Page 377 - Hand rearing birds second

Coots, Gallinules, and Rails 369

Figure 22.5 Coot chicks of different ages typically get along well. Note the shallow dish of water with
bloodworms, and the mirror. Source: photo courtesy of International Bird Rescue.

mostly certain items, and then making sure to offer larger quantities of those items. Food that is
being offered in a heated environment should be changed several times through the day to prevent
feeding chicks spoiled food.
Frozen food items need to be thawed before they are presented, and food items must be sized for
the birds being fed – small, young birds will only be able to eat what fits into their mouths. Very
young birds may be more inclined to eat live food, because they will be attracted to the movement,
which will usually stimulate foraging and eating. For chicks less than a week old, large mealworms
can be cut into smaller pieces so they can easily be eaten.
As birds grow, increasingly large food dishes can be offered so that birds get used to foraging in
larger areas. Once birds are active and alert, a shallow bathing dish should be put in all enclosures
so that birds can maintain clean and healthy plumage.

Feeding Procedures

Coots, gallinules, and rails are extremely secretive birds, so providing a quiet environment
with hiding places and a normal photoperiod is key to successful self‐feeding. Housing should
be set up to simulate a natural environment, should contain shallow feeding dishes (such as
small lids or platters), and should be away from humans, since gallinules and rails become too
stressed to eat when disturbed or frightened. Coots and gallinules can be raised together if
similar in age, which helps decrease the chance of habituation; and most rail species can be
raised together because they do not show much aggression toward each other. Raising rails
with coots or with gallinules is not ideal, however, given the differences in size, growth rates,
and stress levels.
The key to determining when a bird is able to self‐feed is to monitor and record all feeding behav-
iors. Use of a remote camera can provide critical information. Once birds are self-feeding, they
should be weaned off hemostat‐feeding, and weight should be closely monitored to ensure that it
is no longer needed.