# Hand Fed vs. Parent Raised



## Hemlock (Aug 1, 2010)

I'm just curious as to what I can expect from Littlefoot. Rio was parent raised, and though very smart and cuddly, she's still a bit independent compared to what I've seen up here so far.

What contact I've had with Littlefoot so far has been completely different than Rio. He's not afraid, at all, which I expected, but he seems more eager to please in general. He's also a bit more content to just hang and is definitely less easy to startle. Everything seems to startle Rio, and she's been exposed to a lot.

Can I expect to be able to train Littlefoot a bit more easily? Does sex have anything to do with that? We don't know what Littlefoot is at this point, and will have him DNA sexed when we bring him home (can't decide if I should do it at home, or take him to the vet... I'm looking at about $72 if the vet does it, not counting the office visit).


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

As to sexing, it is $24.50 if you go thru: www.avianbiotech.com At their site you can find their 800 # and phone and ask them to send you the kit/form (which is free) to sex a cockatiel. 

Personality of the bird many times depends on the genetic background. I have had parent raised birds that were handled every day from hatch to fledging and turned out tamer than a handfed bird. I have had handfed birds that once weaned wanted nothing to do with me.


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## ShakeQPC (Jun 26, 2010)

I've had two parent raised birds, both have tamed up really well. The budgie I got at 8 weeks and he never got used to eating anything other than seed, which made me wonder if parents never got round to teaching him about other foods. My cockatiel I have now I got at 11 weeks, and he rocks too. Loves to spend time with both my hubby and me, but also loves to hang out on the window sill with his toy box. I have read somewhere, that parent raised birds can be better in the long term, not sure how, but I love my birdie, and love that he was raised by his parents. I've never had experience with a hand reared bird, I don't know any different.


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## kirbulous (Jul 21, 2010)

My first two birds were parent raised. Leo was from a pet store and was extremely afraid of humans. He grew to be my best buddy and he loved his head scratches and I trained him to let me trim his wings. Kirby (the pied below) was from an aviary, bought him at 2 months old. I spent time with him daily and he's grown to love people in general; apparently he fears birds. Kirby's very talented and knows lots of tricks.
Here's one of the tricks I posted.
Abby is hand raised and I haven't tried to teach her tricks yet. She's the sweetest bird ever. She loves to just sit in the palm of your hand.

It sounds like you just need to develop the relationship with Littlefoot. He's young and impressionable so just keep at it, I'm sure you'll succeed.


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## Hemlock (Aug 1, 2010)

Oh, we have no issues with Littlefoot so far. Mind you, we only see him at the parrot store since he's not weaned yet, but he's quite the little Love, and is already enjoying mumbling at me (and he now plays tug of war). I was just curious as Rio is parent raised and she was always a bit more... I dunno, stand-offish? She used to be a very independent bird, but in her older age has become a lot more dependent. She's not too thrilled with me any longer. I got to be the bad guy with bandage changes, and a lot of times they could be quite painful for her. She's absolutely smitten with my husband though.


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## kirbulous (Jul 21, 2010)

Sounds exciting! Good to see that Rio is a 10yo Whiteface! In a separate thread I had expressed concern on the lifespan of a Whiteface. If I get at least 10 years out of Abby I'll be happy  My first bird only lived 8 years because I was so uneducated when it came to bird care. I'm hoping my two birds now will live longer now that I've learned from all of my mistakes.
Good luck with Littlefoot.


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## flapflapsmack (Jul 14, 2010)

See my first cockatiel was a handfed one that we got from a breeder that was a family friend(since then she has stoped breeding because she is getting a little old), but he was my most tamed cockatiel I have ever had he would follow you not flying but walking on the floor right behing you and when you stoped he would crawl up your leg, sadly my mom let him fly away while she went out to start the grill( she isn't the brightest sometimes) so I had thought he had flown away for good to only find out several years later she had been eaten by my neighbors cat. so anyway a have a cockatiel now that was supposed to be handfed and you can take her out and let her on your shoulder but she just really isn't interested


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## Dave & Tito (Aug 1, 2010)

I bought my hand-raised tiel Tito from a parrot store.

He had not been born there but had arrived with a whole bunch of others that had come from the same aviary, all hand-fed like him. These birds who'd all been raised the same were in the same cage, there were about ten it total, and all behaved very differently; some moved to the end of the cage to get away from you and looked frightened, others were not frightened but ignored me completely, and only one marched squarely to the front of the cage to nibble my finger. Needless to say which bird came home with me.

From what I hear, handraised birds may have a head-start in the taming race but any bird can win it at the end of the day!


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