Hand Rearing

[CodySheridan]

Hi All,

I am interested in doing some hand rearing though am completely inexperienced at this point.

I have plenty of time on my hands at the moment and want to take advantage of this opportunity and do something I have always wanted to, that is hand rear a parrot (to keep as a pet).

Where is the best place to start? Some basic birds like budgies?

I am wanting to go with a galah (after falling in love with the most adorable best behaved one ever years ago at a shop I was working at ). Or another bird of similar size- or a bit bigger doesn't really matter. Any suggestions?

I keep a fair few chickens and so I have an incubator. It is a hova-bator. If I made a small enclosure within it to stop the chick chewing on anything as it grows would that be wise?

Any good links would be appreciated greatly

Cheers
Cody

 

[JerseyWendy]

Hi Cody,

My suggestion to you is to find a breeder and have him/her EXTENSIVELY teach how to properly hand feed a baby bird.

SO many things can go wrong if hand feeding is done improperly, including the death of the chick.

Believe me, you can form an equally, if not stronger bond, with a young bird that has just finished weaning.

 

[MonicaMc]

Parrots aren't chickens and require a lot more intensive care than a chicken does.

My suggestion would be to go to a breeder who has chicks and see if he, or she, would be willing to teach you how to hand feed the birds that they are raising. This way you can get personal, hands on experience and this may help you decide if you can seriously take on the task of hand raising a bird!

 

[CodySheridan]

Parrots aren't chickens and require a lot more intensive care than a chicken does.

My suggestion would be to go to a breeder who has chicks and see if he, or she, would be willing to teach you how to hand feed the birds that they are raising. This way you can get personal, hands on experience and this may help you decide if you can seriously take on the task of hand raising a bird!

Thanks for the reply.

Yes I very much understand that a parrot is not a chicken, this doesn't mean a chicken incubator/brooder is not a parrot incubator/brooder...

I will certainly take the advice and find a breeder who can help me out.

 

[CodySheridan]

Hi Cody,

My suggestion to you is to find a breeder and have him/her EXTENSIVELY teach how to properly hand feed a baby bird.

SO many things can go wrong if hand feeding is done improperly, including the death of the chick.

Believe me, you can form an equally, if not stronger bond, with a young bird that has just finished weaning.

Will do Thanks

It is just something that seems to be very rewarding and interesting. Plus when my alexandrines start breeding I will know how to hand rear their babies.

 

[MonicaMc]

I'm just afraid of someone who is comfortable and "OK" raising chickens thinking that it's just as easy to raise a parrot! I've seen it before!

If you understand there's a huge difference, and that parrot chicks are often reliant upon their parents for food, protection and warmth for several weeks (vs chickens who can eat on their own and are pretty self sufficient in being able to get around), then that's a great start!

I've heard some horrible hand raising stories of inexperienced people purchasing unweaned chicks and raising them! Two that immediately come to mind include a guy who had damaged nerves so could not feel heat and caused crop burn in his bird and another guy who tried to hand feed a bird, by hand, seeds. A bird that was not old enough to be eating the adult diet and still required formula. Ya, people are that stupid!

In this situation, a breeder is your best bet. We can tell you how to do it, what to do, what not to do, etc, but it just doesn't compare to hands on training and how complicated it can be. A breeder could tell and show you what to do in case of emergencies.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I agree, find a good breeder who can give you a lot of detail and go at your pace. Hand rearing is never something to take lightly, although some pet stores trick people into thinking it's nothing.

Please know that galahs shouldn't be clipped, once at the beginning to get to know them better is understandable. They are evolved to survive on little nutrition allowing them to live in harsh climates and have a very efficient metabolism. In captivity this doesn't translate over well, they are highly prone to fatty liver disease, heart disease, fatty tumors, and obesity. A fully flighted bird who is motivated to fly can live to be 60+ years, clipped birds often only live around 40 years and the cause of death is usually fatty liver or heart disease.

If you don't think you can handle a flighted parrot please reconsider getting a galah

 

[CodySheridan]

Thanks all,

Please don't get the wrong idea, I was not planning on running out tomorrow and buying a chick.

RESEARCH WILL BE DONE.

I was just looking for some input here.

I don't see how one can think that raising chickens is anywhere near the same lol ( ) give them some chick starter and they are set!