Hand-rearing food for canaries and European birds

How does it work?

Hand-rearing may be necessary when a parent bird dies, when the parents refuse to feed, or when, in a large brood, the youngest chicks do not get enough food from the parents.

Wisbroek Universal Handfeeding is an energy-rich rearing food, developed on a scientific basis for small birds. The composition contains blood plasma that contributes to the build-up of muscle tissue. Vitamin A supports a healthy bone structure and promotes the growth of the embryo. The food is easily digestible and has an extra-fine texture, making it suitable for administration via a crop needle (0.8 mm).

Usage advice

What you need

• Wisbroek Universal Handfeeding
• A small syringe
• A crop needle or feeding spoon
• A dish to prepare the food in
• A firm container to place the bird in during feeding

Preparation

Use boiled water, cooled to 35 °C. At this temperature the enzymes present work optimally and the food gets the right texture.

Add 1 part Universal Handfeeding to 1 part water (maximum 3 parts water). Stir until the powder has dissolved, leave to stand for 5 to 10 minutes and stir again until a smooth paste forms. Let the paste thicken well so that its texture can pass through the feeding needle.

Feeding the chick

Draw the paste up with a syringe and remove the air. Place the chick in a small firm container (for example a cut-off plastic bottle with kitchen paper on the bottom) so that it feels as if it is in a nest. Tap gently on the rim of the nest: the chick will normally gape. Then feed with the feeding syringe or feeding spoon.

Storage

After preparation, keeps for a maximum of 8 hours at room temperature, out of the sun. Do not store in the refrigerator: this is too cold for the chick and reduces the effect of the food.

Hygiene

Wash your hands thoroughly before use and use clean equipment. Clean all equipment thoroughly after use. Hygiene is vital in the hand-rearing of young birds.

Droppings

After each feeding, check whether there are droppings in the nest and remove them. A healthy chick produces a dropping after each feeding, enclosed in a membrane that can be removed whole with tweezers.

Composition

Wheat, maize, wheat protein concentrate, carob meal, rapeseed oil, blood plasma, egg powder, yeast, calcium carbonate, monocalcium phosphate, lecithin, monoammonium phosphate.

Analytical constituents

Additives / kg

Nutritional additives

Technological additives

Zootechnical additives