My baby parakeet has just left the nesting box...(please read)?

Question

i have a couple questions

1) can I hold it without the untamed parents abandoning it?

2) since it's out, will it no longer use the nesting box?

3) when do they start eating by themselves?

Answer 1

I would leave the young chick be in case your smell on the chick causes the parents to abandon it.  It would be sad to loose the chick after getting it this far.

It might return to the nest box at night but if its still out at night and its not perching i recommend that you carefully put it back in with its mother you don't want it to get a chill.

usually once they leave the nest the chick will be fed by the male while the female thinks about the second brood

it will start to peck at seed on its own and soon you will be able to move it to a nursery cage monitor  its progress and watch the parents closely in case of any violence toward the youngster.  If you see any remove the chick straight away as they might Mame it badly.

Once removed keep an eye on it to make sure its cracking its seed(eating it not just picking it up and dropping it).