incubator or parent hatched?

[Oscars Mom]

Can anyone tell me about the differance when the babies are adults? The last parrot I got was wild caught. I tend to think the parent raised for a little while was better. But many of the macaw sites say their people raised from day 1. Any info would be appreciated .Thanks

[birdlady49]

I prefer to have the parents raise the babies for at least a week, preferrably two weeks. In that way, the babies get the correct mix of flora and make them more resistant to illness and disease as they mature.

[huntress]

I agree. Parent started handraised.

[birdsnreps]

parent raised is better, and the babies grow ALOT quicker that way, but if someone really knows how to handfeed from day one, baby parrots can still thrive in those situations, but even then, it should be a last resort.

[Becky_Joe]

Parent-raised for two weeks to build immunity is the best way to get a healthy bird, then hand-fed helps the socialization with humans. Make sure however you get a bird who's been socialized with both genders as they tend to bond with same gender as the one interacting with them as they grew. I used to breed parokeets and cockatiels and my husband would handle them daily while I cleaned the brooders to socialize them.
Becky