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I'd have thought handfeeding -- so labor intensive -- COSTS them money, rather than makes them more. ???

Paca

ParrontPlus wrote:I'd have thought handfeeding -- so labor intensive -- COSTS them money, rather than makes them more. ???

Paca

That's actually a funny thing.
Handfeeding, when it was a new bethod in the bird breeding business, was actually nothing else then a method to make more money. Not only here, in the US as well. Many people didn't think stealing chicks from the parents was very nice, so they had to come up with something to justify it with. That's where the whole "Handfed birds are tamer and better pets"-myth was born. Many breeders have been tought this falce information, and still beleive it today.

The whole thing with handfeeding was that parrots start a new clutch when they loose their chicks. Thus using the method, instead of prudusing a few valuable chicks every year, you could produce dousins!

I am not saying all breeders today does it for the money, a very common reason is that they make better pets. It isn't true as parentraised birds make just as nice pets as handfed ones. I am not saying breders don't know what they are doing, but money was the sole purpose for handfeeding "back in the old days."

Where i live you pretty much can't find a handfed parakeet, cockatiel, parrotlet or other small parrot no matter how hard you look. It is however common amung greys, 'zons, cockatoos, macaws etc. (I guess you can't make enough profit on selling "cheap" birds as 'keets and 'tiels, could be one of the reasons why.)
Yet we have very tame, cuddly, and wonderful birds here in sweden.
All my tiels were parentraised. Well adjusted, tame, social and very cuddly birds.
I know alot of people with parentfed and parentraised Greys, amazons, poicephalus, macaws ect, the birds are as tame and wonderful as any other handfed bird. (Even tamer then many handfed birds i know!)

So to put it shortly, yes, handfeeding can be very profitable!
If you want to read more about it, please see the article on handfeeding i have posted in the breeding section of the forum. It was a while ago so you'll have to scroll down a bit.

Take care!

I know I may be off thread topic but I felt the need to reply: Handfeeding birds is or rather should be a labor of love. It is very labor intensive and costly (formula, feeding utensils, disinfectant, brooders, etc). While a breeder can get more money for a handfed baby than a parent raised one (depending on species of course), it normally does not provide huge monetary gains at least for me. In fact, I'm lucky if my birds pay their food bill But, I do handfeed the vast majority of my parrot babies mainly because I enjoy it soooo much! I have a very hard time letting them go to their new homes and have turned down sales if I have felt the buyer did not have good intentions or I felt uneasy about a transaction. All my breeders are my pets - but not all my pets are breeders.

As for the video - it was very moving.

Sally
Idaho

I rarely cry for any reason at all, but watching this video almost made me start bawling. I must agree with the above statement ljhassell wrote saying that she can live without humans, but not without animals. Animals have given me nothing but joy during my 22 years of life..... my parrots are the ones who healed me after my two tours in Iraq. My parrots and various other animals are the ones I turn to when I'm having emotional issues, I distance myself from humans. Animals realize the finer things in life, such as the comfort of a buddy/mate, the joy of living, playing, loving, and of course....what's for dinner lol. They do not comprehend what hate means or torture. They only hurt others when they defend themselves or their mate/offspring/flock or herd etc. People who mistreat animals are on my #1 'bad guys' list and should be put in jail.

Stop saying what humans have done like humans are some invading race from mars. Humans have done many graet things have cured many people of many diseases and have in general a heart of kindness and love. People who blame "humans" for being so evil are just not thinking things through. And if you think you can live without people think again. Next time your house is on fire or you need an operation on your heart, call a Macaw? Maybe a Bear? I do not think so.

Fot the love of mike think things through...
Rich