Early Parrot Education - Stage 2 - Pre-fledging

Stage 2:
Pre-Fledgling Stage
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved

Stage Two of Early Parrot Education
Pre-Fledgling Stage
Educational Focus
• Feeding strategies to encourage natural regression of the crop. Increased frequency of
spoon feeding with thicker consistency and harder morsels of soaked weaning granules
offered at slightly lower temperature.
• Water consumption now encouraged, introduced in chick pen
• Foraging through exploration continued (although chicks still have low mobility)
• Discovery of motor skills ( grip of feet, wing flapping, beak strength)
• Gradual elevation from dwelling in substrate
• Perching is explored, although confidence must be gradually acquired . Cotton rope
perches are introduced at low elevation .A soft yet non slippery material is best to grip
and aid in building confidence
• Balance is slowly being acquired but should not be encouraged at heights as the crop is
still quite large
• Wing flapping exercises contributes to the development of the pectoral muscle mass
• Preening education continues, encouraged with small misting and basking sessions. Or
warm wet towel on back desensitizing to future towel cradling
• Socialization with clutch mates continues
• Cognitive communication is encouraged while monitoring and nurturing. Modeling
is now a valuable tool for educating the pre-fledgling
• Further desensitization to awaken the chicks to other senses such as visual and
auditory

Pre-Fledgling Stage
TOOLS
Nurturing
Monitoring
Socialization
Desensitization
Modeling

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Characteristics of this Stage
•He now will explore his environment. Physically, the pre-fledgling is up
on his hocks more regularly and he’s a little more vocal, especially when
he sees his nursery caretaker.
•Beak commissures are beginning to harden
•Feathers have emerged on approx 75-90 % of the body. Head and body
feathers as well as wing coverts have emerged for most species. Tail
and flight feathers are continuing their growth
•Chicks are now sleeping approximately 75% of the time; most of their
time awake is spent in den, self preening and preening clutch mates
•Curiosity & increasing mastery of gross motor coordination increases
•This is a big step as the chick, now deemed a pre-fledgling is
challenged with many new occupations- those that come naturally as
well as those that require a continued guidance by the caretaker

• Plateau stage on weight chart
now reached for the larger
species as well.
• Chicks can not yet perch with
confidence and scale perch and
so weight monitoring must still
be done in bin.
• Nails are very sharp but should
not yet be groomed
Pre-Fledgling Stage
Characteristics of this Stage

Pre-Fledgling Stage
He might begin to perch, nibble on a little extruded weaning granules, and seek
companionship with his clutch mates all while he continues to further develop
necessary motor skills and coordination. In this step, the lessons introduced in
Stage One are still being reinforced by the avian caretaker. While the chick
remains in the comforts of his chick pen, a few changes to his chick pen are
implemented.

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Housing
Transitional Weaning Cage
Although caretakers are tempted to house the pre-fledgling in a large enclosure,
successful exploration of food and focus on the activity of eating , drinking and preening,
will be more easily achieved if the environment is small, usually once the pre-fledgling
starts climbing, it will need to be transferred from this chick bin to the transitional
weaning cage
The pre- fledgling should remain in a “nursery environment” during their “seista” (quiet, dim
lights, stress free) although they can now be exposed to brighter lights during feeding
sessions and primary lessons. ©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Housing
These changes will prove useful for his upcoming advancement to his weaning
cage-and no, these items are not toys! Larger species such as this macaws may
need to be transferred to their future weaning cage earlier due to their larger size,
long tails and space needed to exercise their wings, although this pre-fledgling
transitional cage would nonetheless be set up with the chick pen at the bottom,
low perches and feeding dishes easily accessible

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Housing
Transitional weaning enclosures in the nursery can be
moved around to allow chicks to become accustomed to
seeing different nursery activity, as they will soon leave the
confines of the nursery to a fledgling flock environment

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Housing
Transitional Weaning Cage
Additions to his chick pen will include a rope perch placed in the substrate. This little
edge of height will help condition his feet for perching. The rope surface will be easy
to grip and aid in building his confidence. A retreat, either cardboard box or small
animal den, can be provided to allow the pre-fledgling, at his own discretion, to
utilize for periods of rest or security. Towels as visual blinds can also serve this
purpose provided they wrap around 3 sides of the enclosure

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Housing
A cotton rope perch is introduced to the
chick pen, initially with one side fixed at a
low height and the other side lying on the
substrate, until the chicks gradually gain
confidence perching.
Introduction of the Rope Perch
Natural downsizing and
firming of the crop occurs and
is encouraged since the chick
will gradually begin to perch
and must not become injured
with a large crop. Balance &
agility will be more
challenging for the chick if the
crop is too large.

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Since chicks are still in the process
of acquiring their balance while
perching, they should not be placed
on the perch but be allowed to climb
onto it on their own,
The position of this perch (as well
as any additional ones that may be
added as the chicks progress
through the stage) should reflect the
different perching abilities of the
chicks housed together
Keep in mind increased motor skills paired with increased curiosity can present
safety challenges
Housing

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Feeding Strategy
While it might be tempting to offer bits of other foods such as seed
or fruit and vegetable mix, it is in our opinion fundamental to the
success of the future dietary habits of this companion bird that the
only food offered to the pre-fledglings be extruded weaning diet and
possibly spray millet ( mainly to the small psittacines species) to
encourage foraging. This measure ensures that the pre-fledgling
learns that extruded food is what he should eat as a base diet. The
introduction of other enrichment foods, such as fruits, vegetables
and treats will come later in the education process.

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Feeding Strategy
Feeding strategies-the nursery manager continues with some syringe feeding at
opportune times such as early in the morning and a good feeding at night. In between
those times, soften formulated extruded diet in a shallow dish of extruded weaning
granules are continuously available to the bird. The hand feeder should also offer the
soaked, yet still shaped morsels of extruded diet by spoon. For many seasoned hand
feeders, spoon feeding might sound time consuming and messy, but the value of this
feeding strategy does more than encourage the bird to eat on his own. The textured
morsels mixed with the hand feeding formula help maintain good gut motility as his crop
will start to reduce in size.

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Feeding Strategy
Modeling: Caretaker Eating weaning diet for nutritional
guidance
Although eating the dry extrusion is a good way to encourage the chick’s
consumption of this food, morsels should never be shared, pre-fledglings
must be encouraged to eat their own , a rewarding foraging opportunity
alongside the mentor ©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Feeding Strategy
• As chicks are beginning to consume more
dry extrusion, water should now be
offered in the cage in a shallow yet stable
ceramic dish on the chick pen substrate
• Chicks must be shown how to drink,
usually by dripping warm water into their
mouths.
• As the chicks become comfortable
perching, the water should be offered in a
dish hung on the cage (always within easy
access of the chicks).
Primary Lessons introduced in the previous stage, such as warm moistened towel
placement on back to desensitize to towel cradling and encourage preening , daily
weight recording and general health inspection will continue.

Feeding StrategyStage Two of Early Parrot Education
Pre-Fledgling Stage
Once desensitized to
towels of various textures
and colours, the pre-
fledglings will gradually
find comfort under the
dry towel, encouraging
attention and focus on
nibbling on their
extruded weaning
morsels
Primary Lessons

Primary LessonsStage Two of Early Parrot Education
Pre-Fledgling Stage
Preening is of great importance during this stage

Feeding Strategy
Primary Lessons
Pre-Fledgling Stage
This stage provides the
caregiver with the perfect
occasion to combine
preening and weaning
education by offering
granules in the hand
while preening the chicks

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Primary Lessons
Care must be used when putting on the harness as the crop has not yet completely
regressed.
Pre-fledglings are also introduced to some items that will prove to be more useful in
the future steps, such as flight harness and the sound of a low speed nail salon
trimmer. While it’s not expected for the pre-fledgling to fly, or get his nails groomed,
the desensitization process to these items at this stage will make future lessons a
breeze.

Desensitization to the Physical Exam:
Oral Cavity/ Choanal Region
Pre-Fledgling Stage
Primary Lessons

Photo courtesy of Jean Pattison
Pre-Fledgling Stage
Primary Lessons
Oral Cavity/ Choanal Region
Choanal
Papillae

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Inspection of the Eyes, Ears, Nares and Crop
Primary Lessons

Pre-Fledgling Stage
Inspection & Evaluation of Emerging Feathers
Primary Lessons

Early Parrot Education - Stage 2 - Pre-fledging

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Early Parrot Education - Stage 2 - Pre-fledging