New here, new to birds

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and new to birds. We've been thinking about getting a bird for about a year now, and I'm still researching. My husband and I are late 40s- early 50s. Kids are 16 and 13. I stay at home so I have plenty of time to devote. Thanks for letting me hang out!

Snarlla

Welcome to the forum! What type of bird are you thinking about? Or maybe you don't know yet which bird will be for you? Anyway a lot of people here can help you if you have some problems

Welcome to the PFs.
Absolutely come and hang out, you will learn an enormous amount of valuable knowledge within these forums. Glad you joined us. What parrot are you considering?

Welcome to you!
Where is home?

Welcome aboard! We're here to assist with every aspect of your search/decision, homecoming and care.

Welcome to the forums! Congrats on your bird to be! We’d love to enable, sorry, I meant assist you in choosing a species.

Hi welcome! I hope you consider a re-home bird, many are wonderful and there are many reasons people have to give them up. Some do have issues from being neglected, ignored left alone in a cage shoved off in a spare room or garage. Even those can become wonderful friends with kindness and patience. Their is nothing wrong with getting a young bird either, just wanted to put in a plug for all the birds needing new homes. I look forward to hearing about your journey.

Allee said:

Welcome to the forums! Congrats on your bird to be! We’d love to enable, sorry, I meant assist you in choosing a species.

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Tee hee, “enable”, nice one, like it!

I don’t know how much research you’ve done but if I may make a recommendation, cockatiels are brilliant in a family environment like yours. They are loving and sociable little souls with tons of personality. And then there’s lorikeets ... they’re mad, it’s all that sugar, I’m being held hostage by one right now ... SEND HELP!!!!

A solid avian veterinarian is so important to most of us...

Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.

I'm glad you're here.

Here is a NOVEL of information that I copied and pasted from another "new bird owner" post. Sorry it's so long!!!

When you have a bird, any sort of heated mechanism (anything that heats or is intended to be heated) and contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon will be out of the question (and most things that heat up or are intended to be heated DO contain these chemicals)--This includes things like pots, pans, cupcake trays, cookie sheets, cake pans etc, but it will also things like include hair-dryers, straighteners, curling irons, curlers, rice-cookers, SLOW COOKERS, popcorn poppers, air fryers, microwave meals (including certain types of microwave popcorn), steamers, irons, ironing board covers, electric skillets, griddles, George Foreman Grills, drip trays, toasters, toaster ovens, poaching pans, electric blankets, humidifiers, heat lamps, SPACE HEATERS, Scotch Guard etc etc...Here 2 links about it: https://www.ewg.org/research/canarie...on-kills-birds
To find out what contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon, you have to call and be a bit insistent about it over the phone (and in some cases, you won't get far--but sometimes it is a matter of how you ask). Almost always, it will take a few days (and numerous holds) for them to get back to you and you must provide the full chemical names, abbreviations and brand-names. Shopping when you have a bird is super annoying because cannot visually ID these chemical coatings, as they can be colored, transparent, or mixed into metal/fabric during the manufacturing process. Teflon and chemically similar products have killed birds on separate floors with the doors shut. Similarly, while DuPont claims that off-gassing only occurs at higher heats, there have been myriad bird deaths (even within academic circles) at temperatures well within the 300 degree F range! There is a reason they used canaries in coal-mines and it is because they die very easily due to even low levels of fumes of any sort. Some specific accounts: https://www.ewg.org/research/canarie...-death-diaries
Here are the abbreviations and full spellings of the chemicals you need to ask about when inquiring about a product (give the name, spelling and abbreviation of each):

Teflon= common brand-name using the chemical types in question
PTFE= Polytetrafluoroethyline
PFOA= Perfluorooctanoic acid (sometimes known as C8)
PFCs= Perfluorinated chemicals

Sleep=essential to hormonal and immune function. Different species have different requirements, but 12 is pretty much the average. This means that someone must be there to cover and uncover the bird at the same time each night and that your home must be conducive to sleep.

Make sure you aren't using any unsafe products around the bird. This is pretty much everything with a scent (and some things without).
No perfume, carpet cleaner, flea shampoo, aerosols, solvents, air fresheners, paints, smoke of any kind, vaping, sunscreen, bugspray, candles of any kind (organic or non), insecticides, certain soaps/shampoos, fire-places, burning or heated oil/fat, self-cleaning ovens, gas and any household cleaners (e.g., bleach, windex, lysol, fabreeze, scrubbing bubbles, kaboom, pine-sol etc)...You will seriously have to re-think your entire home and your cleaning routine will change a ton.
NEVER use the self-cleaning oven function or try to season cast iron around birds.
The list goes on. Birds have VERY sensitive respiratory systems. Essential oils are also fairly unsafe due to their ability to be absorbed into the blood-stream and due to a bird's sensitive air sacs.
In terms of safe cleaning alternatives: White vinegar + water (as long as you don't heat it), grapefruit seed extract + water, baking soda (for scrubbing), some (but not all) natural cleaning products sold in pre-mixed formulas, and then avian-safe veterinary disinfectants, such as F10 SC (the yellow/clear concentrate has to be mixed with water but it is super safe and more effective than vinegar at killing bacteria etc).

Fumes make traveling with a bird complicated, as it is very unsafe to bring your bird with you into a location where teflon or chemical cleaners are being used. My bird does travel with me, but it is important to consider the safety of your final destination, as well as car temperature and any stops along the way (if you plan on bringing your bird inside).
I would recommend getting an air purifier (non-ozone producing/non-ionizing) to help with dust/mold etc (which can harm birds). Please note- a purifier will not protect birds from cigarette smoke, vaping fumes, teflon/ptfe/pfoa etc. It will only help increase the quality of the air to some extent. You cannot use unsafe chemicals around the bird just because you have a purifier.

Generally, you should only pet birds on the head/neck and you should not allow any shadowy spaces in the cage (boxes, bedding, crumbled paper, tents, blankets, low furniture, in clothing etc)...and so are tents/huts/hammocks etc. These things are hormonal triggers and they can cause health and behavior problems and snuggle huts can also entangle birds and cause blockages.

Birds hide illness like crazy, so there is nothing intuitive about their diseases. You have to be ready to study your birds poop and behavior daily, because even the slightest change can be a huge indicator. Blood work must be done yearly (at minimum) and should be done soon after you get a new bird. Birds can carry and spread deadly illnesses without showing any symptoms, so play-dates and exposure to boarding facilities etc come with risks of their own. PBFD, ABV and PDD are all very serious and very contagious diseases that can be spread by things like feather dust in the ventilation system. These diseases are also notorious for producing false negatives in infected but asymptomatic carriers (when tested).
Bottom line: make sure that you have a certified avian vet (CAV) near you. Exotics vets who see birds are not the same thing. If you don't have a CAV near you, your life will be much more anxiety-ridden than if you do (and the difference between a CAV and an exotics vet can mean the difference between life and death for your bird in certain instances).

Birds are very sensitive to temperature changes and drafts. Any temperature change of 10 degrees or more puts significant stress on their systems. If you have to take your bird out in the cold, make sure you carefully cover the cage and pre-warm the car. Also, make sure you don't have any air-fresheners in the car or vents blowing directly on the bird. Extreme heat can also be harmful. Over time, birds can adjust to a wide ranger of temperatures, but this adjustment has to take place over a long period of time. Anything too quick is going to shock their systems.

Dowel perches that are smooth/even in texture lead to a disease called bumble-foot. Textured perches prevent this---look into dragonwood, manzanita and pummice perches. There are numerous guides to appropriate sizing online.

Birds move in slow motion and especially and establishing real trust can take many months.

A baby bird will generally be friendly to all (much like a baby human), but teen and adult birds experience significant hormonal changes which impact their personality and preferences. Puberty is particularly bad in many cases. Although it passes, an adult bird will never be as nice as a baby and it will come with a whole new set of preferences, desires and rules.
It is very important not to engage in behaviors that will eventually be inappropriate for the bird as an adult, as this sets an unsustainable precedent. You must teach independence, refrain from allowing the bird to graft itself to you all day, do not spend excessive time with your bird due to the fact that they are a new and exciting new pet (because you will be expected to keep it up long-term), pet on head/neck only and do not provide your bird with access to fleece huts, huts in general, tents, boxes, blankets, pillows, bedding etc, ignore screams for attention and attend to the sounds you will be able to tolerate long-term, ignore biting when it happens and do not scold/react.

Hey! Welcome to the nicest place on the internet. Birds are the very best coolest companions that ever existed.

They are also, loud, messy, they bite-HARD, they require tons of interaction and attention, they live forever, and given all the changes you have to make around the house, they’re truly a lifestyle.

But if all that sounds okay with you, then we can’t wait to hear about your new friend and see pictures once you make a decision!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Snarlla said:

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and new to birds. We've been thinking about getting a bird for about a year now, and I'm still researching. My husband and I are late 40s- early 50s. Kids are 16 and 13. I stay at home so I have plenty of time to devote. Thanks for letting me hang out!

Snarlla

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Good Morning, and a warm welcome to the site.... Let me grab some popcorn, b/c this is going to be a great post. Galeria Gilla gave some awesome advice though, she stated find an Avian Vet. Being a non bird owner, your probably say where I live has many vets lol However when you dig into the question by asking when my bird takes a spill and breaks a wing, Then most vets will recommend a certain vet who specialized in Birds and usually exotic pets. Most vets in my area won't so much as clip toe nails on a bird lol and the closest Avian Vet for me is approx 55 miles away. So Gilla brought about a very important point, seems everyone is a vet, but when you say my bird I think has broken a wing, where can I find an Avian Vet, they will all send you to a certain someone, or if your in a big city you may have more tan one, It's best to find that person, before you find your new companion in my honest opinion and just trying to suggest something helpful for you. Picking a Parrot is a fun ride, and you can go to the POTM (Photo of the Month) postings to see some Beautiful companions, I mean Tammi has one of the most beautiful Gray's I've ever laid eyes on, and Ellie777 & Sax Guy have absolutely beautiful Electus, Noodles has a beautiful U2, Vandy has a Beautiful and Amazing B&G Macaw, For Amazons, take a look at Wrench and Sailboat, This is just to name a couple right off of the top of my head, The Parrot World is huge for companions, Might I suggest finding the one that fits your lifestyle, your household, and allowed space you have to designate to your new companion. Meaning a U2 should never be kept in an apartment building, or around close neighbors just for an example. Hope this makes sense to you. Welcome, and enjoy the search......

Hi, thanks for the welcome!

I've been doing a ton of research and I'm drawn to eclectus. Which I know might not be a 'starter bird' but I've been in love with them since the first moment I saw a glorious green boy at a feed and seed store we go to. So.... I did actually put a down payment on one yesterday. They had a female in the shop (bird shop) but I was too nervous to get a girl with all the hormonal issues they might have. Luckily they have a boy coming in and he's a little bit older.

Aside from just thinking they are lovely, I've read a lot about their personalities and I think (hope) we will mesh well. I stay home so I will have lots of time to spend with him. I'm looking forward to learning all about training birds and how it compares to training dogs. I'm looking forward to making and feeding fresh food and even already bought a seed sprouter, lol.

Regarding re-homing a bird, I did consider it. I even wrote to two rescues locally, but never heard back from them. I did very much worry that a re-homed bird would have issues that I would not know how to deal with. Since I'm new to birds I will not have experience in dealing with problems. Now... pretty much every other animal I've ever had as a companion has been a rescue or a re-home. So I do feel a little guilty.

Teflon... we do have teflon skillets, but I have been shopping and researching non-PTFE skillets online. All the other cookware we have is cast iron or just metal. My husband was a little sad about giving up teflon, but he'll get over it. I do have a heat press, because I make t-shirts. I'm going to move that out to the garage and set up a pressing station there, because the press does have a teflon upper plate. I figure I will make sure I have ventilation and the garage is well separated from the house. Ya'll let me know if that sounds okay.

Oh, as for a vet, the bird shop has recommendations and a friend of our family has birds and they say their vet is great. Our new boy will be checked by a vet and having testing done before we bring him home and I plan on calling the vet ahead of time to go ahead and get an account set up.

As far as cages, I've been looking online at large cages, and the bird shop also has reasonably priced ones. They tell me "36" wide with 3/4" bar spacing". I'd like to get a cover for it as well, because I read it's good to regulate their light/dark period. We have a decent size house, 2 story with tall ceilings. I think there will be plenty of room for the bird to safely explore when not in the cage. With me being home, I plan on having him out a lot once he gets comfortable with us.


Um... what else?

Allee said:

Welcome to the forums! Congrats on your bird to be! We’d love to enable, sorry, I meant assist you in choosing a species.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I had to reply to you, because I have your don't panic logo as a tattoo on my ankle

Snarlla said:

Allee said:

Welcome to the forums! Congrats on your bird to be! We’d love to enable, sorry, I meant assist you in choosing a species.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I had to reply to you, because I have your don't panic logo as a tattoo on my ankle

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Congratulations on your choice of an Ekkie! They are amazingly distinctive parrots with unique dietary needs. Please read selected threads from the Eclectus subforum, and post any questions.

Now that you've embarked on your parrot experience, we can assist/enable you whenever MBS kicks in! (Multiple Bird Syndrome)

Snarlla [I said:

I've been doing a ton of research and I'm drawn to eclectus. Which I know might not be a 'starter bird' but I've been in love with them since the first moment I saw a glorious green boy at a feed and seed store we go to.... [/I]Welcome to the forum Snarlla and welcome to the wonderful world of Eclectus servant-hood (you are the servant of course).

As far as cages, I've been looking online at large cages, and the bird shop also has reasonably priced ones. They tell me "36" wide with 3/4" bar spacing". I'd like to get a cover for it as well, because I read it's good to regulate their light/dark period. Usually the recommended width is double the wingspan, especially if he is going to be spending most of his time in there. Spacing ok. No smooth perches. Eclectus have poor grip so you don't want him falling off onto the bottom of the cage. Varied perch diameters needed; preferably one being a natural wood perch for beak and nails. If you get a pumice perch for beak and nails please ensure appropriate size for his feet so that the smooth side accommodates the pads of his feet.



We have a decent size house, 2 story with tall ceilings. I think there will be plenty of room for the bird to safely explore when not in the cage. With me being home, I plan on having him out a lot once he gets comfortable with us. If you have ceiling fans then ensure they are off in the room whilst he is flying about. If fully flighted that is. Also, no exposed light bulbs to crash into by accident. No exposed electrical cords etc....My fids are very curious little imps so hide all remote controls and keyboards etc as well.


Um... what else? Food and toys. Hope you love cooking LOL. . The dietary portion is a whole book in itself. Please don't leave food and beverages unattended when your boy is out. Caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and avocado will kill him. Please have a look at our diet section if you haven't been there. Take note that not everything applies to an Eclectus as they are in a different category all together when it comes to food. And toys, Eclectus love 'detail'. You will need toys for foraging, shredding, puzzle toys, noise makers, foot toys and non-destructible toys etc.

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Easy peasy....a walk in the park...no problemo...and in true Aussie style, 'no worries mate' lol . I love my babies to bits...love those candy-corn kisses...love the sound of the bed-time slurpy's (not just because it means I get a rest because the fids are going to bed LOL)...

Regarding frozen chop, I keep some that I make for days when I'm busy or we are going to town etc and I need something fast. Otherwise, my fids get everything fresh daily as I am at home all of the time. I do blanch my sweet potato and squash and have some frozen at all times. Now....I'll meet you in the Eclectus section from here on. You will meet heaps of Eclectus owners in there who will gladly assist with any questions and ongoing needs.

From one newbie to another, welcome. It's so very smart of you to do research before getting a bird. There's so much good, solid information at this site and the other, more experienced owners are a great resource available to us here. I wish you success finding a companion that fits into your family, and brings love and joy into your life.

Scott's " Now that you've embarked on your parrot experience, we can assist/enable you whenever MBS kicks in! (Multiple Bird Syndrome)"
Had me laughing, especially since after 18 years at a stable 2, I went to one , then jumped right to 5!!!!!!!!
Congratulations! You definitely should go for your dream parrot that has spoken to your soul for do long. Must be so hard to wait till he comes in!!!! But exciting!!!!! Can't wait to see him.
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