handfeeding ADVICE ASAP please :)

[kristenn]

so my oldest is 16 days TODAY! then 14 and 8 days. i have done a ton of reading and know that it is time to be pulling them, or at least the 2 older ones. i want them to be super sweet and tame. i have handfeed(it was about 4-5 weeks old) one before and do feel comfortable doing it. so my questions are BUT the more advice the BETTER!!



is the ONLY way for them to be super tame is if i handfeed them???

HOW MUCH do i feed them?

HOW OFTEN do i feed them?

can i leave them in the nest box and just pull them to feed them??

do i have to set up a brooder and keep them separate from the parents?

HOW do i set up a brooder? i have seen many online but would like personal experience



also i have an opened bag of birdie formula from like the first week in march. it has been kept in the fridge. CAN i still use this? is it still good??

Im sure im missing somethings so PLEASE tell me everything that is important! like ive said i have done a lot of reading but i really want personal experiences. what SHOULD and SHOULDN'T be done ect.

[mask]

Personally I wouldn't bother. Handfeeding isn't the the only solution to tame birds, co-parenting is just as effective, it's safer and easier on all parties involved.

[Albe]

I co-parented a budgie and he was the tamest bird possible! I handled him multiple times a day everyday from two weeks on, and he was so sweet, he was my baby! It is very doable. I would still be prepared to hand feed, just in case. I think that he was so snuggley because he got to snuggle with his bird momma and me all day

[Amanda85]

if you arent comfortable hand feeding dont do it. I raise my babies and I love doing it, though I can tell you now they dont always stay tame just coz they are hand raised. I have aviary birds that have been more tame then birds that have been hand raised. It depends on a lot of things.

Age wise those are the youngest I would pull the babies for raising. I would wait til they are at least 3 weeks if you arent comfortable with raising as that will also mean less work itll still be a lot but less then what you will be doing at the age they are now.

I have a few questions for you.

Where will you be keeping the babies?
what do you have to heat?
how will you be maintaining the temp?
what hand raising tools do you have?
are you prepared for a possible illness while hand raising?
are you able to feed about every 4hrs (depending on age) a day with last feed at 12am and first feed at 6am?
are you going to be able to handle it if and accident occurs in which a baby dies?

if you dont mind answering those, it will help you not only know what you are in for but also help others give you advice.