FEATURE
small twigs was placed in all three nests, so as to give the birds a head start. This proved to be successful and both birds were observed carrying nesting material collected from the floor of the enclosure. Within two weeks the pair had been observed nesting and on the 27th June the first egg was laid. We had decided to artificially incubate the first round of eggs due to our pair never having bred before, so when we removed the first egg we replaced it with a dummy egg. Two days later the second egg was laid and this was also removed and set in our incubator. The eggs, like most turaco species, were round and unusually football shaped. The pair took it in turns to incubate the dummy egg, but after about ten days they had deserted the nest so the dummy egg was then removed.
Both of the eggs were incubated in a Brinsea octagon incubator at 37.5 oC with 50% relative humidity. After three days both eggs were candled and to our surprise both eggs were fertile. The eggs were candled every two days and their progress monitored closely. After 24 days incubation the eggs were seen to be internally pipping, so were moved to an AB hatcher and on the 25th day external pipping was observed. By the 26th day the first chick (later named Lefty)
had successfully hatched and after its 26th day of incubation the second chick had also hatched. Unfortunately the second chick didn’t survive past a day. Another chick hatched on the 12th August and was successfully hand- reared. He is now at Edinburgh Zoo.
Diet Preparation
When making the mix, pass banana through a syringe before drawing up the full mixture. Diet is fed via syringe a little at a time; take care the chick does not aspirate. Warm diet through slightly before feeding. Feed no more than 10% of the chick’s bodyweight per feed. Defecation can be stimulated, by gentle palpation of cloaca.
Ingredients of Rearing Powder: 200g Shredded Wheat, 100g Avi Plus Mynah Pellets, 33g Haiths Nectar Mix, 7.4g Nutrobal. Take all components and grind together until a very fine powder.
Ingredients of Rearing Powder: 200g Shredded Wheat, 100g Avi Plus Mynah Pellets, 33g Haiths Nectar Mix, 7.4g Nutrobal. Take all components and grind together until a very fine powder.
BIRD SCENE 43
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