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Blue-and-Gold Macaw
Our experience with keeping and breeding Blue-and-Gold Macaws.
Read moreHand-Rearing Step by Step – Experiences and Practical Advice
Hand-reared parrots – when is it necessary?
Raising parrot chicks is one of the most exciting—yet also one of the most responsible—tasks in the world of bird keeping. For beginners, it’s important to understand when and why hand-rearing chicks may be necessary, and when it’s better to let the parents do their job naturally.
Nature comes first – but it doesn’t always work out
In an ideal situation, the parent birds raise their own chicks. This is the most natural and gentlest option for the babies. However, it can happen that the parents do not care for their offspring properly—or sometimes they may even abandon them. In these cases, human intervention can be lifesaving.
It’s important to intervene only when it’s truly necessary—hand-rearing is not a trend, but a last-resort solution for a critical situation.
The challenges of nest checks
Some bird species—especially sensitive ones—do not tolerate frequent nest checks well. This is particularly true for rarer or more “wild-natured” species. In such cases, a camera installed in the nest box is a huge help: we don’t disturb the birds, yet we can still monitor the chicks’ development and step in on time if something goes wrong.
We ourselves chose camera monitoring because we didn’t want to risk the chicks’ safety with overly frequent inspections.
When is hand-rearing recommended?
1. For valuable or rare birds
If you keep particularly valuable or rare species and don’t want to leave the chicks’ fate to chance. In this case, many breeders decide to do the rearing themselves, ensuring proper feeding, hygiene, and healthy development.
2. With an unsuitable breeding pair
If a breeding pair has previously failed to raise chicks successfully, or they don’t care for them at all, hand-rearing may be the safest solution—at least for that specific clutch. In such cases, it’s also worth reconsidering their future breeding.
3. When the clutch is too large
Some species, such as cockatoos, naturally raise only one or two chicks—the rest are often neglected or pushed aside. Hand-rearing makes it possible for every chick to get a chance at life. In Pyrrhura species, clutches of 6–7 eggs are quite common, which can be a major challenge for the parents. In these cases, we often assist as well, so the smaller chicks don’t fall behind in development.
4. A large age gap between chicks
In Pyrrhuras, it can happen that there is a 14–16 day age difference between the largest and the smallest chick. The bigger chicks can easily dominate their smaller siblings and literally block their access to food. In this situation, we often separate either the smallest or the largest chicks and hand-rear them—so everyone receives enough attention and nutrition.
Summary – Responsible decision-making is key
Hand-rearing is a great option, but only when it’s truly necessary. The goal is not to take every chick away from the parents—nature often knows best. However, when there is a problem, it’s important to be prepared and to help in a careful, responsible way.
Responsible bird keeping is not only about providing care, but also about knowing when to allow natural processes to happen—and when to intervene professionally if needed.
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