Page 305 - Hand rearing birds second

294 Hand-Rearing Birds

areas daily. Disinfect counters, utensils, or other contact surfaces after each use. Wash hands after
handling potentially hazardous food items, birds, or used bird housing supplies.

Ibis­Hand-feeding­Formula­(SeaWorld,­San­Diego)
Pre-soaked­Dog­Food
Thoroughly soak dog food in water for 8–12 hours beginning the evening before blending, refriger-
ate overnight.

50 g Purina ONE® Smart Blend Lamb and Rice
●
100 ml Water
●
Mixing­Formula
Make fresh formula every morning for use that day. Alternatively, freeze in ice cube trays and thaw
prior to feeding. Blend the following ingredients well:
50 g Silversides (fish), heads, and. tails removed
●
250 mg Calcium from calcium carbonate (ground from 250 mg tablets)
●
50 mg Vitamin B 1 (thiamine)
●
150 g Purina ONE Smart Blend Lamb and Rice dog food, pre-soaked
●
200 ml Water
●
Strain formula after blending. Place formula in a closed container marked with the preparation
date and time. Refrigerate the formula immediately. Warm the diet to body temperature using a
warm-water bath prior to feeding and add a pinch of powdered vitamin B 1 to the formula immedi-
ately before feeding. Throw away excess formula after feeding; do not reheat.
This diet is appropriate for White-faced, Scarlet, Sacred, Madagascar Crested, and Cape Ibis, and
is likely appropriate for additional ibis species. Research the natural history of each species to
make adjustments based on the requirements of the species. Feed chicks a dog food (lamb and rice)
based formula and then slowly transition to an adult diet (Table 18.1). Chicks may become
impacted if they are fed exoskeletons (such as found in insects or crustaceans) too fast or in too
high concentrations. Watch fecal output to ensure that digestion is appropriate and regular defeca-
tion is occurring. See Dierenfeld et al. (2002), Finke (2015), Chapter 41, and individual food sup-
plier websites for nutritional information of diet ingredients.

Feeding­Procedures

Hatchlings
A long pip-to-hatch interval may mean that a chick is ready for feedings earlier than a chick that
has a short interval. Wait 12 hours after hatch before feeding water or food items. There may excep-
tions to this guideline based on chick activity. Table 18.2 shows feeding intervals, amounts, and
details about housing by age.
Evaluate the chick and offer water at the end of the day if the pip-to-hatch interval was less than
12 hours. Begin the feeding schedule the following morning. Evaluate the chick’s vitality, hydra-
tion, and fecal output prior to each feeding. Feed up to 10% of the chick’s morning weight at each
feeding. Always increase volumes in small increments
Chicks should be bright, alert, and vocal. Do not force-feed healthy chicks. Feed formula using a
1 cc syringe, with a feeding tube extension if needed (see Figure 6.1). A feeding response is elicited
by holding a forefinger and middle finger over the chick’s mouth in the shape of a “V” (Figure 18.3).