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Hand-rearing kea: Behind the scenes at Wings of the World
Jenny Gainer, Aviculture Head Keeper Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Cincinnati, Ohio
Here in the bird house at the Cincinnati Zoo, kea are all the hype this season. And this is with good reason. The success of the new interactive flight is noteworthy, but behind the scenes something just as exciting is occurring. The Wings of the World department includes an area off-exhibit dedicated to incubating eggs and hand-rearing chicks. In 2014 and 2015 we successfully hatched out and raised 10 kea chicks. Raising this species is a very time consuming process that requires the help of all the bird staff over the course of five months, from day one of incubation to fledging. Artificially incubating eggs is a delicate endeavor. Eggs are fragile and sensitive; therefore, it is vital to keep them in a clean environment with precise temperature and humidity settings. The bird department has four incubators dedicated to this, all set up for different species of birds that may require different parameters. Eggs are weighed and candled twice a week in order to closely monitor development. Candling is a technique used to see the developing embryo inside the egg. This technique indicates to keepers whether or not a chick is developing correctly, if it is in the right position for hatching, and when the hatching process has begun. Keeping track of whether or not humidity in the incubator needs to be adjusted is important for this process. Kea egg incubation term is 21-28 days. Once a chick has pipped (pierced the outer layer of the shell), it is moved to a different incubator, where the temperature and humidity is ideal for hatching. It can take anywhere from 24-72 hours for a chick to hatch. All 10 of our kea hatched out on their own and proved to be strong and healthy when they were immediately standing upright and exhibiting a feeding response. After a few hours, the chick can be moved to another enclosure, called a brooder. The brooder keeps the chick’s environment at a warm stable temperature. Keepers use washcloths and towels rolled up in a bowl to simulate a nest. As chicks grow and down feathers come in, temperatures and enclosures are modified to fit their needs. Kea chicks are fed a specialized formula that meets all their dietary needs. The formula is made up fresh at each feeding, and fed through a syringe. Weights are obtained daily and detailed notes are kept to ensure the chick is gaining the
Kea chick mid hatch
Kea eggs in the incubator
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