meyer baby

[Snowy]

I went to Omar's again today and found a 3 month old meyer. S/he wasn't out in the showroom yet because she was new to the store and very scared. But when the people there learned that I was interested, they let me go check her out. She wasn't skittish with me at all.

I think the store is getting very used to me hanging around and asking a million questions, so they offered to let me take the baby home and hand feed her. She is down to 2 feedings a day--the store thinks she'll be hand fed for about another month. I've never hand fed birds before, but the store told me they'd show me how at the store to make sure I knew what to do.

anyway, do you think this is a good idea?
Birdsnreps have told me about how early socialization is very important. This baby is in full feather already and skittish at the store - so I wonder if it will make any difference.

I can wait until she is fully weaned and see how she acclimates to the store but I'm just wondering if it'll be better for me to take it now and wean her myself?? Is this difficult to do??

[birdsnreps]

yes yes yes!! take her!! handfeeding her will help her bond to you and not be skittish with you. she might be skittish at first cause the store prob doesnt handle her all that much, but you can work through it if you take the time and patience with her, since shes so young and still handfeeding :) its just gonna take time and patience with her, but she will be worth every effort you make :) just be calm and make your movements around her slow until she gets used to you. if she lets you, pet her and cuddle her, they love to be cupped up and cuddled against your chest. after she gets used to your handling her, you can slowly introduce her to other people, just tell them to be calm and slow until she gets used to them and she wont be skittish around new people. when they get comfortable enough with you, you will be able to flip them on their backs and stuff, they are so sweet. when they arent handled enough, they can be kinda sensitive and they do get fearful, but since this one is still handfeeding, it can mean a huge diff in personality :) ask the store to teach you to handfeed, its very easy, and after you feel comfortable with it, you can take her home :) the store is not gonna give her the attention she needs and deserves :( idk, if you wait til she weans, she might just be more skittish :( i really wouldnt trust the store to really socialize that baby :(

[Snowy]

OK!! I'm going to go back to the store later this week (after Halloween because it'll be hectic at our house then) and talk to them again.
In the meantime, I've ordered a handbook on poi's to give me more background.

what's the recommended minimum cage size?

[birdsnreps]

something around the size of a conure cage. i believe the min size is a 24X24X36. they like to climb and hang upside down, and they love bungees, ladders and rope perches, at least mine do. i hope shes still there when you go back :) (and of course if you get her i expect to see some pics

[birdman5000]

iv handfed birds before and weaning was usually the hardest part of the process for me, id say only if she has started eating a lot on her own, if she eats and drinks a varried diet on her own already than it shouldnt be that big of a deal,

are you talking about omars in orange county, like brea or something like that? iv heard a lot of good about them and a couple sad stories too. a person my fiance knows got a caique from them and soon after they brought it home it mysteriously died one day, no signs of ilness it just died, and a member of my potbellied pig club got a tiel from them that suddenly fell sick and last i heard was barely making it at their vets office. but a niehbor of ours got a b&G from there recently and they are doing fine

[Wiggi]

No, don´t handfeed yourself if you´re not completely sure how to do it! A lot of parrots have died because they were not correctly handfed or weaned.

To be honest, my personal opinion is that it´s just shady and dishonest breeders or stores that sell unweaned babies.

[Tishrei]

Originally Posted by birdman5000

and a member of my potbellied pig club

Hey ... you have a potbelly pig??? Awesome -- I have one too

[Yondo]

I say no too. Simply never buy an unweaned bird.

"To an inexperienced bird enthusiast the idea of buying an unweaned baby bird so the bird will bond to them sounds like a good idea. The truth is – that if this baby survives, he or she won’t be any more bonded to you than if the breeder had weaned it properly. Of course, if the baby does not survive you won’t even have a bird.

I don’t think that risking a baby bird’s life is worth the thrill of handfeeding that baby."
- Mavis Metcalf Buying an Unweaned Bird? - Birds

Someone who were to take home an unweaned 16 week old Goffin Cockatoo

Besides, I brought home my meyers parrot, weaned, four years ago and she is probably the best friend I've ever had. I can't barely imagine a bird more bonded than her, and I never handfed her, the breeder did that. So I would say - let the breeder wean the bird properly and you will have a wonderful companion for many years to come.

[Snowy]

Originally Posted by birdman5000

iv handfed birds before and weaning was usually the hardest part of the process for me, id say only if she has started eating a lot on her own, if she eats and drinks a varried diet on her own already than it shouldnt be that big of a deal,

are you talking about omars in orange county, like brea or something like that? iv heard a lot of good about them and a couple sad stories too. a person my fiance knows got a caique from them and soon after they brought it home it mysteriously died one day, no signs of ilness it just died, and a member of my potbellied pig club got a tiel from them that suddenly fell sick and last i heard was barely making it at their vets office. but a niehbor of ours got a b&G from there recently and they are doing fine

Yes, it's Omars in Lake Forest. I'm just curious about the caique and 'tiel. Did the owners contact Omars after it died/got sick?

According to the shop, the meyer is down to 2 hand feeding a day, expecting to wean in a month or less. I saw them hand feeding some 'tiels at the store and they said that they keep hand feeding them until the birds wean themselves and confirm that they are eating well on their own and gaining weight.

[Snowy]

Originally Posted by Wiggi

No, don´t handfeed yourself if you´re not completely sure how to do it! A lot of parrots have died because they were not correctly handfed or weaned.

To be honest, my personal opinion is that it´s just shady and dishonest breeders or stores that sell unweaned babies.

I tend to agree. Omars policy is not to sell unweaned birds. I think they were making an exception with me based on what they know about me.

I have not committed to this yet and it will probably take atleast 2 more store visits and before I make my decision. I need to have the cage bought and set up before bringing the meyer home anyway.

After the initial excitement, I may have to hold off before bringing it home anyway--I realized that Thanksgiving is just aorund the corner and that is a very hectic weekend for my family and probably not a good time to have a new bird in the house.