Hand-rearing parrots

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When parrot chicks hatch, they are blind, extremely delicate and Sensitive to temperature. Hand-rearing these so-called ‘altricial’ chicks entails a great deal of research and expert guidance. Remember that hand-rearing chicks will always be easier if you start with good-quality adult stock. If your adult birds are related, stressed or being fed the wrong diet, it is still possible for them to lay fertile eggs. If these hatch out, however, the chicks will probably not be as strong as they should be and you are far more likely to lose some to stress and disease. Begin by hand-rearing cheaper birds, such as cockatiels, and do not assume that you will successfully hand-rear an Amazon, cockatoo or macaw at your first attempt.

Be prepared for a certain amount of expense as well; not only are the birds themselves expensive, but a good-quality brooder with accurate temperature controls is essential and not cheap. If you intend hand-rearing several chicks use several brooders because, as the chicks grow, you will need to reduce the temperature in each brooder. If the chicks hatch out at one-week intervals, they will have to be kept in separate brooders at the appropriate temperatures.

When hand-rearing parrot chicks, do not reduce the temperatures too quickly. For the first few days, set the temperature at 35