Some breeders argue that unweaned birds will bond better with their new owners than weaned birds, but this is not the case. Weaned birds will bond readily with people if their breeder handled and interacted with them frequently after they were weaned. Only birds that lacked interaction from their breeders are skittish and difficult to tame or handle.  

Unweaned baby birds are predisposed to many problems, including bacterial and fungal infections. But then unweaned babies are not the only problem. Force weaned birds (babies forced to learn to eat before they were ready) often end up as terrible pets, too: they end up suffering crop burn, food trauma, bacterial infections, emotional stress, and other problems. If you are interested in owning a tamable, human-oriented pet bird, look for a hand-fed and hand-raised baby bird. Make sure the bird was weaned properly as well as handled regularly after weaning. A reputable breeder, particularly a hobbyist breeder, is where you are likely to find such bird.

Weaned birds are just like weaned babies – easier to handle, less stressful, and more fun. While you may have to pet an unweaned bird under some circumstances, you will find your life much easier and your work more of a hobby than a chore if you make sure to buy weaned birds alone. However, if you find a bird in the wild that needs care, or in some other way you are forced to make a pet out of a wild bird, weaning may not be an option.