What To Expect From Hand Raised Birds

Hi there everyone!

I just joined the forums and have been very pleased with the community of knowledgeable bird owners.

Anywho, I am new to the world of feathered pets, and would be delighted to hear from those of you that are experienced.

I just recently purchased a Fischer's Lovebird from a breeder, which can be found here: Wisconsin Parrots Home. She boasts that all of her birds are hand-raised and very socialized before they are weaned and adopted. I brought him (Pascal), home 4 days ago, and he is quite terrified of any human contact. I realize it has only been 4 days, and I'm not rushing it, but I made the assumption that, being hand-reared, he would not be quite so fearful.

In addition, she claims they already know how to step-up when they are adopted out, and said that she trimmed their wings. Well, he cannot/will not step-up and he is very much flighted.


Meep, sorry for such a long post. I was just looking to hear from everyone else's experiences with hand-raised babies and what to expect when bringing them home compared to, say, a petstore.

Thank you!

Did you pick him up personally? IF you went there, should of have the breeder to show you how they hold them and interact with them in person. With some birds when they're new to you they would be scared to death being in a new surrounding and all. Your very very new to your new baby and highly likely why he's scared of you even though he's hand fed. But each individual baby is different, I wasn't there to observe so I do not know what had happened before and after purchase. But it MAY be the breeder's fault if he's too un social but it's hard to say. Depending on the clip, birds can still fly on certain clip.

You'll get all sorts of various degrees of friendliness and non-friendliness.

Put yourself in your birds situation. He may have been hand raised. He may have been well socialized. However, he's just been "ripped" away from the only home he knows. He's in a new place. Parrots, being prey, often do not like new things. New can mean dangerous. So now you have him home. New environment. New people. He was not prepared for this.



Most of my birds being second hand plus pets, many not tame/friendly, I could not handle them when they first got here. Some of them however accepted handling straight away!

Casey, my first cockatiel, was hand raised by a breeder, purchased for me by a friend of the families, socialized with some adults the night she was picked up, then brought to my home. She's been friendly, tame and social from the start!

Charlie didn't like me when he was in his foster home, but once I got him home, I was the only familiar thing in this new environment, so he instantly clung to me! He was 12 years old when I got him.

Jayde is my newest girl, and I couldn't handle her when she first got here. She's 3 years old and I've had her for over 4 months now. I gave her time to settle in and didn't force her to do anything if I didn't have to, and a few weeks later she was climbing onto my shoulder!

your post is not long....you should see some of them!
here is the thing....your bird may have very well been tame with the breeder, stepping up, cuddles, etc....
like Monica said, now the bird is in a new environment, new owner, etc....you are a complete stranger to this bird, tame or not. Now you have to develop a trust and bond, it just tends to be easier and will happen faster with a younger bird.
If the breeder had socialized the babies with a variety of people, then it would adapt very easily to a new person.

if a breeder only socializes her babies with themselves, then the bird is not really tame with anyone else.

I know of a breeder who *claims* his birds are tame, I know for a fact he handles them *only* to hand feed them, then puts them back into the cage. there is NO interaction with the birds at all. the birds are use to hands and that is all, but there is no trust or bond.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your insight and experience!

Yes, I did figure that he is just a baby and suddenly in an entirely new environment, but I wasn't sure if him being hand-raised made it unusual.

I will certainly keep working with him and being patient, never making him do what he doesn't want to do, or invading his cage. He has taken millet from me, so that is a step in the right direction. Patience patience patience.

Thank you guys, you're all fan-tab-ulous. <3

A bird with clipped wings can still fly. A lovebird being a small bird can still probably fly some. On the website they claim they work on making sure their birds master the art of flying before they leave to their homes. I do not know this breeder (though they do sound like they are a breeder that sells healthy weaned birds). You are a stranger to the bird so this bird very well could have been social to the breeder. Once the bird gets to know you it can become more social towards you. I will also say in my experience the real small parrots seem to be more incline to be on the alert. Maybe it is natural instinct? I had to tame my first bird (a budgie). He ended up sitting on my hand and shoulders and stopped being afraid of me. But out of all the birds I had he seemed to always be on alert or have his guard up.

I am pretty certain his wings are not clipped. They look untarnished and he can fly all over the room, while my budgies cannot gain height (My boyfriend purchased them from Petco a few months ago (I know I know, bad), and their wings were already clipped).

Well the budgies are fine with getting on my finger, sometimes it takes a gentle nudge under the belly but they are no longer terrified of me. That, and if they end up on the floor, all I have to do is place my hand down there and they will scurry on aboard.

Yes, that's what I thought too when I looked at their website, which is why I decided to purchase a bird from them. I'm just a little puzzled, for Pascal absolutely will not step-up, when she claims they are all able to before leaving.

Either way, I am doing my best not to be discouraged by it. Any tips for taming a flighted bird will also be very much appreciated.

Thank you

Food.


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUx81WHTUwk]1 Bird in hand Leads to Many - YouTube[/ame]


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlSm4uFZzVU]More Budgies!!!! - YouTube[/ame]




[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9w9w8nMRmw]Hesitant Faye - YouTube[/ame]


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH9ZWxhCSAE]Not So Hesitant Faye - YouTube[/ame]

Haha, yes of course, food!

I have been working with him by way of food bribery, but he flies off at the slightest notice.

If I am handling my budgies he will happily fly over and perch on my hand to get near them, but as soon as the budgies are placed on the play gym he will follow suit.

I am aware of the size difference, and that a lovebird could do serious damage to a budgie if it wanted, so they are only out together while I am supervising them, never without my watchful eye to ensure nothing happens. Pascal seems enthralled by the other birds, while Bee and Helios are leery.

Either way I am trying my best to work with him, but it's difficult when he can fly out of reach in a split second. I am tempted to have his wings trimmed for the time being and then leaving them un-clipped when they grow back, but I know of people's strong aversion to the idea.

*slithers under a rock*