Meet Idaho Vet Hospital's Newest Member!

Meet Idaho Vet Hospital's Newest Member!

This little lovebird arrived on one of our many cold evenings, under sad circumstances.  We had received a phone call earlier in the day that it's mother had sadly, passed away.  The owner relayed that she was concerned that the 3 week old chick was not going to survive and that she was not interested in trying  to raise it by hand. She gratefully accepted my offer to do my best to continue raising it.  When he (or she!) arrived at our clinic some time later, Dr. Calhoun and I realized that our little friend was really more like 3 days old, rather than 3 weeks.  This was going to be a challenge.

His first feeding was difficult, likely because he was struggling with low blood sugar after not eating in several hours.  He was placed in a warm incubator with a full crop, and we hoped for the best.

About an hour later I went to check on him, half expecting the worst.  I was happily surprised to see him much more active, and ready for his next feeding.  At 3 days old, lovebird chick's eyes are still closed, they are fluff and featherless, and completely uncoordinated.  Talk about a bad time of year to be naked and unable to maintain body heat!  At this stage, weighing a whopping 23 grams, he needs to be fed every 2-3 hrs, and kept consistently warm.  This means he has become my daily commute companion to and from work.

So far, we've taught each other a lot about how to hand feed tiny little lovebirds, it definitely is like having an  infant in the house again! I'll update you more as he (or she!) continues to grow!  Kate