AboutChrys Meatyard Expertise I`ve been raising/breeding/handfeeding/selling parrots for over 20 years (parakeets/budgies, cockatiels, 6 subspecies of conures, parrotlets, amazons, lovebirds, etc.). I've been published in "Budgies" and "Cockatiels" offered by Bow Tie Productions, and have written avian articles for publication in England. I can provide advice in raising healthy birds, handfeeding/weaning babies, some health problems, nail/beak/wing clipping, general husbandry, etc. I also have experience with racing/showing homing pigeons. I cannot diagnose specific illness over this website. If you suspect your bird is ill or if you have an emergency, contact a certified avian veterinarian or emergency pet clinic ASAP.
Experience Over 20 years breeding/raising/handfeeding/selling 15 different species of parrots.
Education/Credentials American Federation of Aviculture, completed Level I course, Fundamentals of Aviculture. Keeping/breeding parrots and other birds for over 20 years.
Question Our Parakeets just hatched their first set of eggs. They are 2 weeks old. The 2 largest birds are almost as big as their parents but the other 3 are not as large. When can we remove them from their nesting box and put them in the cage? When can we start to hand tame them?
Answer Hi, Keith,
For some reason, the person you sent your original request to could not answer. I picked your question up in the question pool today.
Congratulations! They can't be removed from their parents into a separate cage until they are completely weaned, able to drink on their own, and able to fend for themselves. They will leave the nesting box and enter the cage when they are ready. Daddy bird then takes over and teaches them things they need to know. This is when mommy bird will go to nest again.
Hand taming can start as soon as they are big enough to pick up (while still in the nesting box), if you are not pulling them for handfeeding. You should be cleaning out the nesting box regularly so they are not in contact with their feces, so this means you should be picking them up and putting them somewhere safe and warm so you can clean the nesting box. This is when you can play/hold them. The more human interaction they have, the more tame they will be. You actually want them to imprint to humans as early as possible for the most tameness. Then you need to keep up the human interaction in order for them to remain tame.
