The first few days

[Roonil Wazlib]

Hey guys, just wondering what you have done when bringing home a parrot for the first couple of days? I'm not sure if he should be placed in the cage asap, or whether I should sit quietly with him for the first 15/20 minuets to reassure him that being out with me is a safe thing.

Should even take him out at all the first day, or should I contact or handle him (if he feels comfortable) every couple of hours for ten or so minuets at a time?

He will be 7 to 14 weeks old when i get him, hand reared.

Thanks guys

[liz]

Handle it with clean hands before you take it. Check all its parts (Maggie is missing toes). Talk to it and cuddle. Find out as much as you can about his little personality. Take your time before leaving. Don't let anyone rush you. This is your first contact with him and the first contact to another world for him. At least 15 minutes.

Keep in mind that this is a baby. You will be taking him from his family and the only people he knows. He will be alone. He will be scared. He will cry. Don't leave him in his cage. Keep physical contact with him to reassure him that he will be okay. You will be taking him from the only world he knows. From this point on everything he sees and feels will be new.

He is not a rehome with baggage. He is a blank page.

[Wolf]

It will always depend on the bird. If the bird will allow you to touch it then by all means let it perch on you and pet its head and/ or beak ,just be sure that you are not being pushy, always allow the bird to let you know what it will allow and not the other way around. It is a baby and it will be terrified of its new environment. If it does not want to be touched don't insist and satisfy yourself with sitting nearby and talking to the bird. The idea is to build trust with the bird and that can only be done as the bird allows. Also get some of the weaning formula from the breeder as they often regress and need to be fed soft, warm food two or three times a day until they can eat solid foods. Do not let anyone tell you to start the bird on pellets as they are much too dry and hard for the baby bird to eat.

Yes, the bird will need to have some time to adjust to you and its new home, but this time should not be alone, you should remain within sight and/ or hearing so that you can hear it and respond to its calls.

[Roonil Wazlib]

Thanks guys. I'd much rather be with him sitting quietly and gently talking with him then having him alone in the cage. He'll be able to see me at all times.
I'm also hoping to be able to go in and see him every weekend or so from his hatch date, if its ok with the breeder that is, that way he'll know who i am and I'll get to understand his personality a lot more

[Wolf]

While you will get to understand his personality better, it is his baby personality which is not the same as it will be after puberty. You will need to bear in mind that he knows nothing at all unless someone teaches it to him, I mean like he does not even know how to eat or drink until it is taught to him, and he doesn't know what to eat either. So when you get a baby parrot you will not so much be learning his personality as you will be actually shaping and molding it. Although his species will have some effect on how he will be after puberty so will everything that he learns as a baby from you as you will be taking on the role of his parents and he looks to you to teach him everything that he needs to know in life.
You will have the ability to insure that not only will he willingly eat a good healthy diet you will be able to influence him so tat he will want to try new foods right off. It is a great position to be in and a great responsibility as well. Always remember to take your time with him and not scare him or push him, let him set the pace in all that you do with him.

[Roonil Wazlib]

Yeah, i know he'll change *sad face* but I'm prepared for that, but going each weekend will give him time to get used to me, so he won't be so lonely when we take him home.
Ha, i love Michael's way of getting them to try new things.

What kind of body language do I need to look out for if he feels its too much? i know that its different for all birds and you might not have the exact answer? I plan on getting a book or two about their body language as well.

And if he is showing signs of stress, do i just keep him on my knee, or close by on the table, or back in his cage where he feels like he isn't threatened?

I guess it depends on what we are doing, hu?

[Wolf]

I really do not have a lot of first hand experience with babies as all of mine came to me as adults with issues. However your baby bird should be very curious about his new world, once he is adjusted to you. If he is not, then that should trigger an alarm in you to be even more attentive to what he is or is not doing as it could be a warning that he isn't feeling well or that he is feeling a bit insecure. If he leans away from you or any item then he is unsure about it and it is best to back off a little or remove the object for a time. These would probably be the earliest signs and if you miss them his next would likely be to try to move away from whatever is bothering him or that he distrusts. At this stage he may or may not protest vocally and the final stage would normally be that of biting.
Biting, deserves it very own space in this because it should not be confused with beaking. A parrot uses its beak for a large variety of tasks and touching, grabbing, tasting and testing are all a part of its uses as well as self defense and attack. Many times especially with a baby bird the testing part gets carried out with a bit too much enthusiasm which can lead to the human parent thinking that it is intended as a bite which it is not. That does not stop it from hurting or even drawing blood as the baby bird has no idea as to how much pressure is too much and needs to gently be taught this aspect. One must be careful when dealing with this type of problem as you do not want to discourage the beaking as it is both natural and a very useful and important part of their learning process.

[liz]

We are talking about a baby. There is no meaness in a baby. If you get bit even if it hurts, do not react. You just deal with it.

I rescued a year old Amazon who has been through hell. In the 3 years that I have had her she drew blood only twice. Both times she was in distress and she grabed my finger to try to pull herself out of the situation. Not her fault and I was more concerned about her than my finger.
She does chew on me like a teething baby and I can feel her tongue moving.

[Pajarita]

If you are going to visit it several times and often before you bring him home, he will already know you so you need to treat it as if it was a human baby - meaning constant company (but NOT sleeping with you in bed, that's dangerous!) and very often physical touch (having him on you most of the time). This is a baby from a highly altricial species and needs care around the clock, just like a human baby so, if you have a full time job, arrange for a couple of weeks vacation when he comes home and to have somebody either birdsit for you when you go back or come over to the house for, at least, a couple of hours in the middle of the day so he doesn't feel abandoned (confused, scared, stressed out).

Cages are iffy for babies because they can end up breaking a toe, foot or leg getting it stuck between the bars (they are clumsy, just like toddlers are clumsy) so the best thing is to have a container (like a large Plexiglas carrier -some people use big aquariums, too) for him to stay in it when he is sleeping (easier to control temperature and humidity in them, too) with a snuggly (soft material he can cuddle against to replace his siblings and mother). If you are going to go the cage route, put something on the bottom grid to make it a solid surface and around the inside perimeter of the cage (Plexiglas does great for this) and put the perches VERY close to the ground. You will also need a first aid kit, an avian veterinary (you should take him for a complete physical as soon as you can), good full spectrum lights in the room where he will spend his days, a digital scale, handfeeding implements (syringe, pipettes) and something you can use to sterilize or clean them thoroughly (like brushes and such -unless you are going to be using disposables), formula and ingredients for soft food of which he should have, at least, two different kinds served fresh twice daily.

[DanaandPod]

Even though I took Pod in as a rehomed parrot with lots of baggage and not a baby, I will say that I was lucky to not be working at the time... It was a grand experience of wonderment...and we really got to know one another. It really was a lot to get used to and figure out how I was going to live/manage... and do the best i could for him here... And, he learned to trust me. I literally knew nothing... anyway, it is all very exciting!