Hand-Feeding Day One Chicks

Hi,

I was just looking over your website on hand feeding baby birds. I have done this before but only with older babies ( 10 days ) I have a baby here that just hatched out and do not know when to start feeding it and how often. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Lori

Dear Lori:

Thank you for your email. I’m not sure if you are talking about hand-feeding parrotlet babies from day one but if so, you will need to feed them every hour on the hour around the clock for the first 4 days. It is incredibly difficult, time-consuming and even the most experienced hand-feeders are rarely successful. Its best with parrotlets to get the parents to learn to feed them themselves (which they usually do the second or third clutch) or foster them under another pair. I know we humans think we can do everything as good or better than our birds but not when it comes to this. Mother Nature is infinitely better at this than humans. At least that is what my 30 years of experience breeding only parrotlets has shown.

Best of luck to you.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
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