if it was losing or gaining. Also someone experienced would be able to feel the breastbone to see if the bird was at a proper weight.

Have you checked into wildlife rehab centers in your area? Are there any that can rehab it to be re-released back into the wild?
 

Feathery

Sprinting down the street
Joined
4/24/22
Messages
390
Location
United States
Real Name
Nichole
he/she could not really fly, barley stayed above ground and bounced all over the place.
This is typical fledgling behavior. The parents are typically near by and continue feeding baby birds while they navigate life outside the nest. It is recommended to leave them alone!

I'm not sure what the laws are in your area, but here in the US it is illegal to keep wild, native birds (and some other wild native animals) as pets without a license. It's irresponsible to do so as you cannot seek proper veterinary care with an illegal "pet" and if caught you will be fined and the animal a lot of times euthanized.
 
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sootling

Sprinting down the street
Joined
5/2/21
Messages
492
Location
USA
Real Name
Ollie (he/they)
Hi all,

I found a juvenile Mousebird at my front door 3 weeks ago. he/she could not really fly, barley stayed above ground and bounced all over the place.
I did a quick google search on feed, etc. and 3 weeks later he/she is doing well, very verbal, wants my attention all the time, will fall asleep in the palm of my hand, does not like being in the cage, in fact his/her tail feathers are not looking good because he/.she keeps hanging all over the cage and the tail, being long, gets frayed by the cage.
Attacks my pc mouse, ruffles over my keyboard, nibbles on my earphone cable, and when perched on my shoulder, will nibble on my ear lobes, which can be quite painful at times.

He/she can fly now. He/she will follow me to the kitchen area where I prepare his/her food from the cage, which is about 30+ feet (10+ meters) away.

My question however is food intake versus poop. he/she eats a lot and poops a lot, and the poop looks almost as if it went straight through his/her system. The volume is identical.
How would I know if he/she is getting enough.

I feed him/her apple, strawberries, banana, melon, mixed with pellets which I have softened.
I mash it all as fine as possible, but sometimes the apple is slightly "chunky". I also cut the apple core and hang it in the cage which he/she loves to nibble on, but this too is "chunky" and seems to pass straight through.

Any ideas?

ps, taking this picture was a mission because he/she was so interested in the cellphone he/she kept running up to it.
Please bring this baby to your local rehab center ASAP. I think it was a newly fledged bird that still has a chance to be released if it is rasied correctly and not as someone's pet.
 

snada

Strolling the yard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/22/13
Messages
103
Location
South Africa, Durban
Real Name
Sarah
Hi all,

I found a juvenile Mousebird at my front door 3 weeks ago. he/she could not really fly, barley stayed above ground and bounced all over the place.
I did a quick google search on feed, etc. and 3 weeks later he/she is doing well, very verbal, wants my attention all the time, will fall asleep in the palm of my hand, does not like being in the cage, in fact his/her tail feathers are not looking good because he/.she keeps hanging all over the cage and the tail, being long, gets frayed by the cage.
Attacks my pc mouse, ruffles over my keyboard, nibbles on my earphone cable, and when perched on my shoulder, will nibble on my ear lobes, which can be quite painful at times.

He/she can fly now. He/she will follow me to the kitchen area where I prepare his/her food from the cage, which is about 30+ feet (10+ meters) away.

My question however is food intake versus poop. he/she eats a lot and poops a lot, and the poop looks almost as if it went straight through his/her system. The volume is identical.
How would I know if he/she is getting enough.

I feed him/her apple, strawberries, banana, melon, mixed with pellets which I have softened.
I mash it all as fine as possible, but sometimes the apple is slightly "chunky". I also cut the apple core and hang it in the cage which he/she loves to nibble on, but this too is "chunky" and seems to pass straight through.

Any ideas?

ps, taking this picture was a mission because he/she was so interested in the cellphone he/she kept running up to it.

Hi you can give me whatsapp/call on 0728010606. I am located in Durban South Africa and can help with the Mousebird.
 
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