When the babies hatch they are kept in a brooder which maintains the temperature and humidity perfectly.

At this point we try to minimise light getting to the chicks as much as possible to imitate the nest conditions.

However, it is always desirable for the parents to rear their chicks for as long as possible.

 

               

 

Some  youngsters prefer to be fed with a syringe, others prefer a cup. We watch the baby closely to see what it is most comfortable with.

 

                       

 

At feed times the babies are removed from the brooders and  placed in a little 'dinner box' to receive the baby formula.

As they grow older and more active this can be a fun event, especially with macaws. The youngsters try to escape the dinner box, spreading wood shavings everywhere in pursuit for the next fun toy that's hanging somewhere above.

We offer the youngsters soft foods, such as soaked seeds and pulses and fruit at a very early age. At this stage the babies only play with the food and taste it a little rather than consume it. This may be a somewhat wasteful exercise but we believe this to be a valuable, exciting and fun experience for them.

                           

 

As the little ones grow older they are moved to a larger brooder and finally into the weaning cage.

    In this cage we keep a low perch, just above the ground level to allow the babies to learn to perch.

    Over time this perch is then put up higher and higher in the cage. (This little bundle was particularly shy of the camera)

 

All our babies are weighed every morning to ensure that they grow healthily and maintain a good weight before they go to their new home!

 

 

Once they have discovered their wings we move them to our baby aviaries for exercise.