Page 21 - Hand rearing birds second

2 Hand-Rearing Birds

Viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases are common in wild birds, and may be prob -
lems in captive collections as well. Caregivers with health concerns should discuss the risks of
activities involving handling of chicks with their physician. Good hygienic practices are always
warranted when handling animals of any kind, especially wild animals. Personal protective
equipment such as a face mask, gloves, dedicated clothing, and foot baths may be useful to
both reduce caregiver exposure to zoonotic diseases and to reduce exposure of chicks to human
flora and pathogens. Although many parasitic diseases of wild birds require intermediate
hosts and as such are not commonly transmitted within care centers (e.g. helminths), some
are zoonotic (e.g. Giardia lambla) or transmissible between birds (e.g. Trichomonas spp.).
Bacterial pathogens may become problematic in kitchen or other areas (e.g. Salmonella spp.).
Viral diseases are of particularly high concern when raising poultry (see Chapter 7), and fun-
gal organisms may become a risk in some environments or when feces is allowed to accumu-
late in housing.
Disposable gloves are useful, and frequent handwashing is imperative. Routine cleaning and
disinfection of caging, food dishes, and feeding implements helps control risks to everyone
involved, both birds and their caregivers. Nursery protocols should be thoughtfully planned to
avoid pathogen transmission between groups of chicks, while also allowing for appropriate sociali-
zation as dictated by each chick’s intended adult lifestyle. An avian veterinarian can be extremely
helpful in planning nursery protocols that protect both human and animal health.

­ Criteria­for Intervention

Chicks found in the mouth of a dog or cat, alone in an inappropriate location such as the middle
of a parking lot or prone on a baking hot sidewalk, or that are cold, injured, covered with parasites
or ants, entangled in a foreign material, or otherwise in obvious trouble, are indeed in need of
rescue. Alert, active, fully‐feathered, mobile chicks that are found without evidence of trauma or
distress in the environment in which their parents nested, whether that is a backyard or natural
area, should be left alone. If the parents are providing care and the chick is uninjured, the risk of
“cats in the neighborhood” is not sufficient reason to bring a found chick into captivity. This risk is
faced by most wild birds in the world, and it is always preferable for a wild animal of any species to
be raised by its parents. This enables the youngster to best learn the finer details of species‐specific
social and survival skills it will need to navigate its wild environment.

Precocial­vs­Altricial
There are two principle types of chick development, although this is an oversimplification of the
diverse strategies birds have evolved for raising their young. Precocial chicks are those that hatch
with their eyes open and are mobile and able to leave the nest shortly after hatching, following
after the parent who provides protection, warmth, and guidance regarding what to eat. These
chicks are sometimes found alone, apparently parentless. Once precocial chicks hatch, the family
group usually leaves the nest area. Consequently, it may be very difficult to reunite separated
chicks with their parents, although some species will foster extra chicks if an appropriate family
group with chicks the same age can be located. Precocial chicks in obviously bad locations, such as
running in the street, should be immediately rescued or shepherded out of traffic to rejoin their
family. Mallards will sometimes nest in urban fountain planters or near swimming pools, and