A newly hatched natal francolin less than 24 hours old

Different eggs in an incubator

RELATED LINKS: Zoo publishes birding guide WORKING with Sasol, the Johannesburg Zoo has launched a beginners' guide to birding to inspire and educate children and their parents. Read more Birds of a feather to flock to the Joburg Zoo THE Sasol Birds and Birding Fair aims to promote an interest in birds and birding, with a particular focus on garden birds. Read more Zoo hatches a plan for baby birds A NEW brooder room for incubating eggs and hand-rearing baby birds is to be formally opened at the Johannesburg Zoo. Read more Animal welfare and rehabilitation THE SA National Bird of Prey Centre takes in injured raptors - eagles, owls, sparrow hawks, for example - and nurses them back to health. Read more Black eagle chick hatches THE breeding pair of black eagles in the Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden are proud parents of a new chick. Read more Preserving a wild a wild corner of the west NESTLED in the rolling hills of Roodepoort, the Kloofendal Nature Reserve offers urban dwellers a retreat from the bustle of the city. Read more

Bird keeper Philippa Meldrum with a baby hornbill

Bella, the umbrella cockatoo, is one of the zoo's characters

Zoo fights bird extinction A BREEDING programme at the Johannesburg Zoo is part of efforts to save endangered birds from extinction. August 4, 2005 By Tshepiso Seopa THE Johannesburg Zoo is determined to save endangered and exotic bird species from extinction, and has set up a breeding programme as part of its efforts. One of the birds the zoo intends to breed, the wattle crane, is on the endangered list. It has five wattle cranes, one male and four females, but their breeding season is over for the year. The brooder room is a warm, safe space that can house up to 13 eggs. It also houses baby birds, protecting them from the cold Highveld winter. At present there is a brown owl, white-faced owls and natal francolin in the room. Almost like a hospital with a maternity ward for expectant mothers, the brooder room also houses sick and injured birds and has a recovery room. Notice boards in the room detail the birds' progress, from fertilisation, egg laying and embryo development, to hatching. Chicks' feeding routine and growth is also recorded. Natural process "The zoo's policy on breeding is to give the birds a natural feel for the breeding process," says Philippa Meldrum, the zoo's bird keeper. "When a bird lays an egg it is given the chance to incubate it. Only if we notice that a bird is unable to incubate the egg is it then put in an incubator. When an egg is ready to hatch it is given [back] to its mother." A newly hatched natal francolin, less than 24 hours old, can be seen through the windows of the stand-alone brooder room, which is near the zoo's main entrance. It is in an incubator, trying hard to find its feet. Only in a day or two will it be able to feed. Unlike mammals, chicks do not feed on milk formula as their stomachs cannot digest it. "It's going to take a long time before the bird can be taken to its mother, especially now that it is winter and very cold outside," Meldrum says. Nutrition A bird embryo gets enough food while in the shell, to go for the first two days after hatching before feeding. The developing embryos and the hatched chicks are completely dependent on nutrients deposited into the egg for growth. In addition, the embryo must be able to go through a gaseous exchange during incubation without disruption. Depending on the bird species, bread, lettuce, carrots, apples, oranges and other commercially produced food is part of a healthy daily diet. Crickets are also on the menu for birds that feed on them in the wild, such as the yellow-billed hornbill. Humidity and temperature are the first two factors to be considered for a good hatch. In the incubator, temperature must be 37,7 degrees Celsius and humidity 50 percent. "With birds it is quite difficult to establish the gender of some species. In those cases, a drop of blood is sent to a laboratory for DNA analysis as soon as an egg hatches. That way we can be sure of the gender of that particular bird," Meldrum says. Generator Diesel Electric Services donated a R40 000 generator to the zoo, in case of power failure. Without this, recovering birds and embryos would die within three hours. "If the lights were to go off, all the incubating eggs would die. Those birds in the recovery room might survive a bit longer." Modern technology alone is not enough to prevent extinction; lifestyle is essential for breeding birds. They need a relaxed environment that is free of noise and pollution. "Noise can be disruptive and upsetting to breeding birds, affecting the process negatively," Meldrum explains. "A happy and healthy bird can breed up to three times in a year, depending on the type of species. There is also no specified period for hatching eggs." Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za