VN August 2023

Augustus 2023 31 Common Avian Clinical Problems Part III Dr Coetzee de Beer BVSc (Hons) MANZCVS (Avian Health) Paediatrics General • Most companion birds (e.g. psittacines and passerines) are altricial, i.e. when hatched, they are blind, deaf, and not feathered, and therefore totally dependent on their parents or rearer. • As juveniles, their health status is determinedby the following: o Pre-laying factors  parental health  parental nutrition  parental maturity  parental genetics o Incubation factors  artificial vs natural incubation  temperature, humidity and hygiene in the nest box or incubator  Care in handling of the eggs by either the parents or the incubator operator  Frequency and degree of rotation during artificial incubation o Post-hatch factors  If the chick is hand reared, the following parameters in the rearing environment play important roles in the health of the chick: • temperature • hygiene • humidity • nutrition • management • Detailed knowledge of hand-rearing practices, including weaning ages, etc., can be obtained from reputable aviculture literature. Examination of the chick • History o Parents – genetics, diet, health status o Siblings (if any) – any problems or deaths within the group o Incubation – artificial or natural? The hatchability of fertile eggs is a key indicator of incubation performance. o Hatching – if artificially incubated, were there any problems with hatch? o Nursery management – hygiene, biosecurity, source of eggs and/or chicks o Diet – type of food, how prepared, volume and frequency of feeding o Records – hatch weights, growth rates, mortalities, medications, previous medical problems • Physical examination o Weight –weigh the chick and compare it to the expected weight range found in growth charts (if available) Using growth charts Growth charts can be found in avicultural literature. Look for charts where multiple chicks were used to determine mean weights for each age.  Calculate the patient’s weight as a percentage of the expected weight for that age.  Repeat this every day to ensure that the patient is maintaining its expected percentage or catching up to it. DO NOT rely on weight gain alone! Example: If a chick weighs 85g, and the growth chart says for the particular age it should be 100g, the chick is 85% of the expected weight. If the next day the chick is 88g (apparently good – the chick has gained weight), but the expected weight is 115g, then the chick is 76% of the expected weight – it has actually lost ground, even though it has put weight on. Review diet and treatment plan urgently! Technical I Article >>> 32