Page 476 - Hand rearing birds second

Yellow-billed Cuckoos 471

Figure 29.2 YBCU chick with unopened contour feather sheaths around its face, which is a sign of poor
nutrition in chicks.

be related to what they were fed and how long it takes them to digest that food. Each cuckoo is dif-
ferent and needs its hunger/feeding rhythm worked out. Average weight gain should be about
2–3 g per day after their feathers burst open. One sign that a bird went through a period of not get-
ting enough food is that stress bars will develop on their tail feathers. Also, lots of unopened pin-
feathers may also start showing up, especially near the bird’s face (Figure 29.2). These extra scrawny
pinfeathers develop and do not open, but rather seem stuck. Ample food and consistent weight
gain in a well‐nourished chick help prevent this.
Sometimes the birds will get a bit picky as to what they want to eat; be aware they may be still
hungry and want to eat, but might need a mealworm switched out for a waxworm or a small berry.
As the birds get older, with tails will be about 1.5–2 in. (3–5 cm) long, they should be presented
with food in dishes. They may start picking at the food and eating some on their own, but will still
need to be hand‐fed as well. In the wild, the birds rely on their parents for food for many weeks
after they have left the nest. Some observers say at least 2–3 weeks, others have reported birds still
being fed by their parents up to 4 weeks after leaving the nest. In the author’s experience, when the
cuckoos’ tails are nearly full grown, at about 4–5 in. (10–13 cm) long, then they completely stop
accepting hand‐fed food. Until then, count on a bird coming over to you for a hand out; make sure
to continue to feed them.
Weigh chicks regularly even after they are fully self‐feeding to ensure they are getting enough to
eat. Premature weaning can lead to problems. If the initial flight feathers are of poor quality, they
can molt bad tail or wing feathers in the fall, but be aware of migration dates in the area to ensure
the bird will not miss migration.

Housing

Young chicks may be housed in a knitted nest lined with often‐changed tissue in a warm environ-
ment until perching, then can be housed in larger enclosures with appropriate size perches. Be
aware that as their tails get longer, they can easily break or fray, so perch placement is very