Page 203 - Hand rearing birds second

Flamingos 189

Table­11.1­ SeaWorld California (SWC) Flamingo hand-rearing diet.

1 cup (237 ml) Mazuri Flamingo Bits
1300 ml Filtered drinking water
75 g Krill (thawed, water squeezed out)
75 g Herring (heads, tails, and fins removed)
75 g Hard‐boiled egg yolk
1 tsp (4.8 g) Vionate powder
½ tsp (2.4 g) CaCO 3 powder
250 mg Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
600 IU Vitamin E (squeeze oil into mix from capsule before blending)

Figure­11.3­ Oral feeding of flamingo chick via catheter-tipped syringe.

small container in hot tap water prior to each feeding. Do not microwave the formula. Discard the
unused remainder after each feeding.

­ Feeding­Procedures

Stabilize the chick’s temperature and ensure hydration prior to feeding. Chicks pulled for medical
reasons should be stabilized and examined by a veterinarian. Two different feeding methods yield
successful results. Many caregivers prefer administering hand‐rearing diets with a syringe and a
catheter tube, by gavage. Tubing birds with a long feeding catheter during triage situations in a
recovery effort or emergency response saves time and is the faster method; however, it holds some
risks. Flamingo crops are located very ventrally and their necks are very long. If tubes are not
placed deep enough into the crop and food is deposited in the esophagus, birds are at risk of
life‐threatening regurgitation and aspiration. Feeding chicks directly into the mouth, via syringe,
allows the chick to refuse feedings which acts as an indicator of inadequate chick thermoregula-
tion or hydration (Figure 11.3). Syringe‐feeding without a catheter may also lead to earlier