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Diurnal Raptors 339

Figure 20.4 Hawk puppet that allows hemostat
feeding through the mouth.

are a good place to start with very young birds that do not yet have, or need, a search image of what
appropriate food for their species looks like. Day-old chickens can be fed to young raptors if the
Ca : P ratio of the chicks is augmented. It is generally felt that the undeveloped bones of such
young chickens are not sufficiently mineralized to provide enough calcium or phosphorus, even if
what is there is in a low but balanced ratio (Ca : P of 1 : 1 is the typical ratio of a day-old chick).
If large numbers of young birds need to be fed, quail can be plucked; head, feet, wings, and lower
intestine removed; and the remains then placed through a meat grinder. The resulting paste can be
made into patties and frozen in a thin layer between sheets of waxed paper for later thawing as
needed. Mice, too, can be easily skinned and ground. Remove heads prior to grinding. Leave the
tails because they form an excellent source of calcium and, indeed, may be one of the first casting
materials fed to chicks, because they are not as sharp as other bones. Using whole adult animals as
food allows the nestling raptors to get the minerals from the bones they would otherwise be too
young to handle whole.

Feeding Procedures

Hatchlings

Blunt forceps or hemostats can be used to pick up very small pieces of warm, clean meat (e.g. quail
breast meat) dipped in warm water. The hemostat should touch the beak to elicit a feeding response:
the hatchling will grab the food from the instrument as it would from the tip of its mother’s beak,
even before its eyes are open. It will be quickly obvious if a piece is too large or an awkward shape.
Four or five very small pieces are probably all a hatchling can handle at a feeding before it falls
back asleep. It is easy to see the food in the crop and easy to see or palpate when the crop is empty.
Hatchlings should be fed every 2 hours or so during daylight hours, if the crop has emptied, the
bird is hungry, and droppings have been passed. Very small bits of bone, carefully broken or ground
can be included by 3 days of age, casting material by day 5. The food should be warmed to approxi-
mately body temperature by placing it in a container that is then placed in or above hot water.
Dipping the individual pieces of food in the warm water as they are fed provides the extra moisture
needed by hatchlings.