Hand taming baby parakeet??

[LovebirdLover]

My parakeet has a clutch of 5 and they will be hatching very soon. I was wondering when was the best time to start handling them. I don't want to handfeed. I just want to handle them everyday so they are tamed. Will the parents stop feeding the babies if I play with them?? At what age should I start and how do I do it? How many at a time?

 

[Luke252]

Parakeets at a young age are extremely easy to hand tame. Since they have become so domesticated, you are able to begin taming the babies after the parents have done all the hard work. At around 6 weeks, once the babies are weaned and fully feathered, is the best time to take them out. At this age, biting is minimal, if at all. Taming budgies is really easy. In my experience, I have already tamed down over 100 babies. Its a simple technique. At first run them through your hands with you thumbs across their wings so they can't fly off. (Also forgot to mention, you should clip their wings). Slowly, allow the budgie to begin stepping up through you hands, with your thumbs across their wings. Eventually you can slowly begin to release your thumbs to the point where you can just get them sitting on your finger. Its about constantly getting them used to your hand. Teaching the bird that there is no danger. After that, its just constantly taking them out everyday and handling them, getting them used to you and your hands. Hope that helps.

 

[LovebirdLover]

I see but isn't 6 weeks a bit late? People have said after 2 weeks.

 

[ShellyBorg]

After 2 weeks is fine. Keep it short in the beginning. You can even just put your hand in and softly pet them while they learn hands are not scary while still in the nest.

 

[MikeyTN]

Handling them while young and growing is a good way to start so they wouldn't be super terrified of your hands when you yank them at 6 weeks.

Have you thought of the what if part since your diving into breeding without wanting to hand feed? IF something does happen, you'll be forced into hand feeding them regardless.

 

[LovebirdLover]

Yes miky I am prepared and have a lot of info and the stuff ready. And how can this happen? Like the mom stop feeding them?? And cani check on the birds twice a day or is that to much

 

[brianlinkles]

Yes miky I am prepared and have a lot of info and the stuff ready. And how can this happen? Like the mom stop feeding them?? And cani check on the birds twice a day or is that to much

Have you hand fed before? I am just asking because many, many things can happen that you might have to start handfeeding the babies. Mikey and I have just experienced having to handfeed very tiny babies. Mikey is far more experienced than I am and had a very sad ending to his story. I don't want to be negative because truly breeding birds is one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced and I truly love it! That said I was a proficient hand feeder before ever starting to breed. Handfeeding is something you should be very comfortable with before ever breeding your birds, so many things can happen because although budgies are the closest birds to being domesticated they are still wild animals and sometimes something unbeknown to us just sets them off.

 

[LovebirdLover]

I see lots of tips yeah I can go to store and buy food for it anytime and I know how since a friend of mine is a breeder big help there. Can u explain some reasons?

 

[Luke252]

Its good to handle them from 2 weeks, but what I was saying is that you shouldn't pull them from the nest until after 6 weeks. I probably should have worded myself better.