raising altricial Birds

Abstract

The most common young birds that
are hand-raised fall in the category of
precocial birds. Such birds are the pheasants
and chickens, where once started
on food can readily feed themselves.
But- rarely does one have the chance to
hand-raise aJtriciaJ birds. This is the type
of bird that is hatched completely helpless.
Most are blind and without feathers.
The altricial bird has complete reliance on
its parents while it grows into an adult.
Trying to hand-raise this type of bird
takes a great deaJ of time and patience.
One of the greatest difficulties is knowing
what to feed the helpless young chick
and trying to match its diet to what it
would get in the wild state.

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