Save A Baby Parrot For Easter

Email: Hello and Thank you for your feeding tutorial. I was contemplating in getting some fertile eggs and hatching my own macaws, but FOUR feedings a day... I believe that would be impractical, having to work an 8 hour day away from their care. It sounds as if they would not last during my absence. Am I correct in assuming this?

I would like to ask what macaws you have available that are in the 2 feedings a day stage? To include the price you require for the available birds.

Response: We have been praised and criticized for publishing a hand feeding tutorial. Some people like it because it may help a baby that has been purchased by a novice bird owner thinking that there is nothing to feeding a young baby parrot. Once they have made this mistake we try to give them enough information to help the baby survive until it is weaned. This usually ends with an underweight bird but at least it survives.

Critics say the article might encourage potential bird owners such as yourself to try to handfeed a baby with little or no other training. We do not encourage this.

You mentioned buying fertile eggs. We would never do this. It would require at least $1,500 - 2000 of incubators and brooders to insure a reasonable rate of success. Once the chicks hatch they must be fed every two hours, around the clock, for the first week and then 5-6 feedings a day for the next two weeks. Temperature and humidity control for babies are critical at this stage. We have, out of necessity, fed babies from the time they hatch. Our survival rate is only 70% (and we're pretty good at this stuff).

I suggest you focus more on being a good parrot owner and less on taking chances with a young parrots life. We have occassionally let parrots go home with their new owners on one feeding a day. At that point the risks of hand feeding are greatly reduced and most owners enjoy the experience if they are properly trained.

If you want to discuss the pros and cons of handfeeding and anything else about raising or owning parrots please feel free to call us at 985/892-3527.

Happy Easter
- posted by J-Birds @ 8:58 AM |