Page 558 - Hand rearing birds second

558 Hand-Rearing Birds

90
80 Ground hornbills Frugivorous hornbills
Food intake as % body weight 60
Kingfishers & rollers
Bee-eaters
70
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Age in days
Figure 36.3 Intake targets for hornbills, bee-eaters, kingfishers, and rollers.

Figure 36.4 Belted Kingfisher at 2 weeks being fed with hemostats. Source: photo courtesy of
International Bird Rescue.

Hatchlings, nestlings, and fledglings respond to feeding in different ways. Avian hatchlings’ neck
muscles are relatively weak and may cause their heads to sway as they reach up with beaks open for
feeding. Care and attention are needed to avoid injuring the mouth with the feeding forceps. Missing
the target may result in a dirty chick. Cleaning the chick with a warm damp cloth may prevent bacte-
rial infections in the eyes and keep the feather follicles free of debris that could hinder normal feather
development. Nestlings are stronger and may fall out of a nest cup in their enthusiasm to feed. It is
important to ensure the safety of the nestling by never leaving it unattended while outside the brooder
and to use nest cups that are deep enough to prevent a nestling from falling out. Nestlings that are close
to fledgling, on the other hand, must be in a cup that they can get out of as they become more mobile.
The goal is to allow the chick to fledge at the same age as a parent‐reared chick (Table 36.2). Feeding
responses often decrease near fledging. It is a difficult decision to make between allowing the chick
to refuse feedings and getting enough food into it to meet its energy requirements. Using a growth
curve of normal surviving chicks as a guide may make those decisions easier (Figure 36.5a–d).