PIPPIN the GALAH

plus HAND-REARING INFORMATION and ADVICE

Sample HATCH Certificate

Pips 3 days old  
14.1grams   9 feeds per day

 5 days old (pink fluff) 
23.1g.   7 feeds per day

10 days-   starting to show grey in wings & head. Eyes start to slit.
71.6 grams -  6 feeds per day

14 days - Feather quills starting to come thru on wings and head. Eyes 1/2 open but she's too lazy to open them.  100.8grams

17 days - Feathers developing well. Eyes well open. Compare size with above.
178.8grams  5 Feeds per day

17 days - Alert & showing feather development a little more clearly.
feeding approx every 4 hours thru day to midnight - approx 7:30am to empty crop.

17 days - Close-up of full crop & chest area showing feather development.

18 days - Feathering up well, Close Rung - legs a lot stronger.  Eyes alert.
211 grams   -   4 Feeds per day

18 days diff. view to show the body has less feathering than wings / head.  The body tends to start to feather-up in lines.

19 days - Compare size & feathering to Photo @ 31 days in Marge Tub below, middle
220grams  -   4 Feeds per day

19 days - growing well. Look at the size of her crop - she eats for England.

22 days - feathers coming out of quills and Red feathers emerging from quills, evident on chest.  278 grams

23 days - Look at the size of her feet!
Red showing on cheeks and chest. 
280 grams  -  5 Feeds today 

29 days - a miniature Galah and full of mischief!!  332.7grams - 4 Feeds  Brooder heat turned off during daytime for past few days cos she's fully feathered.

Day 29   Brooder Heat off all time. 
It's around now they start to refuse to feed -
to help them lose "puppy fat" ready to start flying.  Hence messy crop area!

31 days - just about fully feathered except for the short tail. In Brooder & picking at seed/sweetcorn in dish.

31 days - showing size filling a 500ml Marge Tub. Compare to  size at Hatch
& 19 days Pictures.  332 grams

32 days - showing expression! She's in a brooder NO  heat. She has gained very little weight since
day 29  4 Feeds per day

38 days - They start getting diff. to feed as they start to wean from Day 29+ Hence mess!  Moved into Cage about now and took Maiden Flight at 45 days - Energetic Flapping for a couple of weeks prior to this, to strengthen wings.   340 grams

55 days- Now she can fly she's really into things. See how much leaner she is. She's very picky with her feeding. She still gets Topped-up 2-3 times per day at which time she only takes the absolute minimum to take hunger away!

55 days - The Sweet smell of success! She's still on a couple of feeds p.day. Plus Seed, millet spray Sweetcorn mxd with Eggfood & a little shredded veg.  Give as little sunflower seed as poss as Galahs are prone to fatty lipomas in later life, which can lead to infertility, esp. in the Hens

3 Galah Chicks a few days old

Same 3 chicks a couple of weeks later

This the chick that hatched out of this egg ►

Fertile Egg 6 days old 17days later the chick to the left hatched out of it

N.B. The weights shown above are specific to this particular chick's development - in subsequent hatchings the weights of the chicks have often been rather less - this chick was a particularly good "Do-er". 
As long as your chick is eating well, increasing in weight on a daily basis + developing and growing well then you
have no reason to be concerned - the above is just a rough guide. 
DON'T overfill the crop tho. as it can overstretch and then u may find it has difficulty in completely emptying
 This can bring it's own problems inc. sour crop
Make sure the crop fully empties x1 per day - usually overnight (last feed around midnight > first feed -approx 6a.m>)

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http://www.prettybird.com/researcharticles/handrearingarticle.htm 
link to a very good page on problems you may encounter when Hand-rearing chicks.

SOME BASIC NOTES on HAND-REARING

• When the Chick first hatches it still has some of it's egg sac left. 
• This is what supported it's nutritional needs while it was in the shell. 
• It needs to absorb this and do it's first dropping BEFORE you give it it's FIRST FEED.
   
• It usually takes approx. 8 - 12 hours after hatch, to absorb the egg sac sufficiently.  
• So, give your newly hatched chick at least this long b4 you give it's first liquid feed.
• If you feed too soon before this, you could run into all sorts of problems.
   
• The Chick's  First Feed should just be Pro-biotic in warm water 
  • -  this helps populate the digestive system with good bacteria to aid digestion. 
  • In the wild or if the chick is parent-hatched/reared - the parents would feed it "pigeon milk" which
    is equivalent to a human mother's colostrum and contains the anti-bodies necessary to help protect
    the immune system.
  • You can continue with Pro-B. in warm water for the first 2-3 Feeds on the first day-approx. every 2 hours
  • and then make the next few mixed feeds, very liquid - just for the first day after hatch.
  • Then follow the directions for consistency i.e. dry Hand-rear formula to water ratio for weight
    and age of the particular chick you are hand-rearing.
  • using a Hand-rearing formula such as Kaytee or Pretty Bird etc. 
     

  • (links to their websites below - press "BACK" to get back onto this Website after you have visited
    either of the links below).
    
                               www.kaytee.com                http://prettypets.com
    
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• Feeding using a Teaspoon which has been "bent-in" both sides, into the shape of a narrow "Funnel" is ideal. 
• Gently does it into the beak.  
• Don't tip the food in - hold the spoon horizontal at first - NOT too fast or you could aspirate (choke)
  the chick if it goes into the Wind-pipe - this causes almost instant death!!
• Healthy chicks display a good "Feed Response" - if the chick is doing this then it has opened the food tube (oesophagus) and closed it's own Air passage (trachea)
• Just touch the spoon gently under tip of the top beak to encourage a positive Feeding Response and then try and simulate the parent bird, gently encouraging the chick to take the feed.
• Keep the spoon almost horizontal, so that the chick has some control over the speed and amount of liquid / feed it takes.
•  Some people use feeding syringes but if you are not used to feeding this way, a spoon is the safer option. 
•  I usually use a spoon for the first 8-10 days then when they are taking a lot more food at each feed (esp. if you have a few chicks) progress to a 5ml syringe - you would have to be careful not to push the plunger down too quickly - it's an acquired art - take it slowly until you get the feel for it.
  
  

A Spoon bent into a funnel shape.  This one would be ideal for bigger birds.  A narrower one would be better for smaller birds.

3 Hand-feeding syringes ranging from  1ml  > 2ml > 5ml   up to 20ml+  for  really big birds.

• 
  A Good Hand-Rearing food has all the necessary vits, mins, pro-biotics and calcium requirements for the specific bird it has been formulated for.  
• It is very unwise to add any extra vits, mins or calcium supplements, as you will upset the delicate balance of the feed formula and poss. do more harm to your chick than good. 
  • It's so easy at this young age to compromise the Liver by giving too many additives.
     
• Just recently I have had a couple of emails from people who have had hand-rearing problems and have been sold "Hand-rearing Formulas" that I haven't heard of and don't seem to work as the chicks are not thriving.
  It's best to stick to tried and tested products if it's your first time!
   
• Check the labels on the Hand-Rearing Food packet,  to make sure you are using the correct Feed-mix for the breed of Chick you are rearing. 
   
• Each H-R Food manufacturer sells different formulas for different Breeds of Birds with different fat/protein ratios.  
   
• What suits one breed may not be right for another. 
   
• What would suit an Amazon would def. not be right for an African Grey!
  • The picture on the right shows Versele Laga's A21 Hand-rearing food which ideal for Cockatoos & Amazons as it has less fat content than their A19 which is higher in fat and for A.Greys etc.,  Both have Lacto bacilli and Enzymes to aid digestion.
  • Pretty Bird and Kaytee also produce Hand-rearing foods.
     
• Temperature of the Feed, as well as it's consistency, is paramount. 
  • If it is too cool or too thick, for the age/type of chick,  you can get crop stasis where the food just sits in the crop and starts to ferment . Not Good! 
     
  • Too cool - the chick  will not really be interested in taking the food anyway. It has to be the correct Temp to create the Feed response. 
    See how to check Temp. below:     
     
  • Too thick and the liquid part of the feed will be absorbed out of crop and you can be left with a dried lump of food that can cause problems and be literally hard to get rid of safely.
     
  • Too hot then you can seriously burn the crop with dire results.
     
  • Too thin, the chick will not develop correctly and may get splayed legs and / or other growth development problems, 
     
  • As the chicks grow,  the consistency of the mix can be made slightly thicker
     
• Get a reliable Food Thermometer and read the instructions on the Hand-rearing food packet on mixing and Temp. 
   
• Another point to remember is not to put too hot water in the Rearing Formula, when you are mixing it,
  • as above a certain temperature it can destroy the good pro-biotic bacteria in the formula. 
     
• Also, remember when the chick is very young to either use pre-boiled water or bottled water
  • or use  Avi-clens water steriliser in the water, heated to the correct temp. 
     
• Make sure your hands and spoons and bowls are hygienically clean and sterile before you attempt to feed. 
   
• Using Am-protect hand steriliser (similar to that used in hospitals)
   
  •  or wash your hands thoroughly,  before you handle each chick,
  • esp. when they are very young, is paramount to avoiding bacterial contamination / illnesses etc.
     
  • Also, unless the chicks are siblings in the same incubator/brooder it is wise to
    make up a new batch of food for each chick and use clean spoons
    • - don't be tempted to use what one chick has left to feed another.
       
  • Beware of re-heating food to re-use - that's asking for food poisoning!  
  • The crop can blow with gas with fatal results, if you are not careful!
     
• Never leave old food sitting in dishes - clean out as soon as you have finished feeding.
   
• Be aware that because you have to make a small amount of food mix for young chicks,
  • it will go cold very quickly and then you could experience the "Crop stasis" problems as above. 
  • Each brand of feed mixes a little differently. 
  • So check their specific ratios of dry-mix to water.
  • If the food is not the correct temp. for the chick you will not get a Good Feed Response from them.
  • Using a baby's weaning cup with a space for hot water for the feed cup to sit in should help keep the food at the correct temp.
    • (see picture below)
       
• A handy "rule of Thumb", if you haven't a thermometer to hand, is to test the mix on the inside of your wrist, as you would a human baby's.  
• It must just feel slightly hotter than blood heat - but not feel "hot"! 
   
• NOT HOT!   It is wise to test each spoonful this way prior to feeding it, esp.  when the chick is very young.
   
• Human blood temp =  37degC  or 98.4degF ( the temp  to feed at hatch is 41degC or 106degF )
   
• It's always better to be safe than sorry!

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A handy tip to help keep your H-rearing Food warm.    Use 2 plastic flask cups  - put 1" hot (not boiling) water in the bigger one  - sit smaller one, containing feed, into bigger one. - Keep testing formula B4 you feed, just in case it    gets too hot and burns chick's crop!

 

TEMPERATURE problems:

• Chicks that are panting, holding their wings away from their bodies are too hot. 

• The temperature should be lowered by one degree and the chicks carefully monitored. 

• If the chicks are still panting, the temperature should again be lowered by another degree until the chicks are comfortable. 

• Chicks that are too hot may become dehydrated which causes problems with the crop emptying and causes an imbalance in the electrolytes.

•  If this happens, it needs to be corrected as soon as possible, as it has serious implications for the chicks. 

• Dehydration is one of the causes of sour crop and crop stasis which is fatal if not caught in time.
   

• Equally as dangerous are chicks who are huddling together and shivering, 

  • which indicates the chicks are chilled and cold. 

• You must keep a regular eye on how your chicks are behaving.
  

• If the chick is too cool then digestion becomes sluggish

  •  Food then stays in the crop too long

  •  and you can get fermentation in the crop, where it blows up with gas.

  •  This can create bacterial problems

  •  You can also get Crop stasis, where the food passes thru too slowly and the moisture is absorbed first and it can often leave a hard lump of dry food, which is not easy to get rid of, esp. if the chick is col

CHICKS EYES

• Newly hatched chick's eyes are very sensitive to light. 

• The eyes open between the seventh to the tenth day. 
  

• Chicks are not exposed to high levels of light in the wild until between 6 - 8 weeks of age, 

  • the time that they fledge. 
    

• Too much light at very young ages causes the chicks to be very active at a time when they need the calories they consume for weight gain. 

• With too much light, the chicks are using their energy for play and socialization at a time when the calories are needed to support growth of vital organs, muscles, bones, and tissues. 
   

• Chicks should be allowed to have the best possible weight gain. 

• Brooding the chicks in darkness is most assuredly going to retard the socialization of the chicks. 

• However the weight gain is much more important to the chick's survival and much more natural.

• I personally turn the "glass" side of  the Brooder to the wall after I have put the chicks back after a Feed
  and often will hang a piece of dark cloth/towel over the "glass" to keep the chicks as dark as possible.

• This is much more in keeping with conditions they would have in a Nest box in the wild.
   

• Try not to feed the chicks in a bright lit area - 

  • Keep the lights bright enough to see what you are doing 

  • but subdued enough, so as not to expose the chicks to too bright light.

CLOSED RING SIZE :  "U"

A lot of Ring Manufacturers recommend size "T" but I think this is a bit on the neat size, and if the leg ever swells, even slightly in the future due to age or maybe an injury or scratch etc. Then the ring ends up tight on the leg and very difficult to remove.  So a lot of Breeders use the next size up Size "U"  which is much better.

AGE TO CLOSE RING :  Size "T"   12 - 14  days
                               Size "U"   14 - 16 days

The chicks below haven't been hand-reared but they do emphasise the importance of correct feeding

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