I was brought a baby blue jay by a customer. What to feed him?

Question

I live in Oklahoma and I work at a pet store and a customer dropped off a baby blue jay and he has down feathers and some bigger feathers on his wings. Since we have Hand-Fed birds I am certified to hand-feed. i have been feeding him store bought baby bird formula and crickets. He has been eating really well and pooping good. He has a neck problem to where he cant keep his head straight but he is able to move it when he has an itch, so I know his neck isn't broken. I need help to what blue jays eat and how often and how long to be hand-feeding him. If he lives he wont be able to go back into the wild because with all the other problems he is also blind in one eye! I have a dumb bird on my hands please someone give me advice.

Answer 1

I would say to take it to a rehab clinic, but if he's blind in one eye and has neck problems, they'll probably euthanize him. Know that his best chance of survival is at a rehab center if they agree to raise him. And you should be aware that it is generally illegal to keep native birds as pets, including bluejays.

What to feed him:
- dog/catfood mash; make this by soaking dry dog or catfood in water for a few hours until it becomes mushy, add a hard boiled egg yolk and powdered bird vitamins and mix well. (There are other similar recipes you can find on the internet.)
- chopped up grapes and berries
- crickets, mealworms, and waxworms
- 1:2 peanut butter:wheatgerm mixture (mix well enough that it is no longer really sticky)
- once he's eating on his own you can give him birdseed and chopped nuts

Feed him with blunt forceps, and the mash can be given with a syringe (without the needle!). Be careful not to aspirate.

As for how long and how often to feed him, it's hard to say since I don't know how old he is. If he's not yet a fledgling you're going to have to feed him frequently, pretty much everytime he asks for it. (Every 15 minutes to couple hours.) Obviously, if he gapes, he's hungry. Start to wean him when he fledges. When he's nearly fully feathered (minus tail) and can hop and perch, start offering food less often and provide him with a dish of food and a shallow dish of water (both should be easy for him to access, and the dish of water should be shallow enough that there's no chance of drowning). Check to see if he has eaten from the dish, and feed him from the dish.

Good luck, but know that bluejays are very hard to hand rear.

Answer 2

I would say stop hand-feeding him when he can eat more or less easily by himself, from a small feeder or something. And blue jays eat fruits, berries, peanuts, bread, meat, weed seeds, and grain. So they're not really picky. I don't know how often he needs to be fed, but you could probably just leave the food out in a feeder and he can eat when he's hungry. That's how most pet birds are fed, I'm sure it'd work for your blue jay too. Good luck!

Answer 3

The baby will need to be fed very often for at least 12 hours of the day. Every 10-15 minutes for nestlings without any feathers, 20-30 minutes for nestlings starting to feather , 30 - 45 minutes for nestlings that have some feathering and 45 minutes to an hour for fully feathered nestlings. Fledglings can go for an hour or two between each feeding. The baby will sleep for about 12 hours during the night and does not need fed during this time.

There are currently two diets that are recommended and both work extremely well. If these ingredients are not immediately available you may use hard boiled or scrambled egg , shredded chicken , tuna or canned dog/cat food that is made from meat for a substitute until you are able to obtain the needed ingredients (please do so as soon as possible, the baby's diet is very important for the long term survival of the bird). You may also add any of the ingredients in either diet that are on hand.

The first diet is dog/cat food based. The product analysis must have at least 28% or more protein and 9% - 12% fat content as well as have a meat base (preferably chicken) as the first ingredient. This should be moistened with water and mixed with 1/2 cup poultry mash or soft bill pellets, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 oz of applesauce or juice, 1 oz mashed carrots or sweet potatoes, avian vitamins (follow product intructions for amount) and one dissolved or crushed TUMS (for added calcium) per cup of dog/cat food to a consistency of cooked oatmeal.

The other diet is based on the Mazuri Insectivore Diet . For feeding babies it must be moistened as well and mixed with 1 hard boiled egg and 1oz of applesauce or 100%juice per cup to the consistency of cooked oatmeal. You may also add 1/2 a tablet TUMS for added calcium.

You may also view my site : http://www.starlingrescueandcare.bravehost.com for more information on the care and feeding of wild baby birds. The site is mainly targeted at starlings and sparrows but also applys to most song birds, including Blue Jays.

Please note that keeping a wild native bird is illegal! Since the bird is disabled and unfit for release, it would not be wise to turn it in to a rehab center, because it would be euthanized on the account of being unreleasable. My best advice is to keep the bird as secretive as possible and try to obtain a permit to keep the bird. Check the rehabilitator link on the site for information on obtaining a permit.

Hope I've helped some!
Sincerely, Audra
Avian Veterinary Assistant
[e-mail]

Answer 4

More specifically than a vet, look up wildlife rescue and/or rehabilitation. They will be able to care for it. In the meantime DO NOT give it any food or liquids, (baby birds have to be fed very specifically and unless you are trained, you could suffocate the bird) but make sure it is in a warm place, like a box with a towel.

Answer 5

Blue jays eat bugs so meat is a good thing to give him. Use cat food, the moist kind. The crickets are great for him and that formula is probably good too. Good luck with your little friend.

Answer 6

You can soak puppy chow or kitten chow in hot water and let it cool. You can sprinkel the baby bird food on it that you have also. We get blue jays in at the rehab center I work at and they do very well on this. Good luck! I love blue jays!

Answer 7

they make a powdered food you mix with water to hand raise parrots and such any pet store that handles birds should have it ..my son has raised many swallows, starlings and even a little night hawk on it so I know it works..you feed it thru a dropper it comes with the stuff.

Answer 8

Well why not call a local vet ?? Or humane society?

Answer 9

feed him acorns and fruit