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Does hand-reared/ hand fed mean tame?

Saya

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All the birds I've had have been untame from the start, but not that I'm looking for another bird I've been seeing the words hand-reared and hand fed everywhere. I know this means they're used to humans but does this mean they're tame? Am I still going to have to tame them once I have them? I just don't know what comes in the package really. If anyone has any experience with this that would also be a great help
 

Mizzely

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Nope. Hand fed means that someone stuck a syringe in their beak and they are used to humans. Does not mean they worked with them. It really is down to the breeder. Or you adopt an older bird who has already been tamed.
 

rocky'smom

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that is a nope from me too. supposedly my 11 year cockatiel is a hand fed/ hand reared bird. he is my wild child, goes any where he d@m* well please, as basically dares you to try and get him down from highest point he can find. especially at bed time. he can be full on stinker about it too.
IMG_0005.JPG
the caption to this picture is 'I am not going to bed and you Can't make me either!!!!!!!' it was 45 minutes fight to get him down from his lofty perch and into his cage. he was fine, I was exhausted..
 

camelotshadow

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A handfed bird should be bonded to people & tame. Problem is they can go sort of wild again if not handled after they are weaned. Certainly handfeeding is good but it does not mean a bird is trained. they might not step up. It just depends how much extra time was spent with them & breeeders have little extra time to train them.
The can loose there friendliness in a few months if not handled & if they are adopted by someone who does not handle them well that's Rockymoms wild child & its along road.

I bought a parent reared budgie that was about 5/ 6 months old & within a week with the help of millet sprigs I had her on my hand...not to long sleeping on my arm. What a lovely bird. Was so full of life & had such a bright spirit. I called her Bubbles. Sadly she suddenly died a few months later.
 

Saya

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Nope. Hand fed means that someone stuck a syringe in their beak and they are used to humans. Does not mean they worked with them. It really is down to the breeder. Or you adopt an older bird who has already been tamed.
The breeder i'm interested in says that she handles the birds daily with her family and makes a big point on that, does this count with working with them?
 

Saya

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A handfed bird should be bonded to people & tame. Problem is they can go sort of wild again if not handled after they are weaned. Certainly handfeeding is good but it does not mean a bird is trained. they might not step up. It just depends how much extra time was spent with them & breeeders have little extra time to train them.
The can loose there friendliness in a few months if not handled & if they are adopted by someone who does not handle them well that's Rockymoms wild child & its along road.

I bought a parent reared budgie that was about 5/ 6 months old & within a week with the help of millet sprigs I had her on my hand...not to long sleeping on my arm. What a lovely bird. Was so full of life & had such a bright spirit. I called her Bubbles. Sadly she suddenly died a few months later.
you were very very lucky, my parakeets were younger than yours but they haven't been successfully tamed. They hand feed and all but they don't really have an interest in people... How would you handle a bird so that they don't go "wild" again? Does this include hand feeding? Or is it mostly like picking the bird up and taking it around with you sort of thing?
 

camelotshadow

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bubblesP1160108.jpg I started with the millet in the fingers then slowly withdrew the distance then had it in my palm until she would eat from that. Fimally she got in my hand to eat it...She learned she liked to come out & when she did she paced the door. I'd open it just enough so she had to get on the hand & I took her out. I held her just for a short while as generally she was much happier playing on the floor with a small fan. She'd chew & climb it. She would get on my finger if I picked her from the floor to put her back in the cage. Her wings grew enough so she could fly back into the cage when she pleased.

The pet shop guy was surprised to & he said thats a good bird but he thought they could be tamed if worked on but I she did it in a short time.

She was an English budgie & they may be more docile than the regular.
Mine was a single bird so if you have more than one they are going to prefer there own kind.

Keep giving a liked treat & don;t overwhelm them maybe they will come fly to you to get good things.

Took this shot in a week or two...She almst fell asleep on my arm...:heart: & was quite content...
She was a beautiful blue spangle with a touch of violet on her head & purple cheeks.
Unfortunately she lived a short life but I think/ hope it was a happy one.

 
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camelotshadow

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That sounds like a good breeder & those birds would be great as thye are well socialized & handled.
 

Saya

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That sounds like a good breeder & those birds would be great as thye are well socialized & handled.
thank you so much for your help! It's really going to come in handy with my birds. You little budgie is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen btw :^)
 

camelotshadow

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bubbles P 116 089.jpg

Sweet face too...I did not intend to buy her but I saw her in the pet shop & sat by the cage about 4 hours.
I came back the next day for a few ore hours. I could not resist her so I took her home...
I think she may have had some violet in her as it was on the back of her head & near the ears.
 

Saya

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View attachment 252670

Sweet face too...I did not intend to buy her but I saw her in the pet shop & sat by the cage about 4 hours.
I came back the next day for a few ore hours. I could not resist her so I took her home...
I think she may have had some violet in her as it was on the back of her head & near the ears.
that is such a sweet story, I can tell you two were meant to be <3
 

karen256

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Hand fed means they've been fed by people from a young age - usually 2 weeks or so. It doesn't mean they are tame necessarily - although usually they are more tame than parent reared.

It's the time the breeder/handfeeder spends with the baby that determines how tame it will be.

A large-scale breeder, raising large numbers of babies, may not spend much time with each baby except for feeding it and then placing it back with its siblings. They might not handle the babies at all after they are weaned. Babies raised this way will usually be tame but shy at first, but within a few weeks of weaning (without handling) they won't seem any tamer than a parent raised bird, although they may be easier to retame.

But, there are also many small scale, caring breeders who will spend hours socializing and playing with babies and who keep waiting lists so babies can go to new homes soon after weaning (or who just keep handling babies and treating them as pets after weaning). Look for breeders who don't raise huge numbers of babies and who genuinely care about their babies, ask questions and visit the breeder if you can.
 
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