Feeding, Care, Housing Instructions for Eastern Bluebird Nestling

I thought I would post some of the instructions I was given from the licenced song bird rehabber that I spoke to for taking care of and raising this nestling Eastern Bluebird.  He is 8-9 days old today, judging from pictures and descriptions on the internet from reputable sights.

First off, this baby bluebird will need to be fed at least every half an hour from dawn to dusk..just like his parents would have done.  Once he was over 2 weeks old, I could gradually stretch out the time between feedings to around an hour, again as his parents would do.  Once he was flying, I could stretch it out a little more.

The rehabber gave me a special recipe for making Eastern Bluebird nestling food and I stopped at a pet store to get the ingredients. I debated whether I should share this information, and decided that if even one person used this to feed a nestling rather than feeding an inappropriate diet that could kill or at the very least, malnourish and impede the healthy development of a bird, then I should definitely share it.

Let me say this first though, some of the "recipes" and advice on the internet are absolutely ridiculous:
like feed the babies (or adults) bread soaked in milk or just milk..have you ever seen a bird nurse it's young??  Birds DO NOT produce milk, therefore birds DO NOT drink milk!! Processed meats, which are so full of additives and chemicals, are another definite no-no.  Not all birds eat seeds, so an insect eater, like Sammy, would either not eat them or would not develop properly.  All baby birds need protein and calcium as a major part of their early diet.  Worms also are not a proper food for many nestling, as they may not be able to digest them properly.

So, PLEASE, if you decide to illegally care for an orphaned, healthy-seeming nestling, as I did, PLEASE at the very least provide the proper food by calling a LICENCED SONG BIRD REHABBER.  The best option is to actually get that baby to a licenced song bird rehabber, especially if it seems injured or ill.  I was very fortunate that Sammy survived and stayed healthy and strong..it could have very well ended in tragedy and could have been my fault since I had no prior experience in raising a song bird.  So, do I recommend doing this yourself? No, definitely not..but sometimes there is no other option in order for the bird to have a chance.  And sometimes, like me, your heart rules out over your head and you take the plunge and do your best to save a little life. I am thankful and grateful every day that Sammy did so well in  my care.

Enough said (hopefully), here is the nestling recipe for an Eastern Bluebird:

2 tbsp powdered egg white (or hard-boiled egg white, no yolk)
1 can (360g/13 ounce approx size) moist puppy food (chicken)
2 tbsp freeze-dried blood worms (can be found at fish or pet stores)
1/4 tsp Prime brand avian multiple vitamins (again at pet stores)
1/4 tsp calcium carbonate (or washed, baked, crushed to a fine powder chicken eggshell)
2 ounces cold water
1/3 cup tiny diced grapes or berries.

Mix together and keep it in fridge (good for 2 days) or freeze in ice cube trays, then store in air tight container in freezer and take out as needed.

Food MUST be served room temperature or barely warm, NOT COLD, as cold is hard on their digestive systems. This formula is fed either by a medicine dropper syringe, a blunt tiny instrument like a plastic cuticle pusher or a straw with the end cut out into a little spoon shape and filed smooth, whichever works best for the bird. Do not feed with anything that has sharp, ragged or pointed edges as it can damage the birds mouth. Once self-feeding, this mixture can be made thicker and then frozen and then crumbled and mixed with mealworms.  I froze mine, and thawed on the counter or in the microwave as needed, be careful of hot spots in the formula if using microwave.

The nestling should have gaped when I approached him, but he didn't, so I was advised to try rubbing the feeding utensil very lightly along the side of his beak, very gently tap his beak like it was his parents beak touching him, or to very carefully pry open the side of his soft beak with my fingernail and then place the food at the very back of his mouth at the opening to his throat towards the right side.  At the base of his tongue is a hole leading to his lungs and it was VERY important not to get any food in there or he could asphyxiate.  At first I used a plastic, rounded cuticle pusher then switched to a straw with the bottom end cut away and made smooth, to form a little "spoon" about an inch long, as the syringe I tried pushed out too much food at one time. It was a little messy, and I would gently wipe the sides of his beak and face with a soft, damp cloth. Food left on his feathers could cause sores to develop.

The rehabber recommended I keep him in a little terrarium with a vented lid and I placed his "nest" inside that.  His nest was a little round plastic container, filled with kleenex made into a snug nest,
I kept a breathable towel over the terrarium top and sides, to keep out the light and simulate the darkness of his original nestbox and also to help keep him warm. I kept a small corner of the top uncovered to allow for air circulation.