A bird that was fed by hand from a young age, typically removed from the nest 2-4 weeks after hatching, to imprint on humans and become a confident companion.
Hand-raising means a human takes over feeding from the parent birds before the chick is fully feathered. The chick is fed a warm formula every 2-4 hours via syringe or spoon, then progressed onto solid foods over several weeks (a process called weaning).
Done well, hand-raising produces a bird that is comfortable being handled, accepts food from human hands, and bonds quickly with a new owner. Done badly, by inexperienced breeders, or via aspiration of formula, it can produce nutritional deficiencies and behavioural issues that show up months later.
Every parrot at Dubai Birds is hand-raised by approved breeders or in our Warsan aviary, weaned, vet-checked, and only released to a new home once it can confidently eat solid food and step up onto a finger.
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