Anyone with bird experience?

[mydaddysjag]

I'm looking into the responsibilities of bird ownership to see if its something that would be right for us sometime in the future. We recently moved to an apartment, and we do have one dog (a Boston Terrier). We are also allowed to have birds, or fish. I do know about keeping fish, I left my aquariums for my parents when I moved. My parents really enjoy watching the fish, my mom was actually more into the fish than I am. (My mom used to keep several large aquariums of Cichlids, but the maintenance got to be too much for her after a car accident left her with a bad back injury.) My tanks are just a 10 gallon we use to raise fry, and a 29 gallon tank. I clean them weekly for her, but left them there for her. I could get fish, but I think we want something a little more.... well communicative? Now, I haven't had birds since I was a kid, and when I did it was parakeets and finches, so I am really out of the loop on anything bird related.

I am 21, my husband is 22, and we are expecting a baby in june. I would love a bird that has the possibility of one day talking, Im not really into the cockateils though. I know its terrible that I would consider one breed over the other because of looks, but Im just not that into them. I would like a bird thats not a notorious screamer, and one that likes to interact with humans. Maybe a "silly" attitude. I would prefer not a huge bird. I would never let my child unsupervised with any animal, but I do worry about a large parrots ability to seriously injure my child by biting.

I came across peach face love birds, and thought they were pretty, but im not able to find a lot of information on them. What is their temperament, their adult size, cage requirements, diet, etc.

Also, does anyone have any recommendations, from bird breeds to websites to read up on.

 

[Rocket's mom]

I had an umbrella cockatoo (she passed away last summer) and currently have a 13 year old African Grey. African Grey's have the intelligence of a 5 year old and are very good talkers, but they can get attached to one person and you probably need one that the whole family could enjoy. You might want to check out a sun conure. They are very happy little birds and very colorful and would fulfill your wish for a silly attitude. I don't think they are known for talking though, the bigger birds are known for that. Although I have heard of parakeets and cockatiels learning to talk. Your local pet store should have some books or a bird magazine that you could learn a lot from. Birds are just like any other animal, they do enjoy a lot of human contact and cannot tolerate being left alone or ignored. You would need to play with them just like you would your dog or cat and be prepared to spend the money on a good quality cage that is the correct size for the bird that you decide to get. And they do tend to be messy when they eat so be prepared to sweep up scattered seeds or pellets a lot. You could google sun conures and learn a lot just from reading different websites. Good luck in your search!

 

[Zora]

Well we've had Eclectas parrots, a gray parrot, a Cockatiel and we now just have Serama chickens and one dove.

The cockatiel we had was really nice, they make wonderful chirpy/singing sounds and she could say her name Lavender too.

Some parrots can be nippy, but it all depend on its personality.

Ring neck Doves are also wonderful, but they don't talk of course.

 

[~Lisa~]

My best advice to you before getting a large bird is to wait abit after having your baby and adjust to that. Birds really are a lot of work and demand a lot of attention. We have an african gray somehow the husband left and his bird stayed perhaps it was his final

F**** You to me

He doesnt always scream but is very loud, he talks a lot and has an amazing memory. He will not say something for years then start like he never skipped a beat (like speaking spanish) he sings, he cusses especially if he falls or drops something , calls us all by name including the dogs but all of that said he really takes a lot of time to care for- let out- supervise - of course something you can do with a new baby but I would give yourself a bit of time not to overwhelm yourself with so many new things at once

When are you due?

 

[mydaddysjag]

I dont really want a large bird, just something cockatiel, or lovebird sized. I know all birds can bite, but I think the large beak on the big parrots could easily take my childs finger off if ever given the chance. I also live in an apartment, so we dont have a huge area to devote to a bird room and cage etc. I have an area about 3' x 2' in my living room that is on an interior wall (Ive read birds should be kept away from windows and drafts) and an area in my bedroom about the same size. Im mostly looking for a colorful starter bird, but im not fond on parakeets, and cockatiels aren't really my favorite either. I know the are often the normal "starter bird" but I was hoping for something a little more colorful and "different" I guess. They aren't out of the running though. We dont really want to spend more than about $150 on a bird, so while sun conures are beautiful, im just not prepared to spend that much on our first bird. We may still wait until after the baby comes, right now im in the research phase seeing if a bird would fit in, what it would cost to keep, etc.

Forgot to add, im due June 18th

 

[Miniv]

We've had or been in close contact with a variety of birds over the years....... They are less labor intensive than horses, dogs, or cats......but will give you great pleasure and friendship.

Some breeds tend to bond to one person once they reach maturity. Others are fine with all gentle family members. I'd suggest doing some homework on various breeds.

We have a conure who has bonded to ME. He is a biter with everyone else. We are currently on our second cockatiel who PREFERS our daughter, but is okay with the rest of us and because of her beak structure, she can't really bite.

Just remember that the bigger the bird, the longer they live. My conure, "Ducky" is 15 years old and could still live for another 20 years or so.

 

[jayne]

I just wanted to add that while Lovebirds are cute and not as screechy as a conure, I'm convinced they were named by a marketing group that was asked to come up with a name that would be adorable without regard for what the little bird was really like!! I've had two of them now, and while I enjoy them, they are definitely not 'lovey' or even really that interested in forming relationships with people. Maybe that would be different if you got one that was hand-raised and were able to get it very young? They are, however, kind of low maintenance on the bird scale (they're all messy and need fresh food and water every day) and fun to watch, so maybe one like this would meet your needs? Both of mine showed some cage-aggression, and my 2nd one found a way to break the welds on a lighter weight cage so I had to upgrade to one with a much higher gauge wire, more for parrots that little guys like a lovebird.

There are some really good websites on pet birds. This one is very thorough and has tons of information:

www.upatsix.com

Good luck with your search. I do agree with a couple of other posters, however, that maybe you should wait until the baby is born and see how much time you have left to devote to another pet?

Oh, I had another idea. I see quite a few birds being rehomed on Craig's List. That might be a place to find a bird you might not think you could afford but needs rehoming. Just tossing that out.

Jayne

 

[Whitestar]

I have had a number of different birds, sun conures are beautiful but are screamers. One thing to keep in mind, birds have to have a lot of attention to stay friendly, & I would really think about it with a baby on the way. Even if you get a hand raised one ( The friendliest, versus bird raised or co-parented) . I would suggest that you wait until after your baby is born & you are not exhausted from sleepless nights & are settled into a new routine before getting a bird. That will also give you time to visit bird breeders & decide what you want. My favorite bird was a hand raised little green conure, we got him when he still required hand feeding & bonded to humans. He wanted to be with a human all the time & was the best bird. We currently have an African Grey & conure..Having worked for a vet, I can trim my own nails & clip wings so they are not able to fly out an open door. But I spend a lot of time cleaning up after them. Birds are fun, but messy too. There are a lot of rescues out there that you can find any type of birds at, you might look into that. I know that at our shelter, we had people that got birds all the time & for one reason or another didnt want them any longer & just dropped them off. So you can call your local shelter & let them know you are interested in a bird placement, however sometimes these birds are not very friendly because they not been socialized.

 

[minie812]

I have an African Grey that I have owned since he was a hatchling. I finished out hand feeding him and he is was born in 97. Highly intelligent and not a screamer like some birds can be. He has never feather-picked himself and is just a joy and has a vocabulary the size of Texas

 

[miniwhinny]

I have an African Grey also. Mine is a Timneh Grey which is the smallest (by far) of the African Grey species. He never, ever screams. All of the Grey species have the same talking ability and it's second to none. Mine is always chatting up a storm or mimicking every single sound from the microwave to water running. I adore my bird and wouldn't trade him for anything.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

As a 1st time mom of a 4 month old beautiful baby girl who I just put to bed after a fussy night, may I scream "WAIT!". You have no idea how tired you are going to be very soon!

. Seriously. I wouldn't trade it for the world but I had no idea and unfortunately for my pets, they just don't get the attention they are used to right now. They aren't going anywhere, I'm not 1 of those people who has a kid and then suddenly gets rid of all their animals, but I can tell you it's pretty challenging

! And the finances - oh boy. . .

 

[uwharrie]

I agree with others about waiting till a bit after the baby before bringing in a new pet. We have owned a variety of birds over the years, from Amazons to canaries and finches. Each has their charms and distractors. I would never recommend one of the larger parrots as first time birds, They are demanding, can be loud, amazons can get quite agressive during breeding season.

Love birds are pretty to look at, somewhat quiet and if hand raised can be quite tame. Finches and canaries are pretty to look at and nothing can beat a canarie's sing but they are not really tame.

If you decide you want a parrot I suggest you look into the smaller african parrots ( pionus, red bellied, myers, and such) we have a Myers now and he is the sweetest little guy. He talks a wee bit, whistles and cheaps ( does a great microwave beep) He is not loud and does not scream or nip.

 

[Shari]

Personally I would recommend starting with a smaller.. more Quiet bird like say Bourkes. A hand tamed one is best. They are gentle and super easy to care for and they are not loud.

But while all birds are easy to care for.. keeping their cage and the floor around them is a daily task. ALL birds are messy!

Living in an apartment and having a very loud Parrot...first it could drive you nuts and scare your baby and maybe your neighbors too. I have had all kinds of birds, from Kakariki (love those birds) to Rosellas, bright red one that the neighbors could hear one block over, he loved to talk and the neighbors were less than happy. Loved to scare the tar out of the cat.

In fact had to re home him to a person that lived in the country because of his love to sing very loudly and really tick the neighbors off.

I have raised Canaries, exotic finches and so on.

In all honesty.. I would wait until after you have your baby. Then look into something smaller and quiet.

 

[billiethekid40]

Check out Lineoleated Parakeets... they look like a cross between a lovebird and a budgie but they can make great talkers, love human contact and for someone in an apartment the best part is they HARDLY make any noise! They also don't have super beak strength, I've yet to have one of mine break the skin or even leave a bruise. They are about the size of a love bird, and since you are about to have a baby I would suggest getting two. They remain hand tame even with a birdie friend and yet when you are too busy to play with them they will have HOURS of fun playing together in their cage with their toys. They really are about the most perfect bird for an apartment, though I do think they need a rather large cage to be happy. They are also MUCH happier in a cage that has room to run on perches... so wider rather than taller. Mine were in a 2 foot deep, 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall cage (picture your typical rabbit starter cage, only taller actually) and I had soooo much fun watching them play, they are like little clowns. They peep and chirp and talk (they start by burbling along to your speech patterns, its really cute) and they hang upside down from their cage and toys. Because we are staying with family right now they are in a smaller cage and they don't seem very active. They aren't happy in an 18X18 standard cockateil cage.

Remember though, that most companion birds are going to cost more than $100 each and that is not including cages (which run from $150-$1000+) or toys (I'd suggest spending about $40-60 to start and then about $10-20 a month. Food costs can be high as well, though a great thing about linnies is they will eat the same foods as your baby eventually will! They love mashed veggies so I used to buy bottles baby food for them.

Anyway, I think if you can't wait till after your delivery date, then you had best go with a pair of smaller birds like budgies or linnies or cockateils because a single bird, especially a larger one, is going to require a LOT of your time.

 

[sfmini]

I agree with the others, wait until your baby is a bit older before getting a parrot or parakeet. They do need attention and time to stay tame.

One I would suggest is a Quaker Parakeet, they are great pets and talkers.

I am hoping to have a blue front amazon one day when I have the time and space for one. I have a Timneh African Gray right now, he hasn't had much time out of his cage because I am afraid that the dogs might go after him so he isn't that easy to handle any more, and he was hand raised. I am hoping to get that situation changed soon so he can start coming out.

I found this website that will help you find out about birds, this link is for the Quakers, but loads of birds are talked about on other pages.

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/birds/para...kerparakeet.php

Oh sorry, never mind, you can't keep Quakers in Pennsylvania.

http://www.quakerville.com/QIC/statelaw.asp

 

[mad for mini's]

I have had lovebirds for years now. They are quite comical to watch but I have never been able to put in enough time to actually have one that was tamed. I can let them out to fly freely around the house and they return to the cage on their own but I can't touch them. They can be a bit noisy at times but nothing compared to the larger parrots. However, like any parrot, they are messy ! Be prepared to sweep food and feathers non stop

Another parrot that has caught my eye are the parrotlets. I like how small they are ( the size of canaries) and they are very curious birds and make the sweetest little chirpy sounds. I plan on getting one or two of those when my lovebirds are gone.

 

[mydaddysjag]

Again, im not planning to get anything right this second, im still in the beginning stages of research. I dont want to start out with parakeets, as Ive had them before years ago, and know that in a few months I would want something more interactive. Were only going to have room for 1 cage, so I need something that I will be pleased with its entire lifespan. I figured we could spend about $150 on just the bird. That would leave enough money for a new cage, supplies, and toys. From what Ive seen, most birds Ive been looking into are within that amount. Mostly cockateils, parrotlets, love birds, etc. I really think the parrotlets are pretty cool, but still need to look into them a bit more. Theres a few bird shows and expos in my area throughout the next few months, we may go to them for a chance to see all the different breeds "up close and personal" to get a better feel for what would work best for us.