# To hand raise or not to hand raise THAT is the question



## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

My pareket has laid eggs and is incubating them but she is a pet not a beeder. I was wondering.......if she maniges to hatch them should I let her raise them or should I hand raise them???  I was wanting to sell them if I could and I herd that hand raised sell nicely.  Anyway if you have any info you'd like to share please let me know.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Vivian,


...does your Parakeet Hen have a mate or is she single?

You do not mention "them" raising the prospective hatchlings...so I was wondering...

Single Hens of course sometimes will lay Eggs and incubate them, but unless those Eggs have fertile embryos in them, they will not develop or hatch.

If there are two parents, then, I'd say just let them raise them...

If she was bred to some male who is not present now, and is otherwise alone in the tasks, just help her raise them...but let her do as much as she can with you filling in sensitively as an helpful Aunt.


Phil
Las Vegas


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## JGregg (Jul 28, 2003)

Hand raised birds cost more, so people take better care of them. The birds are also less stressed out in general and tend to be happier than non-hand raised birds. And since you plan on selling the babies, I think it pays off to hand raise them.

I'd start hand raising at halfway to fledging (if it took them 4 wks to mature, take the babies at 2 wks). Let the parents feed the babies when it is critical, and then take over when the babies are robust.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi J-Greg,

Is there an ambiguity here between 'hand raised' (meaning what exactly? in this context, as I thought it meant fed and raised by people instead of fed and raised by it's in this case, domestic parent or parents, wile being socialized to people also, ) and whether a young Bird is easy and friendly with People?


I am getting confused...! Lol...

Anyway, no reason I can think of for Birds raised by domesticated parents, to not be easy and friendly with people, if people have been involved with them from their infancy, even if the Birds Biological parents raise them.


Thanks,

Phil
Las Vegas


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

OK........you are both confusing me!!  My pareket "noodle" (don't ask)  does have a boyfriend "bluey" and they have been together since before I got them. I have hade them for over a year and this is a first for me. Any info on HOW to hand raise would be nice.  Thanks


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hi Vivian,

I don't know anything about hand raising parakeets...but I found the following link by going to Google and typing in "hand raising parakeets." There are more links you can check out, but I thought this one was a good one to get you started:

http://www.geocities.com/divinaluz_7/RaisingParakeets.html

Good luck,
Linda


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## JGregg (Jul 28, 2003)

Here is a link about how to hand feed birds.

http://www.cagenbird.com/a04.htm


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

Thanks!


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

I'm going to start hand feeding the baby on friday!!!!


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## birdlover000 (Aug 17, 2003)

I would go to a local breeder or a vet and ask them to show you how to hand fed, so that you know how do it exactly. A really good site to join that has tons of infomation and kind people is www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/community It is a nice forum... I myself have two budgies tto, Perri and Frosti. If you need anything let me know. My usernname at Tailfeathers is Finch Boy I really hope you join, it is the perfect place to get pet bird infomation!


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

um Birdlover000 I don't mean to be rude but I don't think I would start feeding him if I didn't know how. Ok? I know a family that owns there own rehab so I normaly ask them stuff like thes but they have just been overun with baby birds lately but I do know how to do the actual feeding.


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## birdlover000 (Aug 17, 2003)

I wasn't sure if you did know how are not, because, I didn't see anything that said, I know how to hand feed a parakeet, I only saw you asking for info on hand feeding. I was only trying to help..


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

Thats OK you didn't know BUT IT'S MY fault I didn't spicifi what I wanted to know so it's my fault.......


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## birdlover000 (Aug 17, 2003)

What colors are your budgies? Mine are blue and white.


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

noodle is yellow and white with purple cheeck spots,bluey is blue and white,the baby...so far he's blue and white but they all have some black to.


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

*Update*

Baby is doing great. He or she I'm not sure how to tell is eating on his/her own and is obsesed with a miror that has a recording of my voice saying hello anytime he/she moves in front of the sensor. L.O.L  He/she also wont let anyone touch him/her exept me.


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

OK it's time for a update!!! "Baby" is doing great, he's very nice to be around and likes to be scrached on the cheek. But I'm not sure how to tell if he's a boy or girl.  I was told that the color of the nose could be a factor but I'm not sure. He's nose right now is a light blue and he's about four or more months.


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## birdlover000 (Aug 17, 2003)

Yes, cere the two circular things above the beak can in some cases determain the sex. You will not know his age until he is sexual mature, which takes about a year or a little less. The cere can change from one color to another throughout the one year period. Some time after the large "first" molt, you should be able to tell the sex.....


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## birdlover000 (Aug 17, 2003)

Forgot to mention, dark shinny-like blue is male and brown crusty is female. Before they are mature it can change from pink to purple, to blue and back to pink.... just have to wait...


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

You can usually start to tell the birds gender between the age 1 month to 4 months depending on whether it is a male or not. Males that are aggressive, bossy and protective will start will start to behave that way early in life. Hens are less vocal and it seems they don't really let you know by their behavior until they are older. Then there are those late bloomers that aren't vocal and you can't really start to distinguish their behavior until 3 months or more. When pigeons youngsters are allowed to interact with others their age or older it is easier to see the gender as they start role playing and acting out with each other.

I have a youngster named Winston who was 4 weeks old when I pretty much guessed he was a boy. He got defensive and started picking at me when ever I would come to the nest bowl, much more the usual. At 2 months he was defending his place at the feeder and going rounds with the older males. He already had his own cubby picked out at 3 months of age.

Pigeons are considered mature at 6 months of age.


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

ok I sopose he's a boy then cus he always cherping his head off!!


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## birdlover000 (Aug 17, 2003)

Chirping isn't a good way to tell the sex, only because males and females do that, and sometimes one sex can be more vocal then another...50/50 chance. There aren't many signs to tell the sex of a budgie before the cere changes.....


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## vivian (Jun 24, 2005)

oohhhh..ok


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