Page 215 - Hand rearing birds second

202 Hand-Rearing Birds

Any time an egg is removed, it should be replaced with a dummy egg to prevent re‐clutching, to
assess parental behavior, or to provide options for later egg fostering. Eudyptes A‐eggs are not
replaced with a dummy. Dummy eggs should be removed at the end of the incubation period or by
2 weeks post‐lay, based on the breeding season plan. When the first (A) egg is dummied with the
intention of later parental incubation of the second (B) egg in any species, remove the dummy egg
after the second egg is laid.
Eggs under parents should be monitored during incubation and hatching. Parents lift the brood
patch more frequently near hatching when a pip hole may be observed for size and progression. It is
prudent to avoid disturbing a pipped egg under parents until the maximum estimated pip‐to‐hatch
interval has been exceeded. However, pipping eggs in the hatcher should be closely monitored.
Most penguin chicks will hatch normally over 24–48 hours. Chicks will be vocal in the egg start-
ing with internal pip until hatching. Chicks in destress will have increased frequency and pitch of
vocalizations and may require assistance. For eggs under parents, a vigorous, but stuck chick may
be partially released then returned to the nest. During a prolonged pip‐to‐hatch period, chicks that
become weak, still, and quiet will require support to hatch.
The most common hatching problem is poor pip‐to‐hatch progression due to malpositioning of
the chick or dried, sticky membranes that prevent hatching rotation. Associated conditions include
residual albumen, an open umbilicus, or incomplete yolk sac retraction. In penguins, it is advisable
to assist hatching gradually over several hours, working to release the head so the chick can move
the muscles that will trigger yolk retraction and encourage chick hatching behavior. See Chapter 3
for detailed assisted‐hatch procedures.
Chicks under parents will be tightly brooded immediately following a normal hatch, with eyes
somewhat closed. Their eyes will open fully by 4–6 days of age. Chicks will appear sleepy for the
first 12–24 hours and few parental feedings may be observed. Thereafter, parental feedings should
be more frequent. Parents should be fed by keepers away from the nest to reduce disturbance, and
to encourage species‐appropriate nest bout exchanges. However, a parent on the nest may be given
one or two smaller fish (e.g. capelin) at the nest in the morning so that begging chicks can be fed
without delay.
If a chick fails to thrive, managers should evaluate intervention options. Where parent behavior
allows, and when a chick is still relatively alert and responsive, it might remain in the nest during
treatment. The chick can be removed, examined, weighed, fed or medicated, and then returned.
For example, excessive regurgitant observed around the nest suggests interrupted feedings, inexpe-
rienced parents, or a chick that is unable to eat. Once a serious medical condition is ruled out,
chick care at the nest may be appropriate.
Whenever chicks are removed for later return, returns should be immediate or within 12–24 hours
to avoid parental nest abandonment. If at any time a chick is unresponsive or unable to stand, it
should be taken into care for hand‐rearing and isolated from other chicks until medically evaluated.
There are times when interventions may be part of an overall egg/chick management strategy to
maximize parent‐rearing success, such as egg removal to determine fertility, during chick health
and weight monitoring, or when habituating chicks to hand‐feeding.

­ Record­Keeping

Systematic record keeping is essential to incubation and rearing decisions and to improvement of
practices. Records should include individual adult histories, observations and maps of nests/pairs,
egg logs, incubation notes, and chick rearing logs. See Chapter 3 for details on egg and incubation