Page 592 - Hand rearing birds second

Wild Parrots 593

and massage gently if the material is solid. Repeat the flushing procedure until the crop is
completely empty and the liquid coming out is relatively clear. Beware of aspiration during the
procedure. Make sure the tube is really in the crop before injecting. Stop immediately if the chick
is coughing or sneezing. Keep some of that withdrawn liquid to perform a gram stain and a direct
smear looking for any bacterial, parasitic, yeast, or other fungal causes.
Once the crop is empty, begin with hydration. Use lactated Ringer’s solution and/or clay water
(water taken from a settled solution of Bentonite clay) in small amounts and monitor that the solu-
tion is absorbed in about 1–2 hours. Once well hydrated, the crop should empty of liquid fairly
quickly. Then, restart feeding with formula diluted with fluids (about 1 : 2) in small amounts. If
digestion appears normal, gradually increase the number of feedings and quantity of food through-
out the day and decrease the dilution until it reaches normal consistency. As digestion improves,
reduce the frequency of meals but increase the amount. If the emptying is still slow or if you are
dealing with an infection, start with injectable (usually SQ) fluids and injectable antibiotics (if
needed) as the medication may not be absorbed orally. Injectable prokinetic drugs (e.g. metoclo-
pramide) can also be used up to three times a day in severe cases only. Look for an underlying
cause, such as infection, heavy metal intoxication, or other medical problem.

Clipped­Wings­and Feather­Condition
Most parrots confiscated from Belizean homes have clipped wings and poor feather condition due
to vitamin deficiencies. Stress bars are common; even chicks that are brought in quickly can
develop serious stress bars. Natural causes are diet deficiencies, dehydration, nest overcrowding, or
predator presence. In severe cases, the feathers break at the stress point on fledging. This is not a
factor limiting the ultimate releasability of a bird as long as there are no injuries to the wing or fol-
licle deformities. The normal molting process is long, but birds will learn to fly normally once
completed. The bird’s plumage condition is a crucial factor to evaluate when judging if a bird is
ready for release or not. Release is not even considered for less‐than‐optimally hand‐reared chick
until the bird has had a complete annual molt under optimum diet and husbandry conditions,
which translates as an absolute minimum rehabilitation period of 18 months.

­ Imprinting­and Habituation

Avoiding habituation or imprinting of hand‐reared chicks is absolutely impossible. Chicks are
naturally curious, intelligent, and rapidly develop an affinity with their human caregiver: this trait
is exactly why they are sought after as pets. Many of these birds have already been exposed to
humans when admitted. Unless the bird was removed from the nest very close to fledging, or has
experienced serious pain and distress at the hands of humans, they are unlikely to be afraid or even
wary of us. Thankfully, habituation can be largely reversed. From the start, interactions should be
kept to a minimum, which includes avoiding unnecessary talking when birds are present. Feeding
time should be efficient and limited. Limit exposure and proximity to human activity during wean-
ing, and as soon as the chicks are weaned they should be moved to a suitable outside location
which reduces and restricts interactions with humans. As their contact with humans decreases
and they experience healthy flock interaction with other birds of their species, they will gradually
lose their unhealthy interest in humans. Even habituated ex‐pets develop healthy intraspecific
behaviors, lose their human vocalizations, and revert back to natural sounds given sufficient time
and circumstance. However, expect that a hand‐raised baby parrot will not lose their interest in
humans until they approach 12 months of age and even beyond.