Hand Rearing

By

Sonny Stollenmaier

 

    Over the years I have received many requests for help with hand rearing and weaning Grey parrot babies. The following is an article is an outline I prepared for those of you who are interested in and would like to consider rearing Greys.

 

    The first parrot I ever hand reared was a Blue and Gold macaw. These birds are as vigorous at eating as they are large. As soon as the spoon touches the side of their beaks the pumping action kicks in which is so ‘alive’ that, until one gets the knack of how to hold these babies gently but firmly, most of the formula becomes airborne.

I have hand reared a number of parrot species since but over the years specialised in breeding the Grey parrot and I can assure readers that they are considerably less vigorous when taking down the eagerly anticipated baby food. In fact, hand rearing African Greys is a pure joy!

 

 

Incubating Grey parrot eggs artificially

 

The incubation period of a grey parrot egg is 28 days. During this period the egg needs to be rolled many times per day. Hand turning is a possibility, however, if the egg is forgotten once too often it can easily die. I use an automatic incubator. This machine contains rollers on which the eggs sit and which turn the eggs gently and at a frequency which I can predetermine. I have set the incubator to turn the eggs ever 45 minutes which has proved very successful.

The temperature should be set between 37.0^oC and 37.5 ^oC.

If the egg is heated above 37.8 ^oC for a long period it can cause the egg to die.

Ambient climatic conditions can vary in any room and can affect the incubator. To allow for this I set the incubator to 37.3 ^oC. Should the room temperature fall or rise drastically and affect the incubator’s running temperature by reducing or raising the internal temperature it should still remain within acceptable limits.

I do not add any water to the incubator during the development of Grey parrot eggs. In a conversation Rob Harvey, a specialist in incubation and who has a lot of experience in incubation Grey Parrot eggs, told me that it is preferable to keep the humidity level within the incubator low until the Grey chick is ready to hatch. I candle the eggs daily and as soon as I can see the internal pip (when the chick pierces through the egg’s membrane to draw on the air from the airsac) I add water to the incubator to raise the humidity to around 80-90%.

 

 

When to remove babies from the nest

 

I tend to incubate eggs artificially only when necessary. There are of course pros and cons to both aspects, artificial as well as natural incubation, however, I do feel that the regurgitated food, especially the milky liquid that parents produce for the chicks in the first few days of their lives, is nutritionally by far superior than any product I could feed the chicks. Quite apart from that, hand rearing a parrot youngster from day one requires constant attention.

 

It is not necessarily easy to determine at what age chicks should be removed from the nest. Ideally I would like to leave them with the parents for as long as possible. As I reported in a previous article, I do believe that Grey babies that have been reared by their parents for at least 5 weeks can be better psychologically adjusted than those who missed out on parent rearing at that age. Even better, I have left chicks with parents for 9 weeks and started hand rearing then, which produced the most courageous and confident Grey parrots. Sadly however, this is easier said than done. More often than not, Grey parrots tend to neglect one, sometimes even two of their offspring to the point where the youngsters come away with physical ailments or even die in the nest. Perhaps this is part of natural selection. If every parent on this planet, from human to lion to Grey parrot was outstanding at raising each and every offspring the planet would simply be overpopulated. Furthermore it can be a tough and exhausting task to rear a full clutch of babies for a Grey, which is particularly obvious in clutches with four chicks.

Once the chicks are three to four weeks old their crop is fully developed and hand rearing can commence at a slower pace, i.e. the chicks require considerably fewer feeds than they do in previous weeks.

On the other hand if chicks are removed at the age of around 14 days it is still possible to put a closed ring on their leg to prove that they are captive bred. There is of course the possibility of ringing the chicks and placing them back in the nest; however, this is not a practise that I am keen on as I have heard stories of Grey parents chewing off the chick’s legs in an attempt to remove the ring on several occasions.

 

My personal preference is to remove the chicks at 2 weeks of age. Most of the Grey parents can cope well with the entire clutch of youngsters up to that point and I am able to ring the babies which provides proof of their captive status as well as a good form of identification. This can be useful not only if the bird gets lost but also for insurance purposes and disease and sex testing.

 

 

Ringing

 

The ring size used for African Greys is 11.0mm which is marked with the letter ‘V’.

The ring can be applied at around 16 days of age, depending on the chick’s size and weight. I prefer to fit the ring slightly early as it is easier to fit and causes less discomfort to the bird. Should it slip off it is easily put back on again.

 

 

Brooders/temperature/humidity

 

Once the chick has hatched it should be kept at in a brooder at around 36.5 ^oC for the next 3-4 days. The relative humidity can also be kept high as this will help to rehydrate the newlyhatched. Over the next 10 days the temperature can be lowered steadily to around 32.0 ^oC. From the age of 12 days to the point where the chick is covered in down feathers the temperature can be lowered a little more to around 29^oC and finally, once the bird has developed head, chest and wing feathers to around 25^oC.

It is important to lower the temperature slowly and progressively, that is by 0.5^oC at a time. Always watch the chicks to truly determine the right temperature levels. If a clutch of babies appears restless and lies apart the temperature is likely to be too high. If the chicks huddle closely together while appearing listless the ambient temperature is probably too low.

 

The humidity once the chick is above 7 days old can be kept at around 50%. It is worth bearing in mind that too low levels of humidity can result in dry skin and late feather development while too high levels of humidity can cause early feather development.

I use electronic brooders that have a digital display. That way I can keep an eye on the temperature as I pass and adjust it easily if necessary.

 

 

Bedding materials

 

I keep each clutch of chicks in their own plastic tub on a bed of wood shavings which is placed inside the brooder. The size of the tub is increased in line with the growing chicks. Once the chicks are around 6-7 weeks old I place them on a wire mesh which is suspended off the ground and fits inside the relevant containers. The mesh I use is around 1cm². The mesh keeps their environment free of droppings and I can rest assured that the youngsters won’t start to consume any of the wood shavings but concentrate on the bowl of fruits and vegetables and soaked pellets which I also place inside. The containers I use at this point are small fish tanks. They are easy to clean and it is easy to fit the mesh floor inside them. In order for the chicks not to feel in any way exposed I drape a large towel over the tank.

 

 

Handling

 

I try to handle the chicks as little as possible until they are several weeks old. Their bones are quite soft in the early stages of development so I prefer to simply remove the tub from the brooder, feed the chicks while still sitting in the tub and place it back inside the brooder. Incidentally, the brooders is use have glass fronts over which I drape a towel to prevent too much light reaching the Grey babies’ sensitive eyes.

 

 

Weaning cages

 

Once the babies show signs of become active in the fish tank and begin to explore their environment. I move them to a weaning cage. I use standard parrot cages that are high of the floor. Most parrot cages nowadays have a grill at the bottom which prevents that bird from standing in its droppings. I attach a sheet of the 1cm² wire mesh that I mentioned before to the grill so that the youngster can sit comfortably on the cage floor. To give them a great sense of security and to protect my walls I hang a large towel around the sides of the cage (this also prevents drafts). There is always a low perch (about 1-2 inches of the ground) inside the cage and a higher one. For the benefit of hygiene I hang acrylic toys inside the cage which I can disinfect routinely. It is quite interesting to watch the youngsters’ interact with the toys at even such a young age.

 

 

Socialisation

 

At this stage in their lives African Grey babies become undeniably irresistible to play with. They are cute, playful, inquisitive and can be handled, which provides the perfect time to socialise them and to introduce them to some dos and don’ts. Whenever I hand feed them at this point I allow them to run around the table (on a smooth towel) which I decorate with lots of fun foot toys, bits of dry food and scrunched up paper.

A short while later they attempt their first flights. Most crash-land several times before they master the art of landing – it is endearing to watch. However, it never fails to amaze me just how quickly they master the skill and end up heading for the high ropes that were weaved throughout our conservatory where the babies were kept and reared.

 

 

Syringes, spoons

 

I have spoken to several breeders about the various methods of delivering the baby food. Some prefer spoons other favour syringes. There are many hypothesis and ideas as to what instrument proves to be the best, some of which are outright ridiculous. I have heard people arguing that spoon feeding is the best method because it is the closest to the mother’s beak, making the process somewhat more natural. How anyone can arrive at the conclusion that a bent-up spoon in any way resembles a mother’s beak to a chick I cannot fathom. We ought to be quite clear that there is simply no tool that is as natural as a mother’s or father’s beak, nor is there a tool that resembles one. In my view, the most sensible and kindest approach to take is to leave it to the individual bird. On the whole I tend to favour the use of a syringe simply because I find it more hygienic and it causes less of a mess. However, syringe feeding requires a little skill and practise and it is true that the risk of aspiration (food accidentally entering the airways) is not as high when using a spoon. Some chicks are very eager feeders and will gulp down some 5 or 6 ml of formula in a flash. Others are by far slower to swallow or prefer to play with the food in their beaks for a moment first. I use syringes for the former and a tea spoon with the sides bent upwards for the latter. Incidentally, that kind of teaspoon tends to hold around 3-4ml of formula. I try to pay close attention to the chicks when I feed to observe its feeding/pumping rhythm and adjust the flow of the formula accordingly.

 

 

Preparing the formula

 

There are a number of commercially available formulas on the market. All of which are in a powdered form to which water is added until the right consistency is reached. This can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer – stick to the mixing instructions given on the packet. Generally speaking the consistency should be thick and smooth and run easily off a spoon.

Homemade baby food can be very good, however, I would not know how to achieve the correct phosphorous/calcium/vitamin D ratio necessary for healthy bone growth. Parrot chicks grow at an astounding rate in their first few weeks of life which leads me to believe that the correct balance of nutrient, vitamins and minerals is imperative. There are a number of companies that have spent millions on researching parrot and parrot chick nutrition and I for one am happy to make use of their scientific research and feed the resulting product as opposed to attempt to mix my own.

Whichever baby food you choose to feed it is best to serve it at around 39^oC - 43^oC. I personally find that my Grey babies prefer their food just above 40^oC. I tend to mix the formula with some hot water in a plastic cup and stir it until the temperature has lowered to the correct level. I do not use very hot water as this can destroy some of the enzymes present in the powder. To ensure that the temperature is correct I make use of a good digital food thermometer. Testing the food’s temperature by pouring some of it on the back of one’s hand or the wrist is too vague in my opinion. If the food is too cool the chicks are less likely to enjoy it and can become harder to feed and the crop may not empty as efficiently as it should. If the formula is too hot it is easy to burn the lining of the oesophagus as well as the crop itself. Please be aware that even if you find you can trust your wrist you will over time desensitize this area of your skin and it becomes possible to end up with formula that is too warm.

 

The baby food will require keeping warm while you feed as it tends to cool too quickly.

You could, while you feed, keep the food warm in a bowl of water; however, this too can be unpredictable and frankly awkward. I am a huge fan of making my life as easy as possible and electrical equipment does just that. A standard baby-bottle warmer does a brilliant job at maintaining the perfect food temperature, allowing me to take my time as I move from one chick to another.

 

 

How often to feed

 

Newly hatched chicks require feeding every 90 minutes. For the initially 12 hours after hatching I use a high concentration of Avi-Pro by Vetark which is a water-soluble probiotic with electrolytes. This introduces positive bacteria into the chick’s gut and re-hydrates the chick with all the necessary salts. After the first twelve hours I introduce an organic fruit compote to the electrolyte solution, initially just enough to cloud the solution, building it up over the next 24 hours, after which I start to introduce small amounts of baby formula to the solution.

Over the next 5-10 days I thicken the formula until it reaches its final consistency. Observing the crop movement to make sure that it always empties well is important and even more so in the early stages of a Grey’s development. If the formula is too thick it will not pass through the crop, causing possible sour crop.

 

Feeding intervals vary with the growing chick. As mentioned above newly hatched chicks require feeding every 90 minutes for the first 2 days. After that, 2 hourly feeds should suffice for the next 10-14 days. Depending on the chick’s development feed frequencies can then be reduced to 2 ½ hours, after a further 4-5 days to around 3 hours and by the age of 25-30 days to around 3 ½-4 hours.

Weight gain and growth will be slow in the first week of life, increasing in the second week, when daily weight gains of around 10-20 grams can be observed from 14 days onwards. At this point the Grey parrot has entered its rapid growth phase and will gain in weight and size very quickly for the next few weeks.

It is important that the crop is not left empty for long in the early stages (from hatch to 4-5 weeks old).

 

The amount a Grey baby consumes will vary from bird to bird. It is best to fill the crop until it is full but not taught. All the information in this article are general guides; I cannot categorically state just how many millilitres of formula a 10 day old chick will consume nor can I give a definitive answer as to how long a crop full of formula should take to empty. However, as a general guide I tend to feed my four-week-old Grey babies around 35ml of formula every four hours until the point of weaning.

 

 

What is weaning

 

In most people’s minds a Grey baby is weaned when it feeds itself and maintains its bodyweight without the addition of baby formula. This certainly indicates that the youngster is physically independent but what about the psychological side? Most Grey babies are able to maintain their body weight independently at around 12 weeks of age. However, most 12-week-old Grey chicks still ask for more warm baby food. I won’t refuse it. Some breeders may argue that a youngster may become dependent on the formula, however, I have never experienced that.

Once the babies are around 8-9 weeks old I tend to reduce the amount of feeds from 4 hourly to 5 hourly; in other words, one feed less per day. By the time the youngsters reach around 10-12 weeks of age they naturally become quite good at feeding themselves on soft foods and slowly start to lose interest in the warm baby food. At this point I reduce the baby food to three feeds per day, morning, afternoon and just before bed time. By this time Grey parrots will have lost some body weight in preparation for learning to fly. A youngster will typically have lost around 5-10% of its peak bodyweight at this point. Once the new weight plateau has been reached and is somewhat maintained I am happy for the youngster to take the lead and tell me just how much baby food it may want at each feed. If they eagerly consume a crop full I will let them and equally, if they choose they want very little, that’s fine too. Throughout this period I continue to offer baby food 3 times per day – not because they need it physically, just so that they know it is available if they want it. I have had a youngster last year that was categorically fed up with being handfed at the age of 12 weeks old. He maintained his body weight so that was fine by me. Typically, however, I found that it takes most Grey babies 15-16 weeks to get to that stage and one sensitive soul in my care would not let go until he was 24 weeks old.

I am certain that a rushed weaning process has dire consequences on the self-confidence of a young Grey (in fact, this applies to any parrot species) and therefore find it worth putting the extra time into weaning them slowly.

 

 

Weaning foods

 

One of the most common problems people seem to encounter with their pet Greys is the bird’s selective eating habbits. Greys seem to love seeds and often concentrate on these to the exclusion of most other foods. I am therefore a firm believer in pellets as a major part, albeit not the only part of a Greys regular diet. Should a Grey at some stage in its life turn its back on fresh fruits and vegetables and concentrate more on dry foods then I can rest assured that it will still receive the correct balance of nutrients and vitamins from the pellets.

I start introducing soft food items to my Grey babies when they are about 6-7 weeks old. They tend to only pick them up and drop them at this stage but that is part of the learning process of eating. Initially I put soaked pellets and some soft fruits and vegetables in the fruit bowl. I use defrosted carrot bits with sweet corn, peas, grapes, banana and whatever else is in the house. Once they start to consume some of the items I also introduce cooked pulses, wholemeal pasta and the odd little bit of cooked egg. There are really no limits as to what can go into the food bowl at this point. The greater the variety of foods on offer the better.

 

 

Conclusion

 

This article is intended to give readers an idea as to what is involved in hand rearing Grey parrots and describes a rough outline as to what to look for and how to proceed. I would recommend that anyone with a serious interest in hand rearing Greys should get as much advice from reputable Grey breeders as possible. One of the best books I found on hand rearing parrots is “Parrots: Handfeeding & Nursery Management” written by Howard Voren and Rick Jordan (ISBN: 1895270103 Publisher: Silvio Mattacchione)

African Greys are sensitive parrots and must be treated as such, especially when young in order not to destroy the delicate avian/human relationship from the outset. I am certain that it is impossible to spoil a baby Grey too much. The more attention and care they receive the more they seem to thrive, building up the levels of self-confidence and confidence in their environment that are so elementary to psychological well-being.

If there is one truly important aspect in hand rearing Greys it is the weaning period. Weaning must be taken gently, at the individual baby’s pace.