Page 613 - Hand rearing birds second

614 Hand-Rearing Birds

Figure 40.2 Candling lorikeet eggs. Source: photo by Gregory Sercel.

occurs within 24 hours after that. Lory eggs are sometimes almost round and the chick may move
in every direction during the hatching process. Watch its progress by occasionally checking with a
candler (Figure 40.2). Newer candlers utilize LED bulbs which emit very little heat. Initially, there
will be many visible red veins lining the egg wall when candling the egg. The blood in these is
slowly being absorbed, as is the yolk, by the chick. Be patient! Interference could cause the chick
to bleed out or the yolk to not be absorbed completely. The chick will exhibit spurts of energy and
then rest quietly, preparing for the next spurt. Eventually, the star‐shaped crack in the egg made by
the external pip will expand around the egg until the chick is able to use its feet and hatching neck
muscle to push out of the egg.
Once hatched, a drop or two of lactated Ringers solution may be given orally for hydration but
food should not be offered for 24 hours. During this time, the yolk sack is internally processed. The
yolk can usually be seen through the skin of the abdominal wall of a newly hatched chick and will
disappear after about 24 hours.

­ Initial­Care

See Chapter 1 for information about management of cold, dehydrated, injured, or ill chicks,
including initial care. If pulling very young chicks, a brooder should be set up in the nursery
a few days beforehand, if possible, to regulate its temperature. Brooder temperature should be
set according to the age of the chicks being brooded (Table 40.1). The nursery room itself
should ideally have a stable temperature 78–82 °F (25.5–27.7 °C) (Hagen Avian Research
Institute, HARI).
Chicks pulled from the nest after their eyes have opened and pinfeathering has begun will be
frightened and may resist being fed with a syringe. This is stressful for the chick, as well as the
hand‐feeder. Do not force it to eat. Offer drops of formula on the beak. The chick will start lick -
ing. If it resists, try again in a couple of hours. Eventually, especially when time for the morning
feeding, the chick will be more accepting of hand‐feeding efforts. Thereafter, they will eat from
the syringe.