Like the proverbial bird you want being dealt with (2,4)
I believe the answer is:
in hand
'being dealt with' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for in hand that I've seen before include "Ready for use; making progress" , "Under control; ready for use" , "Cards are often" , "Some bananas may be" , "already accumulated" .)