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368 Hand-Rearing Birds

every 12–24 hours (Hawkins et al. 2018), can help reduce pain and swelling from head trauma. It
is important to note that access to heat should be limited for patients with head trauma because
warmth can increase swelling.

Diets

Coots, gallinules, and rails are omnivorous and thus should be offered a wide variety of food items
while in care. Their diets naturally vary by season, location, and availability of food items, so it is
important to provide a smorgasbord of food for them. As is true for many species of birds, rallid
parents feed their young a diet high in protein during the first 2 weeks of life, so that is what chicks
will need in care. Appropriate live food items include mealworms (small or medium), tubifex
worms, and minnows (generally found at aquarium or pet stores or bait shops). Nonlive food items
that can be offered are seed, frozen–thawed bloodworms, brine shrimp, and krill, duckweed, or
other greens, small slivers of fish (cut to fit the chick’s bill size), and a small amount of soaked
waterfowl starter (a high‐protein and nutrient‐dense diet supporting health and growth of adoles-
cent waterfowl). All food items should be sprinkled with vitamin B 1 and calcium carbonate powder
at each feeding.
Food items should be placed in shallow, size‐appropriate dishes in which birds can wade and
feed without risk of drowning or other harm. It is important to observe chicks to ensure that all
food dishes are safe and allow the bird to get in and out easily and to feed properly. A tiny chick can
easily drown in a dish that is too deep. Small jar lids, ashtrays, small platters or trays, and other
shallow types of dishes work well for presenting food (Figures 22.3–22.5). Dishes can be elevated
if there is concern that chicks will lie in them and get food on their feathers. All food should be
checked three to four times per day and refreshed as needed, but caregivers should always be
mindful of the fact that any disturbance is stressful for these birds. One way to cut down on food‐
related disturbances is to notice whether birds are eating all of their food quickly or are eating

Figure 22.4 American Coot chick being hemostat-fed by a disguised human arm. Source: photo courtesy of
International Bird Rescue.