Page 255 - Hand rearing birds second

Shearwaters and Petrels 243

Medications
Standard antibiotics are utilized for these species when indicated. Prophylactic antifungal medica-
tions are often used in seabird rehabilitation; however, with proper hygiene and airflow, we have
found that aspergillosis infections are very rare in the shearwater and petrel species in care.
Antifungals are used only as a necessary treatment rather than as a prophylactic. The SOS program
does use meloxicam with shearwaters and petrels, but hydration is considered of top importance.

Diets

Our chick slurry diet consists of more than three different types of fish, vitamins, and salmon oil.
The added liquid is 0.9% saline, which we gradually increase to 2% saline as the chicks get older.
We do not give them additional fluids unless the chick is showing signs of dehydration. These birds
are very good at extracting fluids from the food that is provided. Thiamine added to fish slurry may
break down rapidly once blended into the diet; however, we have not seen any problems attribut-
able to thiamine deficiency. Fish species used include: lake smelt (Osmerus mordax), capelin
(Mallotus villosus), pond smelt/arctic silversides (Hypomesus olidus), sardines (Sardinella aurita),
®
Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), silversides (Menidia menidia), and squid. The vitamins are Mazuri
®
Vita‐Zu® Small Bird Tablets without Vitamin A, Centrum multivitamin, and powdered calcium
carbonate. At around 3–4 weeks of age, whole small fish are added to the diet (smelt or silversides
when available). A small portion of Mazuri (about a 1/3 of a tablet) is placed in the gills of one of
the fish once per day. The fish are always offered post‐gavage.

Young Chick Diet

700 g assorted fish
●
4 Mazuri tablets
●
1 Centrum tablet
●
1 cup (237 ml) 0.9% NaCl (saline) solution
●
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) calcium carbonate powder
●
¼ cup (60 ml) of fish oil (Grizzly Omega Health or Wild Alaskan Fish Oil)
●
The fish should be weighed on a scale minus any chunks of ice. Rinse the fish in water, drain,
and re‐weigh. Partially defrost the fish in water and drain well prior to blending. Crush the vita-
mins with mortar and pestle. Blend saline, vitamins, and salmon oil first, then add fish and blend
to “high.” Do not blend for too long as this will warm the mixture and start to cook the fish.
If necessary, add 1/8 cup (30 ml) more saline if the slurry is too thick and is not blending (this
can depend on the fish species being used). Tip: if the slurry is still chunky and will not go through
a gavage tube after blending, then the whole blender carafe can be put in refrigerator to cool down.
Once cool, it can be blended again. The purchase of a good blender is worth its weight in gold!

Fledgling Diet

700 g fish (50% capelin and 50% smelt)
●
4 Mazuri tablets
●