View
124
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Early desensitization to awaken senses to taste, textures & various consistencies of the weaning extruded morsels.
Preening education onto other clutch mates encouraged
Socialization with clutch mates Elementary foraging opportunities offered to
reward curiosity Nurturing includes visual and verbal communication
Educational FocusStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
TOOLS
Nurturing
Monitoring
Socialization
Desensitization
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Body weight still rests on hocks
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory StageCharacteristics of this Stage
Feathers are emerging from the pin feathers, especially head & wing coverts for the larger parrot species.
Tail and primaries are barely 10 % out of shaft
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Body weight still rests on hocks, although light-weight species will raise from resting on hocks more quickly through the stages than the larger psittacines.
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory StageCharacteristics of this Stage
Feathers are emerging from the pin feathers, especially wing coverts more quickly for the smaller psittacines species .
Tail and primaries are barely 10 % out of shaft
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Characteristics of this StageStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Crop is at its maximum size
Plateau stage reached on the logarithmic growth curve for the smaller psittacines & almost reached for the larger species
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Beak commissures are still soft. Commissures are still touched to trigger a healthy feeding response which is still expected at each feeding. Lunging or prolonged feeding response onto other clutch mates between feedings should be noted, as this could indicate chicks are not reaching satiety or may be suffering from a crop disorder.
Characteristics of this StageStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Chicks are:
• starting to move around yet with very little coordination, agility or stability
• sleeping approx. 90% of the day
• Exploring substrate
• beginning to vocalize
• beginning to preen clutch mates
Characteristics of this StageStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Characteristics of this StageStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Motor Skills
Motor skills are not refined,
as this is reflected in their
lack of coordination and
agility. Yet there are starting
to try to move around,
exploring the weight
disposition of their heavy
bodies, starting to lift their
rump and stretch their legs a
little , as well as extent their
wings. They are discovering
the potential strength of their
bodies. Smaller species
acquire motor skills more
quickly
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Chicks should be kept close together to promote elementary preening activity. Sides of the chick pen must not be too low; chicks might try to climb over the
rims & consequently aspirate due to their large crops.
Stage 1
Prior to Stage 1
HousingStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
HousingStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Catalina Macaw housed with two Green-winged Macaws. Bin is large & stable enough to allow for full wing extension, some movement wobbling about, and safe height to prevent pre-fledgling to climb out of bin. Macaws are assured to be in close proximity to each other to promote elementary preening and socialization, as well as support to lean onto each other
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
HousingStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
As well as increasing the risk of aspiration if the chicks attempt to climb over the side, chick pens that are too small can result in:
• the bin flipping over if a large chick attempts to climb out (especially if there is not enough substrate to weigh it down)
• damaged wing and tail feathers
• wing injuries, since chicks at this stage are beginning to flap to develop their pectoral muscles ©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
HousingStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
• Chicks that have outgrown their chick pens should be transferred to larger ones which will accommodate for their size and level of activity, yet we recommend these bins not be large, as the focus needs to be on other clutch mates to ensure socialization and elementary preening
• Should you unfortunately be raising a single chick from a clutch in your nursery, this is a critical age to consider adding chicks from other clutches to the chick pen, provided there is compatibility and no suspected health concerns.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
HousingStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
50/50 mix of aspen shavings ( that does not contain aromatic phenols) and
recycled newspaper pellets is used at the HARI nursery, after their neonatal stage
when chicks are not suspected of suffering from crop disorders ( Note: increasing the
likelihood of ingesting substrate)
The chick pen should also have a good clean substrate that is dust free and absorbent for
chicks to nestle. The thickness of the substrate should ensure the chicks legs will not splay.
Optimal husbandry must ensure hygienic conditions are provided. Feces should not soil the
chicks. Feces that stick to the feet of the chicks could lead to future pododermatitis, feces that
adhere to the rump can cause irritation, constipation, and bacterial infections. Feather damage
can also result from unhygienic conditions in the nests or chick pens. Aromatic phenols, yeast
and soiled substrate can also contribute to respiratory health concerns. Some aviculturist
prefer to use material or paper towels or absorbent pads instead of substrate to prevent
possible ingestion. This will usually require a more diligent monitoring of the hygiene of the
chicks to ensure feces do not soil the body of the chicks, especially as they mature from the
neonatal stages.
Considerations for use of Substrates
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
HousingStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Avoid :
•all substrates should the species or individuals be
predisposed to ingesting the substrate
• All substrate should a crop disorder be suspected, or optimal
feeding schedule can not be ensured
• corn cob as it is an excellent breeding ground for mould and
can be easily ingested, furthermore it resembles the extruded
morsels chicks in this stage start to forage for.
• clay based substrates
• substrates that can cause serious implications such as
impaction or GI perforation should they be ingested
• pine or cedar especially if the environment is not well
ventilated, as there is a potential health concern when
housing chicks on substrates that contain aromatic phenols
• substrate that can get entangled and potentially cause
constriction
Consult with your avian veterinarian to explore the best
and safest substrates to use for your particular needs.
Considerations for use of Substrates
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
HousingStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Quiet nursery environment with dim lights
and chick pen partially covered with a
lightweight blanket for most of the time
during this stage to minimize disturbances
and shadows, which instinctively chicks
recognize as a potential threat-(predator) in
the wild nest cavities. A stress free
environment promoting quality sleep is
essential at this stage as the chicks still
spend most of their time sleeping between
feedings.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Housing
Missed opportunity!
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
The older fledgling on the side of the chick pen should be placed in the pen with supervision to interact with the
younger chicks.
Mentorship from well educated older
fledglings can be used successfully
especially while caring for numerous chicks
at once as is often encountered with the
smaller psittacine species that age and evolve
much more quickly through the EPE stages.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Based on our weaning strategy we do not give toys to chicks at this stage. The awakening of the senses should be concentrated on feeding activity, with the chicks’ increasing curiosity rewarded by finding extruded morsels on the bottom of the chick pen. Time awake should be spent engaged in this foraging activity as well as preening other chicks.
Housing
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Feeding StrategyStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Nutritional guidance: Nutritional guidance will be constant in the
EPE and Weaning Program to benefit the chick as he continues to
develop physically as well as serve his cognitive growth. He has
much to learn in the next few weeks and a nutritionally deprived
chick will be unable to focus on his upcoming lessons. In
comparison to his wild bird counterpart, it’s the same course of
action when a parent bird brings food to the nest. The particular
food brought to the chick becomes a familiar flavor to him and he
will learn by familiarity that once he leaves the nest, this is the food
that is safe and OK to eat. It would without argument, be
detrimental to his survivorship if the parent bird began these
lessons after the chick leaves the nest and starts to an
independent search of his own. This is a lesson in nutrition that
stays with the chick for his lifetime. ..knowing what food is good for
him to eat.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Feeding StrategyStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Regrettably some breeders decrease the number of feedings per
day at this age to 3 feedings of larger quantities of hand feeding
formula because their crop has expanded to its maximum size.
Some chicks may become winey and they often display lunging or
aggressive behavior when the nursery caretaker appears with a
syringe full of hand feeding formula. Additionally, they are also
often difficult to wean due to prolonged periods of overextended
crops from being fed huge amounts of amounts of hand feeding
formula. Well, those problems could all be avoided if the nutritional
guidance were approached with a different attitude and strategy
implemented at this stage of the chick’s life.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Elementary Foraging Skills
Feeding StrategyStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
The crop, once fully extended by volumes of food will soon
downsize a bit. It’s imperative for the chick’s long term
digestive health to keep the crop motility in good shape. This
can be achieved with assisted feeding strategies with softened
extruded diet morsels mixed with the hand feeding formula on
a spoon as well as a the placement of shallow dish with
moistened extruded diet in the chick pen. The idea behind this
implementation is not to start forcing the chick to eat on his
own, but to play into his natural instincts of picking up and
mouthing objects within his reach, which, at this age, might
otherwise be the substrate. It is better to provide nutritious and
familiar flavor to satisfy his natural tendencies for foraging
behavior.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
As the chick matures throughout this stage the crop will
regress
It is crucial to gradually encourage
the crop to downsize and gain tonus at this stage; prolonged feeding of large quantities of hand-feeding formula will prevent the natural regression of the crop and may cause the GI tract to remain lazy.
end of stage 1
Feeding StrategyStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
1st complimentary spoon feeding of weaning granules soaked in
warm water
Feeding Strategy
• Chicks are fed 4 times per day and gradually as the crop regresses a 5th feeding can be added
• Hand-feeding formula is still syringe or spoon fed during most feeding sessions
• Complimentary spoon feeding of weaning granules soaked in warm water will be introduced at this stage, as thicker consistency along with harder morsels will encourage the crop to regress, gain tonus and prevent the GI tract from getting lazy
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Elementary Foraging Skills
This stage provides the perfect
opportunity to introduce dry
weaning granules in the nursery
chick pen as it is the age of
curiosity. This introduction
provides elementary foraging
skills.
Feeding StrategyStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
The weaning granules should be of a larger
size, such as sticks or biscuits
The large morsels can be placed on the floor of
the chick pen in clean substrate or in a
shallow dish
The larger size of the granules will encourage
foraging and will discourage ingestion of the
substrate.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Weight Monitoring
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory StageFeeding Strategy
Sometimes it’s awkward to manage a chick and gram scale, especially when
it comes to a heavy bodied species such as a macaw. However, we want to
stress the importance of this routine of daily weighing as it will be part of this
chick’s everyday routine in the nursery and hopefully, throughout his life as
companion bird.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Weight Monitoring
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory StageFeeding Strategy
For proper monitoring of the chicks throughout the Early Parrot Education
stages, chick identification bands can be used to differentiate between chicks
that are housed together.
This daily monitoring is crucial to caretaker as the growth pattern will indicate the
advancements to the next stage. Once the “plateau stage” is reached in this 1st stage of EPE
the chicks growth chart can be replaced with the weaning growth chart to record the weight
as no more increase should be expected. It should be said that negative growth patterns
(not associated with the expected gradual weaning weight loss) can also indicate a possible
medical or nutritional problem. If such is the case, the nursery caretaker can be more
proactive in making corrective changes.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Weight Monitoring & Handling Considerations
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory StageFeeding Strategy
Handling chicks at this age can be challenging as nails are very sharp; these
must not, however, be groomed for the caretakers convenience! Furthermore,
chicks are awkward to pick up due to their large crops, clumsy bodies lacking
muscle and strength, resting most of their weight on the upper part of their
bodies and so handling can be potentially dangerous for the chicks unless a
proper technique is used. Pressure should never be applied to the chicks
abdomen or upper body region when handling .Chicks should never be rested
on slippery surfaces during weighing, physical exam or feeding. Handling
should be strategic to minimize handling when crop is not empty. Ex: chicks
should be weighed when crop empty in the morning then transferred to a clean
chick bin and then fed in this respective bin to prevent handling with full crop .
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Weight Monitoring & Handling Considerations
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory StageFeeding Strategy
Pressure should be applied to the top of the foot (with thumbs) while supporting the back of the leg with the index fingers and the foot pad with middle fingers. The head should be supported should it lean forward while chicks is being lifted.
Handling chicks at this age can be
challenging as nails are very sharp;
these must not, however, be groomed!
Furthermore, chicks are awkward to
pick up due to their large crops and
that they are not standing upright,
resting most of their weight on the
upper part of their bodies and so
handling can be potentially dangerous
for the chicks unless a proper
technique is used. Pressure should
never be applied to the chicks
abdomen or upper body region when
handling .
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Weight Monitoring
Stage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory StageFeeding Strategy
Healthy chicks thriving under optimal conditions should have empty
crops ( ideal for accurate weight assessment) prior to the morning
feeding, whereas the crop although expected to digest its content
may not be left to completely empty during the rest of the day prior
to another feeding session. Emptying a chick’s crop for weighing
purposes should be done only if you immediately require an
accurate weight for a health assessment or chicks require their crops
to be emptied due to a crop disorder. Techniques used to empty the
crop content safely should only be performed by a skilled avian
nursery caretaker or avian health professional.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Socialization at this age is important for the chicks’ development, whether they are socialized with chicks of the same or different species. Skills such as preening and elementary foraging will be acquired faster if the chicks are not housed alone.
Socialization
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Desensitization to the Physical Exam
As the nursery caretaker performs a daily head to toe health check with desensitization
methods, the chick will quickly learn that a little light used to check his choanal papillae and
a touch to areas normally considered off limits in older parrots such as under the wing and
foot inspection, will be ok. This mastered lesson will be most valuable throughout the
chick’s life regardless of who is checking, as this inspection will give indication of nutrient
assimilation and provide an opportunity for general health check by his future avian
caretaker. Parrot owners are encouraged to check these areas of their adult pets or
breeders as these areas that can signify necessary changes in the bird’s lifestyle.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Desensitization to the Physical Exam: Inspection of the Choanal Region
In this photo, an appropriate technique is being used to desensitize the chick to inspection of the choanal region. The inspection should be gentle and not forcefully apply pressure to the upper or lower mandible. Gently scratching the feathers around the ears will usually trigger a yawning response form the chicks which can facilitate the inspection of the choanal region and oral cavity.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Desensitization to the Physical Exam: Inspection of the Choanal Region
Contrary to the technique demonstrated in the prior slide, this technique is too forceful for desensitization purposes and visual inspection on the choanal region and oral cavity. It may be necessary to remove substrate that may have regrettably been inadvertently ingested when it is still visible in the oral cavity , or be used by an avian health professional to collect a choanal swab, but should not be used by an inexperienced caretaker for the mere routine inspection and desensitization purpose ©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
• The eyes of chicks at this stage should still not be exposed to full light radically nor for prolonged periods.
• Ear opening should also be inspected visually by the caretaker, for any signs of redness, flaky skin, abnormal ear opening.
Desensitization to the Physical Exam: Inspection of Eyes and Ear Openings
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Desensitization to the Physical Exam:
The use of a stethoscope applied to various parts of the body especially where air sacs are located can both desensitize the chick to this procedure and also familiarize
the nursery caretaker to recognizing normal and abnormal sounds. Your avian veterinarian can also play a crucial role in educating you to be able to recognize
potentially abnormal sounds associated with health concerns that would need their immediate expertise for a professional evaluation.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Desensitization to the Physical Exam
Any slight beak deviations should be noticed during the visual exam as these can be corrected easily.
Slight pressure applied to the tip of the beak following feeding will trigger a feeding response reaction but should also correct the deviation if performed several times within the next few days.
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Preening with wet warm towel around the neck & back.
A warm wet towel can be placed on the chick’s nape and back prior to
a preening session. This soothing ritual softens the feather shafts by
humidifying the emerging feathers and promotes easier preening, a
skill that is taught by the parent bird. Preening can also be done
through the towel, to further desensitize the chick to this material.
A basking light should be provided after the session to prevent the
chick from getting chilled and encourage elementary preening on
other clutch mates
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Primary LessonsStage One of Early Parrot Education
Introductory Stage
Preening with wet warm towel around the neck & back.
The importance of desensitizing the chick to a towel is to get the bird
accustomed to the future lesson of cradling as this too will become a part
of his lessons as he progresses though his primary education process. It
will be expected that sometime during this bird’s life, he will have to be
toweled. Birds that are not accustomed to towel cradling, are stressed
unnecessarily more so in the event of an emergency such as a broken
blood feather or even a simple veterinarian exam. And, stressed birds also
show a much higher white blood cell count, which could be misinterpreted
in diagnostic procedure.
Pin feather preening & Towel desensitization go hand in hand!
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved