Hand feeding a lovebird

[Mero64]

I’m thinking of starting to hand feed a lovebird at 28 days old (4 weeks), do you think it’s still worth trying at this age? Or will he more likely refuse my feedings?

 

[budgieluv3]

@Zara

 

[Zara]

Have you hand fed before?

He may refuse feedings, but less likely if you have been interacting with him these last few days.
You can offer some formula on a spoon (follow package instructions to prepare it). You can also offer some millet, pellets or veggies from your hand.
Be sure you wean him properly if you get yourself involved in the feeding schedule.

 

[Mero64]

I’ve never handfed but I’d like to create a good bond with this baby... maybe offering formula with a spoon would be safer? He would no longer be around parents to be fed so I’m afraid if he doesn’t take my feeding he will become malnourished..

 

[Zara]

My advice is this... If you don´t know what you are doing, then just don´t.

It´s good to research all aspects of raising baby birds before allowing the adults to hatch eggs, just incase the worst happens (not uncommon) and you need to take over 100%.

If there´s no problems with the parents feeding, then let them do it.

I’d like to create a good bond with this baby

Spend time with the little guy. Take him out for little sessions during the day, and introduce toys to him, offer a little millet spray, maybe he wants a little sleep on you, talk to him, all of these things will help you create a nice relationship with him. Just return him to the nest so his parents can give him some food and brood him. If you do this, I would also recommend lininc a bowl with kitchen paper, and weighing him, jot the grams on a calendar so you can monitor him closely. Also make sure his parents carry on feeding him - check his crop when you take him out and be sure there´s food in.
I recommend not to take the little one out too early in the morning, as to give the parents time to feed him.

 

[Mero64]

the person who is selling the baby has the parents and wants to sell him now

 

[Zara]

Then I would not.

It´s not fair on either party to bring home an unweaned bird without knowledge on how to feed them or wean them.

Maybe look for a young weaned lovebird (they wean around 7-10 weeks, but that can vary bird to bird).

 

[fluffypoptarts]

the person who is selling the baby has the parents and wants to sell him now

This person is not concerned for the welfare of the baby, obviously. Forget malnourished - you could easily kill this baby if you don’t know what you’re doing, or amateur-hand it poorly. I would follow the advice that @Zara has given.

 

[Mero64]

What if I go get training from my local avian vet? Everyone starts somewhere

 

[Mero64]

If he doesn’t sell it to me, who wants to actually take care of this baby hence why I’m here, he will sell it to someone else who is even more clueless than me.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

@Mero64 Zara has given you good advice to follow. Indeed, the breeder is not looking out for the best interest of the chick especially since they have the parents who are obviously taking good care of this baby. It's stressful for a single chick to be taken from it's parents and siblings and more times than not babies that have their eyes open are less willing to feed from a strange source.... which would be you. They don't just automatically go for food on a spoon ( or a syringe) when moved to a vastly different environment and have no natural response to feed for a few days with this type of situation. Although you have good intentions you may well end up causing more harm to the health of this chick by taking it on before it's weaned from the parents. Those small bodies don't do well under a stressful change especially if they aren't eating from you ... they can go downhill quickly.
Do you know this breeder? I would express your fears, don't cave to their insistence that the baby will be fine if you take it early. Lastly, FOMO... fear of missing out.... should not even be a part of this decision when a small life is depending on a responsible human to do the right thing ( the breeder). This baby can become every bit the loving companion once the parents wean it.

 

[Mero64]

Ok I called the person and canceled, please pray for this baby

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

So, they didn't offer to keep the baby with the parents until it was weaned? TSK, tsk... once all the babies are gone the parents can go back into breeding mode if those people don't remove the nest box and discourage breeding in succession. Repetitive clutches are very unhealthy for hens. I hope they have better sense in all cases.

 

[Crazy4parrots]

It’s soo sad to see That this type of breeders exist. Weaning a baby lovebird before age of 7 weeks is not good. Also I raised one that self weaned himself at 6 weeks he simply refused formula and wanted other foods more than the formula I still offered him but he just refused it every time while his siblings weaned at age 9-10 weeks. I raised them from day 6. As hen stepped on one of them and hurted it. They were tiny. And I had to learn or they would have died all 5. Couldn’t risk it. But like @Zara @Mockinbirdiva said your case is different and if I were you I wouldn’t risk it getting an unweaned baby.