Nursery Management for Large Scale Psittacine Breeders
By Steve Duncan
Introduction
Nursery management actually begins long before the babies are in the nursery. It begins before the breeders even lay their eggs. Successful nursery management is an integral part of the overall breeding facility management plan.
When breeding a large number of mixed species, the biggest concern is disease control. Additional issues that affect the breeders and therefore affect the nursery are; streamlining care, record keeping, nutrition, and other general management strategies that influence the health and well-being of the breeders and therefore their ability to produce healthy chicks.
Reducing the likelihood of disease in the breeding birds will dramatically improve the chances of a disease-free nursery. Quarantine and testing for all new breeders entering the collection is very important. Ideally, the breeders should also be segregated by type as much as possible. Species that originate from different continents should be segregated from each other – i.e.; African birds separate from South American birds which should be separate from Asian birds, etc. This helps reduce cross exposure to foreign disease-causing microbes. I also separate birds according to size so that even my South American birds are segregated with Conures in one area and Amazons and Macaws in another area. Segregating different types of birds carries through into the nursery as well.
Providing the best care and nutrition to your breeders will help keep them in top condition which is the only way to consistently produce healthy chicks and reduce problems in the nursery. Setting up breeding cages so that they are easily serviceable for feeding, cleaning and nest box inspection is essential. A facility that is well organized and efficient will make servicing the cages easier, and will result in healthier breeders. It will make record keeping easier and more accurate as well. The importance of detailed and accurate records for each bird cannot be stressed enough.
← Feed Cart Ready to provide the daily dose of nutritional fresh food for the breeders.
All aspects of breeding facility management work together in a successful aviary. Even the best nursery management cannot correct shortcomings in other areas of breeding facility management. This article will show the practices and procedures in place at Avian Resources that have been created and developed because they work for me for raising a large variety of hand-fed psittacines, including Conures, Poicephalus, Pionus, Amazons, Greys, Cockatoos, Macaws and other similar birds. There are many right ways to raise birds. Hopefully, you will find some of the techniques that I use to be useful in your management plan.
Weekly Nestbox Inspection
Nest box inspections are carried out once per week. A weekly printout of all active clutches and hatched babies is prepared ahead of time. As each nest box is inspected, data are recorded on any new eggs, missing eggs, fertility, new chicks hatched, missing chicks, and any eggs or chicks pulled from the nest box and fostered or brought into the nursery.
Chicks are routinely pulled at an average age of 10 days of age. In large clutches, the oldest few chicks will be pulled, and the youngest will be left with the parents until the following week. Knowing the habits of your birds will allow you to make the right decisions on when to pull babies or eggs. Some pairs, macaws in particular, will only feed one baby so the first baby is pulled as soon as the second baby hatches. Some pairs will incubate just fine, but may harm or kill babies when they hatch so these eggs must be fostered or pulled for artificial incubation before they hatch.
I currently use
Avimate software for record keeping. It allows me to run reports on active clutches and past production for each pair. I generally run the reports in Avimate and export them into an Excel spreadsheet so I can sort the reports in the way that fits my routine. Avimate has quite a few shortcomings, but it works very well to monitor each egg and each resulting chick as they are reared and subsequently sold or added to the breeding collection.
Fostering, Incubation & Hatch Assistance.
Inevitably, there will be those parents who do not go along with the plan of hatching and rearing their own young. With problem pairs, I try to foster eggs to other pairs when possible. This can lead to some interesting foster-parent/baby combinations. I have pairs of Amazons who successfully hatch and feed macaws and cockatoos. I even fostered a Meyer’s Parrot egg under a “pair” of female Red Lories once. They hatched and fed the chick for 2 weeks, at which time I pulled it for hand-feeding. Occasionally, I will use chickens, pigeons or doves to foster incubate, but of course these babies must be pulled for hand-feeding as soon as they hatch. Eggs that are removed from the nest are identified with their cage number written in Magic Marker on the large end of the egg.
If there are no options to foster eggs, they must be
brought in for artificial incubation. Eggs that receive natural incubation for
the first week or two will generally do much better than those that must be
artificially incubated from the time they are laid.
I use Lyon Electric Turn-X incubators. They are relatively inexpensive, but I’ve found them to be very good over the years. It is vital to get the Turn-X model that has the “10 Turn Potentiometer” as this is much more accurate at temperature control. I do not use the automatic turners. They turn the eggs every hour which is too often in my opinion. I recommend turning the eggs 3-5 times per day instead.
Because Turn-X incubators are very affordable I can have several separate incubators instead of one expensive one. This way, hatching eggs can be put in a separate incubator from eggs that are not ready to hatch. This provides the flexibility to raise the humidity on hatching eggs which helps in the hatching process. It will also help prevent bacterial contamination of the other eggs from the fecal material of the newly hatched chick.
Having separate incubators will also give you the flexibility to incubate some eggs at higher humidity than others. Even though southern California is fairly arid, parrot eggs generally don’t require any water in the incubator during incubation. However, if an egg has an abnormally thin shell or a crack in the shell, it may need higher humidity than normal to prevent dehydration.
Ideally, eggs should lose approximately 15% of their weight over the normal incubation period. You can use a range of 12% to 18% as a good target. If you are incubating from day 1, you can track this with a good scale and a piece of graph paper. The vertical Y axis will be used to record the weight of the egg, and the horizontal X axis will be the days of incubation. Get the weight of the egg when it is laid and record that on the Y axis of your graph at day 1. Multiply this fresh weight by .88 to get the 12% weight loss figure and by .82 to get the 18% weight loss figure. Plot these 2 points on the line above the number of days it takes for the species to hatch. Now draw 2 lines from the fresh laid weight - 1 line to each of these 2 points on the other side of the graph to form two slightly diverging lines. Now you can weigh the egg every few days and plot the figure on the graph for that day of incubation. The point should fall within the two lines. If it is above the 2 lines, then the egg is not losing enough water. If it is below the line, it is drying out too fast.
As the egg approaches hatching time, it undergoes a series of changes. The first is drawdown, where the air cell begins to extend from the large end of the egg down one side of the egg. At this point, the egg should not be turned, and the drawdown portion should be kept facing up. This is the area of the egg where the chick’s beak is and is where it will make the first pip mark through the shell to allow access to fresh air as the chick switches to using its lungs to breathe.
If everything goes normally, the chick’s beak will first break through the membrane into the air cell (internal pip), then it will make the external pip through the shell sometime after that. During this time, the chick’s lungs are taking over respiratory function. It is not unusual for the chick to sit for a couple of days without any further changes. Just prior to emerging, the chick will draw the remaining yolk into its abdomen, and the blood vessels will recede. When the time is right, the chick will pip and rotate around the circumference of the egg in about 15-20 minutes. With a couple of great heaves, called surge pips, the chick will then push off the cap of the egg and emerge. Because nothing seems to be happening for quite a while before the chick rotates, many people mistakenly believe the chick is stuck and needs help.
In my opinion, people make hatching assistance far more
complicated than it needs to be. Think of it this way - What's the rush to get a
chick out the shell??? All it means is you have another mouth to feed. Relax!
The developing embryo has lived in this shell for well over 3 weeks. It has
survived off of the contents of the egg for that entire time. The only thing it
has absorbed from the outside is Oxygen. As long as the chick is getting Oxygen,
there is nothing urgent. Too many people feel the need to rush in and pull a
chick out of a place that has served it well for 3-4 weeks.
At hatching, the chick only needs to make the transition from using the blood
vessels in the shell membrane to gather Oxygen, to using its lungs instead. Once
the lungs are developed, the yolk is absorbed and the blood vessels will recede.
Let that happen. There is plenty of yolk to take care of the chick’s nutritional
needs for 24-48 hours after a normal hatch. There should be no rush to get a
chick out of the shell if it can breathe. As long as it has access to air
through the pip, it can sit there all day, even after the blood vessels
recede. It's not going to starve. It has plenty of yolk. It's not going to
dehydrate, unless you get impatient and begin removing shell before it's time to
do so causing bleeding or too much exposure to outside air.
For malpositioned chicks or chicks that pip below the air cell, there is nothing
urgent if the chick is vocalizing. If you can hear the chick peeping, it simply
means that it is able to get air into its lungs which is good. If the chick has
pipped below the air cell and is vocalizing, it is getting air from outside
through the pip mark - also good. There is no need to rush in to help the chick
if you hear it peeping. If you put a pinhead sized hole in the shell over the
air cell, it will relieve the pressure which will allow the chick more room to
expand its lungs. That is the only thing I do until the blood vessels recede.
With a good high-power candler, you will be able to see if any blood vessels
remain. When they are gone, and the chick is still sitting there, only then
is it advisable to begin removing shell from around the tip of the beak (pip
mark) and slowly expose the head and check for unabsorbed yolk and free the
chick from the shell if all is ready.
The procedure is a bit more delicate for malpositioned
chicks that are not able to pip the shell. The egg must be monitored with a
high-power candler to see where the tip of the chick’s beak is located. This is
sometimes indicated by a slight discoloration from inside the egg shell where
the beak is rubbing but not able to break through. A tiny amount of shell can be
lifted with a pin without disturbing the shell membrane. Allow the underlying
membrane to dry. Often times the blood vessels will then recede from the area
allowing you to make a very small hole to allow air inside the egg for the chick
to begin breathing. Once the chick is breathing, you can relax and let it absorb
the yolk and allow the blood vessels to recede on their own before pulling the
chick out of the shell if necessary.
Many people feel the need to open the air cell to see what’s going on, and wet the
membrane with distilled water. Opening the air cell will promote dehydration of
the chick. I also recommend against wetting the membrane. All that will do is
bring in possible infections, and as the water evaporates, it cools the baby.
Furthermore, I think it actually causes the membranes to dry out even more in
much the same way as licking your lips too much will cause chapped lips. If you
leave the shell intact, or only put a pinhead-sized hole into the air cell, you
won't need to worry about wetting the membranes.
Remember - It's all about Oxygen. If the chick can breathe/vocalize, you are in good shape. Don't watch the clock. Just leave it alone until the blood vessels are gone.
One other tip, if you hold a hatching egg up to your ear, you will hear some clicking sounds if all is well. Many people interpret that as the chick pecking at the shell. In reality, it is the sound of the chick breathing. The clicking is part of the sounds made by a newly functioning respiratory system. It is one of the signs to tell you that the chick is getting air to its lungs and you can relax. You can hold a newly hatched chick to your ear and hear the exact same clicking sound.
Nursery Routine
Just as the breeders are segregated into groups, the chicks from each group are also segregated from each other when they are brought into the nursery. Incubator-hatched babies are kept separate from parent-hatched babies. The nursery has separate rooms for each group to prevent cross-contamination. I do mix babies from different pairs, as long as those pairs are in the same breeding group.
Chicks are kept in 20 quart Sterilite
plastic storage containers with several rows of 7/8 inch holes drilled in the
tops for ventilation. Pyrrhura Conures are typically put in groups of 10. Small
Aratingas (Peach-front, Halfmoon, Brown-throat, etc) are grouped 7-8. Birds the
size of Suns, Jendays, Senegals and Meyers are grouped 5-6 per tub. Etc… Large
Macaws and Large Cockatoos are started in the same 20 quart containers, but they
graduate to 56 quart containers as they grow.
Keeping the chicks grouped in this manner reduces the need for an artificial heat source if the room as kept at a comfortable temperature. The tubs have a 1-2 inch layer of paper animal bedding. During the coldest time of year, heating pads set on medium are used under the tubs with the youngest chicks.
It is important to observe and understand what the birds are telling you. Comfortable chicks will nestle calmly with each other. They will be relaxed, not panting, and they will be warm to the touch. Chicks that are not warm enough will be lethargic and will feel cool to the touch. Chicks that are too warm will be restless, redder in color, and will cry more.
Tubs are placed on rolling baker’s racks. The youngest
babies go on top. As they age, they are moved down the shelves. By the time they
reach the bottom shelf, they are ready to ship. Each shelf on the Baker’s rack
is considered a single group of chicks. They share feeding utensils, and they
share the tubs on that shelf.
Hand-feeding
I use Kaytee Exact Hand-feeding formula with no additives except warm water for all ages and all types of baby psittacines. An electric mixer is used to blend the formula to a smooth consistency. A single batch of formula is prepared to feed all the chicks. This mixture is not kept heated. It cools over the time taken to feed the babies so that the last to get fed are often getting room-temperature formula. I do not use a thermometer because I never mix the formula anywhere near hot enough to injure the babies.
The full batch of formula is
poured into a large pitcher or bowl. A small amount of formula is then poured from the
pitcher into a disposable plastic cup for each tub of babies. The formula is
drawn into the syringe from this cup. Because each shelf is treated as a single
group, a single syringe and cup is used per shelf. The syringe and fingertips
are rinsed in running water after feeding each chick. The syringe, cup and hands
are washed after each shelf is fed and before continuing to the next shelf of
babies. The babies on the highest shelf are fed first, then I move down the
shelves in order.
Formula is fed relatively thick. Thick formula provides a denser nutrient intake, allowing the chicks to process less water to get the needed nutrients for development. The crops will empty much slower with dense formula so 2 feedings per day is all that is needed for most chicks. Feeding thick formula too often can result in sour crop problems. It is okay for the chicks to sit for an hour or two with empty crops before the next feeding, but if the crops aren’t allowed to completely empty, then problems can result.
For small babies, I feed until the crop can't hold any more (except for Caiques which will aspirate if you do that). By the time the babies' pin feathers are just beginning to open, they are close to the peak volume of food they can take in a feeding. For Dusky Conures, that is about 14-18 cc's per feeding. African Greys will generally get 60 cc's. They can often take another 20-30 cc's more than that, but they tend to be a bit slower so I don't always fill them completely full.
Again, it is important to observe what the birds are
telling you. Properly fed chicks will not beg incessantly (yes, that goes for
cockatoos too!). They are relaxed and will nestle with each other. They will be
full-bodied, and they will not appear desperate at feeding time.
Occasionally, when I feed at the normal interval, there will be a baby with a small amount of formula left in its crop. As long as the formula is loose (not doughy), then I don't worry about it too much. I will feed that baby a little less to make sure it is empty next time. If it is not empty by the next feeding, then that is an indication of a problem and I separate that baby to a brooder at 99-100F and monitor it. A little TLC generally cures the problem. If a chick is really having issues with a slow crop, the crop contents will become doughy. They also tend to get a dehydrated look to the face before you notice a slow crop. If the crop does not begin to process food after 2 feedings of warm water, there is likely to be a more serious underlying problem requiring veterinary attention.
I do feed day-1 babies on occasion. These very young babies
must be fed very thin,
watery formula as often as possible for the first 2 days. The first day, they
may get fed every hour or two. I do not feed in the middle of the night unless a
baby is in distress from dehydration. I gradually thicken the formula on the
second day until they are able to go onto the same schedule as the rest of the
babies at around 7-10 days.
When feeding day-1's, the temptation is always there to slide in an extra
feeding on the older chicks since you are in the nursery feeding already. I
learned the hard way that this is a mistake. It's better to let them go empty
for several hours than to keep food in the crop at all times.
Bedding
The paper pulp bedding is changed daily or at least every 2
days. Each shelf on the baker’s rack holds 4, 20 quart tubs. A fifth tub is kept
nested on one of the 4 tubs. When cleaning, a layer of clean bedding is put into
this fifth tub and the chicks from one of the other 4 tubs are transferred into
it. Their tub is then cleaned and new bedding goes in. The chicks from the next
tub are then transferred to this tub, and so on until that shelf is done. The
process starts at the top shelf and proceeds down the rack with a thorough
hand-washing between each shelf.
Other bedding options I have used successfully are rabbit pellets, wood shavings, beet pulp, rolled oats, shredded newspaper, and parrot breeder pellets.
Weaning
Most of the babies that I raise are shipped when they are
fully-feathered and are ready to go into a cage and wean. Babies that are ready
to be weaned but are not being shipped are moved to wire bottomed cages in a
separate weaning room. At this age, they become much more active and feather
dust becomes a big issue. Because of this, it is best to have a separate room
with a separate airflow from the younger babies. At weaning, the immune system
is beginning to function better and healthy babies from different areas of the
facility will be grouped together for the first time.
I used to have a strict policy of not shipping any babies until they are fully weaned. After shipping some babies to close friends and regular pet store customers, I realized that babies that are shipped prior to weaning generally make the transition better. I still do not release unweaned babies to retail customers (pet owners), but I when I sell to experienced pet stores and wholesalers, I prefer to ship babies prior to being fully weaned. It is better for the birds.
Conclusion
There are many right ways to successfully raise birds. The measure of what is right is not what is recommended by the most people or what is standard practice. The measure of what is right is in the results. Listen to what the birds are telling you. They will tell you what is right and wrong by their health and well-being. That is the measure which ultimately leads to avicultural success.