Keeping, Breeding & Hand-Rearing the Forest Red-Tail Black Cockatoo

1. Keeping, Breeding & Hand-Rearing the Forest Red-Tail Black Cockatoo Calyptrohyncus Banksii Naso By Geoff D’Cruz

2. Background ~ Geoff D’Cruz Geoff was born in India and from age 4 has always had a love of birds and after having worked as a social worker and a human resource management consultant for 16 years, he chose to revert to his childhood love ...“the love of birds”.

3. Westy: Geoff’s very first Naso hatched July 1995, who started his passion for this stunning species. Jarrah: Westy’s mate who is a real show pony.

4. Coco: The most casual but reliable Mum. Jackson: Coco’s mate who just likes to muck around, but does the deed.

5. Gumnut: Also Westy’s offspring and baby of the flock. Nero: One of Coco’s many chicks.

6. Getting Started ~ The Naso • “Westy” brought to ‘Birds ‘n’ All’ for sale • Intimidating but lovable • New owner found for Westy, “ME” - to this very day!! • Much persistence with CALM resulted in the bird’s being registered as “Naso’s” (manually of course!) • All birds (2 breeding pairs, hand reared)

7. Housing, Diet & Care Housing: Aviary construction • 4mm gauge wire essential • Minimum dimensions 4 metres long x 2.4 height and 2 metres wide. • Perches extremely hard wood – minimum 15 cm diameter at both ends of aviary. • Nest log: approximately 700mm deep x 500 wide with nesting substrate comprising crushed termite mound and wood chips.

8. Housing, Diet & Care Diet: • Cockatoo mix: comprising grey striped sunflower, black sunflower, hulled oats, plain canary, blanched peanuts & white millet. • Soft mix: sprouted mung beans, sunflower and a good quality pigeon mix which is soaked overnight. • Nuts: almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, peanuts & gum nuts when available. • Bird muffins: a variety of natural, wholesome ingredients, combined with eggs, including shell and baked to perfection (YUMMY).

9. Housing, Diet & Care Care: • Water changed daily • Wormed at least once each year • Good aviary hygiene maintained • Good record keeping maintained

10. Parent Reared Naso ~Parents ~ Jackson & Coco

11. Parent Reared Naso ~Parents ~ Coco & Jackson

12. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Parent Raised Bird Day 1: Hatched

13. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Week 1

14. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development • Week 2 • Note black spots appearing on the skin – development of feathers

15. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Week 3 Eyes open and feather protruding through skin

16. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Week 4 Note feather development and pattern

17. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Week 5 : Note absence of down and presence of down in nest

18. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Week 6: Note absence of down and sheen of feathers

19. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Week 7

20. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Week 8

21. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Weeks 9 & 10

22. Parent Reared Naso ~Stages of Development Week 11: What a gorgeous looking chick!!

23. Hand Reared Naso ~ Cock“Jackson”

24. Hand Rearing the Naso ~ • Knowledge from others • Know how • Books • Notes • Contact with others that have done it before • A good avian vet

25. Hand Rearing the Naso ~ Equipment • Incubators • Thermometers • Egg candlers • Crop needles • Spoons • Tissues • Towels • Disinfecting Agents • Table lamps • Notes

26. Hand Reared Naso Pair ~ Parents ~ Westy & Jarrah

27. Hand Reared Naso ~Gumnut ~ 44 Days

28. Hand Reared Naso ~ Weight Chart ~ Gumnut