Working

chibby · Dec 22, 2016

Hi again everyone,

I posted on here a few months ago because I was (and still am) interested in someday getting an eclectus parrot, but I'm still in the researching stage. I have what is possibly an extremely basic question but I have searched tons of websites and found nothing on this topic.

I know when people own larger birds like cockatoos and macaws, they often won't work because the bird needs someone to stay home and play with it. But I know this can't be the case for everyone who owns a bird.

So I'd like to know how many hours on average ekkie-owners work during the week while still managing to give their bird the attention it needs to be happy. I know I'm probably going to have to work to provide for myself and whatever bird I end up getting, but if working 8-hour shifts with an ekkie will make the ekkie miserable because it needs more attention, I don't want that. Is there any way to work full time and still keep a bird happy?

Again, this is basic, but I haven't found anyone who addresses this issue and it's kinda a big issue considering you need money to provide for a pet and you can't get money without working for the money. I don't want to bring a bird into my home only to have it be unhappy and miserable because I have to work. That wouldn't be fair to it.

Any advise?

-Chibby :yellow1:

SailBoat · Dec 22, 2016

And, that is why The Parrot Forums is so well known as the source of knowledge for those seeking answers for Companion Parrots!

As part of the normal daily activities of highly Social Parrots, a large part of the day is dedicated to gathering foods and bring it home to feed and care for the young. So, in a natural setting, it is not unusual for part of the group to be gone. As the young age, they become part of that cycle and after several years, they leave to develop their own family carrying the knowledge they learned.

In today's World of high costs, it is far more common for all Adult members of a family to work to support the family. Some are lucky enough to have one or more members that work from the home or have adjusted their expectations to live within a single income. There are also, single Adult homes in which that single Adult has to work to provide. Least I forget, there are also homes in which different members work at different homes. There are also multi-generational homes. I bet if you look within your extended family, you will find all and not more variations when what is presented above.

So, as a widening of one's understanding, most Companion Parrots will be home while the Human or Human(s) are working. With this reality now clearly in place, what do those who are home do while everyone else is gone. That is where training for self-entertainment is so very important and providing the toys, etc... too keep them entertained is an important part of providing both a very large cage and all of the proper and varied sized perches, food bowls and interactive tools placed on and in the cage.

It is extremely important to understand the special needs of each species and plan long in advance to meeting them, whether it be special diets, interaction requirements, the the costs to support and care for mid - larger parrots, in fact all Parrots!

A question I hear alot is: When would I be ready to own a Parrot? The true answer is: When you are ready to be a Parent for the Rest of Your Life!

chibby · Dec 22, 2016

SailBoat said:
And, that is why The Parrot Forums is so well known as the source of knowledge for those seeking answers for Companion Parrots!

As part of the normal daily activities of highly Social Parrots, a large part of the day is dedicated to gathering foods and bring it home to feed and care for the young. So, in a natural setting, it is not unusual for part of the group to be gone. As the young age, they become part of that cycle and after several years, they leave to develop their own family carrying the knowledge they learned.

In today's World of high costs, it is far more common for all Adult members of a family to work to support the family. Some are lucky enough to have one or more members that work from the home or have adjusted their expectations to live within a single income. There are also, single Adult homes in which that single Adult has to work to provide. Least I forget, there are also homes in which different members work at different homes. There are also multi-generational homes. I bet if you look within your extended family, you will find all and not more variations when what is presented above.

So, as a widening of one's understanding, most Companion Parrots will be home while the Human or Human(s) are working. With this reality now clearly in place, what do those who are home do while everyone else is gone. That is where training for self-entertainment is so very important and providing the toys, etc... too keep them entertained is an important part of providing both a very large cage and all of the proper and varied sized perches, food bowls and interactive tools placed on and in the cage.

It is extremely important to understand the special needs of each species and plan long in advance to meeting them, whether it be special diets, interaction requirements, the the costs to support and care for mid - larger parrots, in fact all Parrots!

A question I hear alot is: When would I be ready to own a Parrot? The true answer is: When you are ready to be a Parent for the Rest of Your Life!

I think you may have misunderstood my question. I want to know if it's possible to work an 8-hour shift with an ekkie in the house. I know that in the wild parrots leave their young to forage for food, but if you adopt a full grown cockatoo and expect it to sit in a cage for 8 hours a day while you're at work, it's going to go crazy because it needs more time and attention than you can give it. With some parrots it's not possible to work AND give them a good life because of their specific needs. I don't want to bring an ekkie into my home if I need to work for 8 hours to provide for it, but it needs me to only work 4. Does that make sense?

-Chibby :yellow1:

Kentuckienne · Dec 22, 2016

Before I met him, my husband was a single parront, and the Amazon spent the day by himself in his large cage. He got lots of attention, out of the cage time and fresh breakfast before work, then full on out of the cage and shoulder time all evening. He seemed quite well adjusted, but then again he slept a lot during the day which wasn't the healthiest thing for him.

SailBoat · Dec 22, 2016

I think you may have misunderstood my question. I want to know if it's possible to work an 8-hour shift with an ekkie in the house. I know that in the wild parrots leave their young to forage for food, but if you adopt a full grown cockatoo and expect it to sit in a cage for 8 hours a day while you're at work, it's going to go crazy because it needs more time and attention than you can give it. With some parrots it's not possible to work AND give them a good life because of their specific needs. I don't want to bring an ekkie into my home if I need to work for 8 hours to provide for it, but it needs me to only work 4. Does that make sense?

-Chibby :yellow1:

I believed that not only did I address your question(s), but also provided examples of and what is commonly done to off-set the realities of daily life!

If you are looking for someone to tell you that working 4 hours per day or not working at all is what is needed to meet the special needs of a specific species, well okay! But I deal in the real World where Adults balance the demands of life and provide love and care for their Parrots by making the Parrot the center of their life.

So, unless you are a Trust Fund Kid and will never have to work, you're set. If not, you are going to have to work and everything I am seeing in North America supports the position that you will need a fairly good job to be able to just take care of yourself and a Parrot. So, needing to work 8 hours is a reality. That implies that you will be gone near 10 hours per day! That is the hard cold reality of life!

So, based on your statements, that would mean that you will likely not want to get a Parrot, or something like that.

reddawg · Dec 22, 2016

Fwiw and I'm certainly not a parrot expert, but I've had an umbrella for over 25 years now and I've been single for the most part of that time also have worked a full time job (sometimes even more) and he's been perfectly fine at least as far as I can tell.
I do try to let him out each evening when I get home and also play n interact with him quite a bit also.
I did purchase him when he was about 7 or 8 months old.

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chibby · Dec 22, 2016

SailBoat said:
I think you may have misunderstood my question. I want to know if it's possible to work an 8-hour shift with an ekkie in the house. I know that in the wild parrots leave their young to forage for food, but if you adopt a full grown cockatoo and expect it to sit in a cage for 8 hours a day while you're at work, it's going to go crazy because it needs more time and attention than you can give it. With some parrots it's not possible to work AND give them a good life because of their specific needs. I don't want to bring an ekkie into my home if I need to work for 8 hours to provide for it, but it needs me to only work 4. Does that make sense?

-Chibby

I believed that not only did I address your question(s), but also provided examples of and what is commonly done to off-set the realities of daily life!

If you are looking for someone to tell you that working 4 hours per day or not working at all is what is needed to meet the special needs of a specific species, well okay! But I deal in the real World where Adults balance the demands of life and provide love and care for their Parrots by making the Parrot the center of their life.

So, unless you are a Trust Fund Kid and will never have to work, you're set. If not, you are going to have to work and everything I am seeing in North America supports the position that you will need a fairly good job to be able to just take care of yourself and a Parrot. So, needing to work 8 hours is a reality. That implies that you will be gone near 10 hours per day! That is the hard cold reality of life!

So, based on your statements, that would mean that you will likely not want to get a Parrot, or something like that.

I'm sorry if my statement offended you, but your previous answer confused me and I didn't feel it answered my question. I'm not trying to be unrealistic, I'm trying to figure out what IS realistic in order to give a parrot a good life. From what I've read, a lot of larger birds need a lot of attention and people suggest not working if you own one because being in a cage all day will stress them out. Because eclectus parrots are somewhat larger birds, I was concerned about how one would handle being in a cage for 8 hours a day as I know I will need to work to support a parrot. I don't think my concern over this matter is an immature or unrealistic one as most people buy parrots before knowing what they're getting into and as a result the bird suffers for it. I want to make sure that doesn't happen.

Loko · Dec 22, 2016

chibby said:
SailBoat said:

And, that is why The Parrot Forums is so well known as the source of knowledge for those seeking answers for Companion Parrots!

As part of the normal daily activities of highly Social Parrots, a large part of the day is dedicated to gathering foods and bring it home to feed and care for the young. So, in a natural setting, it is not unusual for part of the group to be gone. As the young age, they become part of that cycle and after several years, they leave to develop their own family carrying the knowledge they learned.

In today's World of high costs, it is far more common for all Adult members of a family to work to support the family. Some are lucky enough to have one or more members that work from the home or have adjusted their expectations to live within a single income. There are also, single Adult homes in which that single Adult has to work to provide. Least I forget, there are also homes in which different members work at different homes. There are also multi-generational homes. I bet if you look within your extended family, you will find all and not more variations when what is presented above.

So, as a widening of one's understanding, most Companion Parrots will be home while the Human or Human(s) are working. With this reality now clearly in place, what do those who are home do while everyone else is gone. That is where training for self-entertainment is so very important and providing the toys, etc... too keep them entertained is an important part of providing both a very large cage and all of the proper and varied sized perches, food bowls and interactive tools placed on and in the cage.

It is extremely important to understand the special needs of each species and plan long in advance to meeting them, whether it be special diets, interaction requirements, the the costs to support and care for mid - larger parrots, in fact all Parrots!

A question I hear alot is: When would I be ready to own a Parrot? The true answer is: When you are ready to be a Parent for the Rest of Your Life!

Click to expand...

I think you may have misunderstood my question. I want to know if it's possible to work an 8-hour shift with an ekkie in the house. I know that in the wild parrots leave their young to forage for food, but if you adopt a full grown cockatoo and expect it to sit in a cage for 8 hours a day while you're at work, it's going to go crazy because it needs more time and attention than you can give it. With some parrots it's not possible to work AND give them a good life because of their specific needs. I don't want to bring an ekkie into my home if I need to work for 8 hours to provide for it, but it needs me to only work 4. Does that make sense?

-Chibby

He answered your question very in depth and clearly - if you didnt see that then I would summarize it as yes, it is possible. Everyone has to work, thats the reality of life as a normal person and so does pretty much everyone who owns parrots. Some work more, some work less, but 40 hours a week is about the average, if not low these days, and our parrots are happy. Just research how to train them to play by themselves and keep themselves occupied, or if you are really worried look into getting two.

reddawg · Dec 22, 2016

Chibby I think you'll be fine. Just remember each bird, parrot is different just as ppl are. Time away isn't always bad either, it makes the time together that much easier to appreciate and special!! As I stated above I'm not a "parrot expert" tho. Just basing my opinion on 25 years of owning a parrot and also the related learning and reading of the subject from regular ppl (owners) and also from some "experts".

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T377A using Tapatalk

chibby · Dec 22, 2016

Kentuckienne said:
Before I met him, my husband was a single parront, and the Amazon spent the day by himself in his large cage. He got lots of attention, out of the cage time and fresh breakfast before work, then full on out of the cage and shoulder time all evening. He seemed quite well adjusted, but then again he slept a lot during the day which wasn't the healthiest thing for him.

That's good. I'm glad he's well-adjusted. Since he sleeps all at does he ever scream at night or get restless? I'm just asking because I want to know more. I've read a lot of stuff but people that own and experience parrots are the best way to gather information since information-based websites generalize parrot species.

chibby · Dec 22, 2016

reddawg said:
Chibby I think you'll be fine. Just remember each bird, parrot is different just as ppl are. Time away isn't always bad either, it makes the time together that much easier to appreciate and special!! As I stated above I'm not a "parrot expert" tho. Just basing my opinion on 25 years of owning a parrot and also the related learning and reading of the subject from regular ppl (owners) and also from some "experts".

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T377A using Tapatalk

Okay that does make me feel better. I've just read on a lot of bird sites that it's bad to work when you have a big bird and that it can be damaging for them to spend lots of time alone. I don't want to be one of those people who gets a bird and has to give it up because it's spends too much time in its cage due to my work schedule.

reddawg · Dec 22, 2016

Fully understand and its good that your asking and doing a lot of research ahead of time!

it certainly was a concern of mine to because when Ernie was purchased I was engaged, but that didn't work out. So I worried about that too since now it was just me, but he adjusted and seems perfectly fine with the schedule. Never had any problems with him as far as behavior. I do include him in meals and things when I am home tho. He's even spent time with friends when I had to go out of state for work for some months and he certainly seemed to handle it quite well.
Other than him being a spoiled brat (lovingly of course) and him thinking he runs the house with his bossy attitude sometimes, he's just fine... Lol.

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chris-md · Dec 22, 2016

Chibby yes, as far as work, it's not a concern. We are out of the house 10-11 hours a day. My male ekkie Parker had a large cage (6' tall) and lots of toys.

As long as your bird is out of cage when you are home, you'll be fine. I found it helps if part of the feedings are foraging. Parker is on a fresh food diet but I won't feed fresh when I'm out for work. Don't want that sitting out so long to spoil. So he gets a dry mix and some pellets in various foraging devices. He doesn't, right now anyways, have a kformal bowl per se. His food toys hold enough food that I don't have to fuss with food for a couple days at a time!

Loko · Dec 22, 2016

Its great youre concerned, thats a sign youll be a good parront. As long as you give your bird plenty of attention when you are home, it is possible. Everyone has their own feelings on time and everything but having to work shouldnt be a certain no when it comes to owning parrots. I dont know if you are able, but since you are worries about that, as was I, look into bird proofing a room or your apartment. The door on my birds cage never closes unless I am home and need to give a time out which is super rare. This way you wont have to worry about him being in the cage all day. If you cant do that, its still possible but out of cage time every day is absolutely vital.

chibby · Dec 22, 2016

Thanks everyone. This is really encouraging. I'm glad that working isn't a definite no because I'm definitely going to have to work. Bird proofing so the bird doesn't have to be inside its cage all day is a really good idea. I never would have thought of that. I could also bird proof one room to keep the bird in while I'm away at work, like a large play room. Alternatively, teaching the bird to entertain itself and forging toys are also good options. I've read that forging toys are a MUST with eclectus parrots. Thanks for all the advise. I was pretty discouraged after reading those websites.

Loko · Dec 22, 2016

If you have multiple rooms in your home, then you can definitely easily bird proof one of them and just leave the cage open and have a play gym eith toys and another perch throughout the room.this way he can play in his cage, on top, at the play gym, or at the perch, or maybe fly near the window (you can out a perch nearby) so he can look out. This way he can fly, which is vital to a birds cardiovascilar health, forage like you mentioned - you can hide treats in different toys in different parts of the room, and also just entertain himself. I have his cage on one side of my apartment, a hanging boing perch on the other with toys connected, and another perch by the kitchen. My apartment right now is about the size of your bedroom probably and hes happy with it, so even one room would be fine. Its also good to leave the radio or tv on. Thats what I do to keep some stimulation.

GaleriaGila · Dec 22, 2016

I guess I'll share my story... it's by NO MEANS a model tale, but here goes.

I got the Rickeybird in 1984. I was in college and then grad school, so I spent LOTS of time with him. Then eventually it was time to go to work!
There were were years (about 25 of them) when 5-6 days a week, I was gone at 7:30-ish and back at 6-ish.
Some did and will consider me wrong and think I should have re-homed him. My husband at that time detested the bird. My current ol' man tolerates him with good humor. No, the bird was not the reason for the divorce. Well, partly!

Anyway, here is what I think made it work.
I moved and got new jobs maybe 5 times or so. BUT...
Every morning, he had at least ten minutes, and every evening, he had 20 or so. I have always kept him on a natural light schedule, in a separate room, so sometimes those times together were in the dark. During the day, he had a big window looking out on something interesting, a television on one of his favorite channels (Music channels, CNN - he loves talking heads), a biggg cage, lots of fun foods, and a few toys that I changed out regularly).
He KNEW he could count on those two crummy sessions a day. Somehow we both made it.
I'm now retired and times are good again. Patagonian Conures are surely different, as a group, from Ekkies. But maybe you can glean an idea or two from the Rickeybird's life and times.

Good luck to you in making a decision. And welcome to the Forum... you'll get lots of empathy and advice here.

wrench13 · Dec 22, 2016

Possible to hold down a job, be single and keep parrot? Yes. Its faar from ideal, and you will need to take care of ( thaat means food, water and CLEANING UP FROM) your parrot every day. And time to interact with him. Like I said - far from ideal, for him and you. It is much better if 2 people are involved.

CherryBerry · Dec 26, 2016

We've had Cherry for 2 years now. She is 14 years old and a fairly quiet and lazy bird (so she suits us quite well). During the day in the week, we are out of the house from 9am to 3.30pm (at school or work).

Cherry doesn't need permanent attention from us as she wants to do ‘her own thing’ (which is usually nothing) much of the time. She doesn't pluck her feathers or have any other obvious behavioural issues so we assume that she's OK to be left alone during the day for 4 days a week.

It's taken her a very long time (2 years) to settle in with us and trust us but I sense that she's quite happy with us now and she has gradually become friendlier and less ‘bitey’ (and we totally adore her and I think she knows it).

We didn’t know what Cherry was like when we got her so we struck lucky really in that she suits us and we suit her!

Best wishes,

Anita

Scott · Dec 26, 2016

Your concerns may be somewhat allayed by your target species. In my experience Ekkies are quite independent. One of the most important gifts to companion parrots is the ability to self-entertain in your absence. This can involve a large cage filled with challenging toys, a varied diet, and entertainment in the form of either a TV or other audio. Spending meaningful time together will help foster a tight bond and the healthy desire for "alone time."

Thanks for making the effort to learn before acquisition. Sadly it is often the reverse, leading to buyers remorse. Particularly since we are debating a living sentient being.

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