When you let the parents raise their chicks, there is much much less direct work involved. Daily you need to check on the chicks, clean the nest box and feed the parents who in turn feed and care for the chicks. When hand feeding however, we are the parents. In addition to changing and washing out the chicks nursery boxes a number of times a day, temperatures need to be constantly monitored and kept at the correct levels.
When hand feeding though your schedule revolves around them, not the other way around. If you have |
As was mentioned above, generally speaking the parents do all of the work that requires the most time with the chicks when parent raised. In addition to the actual feeding you also have the added clean up after each feeding. Budgies chicks might seem little, but they can fling hand feeding formula into places you would never have thought possible!
Depending on how fast or slow each chick eats, it can take on average 5-10 minutes per chick from start to finish each time just for feeding and clean up alone. At the minimum before weaning, that means that on average each chick will take 35 minutes a day to feed and clean up. |