Yes, but only surplus offspring from my breeding program. Because these birds have such small clutch sizes and because I actively encourage parent rearing (which limits the number of eggs my birds lay) availability is extremely limited.

Yes, Cracids are very well adapted when key conditions are met. I think the main difference between these and more common species in aviculture the requirement that these birds have high quality indoor accommodation to protect them from the worst of the UK weather, they will not survive outdoors during winter.

The most popular species such as Northern Helmeted Curassow and Great Curassow will likely persist, this is because of the size of the population and the ability of at least some birds to keep reproducing. Other species will likely die out in the mid-term.

There is a place for both because Cracids will lay replacement clutches given the right conditions. However I am a huge supporter of parent rearing, many of the behavior difficulties encountered in the Cracid family are a result of imprinting on humans. I try to strike a balance between productivity and parent rearing. In most cases I artificially incubate the first clutch and then allow the parents to rear the second.

The bigger the better although size is a lesser consideration than how enriching the space is.

A long time. 25-30 years if looked after correctly.

No. Cracid birds are not suitable for this and hand reared specimens can be extremely aggressive towards people and other birds. Some institutions successfully keep none imprinted specimens within a walk through style aviary.

Generally I don’t recommend it because I prefer to study the birds without other species interacting with them, however it is workable dependent upon space and individual birds. Several zoos make this work quite successfully most notably with toucans and parrots needless to say any companions need to be suitably robust. Cracids can swiftly kill small birds up to the size of a blackbird and some individuals won’t hesitate to do so. Proceed with caution.

Sometimes. Individuals have their own unique personalities and some get on well, others less so. I am a firm believer that the behaviour of cracids can be influenced through careful intervention to improve the relationships between individual birds. Hand reared birds can be particularly aggressive towards their companions which should be introduced with caution.

No and this is a common misconception. Curassows will eat a pheasant pellet as the staple of the diet with fruit added on a regular basis. I prefer to use a pellet rather than formulate my own food because it guarantees a ‘complete diet’. Novel food items can be used as enrichment and as a tool to influence compatibility in pairs.

Yes. Most species of cracid in the UK have reproduced at one time or another, however success has never been consistent leading to poor results and over representation. Combine this with the specialist requirements for housing these large birds and the result is a serious decline in the captive population.

No. These birds should be hand fed for the first few days until you have observed the bird feeding independently and seen a weight gain.

Yes, although severe injuries can cause permanent deformity. Injuries to the colourful waxy skin that covers parts of the head are quite common with these birds and are something all keepers are likely to encounter at some point.

Birds are particularly at risk during transport and when newly acquired. In the wild panicking Cracids fly straight up, crashing through dense foliage. This instinct is never lost, even in the presence of a solid roof. All of my roofs are polycarbonate with a layer of nylon netting mounted 20cm beneath, this combination helps to reduce the force of any impacts. It should be noted that you really want to avoid this kind of damage occurring in the first place as wounds scab over quickly however take a very long time to heal properly, birds can repeatedly knock off the scab resulting in even longer healing times.

No, generally Cracids are very hardy in this respect. I have had two cases of a respiratory infection in over ten years of specialising in these birds. Both birds resolved within 24h when treated with Talin. The most common health problem I have encountered is parasitic worms which the birds have a tendency to acquire despite measures in the environment to prevent them from doing so. As a result I worm all my birds after each breeding season is finished, this is essential to prevent a damaging build up.