Page 546 - Hand rearing birds second

Mousebirds 545

Table 35.1 Adult mousebird weights.

Species Weight­(g)

Blue-naped 50–60
Red-faced 65–75
Speckled 50–80
Red-backed 50–75
White-backed 50–55
White-headed 35–45

Expected­Weight­Gain

Mousebird chicks grow very quickly and should gain weight every day. Healthy chicks should not
have a sharp keel, and, although they are generally thinner than adults, there should be muscle
mass on both sides of the breast. Mousebirds do not achieve their adult weight until approximately
3 months of age. Speckled Mousebirds are the heaviest of the species at between 50 and 80 g. See
Table 35.1 for adult weights of mousebird species.

­ Housing

For the first day, hatchlings can be kept in the incubator in a small plastic bowl with a terry cloth
liner. Make a small depression in the lining to simulate a nest. The substrate enables the chick to
grip with its feet as it grows. A lightweight cloth or tissue is draped loosely over the bowl so that the
chick feels like it is being brooded by parents.
After the chick and its replacement nest is moved to a brooder enclosure, the temperature can be
gradually lowered to 90 °F (32.2 °C) during the next few days. Crumpled tissues can be used over
the cloth substrate for ease of cleaning, but make sure that the nest material is able to be gripped
by the chick or leg problems may occur. Mousebird chicks are very messy. Do not allow them to
become soiled or damp.
By day 6, the chick will be hanging on the edge of the bowl and may hop out at feeding time. The
bowl substrate can be switched to crumpled paper towels to aid in clean up.
By day 8–10, the chick is out of the nest more of the time, and it is time to provide perches and/
or toys for him to start hanging on. He will soon want to hang at night instead of using the nest,
and he may be moved to a more typical cage situation at this time as long as supplemental heat,
such as a heat lamp, is given. The temperature may be gradually lowered every day until it is at
room temperature by about day 14. Watch temperature and behavior closely because the chick may
become torpid if the temperature goes down too quickly. If multiple chicks are being raised
together, watch for aggression such as feather plucking.
Chicks that are being raised for pet quality can be placed in separate enclosures around day 10 to
ensure that they will bond closely with humans, and they must be handled daily to become suc-
cessfully socialized. Mousebirds are so social that keeping a mousebird of any age by itself with no
human or bird contact is cruel. If a pet-quality bird is the goal, typically isolating the chick from
other mousebirds for several months with only human contact is recommended.
If a breeding bird is the ultimate goal, the act of hand-raising a chick is not usually a deter -
rent. Mousebird chicks revert to wild behavior quickly if not handled daily, if pulled from