7 -8 week old Alexandrine

Question
Hi,
  I have recently got a Baby Alexandrine Parrot this is my first parrot so i am just wanting to no a lot really :)
I am still hand feeding him 3 times a day and he is currently living in a box (as this is what the breeder said to do) when can i put him into a cage? when i take him out of his box he just runs and hides his head? He also just flops onto his belly? At the moment he cant even hold onto my finger?
How much should i be handling him at this age?
When can i start to try him on solid seeds?
Pretty much just all the basic questions any info would be great!
Thankyou so much!

Answer
Hi, Ashleigh.  Thanks for posting!

There's much information on the internet on this species of birds.  All you need to do is enter "alexandrine parrot" in your search engine, and many websites will be returned.  

I would have put this baby in a cage at about 4 weeks of age.  S/he running and hiding it's head is normal for a baby this age...everything is new to this bird and it's most likely scared of just about everything!  Flopping on the belly is also normal, as well as the bird not being able to hold onto your finger.  Like I stated, this baby knows little to nothing in this big world...it's your job to teach it and help it to learn.  You should be handling this bird as much as possible if you want this bird to be a tame pet parrot.  

DO NOT start s/he on seeds period!  Parrot babies need to be weaned to a variety of nutritious, healthy human foods and pelleted parrot food.  Seeds should only be occasional treats or rewards for positive behavior.  Also, since your baby is used to eating very warm handfeeding formula, you'll need to start out weaning s/he to warm, soft foods first.  As the baby gets used to eating on it's own and it's beak becomes harder, you can add different types of foods.  Visit my website for much information on all of your questions:

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

I know it's too late now, but you should have really learned all you could about parrots BEFORE you purchased your bird, as you have a whole lot of learning to do yourself in order to successfully raise this little bird.

I know you'll have lots of questions, so don't hesitate to come back.

Chrys