[Rockstar714]

We found these 4 baby red-breasted swallows in a barn and the mother abandoned them. They had been there for 3 days before we took them home.

Someone said to feed them a mixture of water, oatmeal and egg yoke for protein. That's what we've done and they've revived and gotten energy, but I'm curious if there is something else we should feed them or do.

Please help!

[charlotte234s]

What you should really do is call your local ASPCA or Google if there are any bird rescues or bird rehabilitation centers around, and have them come get the baby birds.

[Alty]

I agree with Charlotte. These birds are very finicky and need the proper care and handling in order to survive, it's best to turn them over to an expert.

These birds are also, unfortunately, the carriers of many diseases, be sure to wear gloves when handling them, their feces can be dangerous.

Here is some info on swallows that might be helpful;

Swallows (Hirundo rustica)

[Rockstar714]

Thanks! My mom has taken over caring for them -- hand feeding them and stuff. I told her to call the humane society to see if they knew where to take them, don't know if she's done it (she never listens to me) but she good about the gloves and washing her hands and stuff. So we'll see...

[mrssittingduck]

They would be better off been fed on hand rearing formula,
Can be brought from major petstores or ordered in from the smaller stores, this way they get all vitimins they need,
Is also an eggfood which will give it the biotines and also contains insects,
As swallows are mainly insect eaters you may need to buy mini mealworms or fruit flys or similar,
Hand rearing is hard work, especially for the insect eaters, perseverance is the key,
Good luck