wean on to a healthy extruded diet (which is a fundamental building block of a structured educational foundation) vs. a seed-based /cafeteria style diet
mature towards healthy independence understand the established codes of conduct &
respect that will position them within the hierarchy of the human/ feathered flock
participate in & enjoy occupational activities such as misting, preening, foraging & play
desensitize & appreciate various enrichments
Let’s explore the potential of Early Parrot Education…
We believe that this education will allow the chicks to :
Why is Early Parrot Education Important?
• Nurturing & hand-feeding is all that is needed to prepare the chick for companionship
• Chicks do not get any form of early parrot education in the wild!
• It will consume too much time• It will not be profitable in the end• It is much easier to wean them onto a seed-based diet• They can get their education later on…breeders have no
time for this
It is often believed that…
If caretakers play an active role in laying down the building blocks for a structured educational foundation, it will:
• Provide the chicks with a solid foundation to lead healthy lives as companion pets
• Increase the respect for our profession• Increase the value of the chicks we raise
Yet… perhaps we’ve underestimated the extent of responsibility aviculturists have in raising these feathered creatures for companionship
What factors influence the domestication potential of a future companion parrot?
• Selection of optimal gene pool (physical health & temperament)
• # of generations born in captivity• maintenance of physical & psychological
health of breeding pairs and offspring• Parental rearing or hand rearing• Early Parrot Education
Plateau phase
Lag phase
Log phase
Wt 10 % daily
Fledging Wt ( 10%)
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
From the Neonatal Age to the Early Pin Feather Age
Early Parrot Education has not
yet begun
Chicks are fed 100% hand-feeding
formula
Nurturing and Monitoring
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Used to monitor weight & feeding from the 1st to the 5th stage of early parrot education
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
TOOLS
Primary lessons
Characteristics of this Stage
Educational Focus
Housing
Feeding Strategy
Stage of Early Parrot Education
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Stages of Weaning & Early Parrot Education
1st : Introductory Stage2nd : Pre-Fledgling Stage 3rd : Fledgling Stage4th : Advanced Foraging Stage 5th : Fledgling Acquiring
Independence6th : Feeding Enrichment
©2005-2015 HARI, all rights reserved
Caretakers should strive to build a solid foundation during the Early Parrot Educational Stages through the use of these tools:
Nurturing
Monitoring
Socialization
Desensitization
Modeling
Mentoring
Play
TOOLS