It has long been a common practice for some breeders to sell chicks that are not weaned. This practice, in and of itself, is not necessarily detrimental; the current and rampant "blanket statement" that "selling unweaned babies is a bad practice" has been cause for increasing misunderstanding and concern among many pet bird lovers and aviculturists.

The negative aspects of selling unweaned chicks come into play when they are sold to inexperienced handfeeders who don't understand the critical psychological and physiological impact that improper handfeeding, weaning and inadequate socialization can cause. This fault lies with both the seller and the buyer; the seller for agreeing to sell an unweaned chick to an inexperienced, uneducated buyer, and failing to interview the potential buyer in enough depth to ascertain this fact; the buyer for failing to adequately research handfeeding and weaning practices, and agreeing to purchase a chick without knowing exactly how to provide for its needs.

Unfortunately many breeders interested only in monetary gain are successful in convincing unsuspecting customers that the practice of handfeeding is "easy", and can be accomplished with simple verbal instructions. They often sell unweaned chicks more cheaply than weaned ones, and fail to reveal the risks and possible outcomes of improperly handfeeding a baby. Some unscrupulous, uncaring breeders will actually lie about the status of an unweaned chick, or neglect to offer any information about the proper methods of handfeeding.

On the other hand, prospective buyers often reply, "Of course I have!" when asked if they have ever hand fed a bird. Further intense questioning, which is only natural and to be expected from a breeder who is genuinely concerned about the future well-being of his chicks, sometimes reveal that these people have fed a bird treats or tidbits from their hand, and have no concept of exactly what the term "handfeeding" consists of in reference to an unweaned chick.

Inexperienced handfeeders may not realize when a chick is not responding as it should, or is exhibiting abnormal behavior. Illness, dehydration, failure to thrive and weight loss are but a few of the potential problems that handfeeders face, and those that are inexperienced cannot possibly diagnose them.

Proper sterilization of feeding utensils is mandatory to prevent the spreading of germs and diseases among chicks. Unfortunately this is another crucial area in which inexperienced handfeeders lack knowledge. Ideally handfeeders should also wash their hands thoroughly before handling each chick, as should all humans who are involved in the care and handling of the babies.

Selling unweaned chicks under what is blatantly obvious as being less than ideal conditions, and the chicks subsequently suffering in some fashion or actually dying at the hands of the inexperienced handfeeder, are the reasons that this "blanket statement" has become the battle cry of some aviculturists, breeders, and bird lovers. As is the case with much new avian information, it is a subject that needs to be explored in depth in order to completely understand the meaning of such a statement.

The art of handfeeding correctly is not an easy one. If you do choose this route, do your research! While you may save a few dollars by buying an unweaned chick, (fully weaned chicks are always more expensive because the breeder has invested more time in the baby) the consequences of using poor or improper techniques could be much more costly than the few dollars that you saved on the initial purchase.

It is my personal opinion that anyone wanting to handfeed their baby should not only receive explicit instructions from an experienced handfeeder, but also spend a lot of time observing babies being handfed, become familiar with the utensils used and the safest way to use them, ask lots of questions, and practice "hands on" training under the guidance of an experienced handfeeder. They should also find a breeder who is willing to provide assistance or advice for any problems that arise after the baby is taken home. Truly concerned breeders and sellers will ask for frequent, routine updates on the status of the baby, sometimes even requesting a record of daily weights covering the period of time that the buyer is handfeeding. Breeders who are sincerely concerned about their babies well being will more than happy to provide needed instruction.