Hand feeding maybe???

[Aries]

Okay I'm thinking of getting a parrotlet. I know that getting a handfed that is super socialised is important. I have a friend who breeds cockatiels and she hand feeds them and has been at it for years and years. If I got her to teach me and spend lots of time there helping her do it and learning the skill would it be okay for me to get a parrotlet that is not yet weaned and hand feed it and super socialize it. It will be a good six months before I get it anyway. This is just a thought. The breeders have to start somewhere right? It is not something I will necessarily do just a thought so please don't attack the idea. I am just looking for some feedback. I would spend LOTS of time learning before I would even contemplate doing this. Thanks :)

[NoLimitssjca]

It seems as if you have put a lot of time and effort into this.

My personal belief is that if you do your homework (practice feeding with someone teaching you) and can get the breeder to do some final work with your bird before handing it off, you should be able to do it.

The more practice you get the better.

I know you'll get some additional feedback suggesting that you be able to recognize different problems. Those should be part of your education as well.

[Aries]

Originally Posted by NoLimitssjca

It seems as if you have put a lot of time and effort into this.

My personal belief is that if you do your homework (practice feeding with someone teaching you) and can get the breeder to do some final work with your bird before handing it off, you should be able to do it.

The more practice you get the better.

I know you'll get some additional feedback suggesting that you be able to recognize different problems. Those should be part of your education as well.

Thank you. I really do put a lot of effort into getting any animal :) I feel it is really important. I really would research and like I said I would definitely wait about six months or so which I was planning on doing anyway. So thank you for your encouragement and opinion!

[Abby]

As a breeder I think the breeder should do their job from start to finish. I don't agree with buying or selling unweaned babies. Too much can go wrong and if it does then whose fault is it? The breeders or the hand feeders? Studies have shown that it doesn't increase the bond. I can also tell you from personal experience that once settled in a new home the babes don't care who fed them after a short period. They've become bonded with their new owner.

The work on socialisation really begins once the babe is with it's new owner. Even with a parent raised bird if one is willing to put the work in then you can have a beautifully tame and loving companion. I also speak from personal experience with this one.

[Aries]

Originally Posted by Abby

As a breeder I think the breeder should do their job from start to finish. I don't agree with buying or selling unweaned babies. Too much can go wrong and if it does then whose fault is it? The breeders or the hand feeders? Studies have shown that it doesn't increase the bond. I can also tell you from personal experience that once settled in a new home the babes don't care who fed them after a short period. They've become bonded with their new owner.

The work on socialisation really begins once the babe is with it's new owner. Even with a parent raised bird if one is willing to put the work in then you can have a beautifully tame and loving companion. I also speak from personal experience with this one.

It is not about hanfeeding strengthening a bond. It's about how much more social time the bird will have with me than a breeder who splits their time with so many birds. Every breeder had to start somewhere. So I don't see how it would hurt. If I was a breeder I would have to start handfeeding at some point.

[hollyhawkz]

Actually I have read that it is natural for a bird to "fledge" out on their own away from their parents. Then as they get older, they bond with someone other than their parront/feeder.

This reinforces the fact that socialization really starts after weaning, once the baby is with it's new family.

[luv4jjt]

I hand fed my african grey Harley. I was scared at first but the breeder showed me how to do it safely and it all worked out great. Just dont start with the beird being very very young. Wait for a while before you completely take over. Not only will your bird bond with you but you will also bond with your bird. I was more atached to Harley then any of my other pets and I think it was because of feeding. I think it's a good idea.

[Abby]

Originally Posted by Aries

It is not about hanfeeding strengthening a bond. It's about how much more social time the bird will have with me than a breeder who splits their time with so many birds. Every breeder had to start somewhere. So I don't see how it would hurt. If I was a breeder I would have to start handfeeding at some point.

If you were planning on breeding then yes I agree. If that is the case then I'd approach this from a different view. We're talking 2 different things though. Learning to handfeed because one is raising babies for others and learning to handfeed because one believes that it will increase the bond better for socialisation with a single babe that will be the owners companion bird.

I learned the practical aspects of handfeeding from friends that were experienced breeders but the real learning curve started when I had my own babes. Thankfully I had these people available to call if I was unsure of anything too. Things such as recognising the point when the babes were ready to wean, recognising sour crop and what to do about it etc. These are things that are learned with experience. My first lot of babes was a daunting experience but all was good and after a few years I'm now comfortable.

Having babbled all this when it came to my grey I was happy for his breeder to do all the work from start to finish. Yes I had the experience and knowledge but I wanted a fully weaned bird. One that I didn't have to stress about if he regressed or had issues due to handfeeding. That was the breeders job, not mine. I have a well socialised bird who is very bonded to me and vice versa. More then happy that I went with the breeder doing his job from start to finish.

Not sure if this makes any sense.

If you decide to go down this path of getting your little one unweaned then yes make sure you know the practical aspects (formula temp, how much to feed, brooder temp, how many times to feed ) but having someone on the phone that you can call if you have any concerns is also really important.

[loyallyroyal]

I have to agree, there is a difference in handfeeding babies for a different home, than handfeeding your own pet bird.

There is a lady a couple hours north of me and she buys clutches of babies to raise and socialize for new homes because the breeder doesnt have enough time to socialize them all.

Thats why its important to ask the breeder how they socialize the babies, how many babies they have at one time and so on.

Here is how one breeder socializes their babies:
Cedar Mountain Aviary

[Aries]

I thank you for your opinions since that is what I ask for. I still fail to see the difference in raising a baby for myself and raising a baby for someone else. Of course as I mentioned before I would have a few months experience before I did it for my own bird. I understand that you wanted the breeder to do their job and that is fine. But I really want to do this.