Exotic Birds

[bmac]

Anyone here own exotic birds? I won't bore you with the reason for my recent curiosity, but yesterday I took my family to an exotic bird breeder's place. She had several different species, ranging from hatchlings to adults. The adults were either her personal pets (which we saw) to her breeders (which we didn't see).

Her love for these birds was clearly evident and she seemed to be very knowlegable. Macaws, cockatoos, parrots. She had stories about all of them. We all handled a few different species ranging in size from the small senegal parrot to the large macaws. We were all bitten, but no blood was drawn and no one cried.

Though facinating and beautiful, I doubt we will choose to become a "bird family". First, these birds will outlive us (estimations range from 40-80 years) and I don't want the executor of my will to have to place a bird that my kids may be tired of. Secondly, these birds require varying amounts of hands-on contact every day to keep them people-friendly and healthy. Although my kids make all sorts of promises about pet care, once they tire of something, pet care usually falls on my wife or me (I know, this sounds more like a parenting problem). Thirdly, I saw first hand the destruction these birds can do. Anything wooden is fair game. I don't want them to eat my house. Finally, my wife is not too excited about having bird poop all over the house. Although they will spenf most of the time in a cage, these birds should be allowed out of the cage and handled daily. Some birds (like cockatoos) get programmed for a certain amount of cuddle time each day. If that suddenly falls off, their behavior and health can take a nose dive.

Two days ago, all I knew about exotic birds was that they are pretty. After 2 hours with the bird breeder yesterday, I now know alot more. However, I am interested to know if anyone here owns a parrot, macaw or other exotic bird and what your ownership experience has been. Also, are my concerns about bird ownership correct?

I will add that, of all the birds we saw / handled, the only one my kids and wife felt comfortable with was the small senegal parrot. It is only about 9 in long (maybe twice as big as a parakeet), does not have a loud voice and is very sociable. The one we held really enjoyed my kids and was reasonably gentle with the bites.

 

[midlf]

We are slaves to a Goffin's Cockatoo. (dogs have masters, cats have staff, cockatoos have slaves) We "inherited" our dear Chloe after a chain of events.

First, here are some good sites with factual info:

http://www.hornbeamaviary.com/cockatoo_q_&_a.htm

http://www.mytoos.com/


I can't recall anything on these sites I disagree with.

for a good forum see:

http://www.mytoos.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi


More later when I have a chance to compose it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hey Bmac, where've you been? LOL

I'm not a bird person for pets, but that's just me. I think birds are fun to see in the wild and we have ten bird feeders to make sure we have lots of them around our place. But to have them inside the house is another thing all together.

I've only known a few bird people who were into having them as pets. One was a vet, the other was just a pet collector.

Both of them kept nice, neat and clean homes, but there's nothing you can do about the small. Birds stink. Kind of like smokers. They don't smell the smoke, but non smokers can. There's no hiding it.

If you have birds, or just one, your home will stink. You won't notice it after awhile, but everyone else who comes over will.

Then there's the noise. They make allot of noise!!!! It's one of those things that's fun for an hour or two, but after a day of it, I'm ready to leave. I like quite time and loud pets don't give you that. They make noise when they want to, and that's just the way it is.

The last issue is they are non-stop maintenance. They make a mess everyday that has to be cleaned up every day. Most should be cleaned several times a day!!!!!

If you like birds, get some bird feeders and enjoy them from your porch. But that's just me.

Eddie

 

[midlf]

More on our bird story.

First off, Eddie Walker is quite correct in his observations although I wouldn't call it a stink. It is like any house with a pet. There is a smell. You know when you walk in if people have dogs, cats or whatever. If there is a stink with any pet the sanitation is not keeping up to necessary levels.

Our niece bought Chloe, a Goffin’s Cockatoo, about 3+ years ago. She normally is a smart gal and does her research but apparently not this time (see the web sites in my previous post). Her and her husband did not have the time for Chloe that a Cockatoo requires. Also Chloe learned that if she (Chloe) exhibited a strong negative reaction to the husband she would get attention from the niece. That was a downward spiral. That and the noise were causing problems between the niece and her husband. After having Chloe about 6 months the SIL agreed to take Chloe "for a while". However the SIL turned out to be allergic to parrots. (People who are allergic to dogs and/or cats are likely to also be allergic to birds. Feathers are protein like fur and dander.) So we came into the picture as in "could we take Chloe for a while until the kids get things worked out." “For a while” turns out to be about forever as she is working out well here and we like her. However the niece still loves the little critter but now realizes she just does not have the time or life style to take care of a cockatoo.

So we have Chloe and she is a dear and we love her. However we also have what is close to an ideal situation for a having a cockatoo. LL is home all day and is willing to take care of a bird. We are willing to do a lot of study on what it takes to have a successful relation ship with a cockatoo. They are flock animals with a very great deal of instinctive behaviors. You cannot eliminate these instinctive behavors by training or any form of discipline. You can work with the behaviors to minimize some of them but you cannot eliminate them. It is best to work with them. You are dealing with the personality of a three year old. But this critter will be a three year old for 40 to 60 years. The niece cares very much for the bird and will take Chloe back when we can no longer care for her. By that time the niece should have her life in order and will have time for the bird.

On the plus side, Chloe is very affectionate, endearing, cute and intelligent. She loves to play interactive games with us, “sticks“ and card flipping are her favorites. She like to be with. She likes to cuddle and have her head “scritched”. But also wants some non interactive time to do her job in life, chewing. Cockatoos are born to chew. So far we have only had two incidents involving wood interior trim. We make a lot of chew toys for her. You are playing mind games with a brain the size of chickpea and often the chickpea is winning We are “lucky” in that she had two bad and almost fatal incidents with other animals while on the floor so she will generally not get off the cage or play platform when we are not around. (The niece had two ferrets and the “out of cage” times got mis-coordinated and they were all out together.) Cockatoos, even well adjusted ones, will have some episodes of screaming accompanied by great bouts of wing flapping, usually two or three times a day. We encourage this and scream with her. A neglected cockatoo will scream incessantly. And a cockatoo can be LOUD. Chloe, a Goffin, ibehaviorss one of the smallest cockatoos, 8.5oz, so she is not as loud as some. A Moluccans Cockatoo can rival a jet engine for volume. Vet bills can be expensive. Supplies are not cheap. Exotic birds will not be healthy eating seeds. You will be cooking for the bird. Cockatoos often will bond with one person in the family and shun the others. (We have been lucky as we worked through this and she interacts equally well with each of us.) Another point, cockatoos need 12 hours of dark and quiet a day. Having their cage in an occupied room with just a cover over it will not work. The exotic birds are not like having a parakeet or a canary. It is a whole different ball game.

For us the pluses outweigh the minuses but we are also suckers for a rescue situation. All our previous pets were rescues.

If you are interested in an exotic bird read up on them from somewhere other than a source that is trying to sell them. Check the rescue sites for information, and if you want to go with it, consider a rescue as the source.

 

[bmac]

Hi, Eddie.

Where have I been? Sitting at this computer waiting for you to finish that darned lake. Actually, I've been busting my can getting the old house ready to sell. With only a couple of evenings per week and weekends available, my projects there are just taking forever. The end, however, is in sight.

Now, I appreciate your comments about the smell. I will say, however, that this bird breeders home did have a definate smell, but it wasn't a stink. My wife thought we were smelling the bird food rather than excrement. I must tell you that birds were not the only animals in the house. We counted 6 dogs (2 standard poodles, 2 miniature poodles, a pug and a bouvier de flanders (? sp). They had 2 terrariums that I saw with lizards. A HUGE de-scented skunk was also present. My wife siad she heard other dogs barking that we did not see. Plus the birds. I did not do a head count, but I think 40 birds would not be an unreasonable estimate. So, which animal(s) were responsible for the odor? Who knows. I have 2 inside dogs and although they are house broken, accidents do happen. And I know too well that the associated odor is noticed by guests more than the owners. Fortunately, in the new house, the dogs have managed to get outside to do their business. I think it is because they do not like to go on the wood floors. Not enough traction, I guess.

There is no doubt that these bird breeders were a little "different". They used to own a pet shop and when it closed, a lot of their inventory ended up at their house (the skunk, e.g.). I have no doubt that they care for every animal they have. The odor and noises obviously do not bother them. It would me, for sure. The lady who "educated" us about exotic birds and did the demonstrations etc. could easily be described as "eccentric". When she asked if we had any additional questions, I had to fight off the urge to ask if the macaws tasted like chicken. She would have either dropped dead right then or beaten me like a red headed step child.

Eddie, thanks for the advice. I'll try to not stink up the place.

 

[bmac]

midlf,

I appreciate the links and your story. Everything you've described about Chloe is consistent with what the bird breeder told us about cockatoos. She spent about 2 hours with us describing the exotics in general and then specific personality traits of the various species. She asked what our priorities would be (good talker, cuddly, good with strangers, etc.). After listening to our preferences, she recommended the Senegal parrot.

She warned us about cockatoos. Their volume is a real problem for many, if not most, folks. She told us about their need for consistent play time and how withdrawing this for any reason can lead to real behavior and health problems for the birds.

She also told us about the African Grey parrots tendency to bond with only one person in the family. And despite our priority of having a "good talker", she didn't think the grey would be a good match for us.

We went through every type of bird they had or could get and she gave us the pros and cons for each one. Interestingly, the one she recommended was probably the least expensive bird they have. So, she was not out to "sell" me a bird. She warned us to really think long and hard before making a decision.

I think we have decided against getting a bird. Still, it was a fascinating experience to see and hold these beautiful animals. Were it not for the poop all over the house (I know it would spend alot of time out of the cage) and my concerns about how our dogs would react to a bird, I might consider something like a Senegal. Cockatoo or Macaw? No way! I couldn't handle that kind of responsibility / noise. In the end, however, I think we will stick with dogs.

 

[YanmarFever]

Eddie's advice is right on the $$$. after 9 years of being a slave to our double yellow head amazon we sold the beast !!! my wife says it was the best thing we ever did.No more STINK no more MESS no more NOISE, PEACE at last, and 800. in our pocket ! Dont get me wrong I dont dislike birds, it was just time to move on with life !!Ernie

 

[lrunge]

Besides 2 dogs and a cat we have a double yellowhead amazon parrot that is around 25 years old that we've had for 20 years. She was well trained and belonged to a young girl who went off to college and the parents didn't like taking care of a bird so they took it to a pet store and traded it in on a dog. My wife "rescued" it. The bird says (mimics) about 20 different things. One of which is "it's happy hour". We've had other birds but the two noisiest were the umbrello cockatoo and the blue and gold McCaw. We no longer have either.
Birds require a lot of attention but so do dogs. I would be happy with just one dog but my wife is a sucker for helping with other peoples animals. I wind up with the chore of feeding them all. If the bird dies I don't plan on getting another one. One dog and one cat (as long as the cat catches mice) is all I would want.