# If I was to get a bird...



## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

....what do you think would fit my lifestyle best?

I'm planning on moving out with my OH at the end of this year, this bird thing may be a year, two years or more away, just wanted to get some opinions from some actual bird owners, since I've found a lot of info sites misleading.

I'd had my heart set on a small parrot, like a conure or similar, but have been put off by people saying about certain species that they're a 'full time job' etc. I'm not saying I want a living ornament, but what are the lower maintainence species of bird? But still with a level of interactivity/handleablity and affection?
I've gone through green cheeked conures, maroon bellied conures, galah cockatoos (one site actually made it seem like a good idea, another said the complete opposite!), down to cockatiels.

Does anyone know what would be a friendly, affectionate, somewhat low maintainence bird? And how to go about aquiring one of these birds from a decent breeder? I know the signs to look out for with cats, dogs and rodents but birds are completely new territory to me, but one I've been fascinated and interested in for a long, long time (going way back to my uncle and his racing pigeons)


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## retepwaker (Dec 5, 2011)

yea thay are a full time job any pet is just like you would have a child in the house its 24-7 days a week that is if you want it to live out a full and happy life


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## SandyR (Oct 8, 2011)

I have a sun conure. He needs to be out the cage for a few hours a day but he just sits on my shoulder while I watch telly and do my house work. They like company and if not happy make a noise but I don't have a problem as long as he gets his time out of the cage and I leave a radio on at all time even if I'm out. He is very affectionate as he was hand raised. They don't tend to talk much but he is starting to copy sounds.


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

He sounds lovely, does he get up to much mischief or make a mess outside the cage? (I've always wondered if they just poo everywhere/down your back while they're out!  )

Been looking at Budgies as they seem to be the most common beginners bird  Long way off yet though, got lots of time to research.


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Maximillions are relatively quiet and undemanding and not too expensive


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

GAW! Show me cute baby photos why don'cha!   They're beautiful, what kind of things do they require care/timewise?


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## M.R Drake (Sep 1, 2010)

if its your first time in keeping birds, and you want interactive and handable ones then i suggest budgerigars ( budgies for short) or cockatiels. when i first begin keeping birds I started with Finches but of course they weren't handable but cockatiels are very affecionate and easy to tame and so are the budgies and conures but patience is seriously required and birds or parrots that will live in aviaries are unlikely to get tame while birds in cages are easier tame especially with the person they see most usually the person who feeds them!!


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## SandyR (Oct 8, 2011)

Argent said:


> He sounds lovely, does he get up to much mischief or make a mess outside the cage? (I've always wondered if they just poo everywhere/down your back while they're out!  )
> 
> Been looking at Budgies as they seem to be the most common beginners bird  Long way off yet though, got lots of time to research.


He not too bad but he does like to poo on you shoulder so I have to have a good check before I leave the house lol. It's some thing you get use to and it easy to clean off furniture. I would freak if a bird pooed on me outside but don't care one bit when he does it. he likes to chew everything like zips and clothes so I put on an old cardigan when he's out with me and give him cardboard tubes and old mags to play with instead.


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

I think most bigger than a cocakteil or budgie are fairly high maintenance pets, I got given a goffins cockatoo 10 months or so ago and she is a VERY demanding pet!! They can be very vocal especially if bored or un-happy, also hand reared birds especially of the larger species, can be very 'active' shall we say if hand reared and will bond to a human rather than another bird so will get randy with their owners alot!!!  Do be prepared for hand reared birds to bond to just one person - mine hates with a passion my mum and sister and will attack them if she gets the chance!!!

I hate to think how much I spend on toys for mine - the last order of toys was well over £100 and that will probably last 6 weeks or so before she turns them into match sticks!!! I also make lots of toys for her and bring in huge branches for her to strip the bark off and chew on!
Feed wise - do your research as most commercial foods can be very high fat/junk food ie. sunflower seeds, peanuts etc - I make my own feed for my bird, as does my sister who has an orange winged amazon, they also get a very large variety of fruits, veg, soaked beans and peas etc and sprouted seeds like mung beans, aldi and lidel are great for weird fruits!, as well as some of what we eat if there is no salt - so rice/pasta/plain chicken/tiny peice of cheese twice a week etc are firm favorites. I also make seed treats for mine with eggs, flour, lots of different seeds and honey, I stick these in logs with holes and other toys so she has to work to get them!

They take alot of time and patience to get tame if you are buying a younger bird or rescuing one - there are tons available to rescue as most ditch them after a year as they soon realise just what a commitment they are!! Mine has had at least 6 homes before I got her and is 25yrs old - she has another 40 odd yrs left, her previous owners ditched her as she was a biter and a screamer and was also kept in a garage - she has done neither with me as I work from home so she's out about 6 hrs a day while I paint, I hide food all over the place and make her so busy she's tired at the end of the day so never says a word! They will chew anything though so wires and other hazards need to be well protected from them, furniture is another thing they will chew so being house proud is not a good idea! Poop wise mine 99% of the time won't poop on me, simply because I've trained her to get off my shoulder when she poops - occasionally she misses!!! 

All birds will need about 4 hrs minimum out a day and will need the biggest cage you can afford!! If I were you I'd start with cockateils, my neighbor had one and he spoke a good variety of words and used to ride in her car with her, and was very affectionate, they also don't live as long so you don't really need to write them into your will!


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## kudagirl (Jan 24, 2012)

Hi,
We have a hand reared conur, he was about two months old when we picked him up. He is a maroon chested conur he is talking and he is clear in what he says he is let out every moring and evening and is puting himself back into his cage when he wants to.
We have a lot of fun with him and he loves playing with his toy balls,the only thing is will not do is talk if you are in the room with him.
They must have eight hours sleep every night and you can get some go books about them.


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## mydog (Nov 16, 2011)

hi,if you never had a h/r bird or bird before,your doing good by your homework ,finding out what bird will suit your life style,senegals,meyers,and smaller birds like that would be the way to go,good luck in your search tho,regards tim.


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## retepwaker (Dec 5, 2011)

One of the most amazing pet birds you can have is a hand reared close rung magpie


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

retepwaker said:


> One of the most amazing pet birds you can have is a hand reared close rung magpie


Or a jackdaw


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## dobermummy (Apr 4, 2009)

retepwaker said:


> One of the most amazing pet birds you can have is a hand reared close rung magpie


1 is bad luck so you would have to have 2


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies  I'm quite taken with the Maximillians! They seem very sweet and quite possibly a good match!
I'm still keeping 'tiels and budgies a possibility, I'll have to meet some birdkeepers and their birds in the flesh before coming to a final decision I guess.

Having kept rats, I know how awful commercial mixes are, and now order from RatRations, which do mixes or individual bags of TONS of nuts, raw grains, dried berries and insects and just about any other natural foodstuff you could think of! They also have a sister-site dedicated to birdfeed, which specialises in parrot mixes and bird-friendly treats and supplements so I'll have a good ol' look on there too.

Funny magpies and corvids in general should be mentioned - I fell in love with magpies when I was about 14, saving a young fledgeling from getting run over. I had him perched on my arm and just took him the other side of the wall where he hid in a bush. He was the sweetest thing!

I know for a fact I couldn't keep anything macaw or cockatoo sized happy. I think even a conure might be too much for me.

Back to Maximillians, are they happy living on their own as long as you let them out to interact for a good portion of the day? Are they just as sociable with people if they're in pairs (same sex or otherwise?)


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## shoreset (Apr 19, 2008)

I had budgies when I was very young and they were fab.

I have got a 'starter' bird now of a 'tiel and I love him to bits! He is a scardey cat with other birds, and has a panic attack if one flies past the window but he is a lovely little boy 

He sits on my lap while I'm reading or watching tv and tries to steal whatever I'm eating lol, he can also say hello and wolf whistles  I would deffinately reccomend a 'teil


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

As long as they are hand reared and you keep up with the contact they will be ok either alone or a pair. They don't interact with you the way a macaw, a cockatoo or conures do, which makes them easier. They are more of a sit on your shoulder quietly type rather than a handful of mischief like the others


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## shoreset (Apr 19, 2008)




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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

I am very much liking the sound of a Maxi  Now to find a decent breeder...are the signs similar to dog/cat breeders? Or is it normal for good parrot breeders to keep quite a lot of birds etc?


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Hand rearing if you do it properly is fairly labour intensive. I never had more than 3 or 4 breeding pairs at a time. I know breeders with 10x that many that produce nice babies but not all will be hand reared, some will be parent reared to go for breeding or aviary birds


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

So is it just a case of making sure their digs are clean and not overcrowded, with happy, healthy looking birds? Are there any genetic or hereditary health issues that need to be considered?


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Basically that's it. Pay particular attention to feet, a lot of parrots have missing toes or claws and make sure they grip properly. Check the upper and lower mandibles are straight and meet each other properly or you will have to keep filing it back into shape. Check eyes are bright and clear and nostrils are clear. Check feathers are in good condition. Check they are feeding themselves. A closed ring isn't essential but for what they cost I can't think of a good reason for not ringing. Check how they are to handle, they should be friendly and confident with no biting at least with the breeder if not you


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

That doesn't sound too hard 

Finding a breeder at all, on the other hand, is. They don't seem to advertise and maxi's don't seem anywhere near as popular as the blue-capped pionus :/ got plenty of time to keep looking I guess but I just like to get as much info as I can as soon as I can


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

Argent said:


> I am very much liking the sound of a Maxi  Now to find a decent breeder...are the signs similar to dog/cat breeders? Or is it normal for good parrot breeders to keep quite a lot of birds etc?


You will find it hard to visit breeders nowadays..most are very secretive due to the increase in bird thefts over the years.They are out there and phone numbers may be easy to get...but many won't even let you visit their premises if they don't know you.


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

Ah right...guh, maybe I should join a parrot forum, learn as much as possible and hold off asking anyone for a couple of years?


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## Beaklet (Apr 12, 2012)

As some others have already said I would chose one of the smaller varieties as a first bird. I would recommend that you choose one that is young and already hand tame, that will lay the grounding for you to interact with your bird and for it to lead a happy life with you. You will discover that small birds have HUGE personalities. Pleased to hear that you are doing your research. Good luck with finding the perfect feathered companion.


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