Birds are such delicate animals that they must be handled carefully. Handfeeding is usually one of the best ways to interact with them. However, just the same, it should be done with care and there are some things that must be remembered and followed.

Birds, especially pet birds, have somehow learned that people are their greatest benefactors. Although they have the capacity to live on their own under natures nurture, years of interaction with human beings have taught them to accept people as good friends. Thus, it is normal that they, at some point, rely on people for food.

Handfeeding, however, cannot be done as if you really are providing care for a bird. Your very first consideration must be the frequency of feeding and the volume of food that you provide. This should be the case especially for baby birds which grow rapidly and have certain nutritional needs.

As a bird matures, his food capacity increases as well. You should regularly take note of the development of the bird to be able to identify properly what type of food and how much of it is most suitable. Handfeeding must be a product of both observation and personal judgment.

You must also take note of the unique features of a birds digestive system. The esophagus widens as well as the lower part of the neck. Such widening is referred to as crop and serves as food compartment.

If you are trying to handfeed a baby bird, you can easily see and evaluate its crop since the feathers are not yet thick. However, if your pet bird is quite mature, the best way to evaluate is to feel the crops contents by pressing it with your thumb and index finger. You should do this prior to feeding so that you know how much to foor to provide.

Baby birds should never be left with a totally empty crop. Normal emptying time is 4 hours. If you notice that 4 hours have passed and the crop still has contents, there might be some problem with the birds health.

Not only should you be concerned about the volume and frequency of feeding, you should also make sure that your hand is positioned properly. Wild birds are generally easier to feed because they reach for the food dropper without much encouragement. You can often feed them without holding them; but the case is not the same for other types where you have to use a towel to handle them carefully and position for feeding.

In general, handfeeding birds is really not a straight forward task. You have to take note of many factors that will benefit the animal.