Page 240 - Hand rearing birds second

228 Hand-Rearing Birds

formula in a warm‐water bath until it is body temperature prior to feeding. The Kyron Protexin is
a probiotic product, and Cani‐Cal is a vitamin and mineral supplement.

Feeding Procedures

A feeding response can be initiated in a small penguin chick by forming a “V” with the middle and
index fingers, then placing the “V” on the top of a chick’s beak and wiggling the fingers. The chick
should respond by pushing up into the crook of the fingers. If the chick does not display this feed-
ing response, the beak should be opened gently using the thumb and index finger (Figure 13.2).
The palm of the “holding” hand should face the ceiling, the chick’s head sliding in between the
little finger and the ring finger.
Prior to feeding, it is important to palpate the chick’s abdomen to ensure that it has digested its
fish from the previous feed. The syringe of fish formula should be shaken to evenly distribute the
heat. The temperature of the formula can be tested on the wrist. Do not feed formula to chicks that
is hot or cold; it should be at body temperature.
The feeding tube can be lubricated with cod liver oil. Insert the tube into the throat avoiding the
trachea and ensuring that you can see clearly into the chick’s mouth and that the windpipe is not
obstructed. For older chicks, always feed formula first, and then fish pieces or tails; the fish can be
dipped into water for lubrication before feeding it to the chick. Once feeding is complete, gently
clean around the beak with warm water and gauze. A separate piece of gauze is used to clean the
vent with warm water. Finally, use a piece of gauze and (10% diluted) betadine (povidone‐iodine)
to clean the umbilicus area. This is cleaned until the chick reaches 500 g.

Hatchlings

Five hours after hatching, offer the chick 1–2 ml of probiotics and water every 3 hours. On day 1,
24 hours after hatching, begin giving formula diluted with tap water according to the schedule
shown on Table 13.2. Work the chick onto full‐strength formula in increasing proportions over
days 1–3. On day 4, give full‐strength formula, working up to 10% body weight in volume. When a
chick reaches 100 g, it can begin to receive solid fish in addition to its formula. Introduce fish
slowly using fish fillets cut into appropriately small sizes. Introducing fish can be done on the
schedule shown in Table 13.2.
Hatchlings up to 500 g receive 6 feeds a day at 3‐hour intervals. Feeding begins at 6:00 a.m. where
the initial weighing and checking of its feeding regime is carried out. The last feed of the day for
chicks of this age is 9:00 p.m. For the first 3 days after hatching, a predetermined amount of for-
mula is given; after this, all chicks less than 1 kg receive 10% of their body weight at each feed
(100 ml formula/kg) (Table 13.2). Feeding tubes for the youngest chicks must be small 6‐French
size, with size increased to 8‐, 10‐, 12‐, and finally, 16‐French as the chicks grow to over 500 g.

Older Chicks
By the time chicks reach 400 g, fish should make up 50% of the diet, with the balance of 10% body
weight per meal in formula. At 500 g, regardless of how much a chick solicits feeding, continue the
10% rule as a guide for food intake. It is common for chicks at this stage to take less than 10%; this
is often no cause for alarm, and the chick will likely eat well at subsequent feedings. It is at this age
that they tend to go through their “first phase” of being difficult. At this stage, vitamin supplementation