Page 595 - Hand rearing birds second

596 Hand-Rearing Birds

As with most feeding techniques, hygiene is very important, especially between clutches of
birds. Use a different set of equipment for each group. Wash hands, syringes, and tubes between
groups. Flush and at least cold‐sanitize the tube; seemingly healthy birds may harbor yeast and
bacterial infections that can be easily transmitted.

­ Feeding­Procedures

Tubing­vs­Syringe-feeding
The author uses 6–8 in. (15.2–20.3 cm) metal gavage “feeding needles” (aka tubes) attached to a
syringe for chicks. A curved #12 is ideal, although a #10 or #14 can be used depending on age and
species. Most chicks get accustomed quickly to swallowing the tube without fear of injury or dis-
tress after a few feedings. Stimulate the feeding response by gently pushing on the oral commis-
sures. The chick will usually answer by head bobbing and simultaneously closing the glottis
(opening of the trachea), reducing the risk of aspiration. Warming your fingers in hot water before-
hand can increase the feeding response. Insert the tube gently from the left side of the beak toward
the cranial esophagus located on the right side of the throat. Be sure to feel the tube in the crop
(palpate the trachea and the tube next to it in the esophagus) before ejecting food to be sure the
tube is not in the trachea. Hold the syringe lightly between thumb and forefinger, allowing the bird
to swallow the tube. There is no need to handle the beak during gavage but do support the head
and neck as the bobbing movement during insertion of the tube can damage the oropharynx.
Hatchlings require three to four feedings a day, decreasing to two feeds in pre‐fledglings, and one
evening feed for the fledglings as they are being weaned (at about 2–6 months, depending on spe-
cies). Very young hatchlings might need more frequent meals, but usually after 48 hours old, 4
meals will be sufficient as the crop stretches and can contain more food. The food during the initial
days of life should be more dilute and gradually thickened to reach the optimal consistency. The
crop doesn’t need to be completely empty before the next feeding but should be mostly empty. Fill
the crop until the food begins to just barely fill the cranial esophagus. Overfeeding results in regur-
gitation and possible aspiration of food.
Syringe‐only feeding, without the tube, is clearly more fun for everyone, but is not recommended
for wild parrots. The reasons not to syringe‐feed include: (i) food‐association and pleasurable feed-
ing encourages habituation, which should be avoided in releasable birds; (ii) it is messy and there-
fore risks damaging feathers; (iii) it is wasteful, which makes it almost impossible to know exactly
how much has been ingested; and (iv) it takes a lot longer to complete. The disadvantages of using
a crop needle to feed are the risk of damage to the esophagus, potential for harm with crop burns,
risk of spreading infection, and risk of overfeeding as the rapid filling encourages the baby to beg
for more even after it’s full. All these risks can be easily managed with good hygiene, good tech-
nique, and experience.
Groups of birds routinely mimic parent feeding behavior with one another, especially before and
directly after feeds. This is totally normal, although they are not technically feeding one another. If
a bird is regurgitating, it is likely he has been tubed too much food.

Weaning

Soft food is usually introduced around 6–8 weeks of age depending on the species. Weaning is a
gradual process where the babies will start refusing feeding and their crop will shrink gradually
as they start to eat on their own. Provide a plate of varied food items and they will begin to pick
up pieces. Do not expect it to happen before the chick is 16–20 weeks, or even longer in some