Hi everyone,

 

Have two baby budgies and hubby and i want to hand raise them.

 

Purchased the raising mixture, syringes and teaspoons. Took the chicks from the nest yesterday, almost 2 weeks of age.

 

Neither seem to interested in the formula, really worried they wont eat and we will lose them both. As this is our first attempt at hand raising,

 

any suggestions or comments would be gratefully accepted.

 

Does it take a day or so for them to get use to us trying to feed them ?? I guess patience is a big plus

Hi Mate I got your message. I'm not to sure how to answer it so I will put a reply in hear. It does take a few days before they start to take to the spoon BUT!! I am not sure if we are allowed to mention brands here but if it is r*******h they had a bad mix come in to the country and I lost some birds to it. It was sour. send me an email and we can talk if you need to. But if it is this brand you really need to throw it out....

Why do you want to hand raise????? You can get a perfectly tame budgie by leaving it in the nest with Mum and handling daily. NOTHING can replace the food and care a mother/father can give to their chicks. The only time I would ever hand raise would be if I lost both Mum and Dad (or they had issues with hurting the young etc...) and had no access to a surrogate parent. I'd be putting the chicks back with their parents and praying they'll take them back!

It's a personal choice really some people like to do it some don't and I don't argue with people over the matter as some people are VERY!! anti hand raising. But I do it and I love doing it. If I tried to sell a handled bird as a hand raised bird there is a difference but I wont get into that.

 

After 2 weeks the parents will already have passed the good bacteria from there crop to the chicks so there immune system is already well on it's way. But if they were my birds I would have left them longer.

 

I love to hand raise because it's such a nice feeling putting your hand in a cage and having the birds fighting to jump on it's great you just need to ignore the occasional nip you get from the cranky hen. there always seems to be one in every clutch

The hand raising or not topic will always have for and against. I am a believer also in a well handled, daily handled baby budgie that stays parent raised will be a well adjusted bonded to people type baby budgie.

I only handraise birds ( parrots as well ) if the parents fail and I have to take over.

One thing I do know is that parent s learn how to be parents if they raise their babies to fledging. I once bought some budgies from a breeder who was in the habit of removing the mothers from their nests when chicks were two weeks old and then letting the Dads finish raising the babies. What I found in using these hens was that once the chicks got to two weeks of age they thought their job was done and they stopped feeding the babies...each and every one of them. They had been taught that they only raised them for two weeks.

I would feel very sad if some budgie parents didnt at least get to fully raise their babies as it does teach them parenting skills.

The hand raising or not topic will always have for and against. I am a believer also in a well handled, daily handled baby budgie that stays parent raised will be a well adjusted bonded to people type baby budgie.

I only handraise birds ( parrots as well ) if the parents fail and I have to take over.

One thing I do know is that parent s learn how to be parents if they raise their babies to fledging. I once bought some budgies from a breeder who was in the habit of removing the mothers from their nests when chicks were two weeks old and then letting the Dads finish raising the babies. What I found in using these hens was that once the chicks got to two weeks of age they thought their job was done and they stopped feeding the babies...each and every one of them. They had been taught that they only raised them for two weeks.

I would feel very sad if some budgie parents didnt at least get to fully raise their babies as it does teach them parenting skills.

 

 

Hi Kaz,

 

I have some neighbours who want some budgies for pets and I was thinking of handraising. But you say daily handling is good. Does that mean going to the breeding box and handle the chicks. Will the parents worry about it? How long do you have them away from the box? I have them in breeding cabinets, would you take the whole box away and handle the chicks?

I understand that this would not be done until they are a few weeks old.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

 

 

Hi Kaz,

 

I have some neighbours who want some budgies for pets and I was thinking of handraising. But you say daily handling is good.

Does that mean going to the breeding box and handle the chicks. YES

Will the parents worry about it? NO

How long do you have them away from the box? HANDLE DAILY WHILST AT THE CAGE.

I have them in breeding cabinets, would you take the whole box away and handle the chicks? NO....YOU DO NOT REMOVE THE NESTBOX

I understand that this would not be done until they are a few weeks old. WRONG....DAILY HANDLING OF BABIES IN THE NEST FROM THE FIRST FEW DAYS IS WHAT HELPS MAKE TAME PARENT RAISED BABIES

 

Thanks

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve, you need to look in the FAQ section and read an article called CARE OF BABY BUDGIES IN THE NEST.

Edited April 3, 201114 yr by **KAZ**

Hi Kaz,

 

I have some neighbours who want some budgies for pets and I was thinking of handraising. But you say daily handling is good.

Does that mean going to the breeding box and handle the chicks. YES

Will the parents worry about it? NO

How long do you have them away from the box? HANDLE DAILY WHILST AT THE CAGE.

I have them in breeding cabinets, would you take the whole box away and handle the chicks? NO....YOU DO NOT REMOVE THE NESTBOX

I understand that this would not be done until they are a few weeks old. WRONG....DAILY HANDLING OF BABIES IN THE NEST FROM THE FIRST FEW DAYS IS WHAT HELPS MAKE TAME PARENT RAISED BABIES

 

Thanks

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve, you need to look in the FAQ section and read an article called CARE OF BABY BUDGIES IN THE NEST.

 

Thanks heaps, I will start today