Avian Hand-raising Technician

As an Avian Hand-Raising Technician, you will be responsible for the specialised care, monitoring and development of avian eggs, chicks and young birds requiring artificial incubation, hand-rearing or intensive support. Your primary responsibilities encompass maintaining the highest standards of avian welfare, hygiene, biosecurity, nutrition, record keeping and safe husbandry practices, while working closely with the Project Manager, veterinary sta and the wider animal-care team.

1.  Egg Incubation and Chick Care:

• Monitor, incubate and manage eggs in accordance with species-specific incubation protocols.
• Operate, clean, maintain and record settings for incubators, hatchers, brooders and other hand-rearing equipment.
• Conduct regular candling, weighing and developmental monitoring of eggs as directed by approved procedures.
• Provide intensive daily care for hatchlings, chicks and juvenile birds requiring hand-rearing or supplementary support.
• Monitor chick health, hydration, body condition, crop function, faecal output, temperature regulation, behavior and development.
• Identify and immediately report abnormalities, illness, injury, poor growth, feeding difficulties or welfare concerns to the Curator of Birds and veterinary staff.
• Maintain a clean, safe, temperature-controlled and species-appropriate environment for eggs and young birds.

2. Feeding and Nutrition:

• Prepare and provide species-appropriate hand-rearing diets in accordance with approved feeding protocols and veterinary guidance.
• Follow strict hygiene and food-safety practices during feed preparation, storage, handling and administration.
• Feed chicks at prescribed intervals and accurately record diet type, volume, feeding time, response and any concerns.
• Monitor weights and growth rates and escalate concerns regarding feeding response, weight gain or nutritional status.
• Maintain adequate stock of approved formulas, supplements, feeding equipment, consumables and emergency supplies.
• Perform duties to reduce loss and waste, control costs and accurately communicate stock and purchasing requirements.

3. Hygiene, Biosecurity and Veterinary Support:

• Follow all avian biosecurity, quarantine, hygiene, disinfection and infection-control procedures.
• Clean and disinfect incubators, brooders, food-preparation areas, hand-rearing rooms, utensils and equipment to approved standards.
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment and follow movement-control procedures between animal areas.
• Assist veterinary staff with health examinations, diagnostic sample collection, treatments, medication administration and post-treatment observation as directed.
• Ensure sick, injured or deceased eggs, chicks or birds are managed, reported and documented promptly in accordance with approved procedures.

4. Development, Socialisation and Transition:

• Implement species-appropriate development, enrichment, socialization and behavioural-management plans for hand-reared birds.
• Support appropriate parent-rearing, foster-rearing, co-rearing or conspecific socialization whenever approved and suitable for the species.
• Prepare young birds for safe transition from hand-rearing to nursery, aviary, breeding, education or collection environments.
• Assist with training and conditioning programs that support voluntary husbandry procedures and reduced stress.
• Minimize inappropriate human imprinting and maintain procedures that support species-appropriate behavior and welfare.

5. Record Keeping and Team Collaboration:

• Maintain accurate, timely and complete records for incubation, hatching, feeding, weights, growth, health observations, treatments, developmental milestones and mortality.
• Prepare daily hand-rearing updates and communicate changes or concerns clearly to the Curator of Birds, Project Supervisor and veterinary team.
• Work collaboratively with avian keepers, veterinary staff and other animal-care personnel to ensure seamless operations.
• Assist with the maintenance of appropriate inventory levels for food, formula, nesting materials, equipment and supplies.
• Comply with all policy and procedure documents, facility-specific standards and relevant health and safety requirements.
• Assist in emergency situations to minimize damage, loss or injury to guests, team members, animals or company property.
• Other duties as assigned

• 3 years + experience in avian husbandry, chick hand-rearing, aviculture, zoological collections, wildlife rehabilitation or a comparable setting required.
• Demonstrated practical experience with artificial incubation, egg management, hand-feeding and neonatal or juvenile bird care is required.
• Degree or diploma in Zoology, Animal Science, Wildlife Management, Biology, Avian Science or a related discipline is preferred.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.

The individual must possess the following abilities to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some or a combination of the abilities:

• Ability to stand for long periods of time.
• Ability to work outdoors.
• Ability to read, listen and communicate e ectively in English, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to access and accurately input information using a moderately complex computer system.
• Hearing and visual ability to observe and detect signs of emergency situations.
• Requires the ability to perform the physical, visual and hearing requirements in the working conditions below.