Page 380 - Hand rearing birds second

372 Hand-Rearing Birds

600
AMCO 1
500 AMCO 2
400
Weight (g) 300

200
100
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Days in care
Figure 22.6 Weight gain of two American Coot chicks.

self‐feeding, weight checks can be done every 2–7 days, starting with every 2 days and expanding
the number of days between checks as the bird continues to prove it is self‐feeding. Care should be
taken to monitor and document food consumption as well.

Housing

Because coots, gallinules, and rails are very susceptible to foot problems, attention should be paid
to their feet at all stages of care. To reduce the possibility of foot lesions, birds must be provided
with varied substrates to walk on. Materials that can be used include daisy mat, anti-fatigue mat,
clean sand, reeds, and ¼–⅛ in. (3–6 mm) hardware cloth, which has the added benefit of letting
food and feces fall through. While it seems counterintuitive to house these small birds on hardware
cloth, these authors have not seen any problems resulting from its use.

Hatchlings and Nestlings

Rallid parents brood their chicks for warmth at night during the first 1–2 weeks of life, depending
on the species, so a supplemental source of heat must be provided when nestlings and hatchlings
are in care. An incubator at 99–100 °F with or without an additional heat pad on low may be
needed, depending on the age and alertness of the bird.
The youngest chicks should be kept in a 100 °F (37.8 °C) incubator such as an Animal Intensive
Care Unit (AICU, Lyon Technologies). Set up the cooler side of the incubator for food presentation,
and the warm side for hiding and resting. Many parents will continue to brood their chicks 1–3
weeks after hatching, especially at night. The AICU works well to maintain a warm and humid
environment. Incubators, brooders, and aquariums can also work in this manner with the addi-
tional heat support of heating pads on low or heat lamps/emitters if necessary. Using an air ther-
mometer can help to ensure the proper temperature is reached. If the entire enclosure cannot hold
heat, it is important that at least one section has adequate heat so the mobile chick can choose to
be in a warm area. It is important to monitor young chicks for signs of lethargy, shivering, or
fluffed feathers, which could indicate hypothermia. Hyperthermia is also a risk if the enclosure is
too hot; signs of hyperthermia include panting, open mouth breathing, or panicked behavior, try-
ing to escape the enclosure. Substrate inside an incubator, brooder, or aquarium can be a light-
weight cotton towel or flannel pillowcase, which will absorb any spilled liquids or feces into the