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Do You Have What It Takes?

Ask yourself these six questions before jumping from your cubicle to the bird business.

By Susan Chamberlain

As a bird breeder, you’ll need to time – and lots of it. You need time to feed all of your birds, to clean their dishes and living quarters, time to inspect nest boxes, time to develop a business plan and your website, and time to care for chicks. Do you have a plan of what to do if your parent birds are no longer able or no longer want to feed their chicks? Would you have the time to feed the chicks or could you hire someone to do it? Ask yourself these six questions before deciding whether you really have what it takes to raise happy, healthy baby birds.

Are you available around the clock?
Are you free of household distractions
Are you willing to learn proper techniques?
Is a qualified person willing to teach you
Does your attention to cleanliness border on obsessive?
Do you have an avian veterinarian, experienced in pediatrics, close by?

If you answer yes to all of these, you may be a successful hand-feeding candidate.

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Do You Have What It Takes?

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Reader Comments

I have a different perspective to bird breeding today as compared to 1950 when I raised my first baby parakeets. Handfeeding birds was only to save lives. Birds taken from the nest were delightful pets without having ever been handfed. I learned to handfeed from very capable breeders and it was like the art was a trade secret and no one did it the same. Each species has formula and techniques that make the breeder a success. I am still learning.

Parrotpusher, Houston, TX
Posted: 1/29/2011 1:49:52 PM

Good advice and a great check list.

Steven, Lancaster, KY
Posted: 12/23/2008 6:38:58 AM

nice basic checklist

andrea, hamilton, OH
Posted: 8/13/2007 5:47:40 AM

I work as a hand feeder and you couldn't be more dead-on!!! It is very hard work, the cleaning, the record keeping, the attention to detail, the getting up at all hours. Breeders hire me because they don't want to do this themselves or they don't have time for it. I have handfed 40 to 80 chicks at a time and believe me, just as you finish the last batch, you have to turn around and start the first all over again! Don't get into breeding if you can't cover all the bases (especially the CLEANING!) Remember to check the local supply vs demand. For Example: Don't breed cockatiels if everyone else is breeding cockatiels and no one is buying them. One more thing - please close ring band all your offspring with traceable bands from a National Specialty Club and take them to at least one show before selling them so that you can start to develop the birds individual pedigree. Something the buyer will hopefully continue with once they purchase your babies.

Double D, Joliet, IL
Posted: 6/9/2007 11:30:22 AM

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