VN August 2023

Vetnuus | August 2023 32 Technical I Article  Posture o Be aware that chicks sleep and rest in what seem to be ‘awkward’ positions. These positions change as the chick moves – look for postures that do not change with movement, e.g. wry neck.  Conformation o Look at the positioning and conformation of the limbs (splay leg, tibiotarsal rotation) and the spine (e.g. kyphosis, scoliosis) o Body condition o Examine the toes and elbows. In a well-nourished, healthy chick they should be ‘plump’ Thin toes and elbows are a good indicator in neonatal chicks of dehydration, malnourishment or disease o Palpate the pectoral muscles – the keel should be well fleshed with soft pectoral muscles (N.B. The sternal bone is very soft in young chicks)  Behaviour o Young chicks (pre-weaning) should be either sleeping or calling for food. Restlessness could indicate incorrect environmental temperature or stress e.g. excessive lighting o Older chicks spend a lot of time sleeping, but are more interested in their environment and in socialising with nursery mates o A feeding response (vigorous extension and bobbing of the head and neck) should be easily elicited by pressing gently at the commissures of the beak. Failure to elicit a response can be an indication of disease, hypothermia or weakness.  Skin o Prior to full feathering the normal chick’s skin should be pink or pink-yellow in colouration, and soft to the touch o Pallor of the skin can indicate hypothermia, anaemia or illness o Erythematous skin can indicate hyperthermia or illness o Heavily wrinkled skin indicates dehydration  Crop o The normal crop should have some food in it at most times. It should not be over-distended, nor should it have significant amounts of air or gas in it. o Rhythmic contractions of the crop should be visible in neonatal chicks. o The crop should empty in 4-6 hours in all chicks  Head o The size of the head should not be excessively large, in relation to body size o Beak – the beak should have a normal conformation (see Disorders affecting the beak) o There should be no sinus swellings o The eyes should be symmetrical and healthy in appearance. They begin to open at 10-28 days, and take several days to open completely once they begin to open. o Most Australian and African parrots hatch with their ears open. Eclectus and South American species should be open within 2-3 weeks post-hatch. o The nares should be open and symmetrical  Oral cavity o examine the oral cavity for diphtheritic plaques or other abnormalities  Abdomen o In neonatal chicks the abdomen should be large, relative to the rest of the body. The liver may be visible through the skin in very young chicks, and rhythmic contractions of the ventriculus should be visible. The duodenal loop may be visible. There should not be bruising or haemorrhage visible. The abdomen can be trans-illuminated with an intense focal light for closer inspection o As the chick grows, the abdomen reduces in size relative to the rest of the body. It should be concave when palpated – a convex abdomen could indicate a degree of abdominal distension  Feather growth o Depending on the species, some chicks are hatched naked, or with wispy down feathers. Others are covered in fluffy down feathers. A second wave of down feather growth begins at 1-3 weeks of age, and sometimes even later in some species. o Pin feathers begin to emerge at 2-3 weeks of age. The body contour feathers emerge over the shoulders first; the pattern of emergence after that varies between species, although usually the body contour feathers emerge at the same time or shortly