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How to administer NutriBird handrearing food?
NutriBird feeds for handrearing are marketed in the form of fine powder. This powder
is dissolved into a solution. Ordinary tap water or mineral water can be used for this.
Care must be taken that the water is not too rich in minerals. If using well or rain-
water, or tap water for which the quality is not very reliable, the water should be
boiled and then left to cool completely.
The paste obtained in this way can be administered to the chicks in different ways.
The classical means used are a small concave spoon, a syringe or a crop tube.
1. The small spoon
The sides of a small spoon are curved
to give it more or less the shape of the lower
part of the beak of an adult bird. Several sizes of spoons adapted to the size of the
birds are required. At a more advanced age a little metal milk jug can be used
for big birds like macaws. This system is simple and highly recommen-
ded for beginners given the small risk
of overfeeding and choking-pneumonia. Handling is simple and the equipment
can be cleaned and disinfected easily.
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Because the bird uses its natural swallowing reflex, it can be weaned rapidly
and easily. But this method is time consuming and can be very messy.
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2. The syringe
For this method of feeding, normal disposable syringes from 1 to 50 cc are
used, without the needle. The food is introduced into the beak using slight
pressure. This must be done at a speed which enables the bird to swallow
the food with its normal swallowing reflex.
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In order to drive the food towards the crop as effectively as possible, the
syringe is preferably introduced on
the left side of the beak and emptied
to the right side of the pharynx. This
is, in fact, the most natural mani-
pulation for a right handed person.
Excessive pressure can cause choking.
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However some birds will exhibit aggressive
begging if administered too slowly, which may in its turn cause excessive spillage.
This method is also sufficiently simple for use by less experienced breeders. Most
breeders will use the same syringe for several days. In this case, the syringe must
be rinsed thoroughly and then disinfected. Since this method of feeding also stimu-
lates the natural swallowing instinct of the bird, weaning will proceed quite easily.
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3. The crop tube
With this method, the food is introduced directly into the crop by means of
a syringe fitted with a crop tube. The tube must also be introduced into the
left side of the beak and directed to the right side of the pharynx, in order
to find the beginning of the oesophagus.
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Chicks reared in this way for several
days will let the tube slide in rather easily
thanks to an automatic swallowing reflex. Classical stainless steel canules are used
as tube or a small robust plastic tube can also be used. This method is certainly not
to be recommended for beginners because there is a real danger of introducing the
tube into the trachea. These birds will have difficulty in weaning since they
don't really know the taste of food. |
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This is a very forced method of feeding
which can easily result in lesions of the crop and digestive problems.
On the other hand this method of feeding is very quick and effective.
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