Thinking of buying a parrot. Advice?
- Thread starter idarkphoenixi
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yeah...parrots seem a lot cooler than they often turn out to be, I much prefer a dog but they live too short. : (
You can always find a good home for them, though. Several of my relatives have inherited parrots off people who've died, or died themselves and passed a parrot on. (My mum's from a seafaring family, it was quite common when she was a kid in the 50s and 60s for merchant sailors to come home on shore leave with exotic pets like parrots and monkeys.) I wouldn't worry about that.usmarine4160 said:
As a parrot owner, hopefully I can help. I have had many birds over the years (cockatiels, lovebird, parakeets, cockatoo), but currently I have two green cheeked conures and an african grey.
If it is your first bird I would say start small, like a cockatiel, parakeet or lovebird. Green cheek conures are a great small parrot too, they are about the size of a cocktiel, but they are a little more work than a one. Know that regardless of what you get, you WILL get bit occasionally. It doesn't mean that the bird is mean or doesn't like you, it's just trying to tell you it isn't comfortable with what is currently going on. With bigger parrots, know that they can inflict bites that need stitches and can break fingers if they are really upset.
Parrots also live a long time compared to other pets, 20 years is about adverage for smaller species, and up to 100 years in macaws and african greys. It definately isn't a commitment you should take lightly.
While they can be great pets, they are also quite a lot of work and can be very expensive to upkeep. Birds need at least and hour a day of personal interaction with you. They need a lot of mental stimulation. Birds that are kept in cages all the time and have little to no interaction quickly develop behavioral problems like constant screaming to self mutilation like feather picking.
Birds need a diet consisting of a high quality pelleted diet (Harrison's, Zoopreen, Roudybush), fresh veggies, some fruits and a small quantity of seeds. Seeds are most healty when they are sprouted first. Seed diets are very high and fat, and a bird with solely a seed based diet won't live long because it will develop fatty liver disease. Also, changing their water and washing the bowl daily is a must because bacteria can build up quickly, especially if your bird likes to dunk or soften his food before eating it. Be prepared to clean food off of the walls and curtains. I don't know how they manage to get flung so far from their cage, but they do.
Also, birds are great chewers. Be careful to watch them when they are out of their cage. Furnature can get chewn, and an electrical cord that is chewed will kill them. You will need to keep a few bird toys in their cage at all times. Wood and leather toys are the best. Plastic is ok, but it can be chewed off and ingested, possibly creating an intestinal blockage, so keep an eye on the toy's shape. Toys won't last, you will need to replace them frequently. I spent $80 on toys last week, and will likely have to do it again within 6 months. I have a toy box that I keep and rotate the toys so they last longer and my boys don't get bored. Small bird toys aren't as expensive as large bird toys, but be aware a good small to med bird toy could run you between $10-15. Cockatiels don't chew quite as much as other birds, so if you have a tight budget, that's the way to go. Also be aware of the chains and link the toys are hung on. Zinc can poison a bird, but it is often used to coat cheaper metals, so know what the chain is made of. I wouldn't recommend buying bird toys at places like Walmart where they seem really cheap. Stick to pet stores (Petsmart, Petco, etc.) or better yet, find a dedicated bird store in your area.
On a related note, never take your bird into a bird or pet store. There are too many very dangerous air borne diseases that your bird can catch. Why risk taking them somewhere where other people have their possibly sick birds too? PBFD is very easily transmitted and is lethal. Google pet bird diseases before you buy your pet.
I would recommend finding a bird vet and taking your new pet to them within 3 days of buying to get a basic exam. It is good to know what is normal for your bird, and to have a vet already established in case of any accidents or sudden illness. Nothing is worse than having an injured pet and not knowing where to take them right away.
Birds can be very loud and noisy. Birds wake up at dawn, and unless you do anything to stop it, they will make sure you are too. It is best to keep them in a room with curtains, and to put a small sheet or blanket over their cage a night to block out any light that might wake them up. I have black out curtains, but most of the time during the summer they are still awake before 8 and start demanding I wake up too and get them breakfast. This isn't as much of a problem if you keep your bird outside of your bedroom. They also have nighttime soothing habits much like a child sucking their thumb to fall asleep. Mango grinds his beak, sometimes for an hour before he drifts off. It isn't a pleasant sound if you are trying to fall asleep too. Most people think its cool when a bird can talk. Mine do. But the problem is getting them to shut up after they do learn to. Be prepared to hear the same thing over and over and over again. Listen to the Chocobo Song posted above about 10 times in a row. Are you ready to hear it another 50? Never act out against your bird, it will likly just make things worse. Birds are smart enough, that if you decide that giving him something to eat to shut him up, he might come to expect a treat everytime he does that action. Our grey took to screaming in the morning because my mom starting giving him something to chew on and quiet him down so she could sleep in a little longer. Bad habits are hard to break once they are learned. Bird need a solid 8-10 hours to sleep too, so be prepared to give him a dark, quiet area to keep his cage at night.
Lastly, poop. Lots and lots of poop. It doesn't smell (for the most part) but it will be everywhere. (Because birds hold their droppings for many hours while they sleep, the first one in the morning will likely be larger and can have a smell to it.) Smaller birds have a quicker digestive time, so don't be surprised when he decides to poop every five minutes when he is out playing. Clean and change their cage paper daily to prevent illness.
I'm not here to discourage you from getting a bird, just to make sure you really know what you are getting into. A bird will give you years of love and entertainment, if you are willing to give them the time and attention they need.
Good Luck!
If it is your first bird I would say start small, like a cockatiel, parakeet or lovebird. Green cheek conures are a great small parrot too, they are about the size of a cocktiel, but they are a little more work than a one. Know that regardless of what you get, you WILL get bit occasionally. It doesn't mean that the bird is mean or doesn't like you, it's just trying to tell you it isn't comfortable with what is currently going on. With bigger parrots, know that they can inflict bites that need stitches and can break fingers if they are really upset.
Parrots also live a long time compared to other pets, 20 years is about adverage for smaller species, and up to 100 years in macaws and african greys. It definately isn't a commitment you should take lightly.
While they can be great pets, they are also quite a lot of work and can be very expensive to upkeep. Birds need at least and hour a day of personal interaction with you. They need a lot of mental stimulation. Birds that are kept in cages all the time and have little to no interaction quickly develop behavioral problems like constant screaming to self mutilation like feather picking.
Birds need a diet consisting of a high quality pelleted diet (Harrison's, Zoopreen, Roudybush), fresh veggies, some fruits and a small quantity of seeds. Seeds are most healty when they are sprouted first. Seed diets are very high and fat, and a bird with solely a seed based diet won't live long because it will develop fatty liver disease. Also, changing their water and washing the bowl daily is a must because bacteria can build up quickly, especially if your bird likes to dunk or soften his food before eating it. Be prepared to clean food off of the walls and curtains. I don't know how they manage to get flung so far from their cage, but they do.
Also, birds are great chewers. Be careful to watch them when they are out of their cage. Furnature can get chewn, and an electrical cord that is chewed will kill them. You will need to keep a few bird toys in their cage at all times. Wood and leather toys are the best. Plastic is ok, but it can be chewed off and ingested, possibly creating an intestinal blockage, so keep an eye on the toy's shape. Toys won't last, you will need to replace them frequently. I spent $80 on toys last week, and will likely have to do it again within 6 months. I have a toy box that I keep and rotate the toys so they last longer and my boys don't get bored. Small bird toys aren't as expensive as large bird toys, but be aware a good small to med bird toy could run you between $10-15. Cockatiels don't chew quite as much as other birds, so if you have a tight budget, that's the way to go. Also be aware of the chains and link the toys are hung on. Zinc can poison a bird, but it is often used to coat cheaper metals, so know what the chain is made of. I wouldn't recommend buying bird toys at places like Walmart where they seem really cheap. Stick to pet stores (Petsmart, Petco, etc.) or better yet, find a dedicated bird store in your area.
On a related note, never take your bird into a bird or pet store. There are too many very dangerous air borne diseases that your bird can catch. Why risk taking them somewhere where other people have their possibly sick birds too? PBFD is very easily transmitted and is lethal. Google pet bird diseases before you buy your pet.
I would recommend finding a bird vet and taking your new pet to them within 3 days of buying to get a basic exam. It is good to know what is normal for your bird, and to have a vet already established in case of any accidents or sudden illness. Nothing is worse than having an injured pet and not knowing where to take them right away.
Birds can be very loud and noisy. Birds wake up at dawn, and unless you do anything to stop it, they will make sure you are too. It is best to keep them in a room with curtains, and to put a small sheet or blanket over their cage a night to block out any light that might wake them up. I have black out curtains, but most of the time during the summer they are still awake before 8 and start demanding I wake up too and get them breakfast. This isn't as much of a problem if you keep your bird outside of your bedroom. They also have nighttime soothing habits much like a child sucking their thumb to fall asleep. Mango grinds his beak, sometimes for an hour before he drifts off. It isn't a pleasant sound if you are trying to fall asleep too. Most people think its cool when a bird can talk. Mine do. But the problem is getting them to shut up after they do learn to. Be prepared to hear the same thing over and over and over again. Listen to the Chocobo Song posted above about 10 times in a row. Are you ready to hear it another 50? Never act out against your bird, it will likly just make things worse. Birds are smart enough, that if you decide that giving him something to eat to shut him up, he might come to expect a treat everytime he does that action. Our grey took to screaming in the morning because my mom starting giving him something to chew on and quiet him down so she could sleep in a little longer. Bad habits are hard to break once they are learned. Bird need a solid 8-10 hours to sleep too, so be prepared to give him a dark, quiet area to keep his cage at night.
Lastly, poop. Lots and lots of poop. It doesn't smell (for the most part) but it will be everywhere. (Because birds hold their droppings for many hours while they sleep, the first one in the morning will likely be larger and can have a smell to it.) Smaller birds have a quicker digestive time, so don't be surprised when he decides to poop every five minutes when he is out playing. Clean and change their cage paper daily to prevent illness.
I'm not here to discourage you from getting a bird, just to make sure you really know what you are getting into. A bird will give you years of love and entertainment, if you are willing to give them the time and attention they need.
Good Luck!
Don't let friends know
The next thing you will know your newly brought parrot will be swearing over and over. Also make sure you don't have any annoying ring tones or general tone (door bells etc). It might like to watch you get up to see if anyone is at the door just for the hell of it.
The next thing you will know your newly brought parrot will be swearing over and over. Also make sure you don't have any annoying ring tones or general tone (door bells etc). It might like to watch you get up to see if anyone is at the door just for the hell of it.
Benefits of Parrot Ownership:
1) You will win at pirate costumes
2) Teach it to say 'Help, they've turned me into a parrot'
Here endeth the lesson...
1) You will win at pirate costumes
2) Teach it to say 'Help, they've turned me into a parrot'
Here endeth the lesson...
I had an art class a while back, and for a year we had a parrot as a class pet. He was a stinky, loud, attention-whoring little monster who bit anything that wasn't offering him food and threw a fit if he saw something else in the room eating. I'm pretty sure he wasn't well-behaved to begin with, and I have no doubt it was the students that spoiled him rotten, but take it for me--if you don't treat your parrot just right he will be the bane of your existence. Plus they're smelly and high-maintenance; you can't just leave them with anybody if you ever have to be away for a while, like you can with a cat or a dog.idarkphoenixi said:
I'm not trying to discourage you...too much anyway. I've just seen a lot of people who get a high-maintenance pet thinking they can handle it, but then they either can't handle the work or end up with it misbehaving, so then they have to go and sell it back to somebody (given anybody even wants to buy the spoiled thing at that point). Oh, and be careful who you put him around. Leave him with the wrong people and he'll have a whole gamut of swear words before you know it.
Like has been said, Greys live a long time. A friend of my parents has one and he is 30, so yeah it's a lifetime commitment. They are also natually really dirty (dust and dander), but if you think you can live the next 30-35 years with one, then who am I to stop you.
Sun Conures are often total jerks. Just about every single person who has one that I know, has had it bite the hell out of them. They're loud and screechy also, and you can hear them blocks away. It's like a barking dog, only shrill and ear-shattering.
Birds live a long time, so prepare to have a long-term burden if you can't shift it onto someone else if you decide you don't want it anymore. Also, sometimes they just decide they're a bigger fan of another person than you, and thus they may decide not to put up with you. Birds can be quite fickle. They're not dogs.
Birds live a long time, so prepare to have a long-term burden if you can't shift it onto someone else if you decide you don't want it anymore. Also, sometimes they just decide they're a bigger fan of another person than you, and thus they may decide not to put up with you. Birds can be quite fickle. They're not dogs.
I read that whole set of yours there and wow.IcyTicey said:
I had a rat and that took a lot of attention and I knew birds were demanding but wow.
I must say it was an interesting read you gave me there and I learned something today
Good luck to you and your birds fellow escapee.
On Topic:
You seem to have experience in the field of pets and if you feel for a bird then I say go for it.
I pesonally only have had a rat and damn I got a lot out of that little guy.
Make sure to treat it well and if you decide to get one then good luck!