14 H. Yealland — Hand-rearing of the White-capped Parrot


of Allinson’s food prepared with milk (as for lorikeets), into which

has been mixed the yolk of an egg, about J teaspoon Radio-malt

and J teaspoon of Marmite. The wdiole of the solid ingredients of

this mixture were thoroughly chewed up each morning, and by

being kept in a pot in a cold place remained fresh the whole day.

The red skin on the monkey nuts was, of course, removed, and only

the tender leaves of the green food were used. The complete mixture

should not be made too liquid, but should conform as nearly as

possible to the consistency of the food normally supplied by a

parrot to its young.


The only way of feeding the young of parrot-like birds with any

degree of facility is to warm the food in the mouth and feed the

bird from the mouth—this process is much easier and less revolting

than it might sound, and by this method there is no danger of

deforming the beak, as there is by feeding with a spoon. It is, of

course, essential that the food should be given warm.


From the very first the little parrot has flourished on this treat¬

ment and has evaded all the maladies of the sick birds that have

been brought into the hospital since it has been there. I have fed

the bird four times each day, including once at about 11.00 p.m.,

and presumably this is better treatment than parent birds would

normally provide at this time of the year.


At about ten days the eyelids showed signs of separating, and

at about fourteen days the eyes were open. At about this time, too,

feathers were making their appearance beneath the skin : the most

advanced were the scapulars and the wing coverts. I found that at

this stage the little bird needed an abundance of food for, in

addition to the growth of feathers, the body continued to grow at

a rapid pace.


At all meal times, excepting the first morning one, the bird had

some food left in its crop (a fact of which, to judge by its lusty

cries when I approached, the little parrot was not aware—indeed,

it continued to clamour for food even when its crop had assumed

what seemed to me alarming proportions), and I feared that there

might be a danger of this food becoming sour, but as this never

happened, there was, presumably, no danger.



