Page 569 - Hand rearing birds second

570 Hand-Rearing Birds

Table­37.1­ Feeding chart for young toucan chicks.

Age Water Kaytee­®­exact­®­Hand­Feeding­Formula­(powder)

Day 1 6 parts 1 part
Day 2 5 parts 1 part
Day 3 4 parts 1 part
Day 4 3 parts 1 part
Day 5 3 parts 1 part
Day 6 3 parts 1 part with the introduction of small pieces of pellets and fruit

reducing or eliminating the fruit component from diets fed to chicks aged 1–7 days old. The feed-
ing of pinkie mice may also cause concern due to the well‐known risk of iron storage disease.
However, in the initial days of life, a chick has an especially high nutritional requirement and the
heme‐iron of meat is not likely to give rise to iron storage disease. Withholding small amounts of
pinkie mice, at least during the first several days, is more problematic than not, producing sluggish
or negative weight gains. In any case, the threat of iron storage disease to modern toucan collec-
tions is now practically nonexistent thanks to good nutrition, health care, and successful
captive‐breeding.

Feeding Procedures

As with many species, toucan chicks may be hard to rouse in the morning. Gently tapping on the
countertop may be needed to stimulate activity because the vibration and sound equate to an adult
landing on the tree trunk; making whistling or chirping sounds may also be helpful, as well as
creating a shadow as if the parent had just arrived at the nest hole.
A toucan chick has poor control of its head, which tends to flail about during feeding. One’s
fingers can be ringed around the head, to control it without actually holding it or fear of damaging
the delicate beak.
Toucans lack a crop, and they may become temporarily full after receiving only a small part of
the diet. Once the portion of food has been swallowed, however, the chick will again appear hun-
gry and demand more. Once a chick reaches 10 days of age, it is normal for a feeding to take at least
15 minutes, as the bird goes through multiple full–empty cycles. Finally, however, the head flops
completely backward as the bird truly becomes full. Feeding a toucan chick properly, therefore,
takes considerably longer than other species the reader may be familiar with, such as parrots. An
expert may feed a parrot chick in less than a minute, but no amount of practice can speed the feed-
ing of a toucan.
After each feed, the author recommends cleaning food residue from inside and outside the
chick’s mouth using a moistened cloth or cotton‐tipped swab.

Days 1–6

To promote yolk sac absorption, wait several hours before giving the first feed. The initial feed
®
should be mostly liquid, such as distilled water or an oral electrolyte such as Pedialyte (Abbott
Labs), with only a minimal amount of Kaytee Exact. For subsequent feeds, the Kaytee formula
should be progressively thickened according to the approximate schedule in Table 37.1.