Page 567 - Hand rearing birds second

568 Hand-Rearing Birds

Figure 37.1 Toucan chick resting on the boney ridges on the back of each leg.

them. All require immediate care, and the proactive aviculturist will be prepared with an incubator
or brooder that has been operating at the correct temperature for some days.

Record Keeping

Although hand‐rearing a chick is a memorable experience, inevitably memories fade, making
detailed record keeping essential if successes are to be repeated and failures avoided. The ability to
hand‐rear toucanets and aracaris is a rare skill, and the ability to hand‐rear large species of the
genus Ramphastos is even more uncommon. It is important, therefore, that all hand‐rearing infor-
mation is carefully recorded to ensure the probability of future successes with these species.
Computerized records are strongly favored over paper ones. Hand‐feeding notes may be recorded
in a table, which eliminates illegible handwriting, makes email consultations simple, and facili-
tates graphing and other statistical operations. Miniature photographs of the chick are also easily
inserted into a table, providing perfect benchmarks for future chicks.

­ Initial­Care­and Stabilization

A chick found on the aviary floor will usually be hypothermic and should be cupped in warm
hands and carried to an incubator or brooder. If the chick is uninjured, vigorous movement will
usually be detected as its body temperature begins to rise. Toucan chicks are robust and, depending
on age and injuries, have moderately good prospects of surviving such an event.

­ Common­Medical­Problems

Misaligned Beak
Toucans have extremely malleable beaks until about 3 weeks of age. The tip of a toucan’s bill
(1/8 in./3 mm) may become misaligned for various reasons, including syringe pressure during
feeding. The defect is relatively easy to rectify by applying gentle pressure to the tip of the bill in the