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Swift - hand feeding?

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  • 19-07-2004 12:32am
    #1
    Interceptor
    Registered Users Posts: 3,180 ✭✭✭


    Found a baby swift today - it can't quite fly, isn't hurt and isn't distressed when handled. I've been giving it drops of water and breadcrumbs but it is very slow to feed and it won't accept spiders/flies/insects. I'd like to try and give it a chance, but am afraid I won't keep it alive long enough to built its strength.

    Any advice?

    'ceptr


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    #2
    Interceptor
    Registered Users Posts: 3,180 ✭✭✭Interceptor


    Well call me Doolittle. I persisted and filled it with water, flies and breadcrumbs and this evening while giving it some fresh air, I launched it and it took off. I spent ten minutes watching it wheeling and diving before going inside to clean the poo off the kitchen - job done.

    'ceptr


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    #3
    Flukey
    Registered Users Posts: 11,001 ✭✭✭✭Flukey


    Well done. You were lucky. We found a baby magpie, that must have fallen from its nest last year. We fed it for a while but it only survived about a week, getting very sick in the last few days and then dying.


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    #4
    Nala
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,959 ✭✭✭Nala


    I found a little baby dove/pigeon a few months back, brought it to the vet who said it would need a lot of care so I had the option of either hand-rearing it or having it put to sleep. I hate to see a healthy animal put down, so I brought it home with the intention of looking after it til I found someone who could do a better job than I could. You see this was about 3 weeks before my exams and I just didn't have the time to give it the care it needed. So the next morning I rang around 10 animal shelters and the DSPCA took him for me, they have a girl who specialises in handrearing wild animals so I was thrilled. I don't know how the little chap got on after that but the morning after I got him he'd began to clean himself which was a great sign.


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    #5
    Delerium
    Closed Accounts Posts: 34 ✭Delerium


    I'm so glad to see that there are others out there who take the time to rescue injured birds and animals, most people just wouldn't be bothered.

    I took an injured magpie to the vet a few years ago, and even he looked at me like I was mad. Anyway, the magpie recovered and was released the next day.

    More recently, I discovered some bratty kids throwing a sick pigeon into the air, only for the poor thing to come hurtling back down again. I took the bird from them and gave them a lecture they will never forget!
    I took the poor bird home but he was in his final stages and died later in the evening.


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    #6
    Nala
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,959 ✭✭✭Nala


    Delerium wrote:
    I'm so glad to see that there are others out there who take the time to rescue injured birds and animals, most people just wouldn't be bothered.

    It was actually rescuing a baby bird from my cat's clutches that gave me an interest in birds! I now own a budgie and a cockatiel. I have rescued birds from my cats several times and it's lovely to release the healthy ones and watch them fly away.


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    #7
    PH01
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,120 ✭✭✭PH01


    neev wrote:
    It was actually rescuing a baby bird from my cat's clutches that gave me an interest in birds! I now own a budgie and a cockatiel. I have rescued birds from my cats several times and it's lovely to release the healthy ones and watch them fly away.

    Sounds like your cat is keeping you in the care-for-injured-birds business. Have you thought about keeping those cats indoors?


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    #8
    Nala
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,959 ✭✭✭Nala


    Well you see they've only ever brought home I'd say 10 birds in the past 11 years or so, so I don't think there's too much of a problem. Most of them are too old and lazy to be bothered, there'll be a bird in the garden and they just ignore it. They all wear bells which I hope warns the birds.
    The dove I found a few months back wasn't as a result of cats.


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