HAND FED YOUNG BOURKE PARAKEETS

 

Seven young Rosy Bourke Parakeets.

These youngsters are old enough now to eat on their own, but they still appreciate a treat now and then. It's also a way to encourage all of them to roost on me for a photo opportunity. Typically, when allowed out of their cage, they come and go on and off my shoulders.

One-year-old Pipsqueak being fed, with friends nearby.

I've mentioned Pipsqueak before. She's a one-year-old hen I took out of the nest last year to hand feed because she wasn't thriving. I later learned there was a reason for that. She is unable to eat properly, and Nature would have let her starve. I'm too much of a softy to let her die, so I feed her twice a day with Exact Hand Feeding formula and she does well with it.

These 2011 hand fed young birds are a real joy.

The other six youngsters I chose to hand feed this year are all eating very well on their own now. As mentioned earlier, I chose to feed two of Flame and Fuchsia's five babies because that's a lot for such a young pair to manage, especially since it was their very first clutch. I feared they might not cope with all of them, although now I think they probably would have.

The other four are the second clutch from my elderly pair, Rhett and Cherry. He was looking a little thin ... it's a lot of work raising baby birds. I didn't want to lose either of them from overwork, so I pulled their four too. I thought as long as I was feeding two, why not more. Actually, more is a lot more work. 

Six young Rosy Bourkes with Pip.

All my hand fed birds consider the Exact Hand Feeding Formula to be quite a treat, even when it's no longer required. I enjoy sharing it with them when I feed Pip. Even the adult parents like it.

Those in the photo above are all 2011 youngsters, recently weaned. They are all so sweet. Wish I could keep them all, but that's not reasonable. If you live near Southern Oregon, or want to visit the beautiful south coast with all it's scenic wonders, send me an email. I will have young Bourkes for sale.  rosie.birds@gmail.com

A close-up of one of my pale pink babies with pink eyes.

Peace & Blessings.