How early can i start handling and handraising my budgies?

Question

I have two hens who both have five eggs and today three eggs hatched...one hen has one baby and the other two so far =D

I want to hand raise the babies and just want to know when its ok to start handling them and raising them?

Also I wanna know what to do etc. It's my first lot of babies so i have no idea haha

Thank you

Answer 1

I raised 3 budgies after finding out that their mom pulled out all their feathers when they started growing. They were a few days old so i started hand feeding them.

Here is some info I found on you question:

Hello Sally! Budgies can still be hand-tamed even though the parents are feeding them. All my hand-tame babies are actually feed by the parents! It is more healthier for the babies to be fed by the parents because the mother produces a crop milk that avian store bought formula could never match. Over all a parent fed budgie will be healthier. Once they get older and start to eat millet and normal food, you can offer them different types of food. Babies will try almost anything, so nows your chance. They like the insides of cherry tomatoes, peeled grapes, millet spray, leafy greens, cooked pasta and ect. You can start handling them now. The mother will not care if her babies are handled. Nows the time to do it because you don't want the babies to have the fear of humans imprinted in their head. Spend loads of time with them, carry the babies around in your coat pocket, while at the computer have them snuggled in a shirt, when your eating include them in your meal. Once they learn to perch, then you can start teaching them the step up command. This is easily taught by repeating the word step up over and over again as you have them step up on your finger. They will get it eventually. Handle their wings, touch their tail and rub their beak to get them used to being touched. Time is the most important thing in raising tame chicks. The more time you spend with your babies, the more the will become tame. Even skipping one day of spending time with them will make a huge difference in how they act. Its worth the wait, your babies will be wonderful companions. good luck!

Answer 2

Baby birds do not have feathers in 3 days.  They remain naked for several weeks with only down on their bodies.

I hand raise my lovebirds at 3 weeks of age after the parents have raised them for the first 3 weeks.