Breeding Birds : Section 5

HAND RAISING NESTLING AND ORPHAN BIRDS

NOT ALL EGGS ARE FERTILE

Hand raising nestling birds and orphan birds successfully can be very challenging, rewarding and satisfying but on the other hand it can be very frustrating, time consuming and disappointing. These notes are written to help you raise the probability of it being the former.

There are very significant differences in the methods used for hand raising nestling birds with the aim of making them pet birds as compared with hand raising orphaned and injured nestlings with the aim of rehabilitating them back into the wild.

- NESTLINGS FOR PETS

When hand raising nestlings to become pets it seems desirable that they become imprinted upon hands and people while quite young. This means that they are encouraged to see the hand and the person that sees them and cares for them at every opportunity. Ideally raise the nestlings in pairs. There is an increasing demand for hand raised pet birds, especially for quarions or cockatiels and other small parrots. Bird dealers and customers are often prepared to pay considerably more for hand raised birds than parent raised ones. It is interesting to note that hand raised Indian Mynahs can also make interesting and entertaining pets can often be taught to talk

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