Higgins inTune Hand-Feeding Formula for Baby Birds

A hand-feeding formula for all baby birds, built on brown rice and soy protein concentrate with coconut oil, banana, flaxseed and macadamia nut oil, plus stabilised vitamins C and E and three protected probiotics.

Higgins publish unusually complete directions for this product, and we have reproduced them in full below, because with hand-feeding the detail is the product.

Before you start

Hand-feeding a chick is a skill, not a purchase. The two things that go wrong are formula that is too hot, which burns through the crop wall, and formula that goes down the windpipe, which drowns the chick. Both are fast and usually fatal. If you have not done this before, get an experienced breeder or an avian vet to teach you first — and if you are choosing a bird, buy one already weaned.

Water and temperature

• Higgins recommend filtered water heated to 120°F (49°C). If you are unsure of the water quality, boil it for at least 10 minutes and let it cool to 120°F.
• Do not use a microwave to heat the water or the mixed formula. Higgins are explicit: microwave heating causes uneven heating and dangerous hot spots. That is the crop-burn mechanism in one sentence.
• After mixing, let it rest until a thermometer reads 102–108°F (39–42°C). That is the temperature to begin feeding at. Use a thermometer, every time.

Mixing ratios by age

Technique — the one rule that matters most

Higgins' wording, and worth memorising: "Always feed the baby bird from the left side of its mouth. If you feed from the right side, the syringe will be pointed toward the trachea and food aspiration can occur."

Feed on the head-bobbing response, until the crop is nicely rounded — not tight. Each feed should be 8% to 12% of the chick's body weight. Over-feeding leads to regurgitation, which is how aspiration starts.

Frequency and hygiene

Every 2 hours for a newly hatched chick, stretching to every 6–8 hours as it grows. Sanitise every utensil between feeds, and discard unused blended formula immediately — never save it.

If the crop is slow to empty

Higgins' guidance: check the brooder temperature, thin the formula to 3 parts water for 24 hours, then return gradually to normal. If there is no improvement after 36 hours, consult an avian veterinarian immediately. Slow crop has several causes and some of them are serious.

Guaranteed analysis

Ingredients

Brown rice, soybean protein concentrate, coconut oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried milk, cane sugar, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), dicalcium phosphate, bananas, flaxseed, casein, brewer's dried yeast, dried whey, calcium carbonate, salt, algae meal, macadamia nut oil, dried cultured skim milk, natural mango flavour, DL-methionine, L-lysine, potassium chloride, choline chloride, lecithin, wheat germ meal, mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, green tea extract, a full vitamin and mineral pack, biotin, and three dried probiotic fermentation products.

Questions we get asked

Which size?
10 oz for one or two chicks. 5 lb if you are breeding properly — and buy fresh rather than stockpiling, because an opened bag is a perishable item.

Can I use it for a wild baby bird?
No. This is for psittacines. Most garden fledglings are insectivores and need a completely different diet — call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, which in most US states is also the legal requirement.

How do I know it is enough?
Weigh the chick daily on a gram scale and feed 8–12% of body weight per feed. The scale tells you days before your eyes do.

Can I add anything to it?
No. It is complete, and additions change the consistency, which changes how it moves through the crop.

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