How often do you feed a fledgling baby bird of about 4 weeks?

Question

I have a baby bird that i saved from my horse who does not like small creature in her fence.. it fell out of its nest.. I tried to put it back but it was to no sucess. The parent birds were to upset by my horse to save it and the rest of there young which died. It is from what i can tell a Barn Swallow. I have been feeding it earth worms which i hope is a safe diet being that is all i can come by at the moment. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

Fledglings are typically fully feathered, with a short tail and wings. They are able to walk, hop and flap and may attempt short flights, but are still being cared for by the parents.

If you find a fledgling, it should be left alone or at the most, placed into a nearby shrub. Keep people and pets away so the parents will continue to care for it until it can fly.

Placing fledglings back into nests is typically only a short-term solution, as they will quickly re-emerge. Moving fledglings to entirely new locations is also ineffective as they are still dependant on their parents for survival and will quickly starve.

Some more FAQ's

What to do if you Find a Baby Bird?

http://www.audubonportland.org/backyardw...

How much to feed?

The maximum amount of formula that should be fed to any baby prior to weaning should be approximately 10 percent of his body weight. The length of time between feedings should be determined by the amount of time it takes his crop to empty. (The crop is sufficiently emptied when you can feel little or no food remaining in the gullet, although it may remain slightly pendulous.) For most baby birds, it takes between four and six hours for the crop to empty.

Once every 24 hours, preferably at night, take a break from feedings. For example, if your bird's crop empties every four hours, you should be feeding him every four to five hours between 6 a.m. and midnight. Starting at midnight, though, leave at least a six-hour period of time for extended crop emptying, which will allow residual food (and its increased numbers of bacteria) to be eliminated. Not coincidentally, taking a break also allows you to get some sleep.

As the baby grows, plan on fewer feedings, using slightly more formula. While there is a theory that some species do better with frequent small feedings, the problem with this approach is that few people - breeders or owners - can maintain a high-frequency feeding schedule.

http://www.petplace.com/birds/how-to-fee...

Also look at emergency food composition

http://www.csub.edu/FACT/baby_bird_care....

Answer 2

Ok, so next time that happens, make a sturdy nest for it and nail it as close to the nest and as far from harm as you can.  It's a wives tale that birds abandon their young because our smell got on them.  Many birds don't actually have a good sense of smell.

Anyways, if you know for sure that the parents are long gone, then I honestly recommend you give it to your nearest wildlife rehabilitation center or anything of the like.  They should know exactly what to do to keep it healthy and alive.  Baby birds can be extremely hard to take care of if you're inexperienced and don't know what you're doing.