I'm ordering and egg and raising a baby

[bpenniman]

I decided the best way to bond with a baby grey is to order it as an egg. It would also be an amazing experience. I'm ordering an egg and incubator. They said if it doesn't hatch, they will send me a new one. I think it would be a great experience to raise a baby. It will be a lot of work, but I'm doing online school, so it will work out. Anybody who's bred African greys have any suggestions?

 

[gracebowen]

I haven't raised anything. Hand feeding is very difficult. It is very easy to hurt or kill a baby if you do it wrong. Even people with experience have trouble. I strongly advise against it. This is knowledge I've gained by reading others posts regarding hand feeding babies and those were eggs that had already hatched.

 

[thekarens]

Very bad idea on so many levels. First chicks should stay with the parents for a couple weeks before being pulled, second, unless you're extremely experienced with feeding a chick that young chances are very good something will go wrong. Feeding a day 1 chick isn't for beginners.

You can bond just as strongly with an older bird as a baby. Getting a baby doesn't guarantee a bond.

 

[Flboy]

Agree, very bad idea! Oh whoops, died, send me a new egg! Please reconsider!

 

[SilverSage]

Please don't do this! You truly have no idea how bad of an idea this is. Guess what? It is HARD and you will almost certainly kill the baby. I once had a baby bird die in my hand because I gave it ONE DROP too much liquid. He was alive one instant and gone the next.

Babies do not bond better than healthy adults. It's a lie. And an even BIGGER lie is that an UNWEANED baby bonds better than a weaned one! Be responsible, get a weaned baby from a reputable breeder. This is a terrible idea on every level and it WILL end badly for your bird even if it survives somehow.

 

[EAI]

Just wondering, I might have heard it before or im getting mixed up and confused with something else, but isn't ordering/shipping unhatched eggs illegal? Or more likely a scam?

 

[Sunset_Chaser]

I would think scam............ where do they say they're from? Usually Cameroon

 

[labell]

This goes way beyond a bad idea.

Lets just consider here that it isn't a scam (I highly believe it is, they could send you a smaller quail egg..how would you know?)

Hand feeding is tricky with experience. I have been doing it for over 25 yrs and you couldn't pay me enough to do it from day one. I have many times, many years ago but would never do it again. I also wouldn't buy a baby that wasn't fed at least a few weeks by it's parents.

You are I believe setting yourself up for either major heartbreak or just getting ripped off.

 

[Bandespresso]

I can almost guarantee this is a scam. I can definitely guarantee that it is a terrible idea. I have experience hand feeding (raptors and songbirds mostly) and I will never ever feel comfortable doing it from day one (and I have). It is honestly a rarity if a bird that is hand fed from day one makes it and that is with experienced people and a veterinary staff.

Additionally, my grey and I have a wonderful bond and she was abused and is 18 years old. So the idea that you need to hand feed your bird to have a bond with it is bullhokey.

 

[Kiwibird]

Would this "egg" be coming from Cameroon or Nigeria (or similar country) by any chance? In any case, this sounds like a scam to me too. There is NO WAY an egg can be shipped. It would die. They need to be kept at constant temperatures and rotated at precise timing intervals. Plus, no breeder (even bad ones who'd sell unweaned babies) would sell an egg.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I decided the best way to bond with a baby grey is to order it as an egg. It would also be an amazing experience. I'm ordering an egg and incubator. They said if it doesn't hatch, they will send me a new one. I think it would be a great experience to raise a baby. It will be a lot of work, but I'm doing online school, so it will work out. Anybody who's bred African greys have any suggestions?

Oh please tell us this is a (much delayed) April fool's joke.

If not - read through the AWESOME responses you've received....and then read them again, and a third time if necessary. :54:

 

[jasper19]

I decided the best way to bond with a baby grey is to order it as an egg. It would also be an amazing experience. I'm ordering an egg and incubator. They said if it doesn't hatch, they will send me a new one. I think it would be a great experience to raise a baby. It will be a lot of work, but I'm doing online school, so it will work out. Anybody who's bred African greys have any suggestions?

Oh please tell us this is a (much delayed) April fool's joke.

If not - read through the AWESOME responses you've received....and then read them again, and a third time if necessary. :54:

I think it is not serious. I thought this poster recently posted about one of her birds laying an egg and not knowing what do to with it at all. So then she will order an egg and apparently know what to do??? I don't get it. Unless i am mistaken with another poster

 

[JerseyWendy]

I think it is not serious. I thought this poster recently posted about one of her birds laying an egg and not knowing what do to with it at all. So then she will order an egg and apparently know what to do??? I don't get it. Unless i am mistaken with another poster

Thanks Jasper. I just snorted soda through my nose, BAHAHAHAH!!! (I needed that laugh!)
Nope, you don't have the OP confused in the least.
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/55407-i-lied-about-her-age-she-just-layed-egg.html

 

[Birdman666]

I think it is not serious. I thought this poster recently posted about one of her birds laying an egg and not knowing what do to with it at all. So then she will order an egg and apparently know what to do??? I don't get it. Unless i am mistaken with another poster

Thanks Jasper. I just snorted soda through my nose, BAHAHAHAH!!! (I needed that laugh!)
Nope, you don't have the OP confused in the least.
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/55407-i-lied-about-her-age-she-just-layed-egg.html

This is all very odd...

 

[Kiwibird]

I think it is not serious. I thought this poster recently posted about one of her birds laying an egg and not knowing what do to with it at all. So then she will order an egg and apparently know what to do??? I don't get it. Unless i am mistaken with another poster

In all fairness to the OP having a pet bird lay what you know to be an infertile egg (that you need to know what to do with to prevent more laying/hormonal behaviors ext...) is a little different than what she/he is asking here. Still think it's a scam (being able to buy an egg), but in the remote possibility it isn't, this is just an all around terrible idea. PLEASE make an investment in your birds future health and happiness by buying a WEANED baby from a reputable breeder.

 

[Birdman666]

The only time I buy eggs it's with the intent of raising an omelette...











(and somebody just got soda up their nose.)

 

[SpotsandSally]

Would this "egg" be coming from Cameroon or Nigeria (or similar country) by any chance? In any case, this sounds like a scam to me too. There is NO WAY an egg can be shipped. It would die. They need to be kept at constant temperatures and rotated at precise timing intervals. Plus, no breeder (even bad ones who'd sell unweaned babies) would sell an egg.

Im not sure why you would think this. How do you guys think most fowl breeders get eggs? Eggs absolutely can be shipped. Now, parrot eggs I don't think is normal / a good idea, but chicken/quail/etc type eggs are shipped all the time and live. Now shipping is hard on eggs, but it's very very common.

I still think this is a bad idea, but you can ship eggs fine. So long as it doesn't begin incubating before you ship.

 

[Ann333]

This sounds like a horrible idea. And is absolutely not any better way of bonding than getting a fledged bird.

 

[witchbaby]

Other very very good points have been made, but I just want to point out that if you intend to hand-feed a chick in order to form a bond, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. When parrots mature, they leave their parents (you, in this case) and seek out a mate. You could end up with a bird that is determined to form a bond with someone else, anyone else, except you.

It is possible to form a bond with an adult bird. Do not buy an egg!!!

 

[amjokai]

My eclectus was raised by the breeder and is extremely attached to me. My macaw is unweaned and I'm raising him. My husband refuses to even try to syringe feed him or even put a food bowl out yet my macaw likes him better! No fair. Lol. But it's good cause my hubby hasn't fallen in love with any of the birds but Rio and Rio is big enough that when he demands attention hubby can't escape! Hahah