Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 8/11/2007

Question
My parakeets are currently taking care of 4 babies that are about a week to a week and a half old. Im going to raise the babies and I want them to become very tame and used to being held. At what point should I start holding them? Should I wait until they come out of the box? How
long until they do? Also, when they get older and come out of the box, would it be better to separate the parents from the babies, or keep them all in the same cage? Or does it not make a difference? Sorry for all the questions, but i truly appreciate your response!!


Answer
Hi, Kelly,

If you want your baby keets to be tame and handleable, you should handfeed them, not just hold them.  Holding them occasionally works, but doesn't usually work well enough for the babies to be really tame.  Information on handfeeding is on my website:  www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

You should start handfeeding them now.  This means you need to remove them completely from their parents and raise them yourself.  By doing this, they will imprint on humans.  It will be too late if you wait until they come out of the box.  

The babies will start coming out of the box at about 4-5 weeks old.  You cannot separate the babies from their parents as long as the parents are feeding them.  If you begin handfeeding them, you can separate them from their parents, but not until/unless you do.  When the babies start eating/drinking on their own, you can separate them from their parents (unless you handfeed them).  You'll want to keep the babies caged separately from their parents after the babies fledge.  The problem with keeping all the birds together is that eventually they might try to breed with each other, and this is a no-no...you don't want related birds bonding/mating with each other.  Your best bet would be to sell or give the babies away to ensure this doesn't happen or keep them separate all the time.

Chrys