(Nestor notabilis) Husbandry Manual - Kea Conservation Trust

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62 • Enough food that a small amount is left over after feeding. This will vary seasonally and individually and should be monitored and adjusted accordingly. • The following food groups should be represented daily in decreasing amounts: cereals and whole grains, fresh greens and vegetables, proteins (meat/bone), fresh fruits and seeds, treats (diary products). High energy foods such as nuts and cheese may also be used in limited quantities for training. • Browse items Routine weighing is to be undertaken as part of weekly training sessions and individual bird weights recorded to monitor food intake. 4.6.4 Presentation of food • Food must be presented at least twice daily (in addition to browse) in two different forms to encourage active foraging throughout the enclosure (for examples of food presentation refer to Friedman et al., 2003). • Food in the form of enrichment items and/or browse must be provided at the end of each day to illicit foraging at high activity times (dusk and dawn) 4.6.5 Seasonal/breeding changes in feeding requirements • Additional nutrients must be provided for breeding pairs particularly during egg production and chick rearing • Non breeding females must be provisioned with additional calcium supplements prior to and during egg laying 4.6.6 Food hygiene • All foods must be stored appropriately to ensure they remain fresh and free of pests • All food preparation areas must be kept clean and hygienic _________________________________________________________________ Best Practice 4.6 – Feeding Standards Diets and presentation of foods should be as varied as possible. Food types should mimic as best as possible a natural diet and be provided more than twice daily with at least one feed and browse provided late in the day to provide the kea with resources and foraging opportunities at their highest activity time each evening. _________________________________________________________________ 4.7 Reproduction Conservation organisations around the world recognise a need to hold a pool of viable individuals of a threatened species to ensure the survival of that species should a catastrophe occur in the wild. New Zealand, with its many at risk endemics and high number of introduced pest species has seen a high rate of extinctions (including species which are Kea Conservation Trust Final 25/11/2010
63 functionally extinct in the wild) over the past 100 years. Species can go from being considered safe, to being on the brink of extinction very rapidly. One notable NZ example is the Black Robin (DoC, 2001). The tipping point is often not known until that point arrives at which time it is often too late. A marked increase in the risk of extinction over 100 years from 0.8% in the 1850’s, to 32% in 2004, and a lack of confidence in population stability has been put forward by Elliot & Kemp (2004). Ensuring that the existing captive population is physically and behaviourally viable is considered sensible future-proofing in the event of a stochastic event negatively impacting the wild population. At present holders are only allowed to breed their kea if specifically authorised by Department of Conservation following the recommendation of the species' captive management coordinator (Pullar, 1996). Additionally there is no ‘breed to release programme’ for kea at present (unlike other native species including the closely related kaka) although this may occur in the future. The selection of breeding birds and numbers of offspring hatched to each must be carefully managed to ensure maximum genetic diversity is retained and that the numbers of captive birds are carefully managed. All kea holders will be notified of breeding recommendations (if any) by April each year. This will allow holders to make comments and prepare their facilities prior to the breeding season (June onwards). Male feeding female early in the breeding season Photo credit Alpinism and Ski Wanaka 4.7.1 Introduction Kea are a long-lived species which are generally considered to pair for life in the wild. Monitoring of kea in the Nelson Lakes has found that although this is true in many cases (with pairs showing fidelity to each other and a nest site over a 6 year period) (Kemp, pers. comm. 2009) there have been instances where pairs have exchanged partners (KCT, 2009) or opportunistic matings have occurred. It is quite common to see pairs with transitory males visiting, potentially to take opportunities to mate with the female while the male is foraging (Kemp, pers. comm. 2009). It has been suggested in previous literature that males will take on more than one female during a breeding season (Jackson, 1993), however considering the resource intensive nature of the males role during the harsh winter months, this seems a less successful strategy for both males and females. Males provision the females prior to her laying the eggs and then for the time she sits on the eggs and chicks (up to 3 months). This occurs during the freezing Kea Conservation Trust Final 25/11/2010
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1 Kea (Nestor notabilis) Husbandry
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3 Prepared by Tamsin Orr-Walker Kea
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5 4.2 Enrichment...................
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7 9.6 Appendix 6 - Example of diet
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9 (www.keaconservation.co.nz). Reso
Page 11 and 12: 11 Fig 2: ZAA member organisation f
Page 13 and 14: 13 3.3 Distribution, habitat and ho
Page 15 and 16: 15 Historical burn-off of high coun
Page 17 and 18: 17 Unintentional Human made toxins
Page 19 and 20: 19 minimum welfare guidelines for c
Page 21 and 22: 21 Limited access enclosures are us
Page 23 and 24: 23 over a 2 month period. Kea terri
Page 25 and 26: 25 Mesh must be of a strength which
Page 27 and 28: 27 Running water - a water feature
Page 29 and 30: 29 would also provide an opportunit
Page 31 and 32: 31 • Ambient Air Temperature: Kea
Page 33 and 34: 33 • A minimum of 1 undercover sh
Page 35 and 36: 35 displays) and encounters with li
Page 37 and 38: 37 Although no comprehensive daily
Page 39 and 40: 39 • Tactile big clump of straw,
Page 41 and 42: 41 4.3 Training and conditioning 4.
Page 43 and 44: 43 • Training can also be used as
Page 45 and 46: 45 There have been cases when new k
Page 47 and 48: 47 irritation associated with these
Page 49 and 50: 49 Signs and Symptoms Symptoms rang
Page 51 and 52: 51 Prevention and Treatment Daily c
Page 53 and 54: 53 Attention: Maurice Alley/Brett G
Page 55 and 56: 55 Transport boxes should be wiped
Page 57 and 58: 57 4.5.7 Handling/physical restrain
Page 59 and 60: 59 • Other Solanum species includ
Page 61: 61 4.6.5 Seasonal/breeding changes
Page 65 and 66: 65 4.7.2 Forming new breeding pairs
Page 67 and 68: 67 directed to do so by the Captive
Page 69 and 70: 69 5.0 IDENTIFICATION 5.1 Introduct
Page 71 and 72: 71 female roles (i.e. females have
Page 73 and 74: 73 6.0 RECORD KEEPING (Adapted from
Page 75 and 76: 75 7.0 Acknowledgments I would like
Page 77 and 78: 77 Elliott, G. & Kemp, J. 2004. Eff
Page 79 and 80: 79 Woolcock, D. 2000. Husbandry and
Page 81 and 82: 81 9.1 Appendix 1- Internal Audit D
Page 83 and 84: 83 /environment standards General D
Page 85 and 86: 85 4.1.8 Multi species exhibit (mul
Page 87 and 88: 87 4.2.2 Behavioural needs 4.2.3 Be
Page 89 and 90: 89 4.4 Social Structure General 4.4
Page 91 and 92: 91 4.5.4 Treatments and veterinary
Page 93 and 94: 93 4.6.4 Presentation of food 4.6.5
Page 95 and 96: 95 recommendation to breed and numb
Page 97 and 98: 97 Annual Report and Recommendation
Page 99 and 100: 99 9.2 Appendix 2 - Important Links
Page 101 and 102: 101 9.4 Appendix 4 - Massey Univers
Page 103 and 104: 103 9.6 Appendix 6 - Example of die
Page 105: 105 Adult kea have been observed ta
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(Nestor notabilis) Husbandry Manual - Kea Conservation Trust

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