When I handfeed a young baby, around 10 days old....I have to be home to give feedings every 4 hours! It is demanding. Not a job for everyone thats forsure.
But when handfed correctly, there is nothing better then having a well adjusted, healthy, hand tame baby!
No disrespect intended, but it isn't the sweet baby that has problems. It's when that bird reaches maturity there can be confusion on its part.
Saemma asked today which of our birds is most demanding of our attention. My answer was Sailor (followed by others). Now, Sailor was a parent raised boy, from my pair's second clutch. I worked with him and his sister after they fledged and we became friends. His sister lives with a family in another state and is a wonderful pet even though she's an only bird. They are 3 1/2. Sailor knows he's a bird. He interacts properly with the rest of my flock. But he also is a good companion to me. He wasn't hand fed yet is well adjusted and definitely a pet, albeit a pet who mates with other birds.
My two that were hand fed who grew up together and became mates also are good with birds and people.
My point is, having a well adjusted ADULT bird is what is important. I think there are different ways to get there. Hand fed babies, IMO, need to grow up with and live with others of their own species in order to be well adjusted.
Parent raised babies may do okay as single birds because they imprinted on birds not people.
I don't claim to be 100% correct on this and freely admit my opinions have changed over time, observing my own birds and realizing why many, including the adults I've acquired, are rehomed.
The most important thing is to do what is best for each bird, especially considering they live as long as people do and generally have more than one home. Anything we can do to give them a good start is, IMO, very important.
