Any suggestions?

MoneyKing · Apr 30, 2013

Hello parrot lovers

,

I am planning on getting a parrot within a month, and I would like to know which parrot would be the best for me!
I live in a house, 4 bedrooms, currently in school and will have time to take care of the parrot. I am looking for a parrot that is cuddly, affectionate and friendly. I would like to have a parrot that can talk and do tricks! It would be nice if the parrot is quite, but not too loud. I currently reside in toronto, and would like to know where i can find handfed parrots. I would love to have a parrot that is VERY clean! I would like it to be potty trained to an extent, and not just poop anywhere, but a designated area. The cleanliness part is the biggest factor!. This might be too much to ask for in a parrot, but anything close to these characters would be wonderful!

Please suggest parrots that are both, expensive and inexpensive, and at what age they should be for me to buy them. In particular, I want a young parrot!

Thank you for you time, MoneyKing (to-be parrot lover)

Featheredsamurai · Apr 30, 2013

Have you ever itneracted with, or been around parrots? Young parrots are sweet and cuddly, but eventually go through puberty and get "horrormones". It can be tough, but as long as you act appropriately and understand how a parrots mind works it is easier to deal with.

Parrots take a lot of time, every single day. You will need to put aside 3+ hours a day, it will be a big commitment. If you have a big social life expect it to be much less.

What type of parrot are you interested in? My only suggestion is to not get a cockatoo, they are one of the hardest parrots to take care of in captivity. Also, only get a bird with a big beak if your are ok with taking a bite. You can't be afraid of your bird, getting a bird that can over power you with bluffing, or one bite that destroys your confidence, it will be your downfall and your bird will suffer as well.

MoneyKing · Apr 30, 2013

Copperarabian said:
Have you ever itneracted with, or been around parrots? Young parrots are sweet and cuddly, but eventually go through puberty and get "horrormones". It can be tough, but as long as you act appropriately and understand how a parrots mind works it is easier to deal with.

Parrots take a lot of time, every single day. You will need to put aside 3+ hours a day, it will be a big commitment. If you have a big social life expect it to be much less.

What type of parrot are you interested in? My only suggestion is to not get a cockatoo, they are one of the hardest parrots to take care of in captivity. Also, only get a bird with a big beak if your are ok with taking a bite. You can't be afraid of your bird, getting a bird that can over power you with bluffing, or one bite that destroys your confidence, it will be your downfall and your bird will suffer as well.

Thanks for responding, I can put 3 hours aside everyday, but like during the 3 hours, can I watch television and/or play video games, as well as interact with them.

I am looking for a parrot that can meet most of my standards if possible.

SandyBee · Apr 30, 2013

Wow

Ok to get a parrot that meets most of your criteria, the parrot won't be young and needs to be taught.
There is no garauntee any parrot will talk or do tricks, they are capable of learning that but some will and some won't.
Parrots are noisy and messy

The more time you spend with a parrot the better the behaviour and relationship.

Based on what you have asked, I can not suggest a parrot.

IloveConures · Apr 30, 2013

Do you have any problem with money? My uncle has an African Grey and I love her. She is a very good bird. Also, my conure is a great bird but they are not known for talking like you mentioned above

MoneyKing · Apr 30, 2013

SandyBee said:
Wow

Ok to get a parrot that meets most of your criteria, the parrot won't be young and needs to be taught.
There is no garauntee any parrot will talk or do tricks, they are capable of learning that but some will and some won't.
Parrots are noisy and messy

The more time you spend with a parrot the better the behaviour and relationship.

Based on what you have asked, I can not suggest a parrot.

Oh sorry, I forgot to mention that the parrot should be capable of meeting the criteria after alot of training.
The main criteria I would want to have in the parrot is that the parrot is not very messy.

Featheredsamurai · Apr 30, 2013

3+ hours, so 3 hours is the minimum. you should spend 1-2 hours giving your bird undivided attention. This should involve play time, trick training, and enforcing good behaviors in ways that keep a parrot interested. Also introducing a bird to a new things so they don't become phobic.

You can spend time just hanging out with them too, but make sure you are giving one on one with no distractions as well.

I am looking for a parrot that can meet most of my standards if possible.

Please understand, it's all about how you raise a bird. All birds are good birds, but we need to teach them to be the bird we want to live with, and we need to be willing to choose our battles as well. A freshly weaned bird is wonderful, but the reason why so many birds are in shelters is because people don't know how to raise them, and they eventually get these birds they cannot handle, who bite, self mutilate, scream, and drive their people crazy.

Parrots are wild animals, although you can teach them to do certain things and make them into wonderful birds, they still will have their wild instincts and do certain things that we have to live with. I feel you are asking a bit to much with your standards.

You never answered if you have bird experience or not?

Have you ever heard of conures? They are wonderful birds and I think you should look into them. Just be aware that sun conures and jenday conures are extremely loud!

Featheredsamurai · Apr 30, 2013

MoneyKing said:
SandyBee said:

Wow

Ok to get a parrot that meets most of your criteria, the parrot won't be young and needs to be taught.
There is no garauntee any parrot will talk or do tricks, they are capable of learning that but some will and some won't.
Parrots are noisy and messy

The more time you spend with a parrot the better the behaviour and relationship.

Based on what you have asked, I can not suggest a parrot.

Click to expand...

Oh sorry, I forgot to mention that the parrot should be capable of meeting the criteria after alot of training.
The main criteria I would want to have in the parrot is that the parrot is not very messy.

Parrots are messy, although some are messier than others. Don't go with a eclectus or Lorikeet.

I vacuume my room daily, I get crumbs, leaves, wood chips, and stuff all over my floor. As long as you don't procrastinate and wait and let the mess build up cleaning up after them is easy.

MoneyKing · Apr 30, 2013

Copperarabian said:
3+ hours, so 3 hours is the minimum. you should spend 1-2 hours giving your bird undivided attention. This should involve play time, trick training, and enforcing good behaviors in ways that keep a parrot interested. Also introducing a bird to a new things so they don't become phobic.

You can spend time just hanging out with them too, but make sure you are giving one on one with no distractions as well.

I am looking for a parrot that can meet most of my standards if possible.

Click to expand...

Please understand, it's all about how you raise a bird. All birds are good birds, but we need to teach them to be the bird we want to live with, and we need to be willing to choose our battles as well. A freshly weaned bird is wonderful, but the reason why so many birds are in shelters is because people don't know how to raise them, and they eventually get these birds they cannot handle, who bite, self mutilate, scream, and drive their people crazy.

Parrots are wild animals, although you can teach them to do certain things and make them into wonderful birds, they still will have their wild instincts and do certain things that we have to live with. I feel you are asking a bit to much with your standards.

You never answered if you have bird experience or not?

Have you ever heard of conures? They are wonderful birds and I think you should look into them. Just be aware that sun conures and jenday conures are extremely loud!

yeah, I figured. My expectations were a bit too high, however, they are possible to achieve with taking good care of the bird. I sadly don't have any experience with any bird, therefore was wondering if I should get a budgie to get some experience, thereafter get a conure, or a senegal or an african grey.

Yes, I've heard of a conure, and I've also heard that green cheek conures are the best (don't know if it's true)

Also, does your parrot poop on you, or the furniture?

gemini84 · Apr 30, 2013

may i ask
#1 say you get a budgie to gain experience, what will happen to that said budgie when you gain your experience and get a more prefered bird?? that is not the best way, as that budgie will be ignored. if you wish to gain experience in parrots, i suggest doing some volunteer work at a rescue.
#2. u have all these criterias you want your bird to meet. say we were to say for example we were to recomend you get a green cheek conure. u go out and get one bring it home and it doesnt meet ur criteria?

the only parrot i can suggest that will meet your criteria is at the toy shop. im sorry if i sound rude but i worry for the birds.

all live birds will make noise, will make a mess, will chew, will bite, will poop. most gave the ability to do tricks and talk, but with some it doesnt matter how much training, how much time you spend with them. there is NO guarantee of anything. even if you were to purchase/ adopt/rehome a burd that is all ready trained to meet ur criteria there is still no guarantee that they will continue that behaviour whilst in ur care.

once again i apologise if i come across rude, or if i have offended u, but i only have the best interests of the birds in mind.

best advice is go spend time at a rescue, that way u can gain some knowledge and experience as to what it takes to care for a parrot. parrot care is bot easy, but all the wirk we put in is worth it

SandyBee · Apr 30, 2013

Yes my amazon poops on me and the furniture. He is partially potty trained but dorsnt always get there. He is 35 and is pretty well trained.
He is one of the less messy parrots I have met but besides cleaning his cage daily, I sweep and vacuum a lot more.

The bigger the bird the bigger the mess. Budgies are very sweet small birds. Maybe you could find a rescue and learn a little bit mote about different species and parrot care.

MoneyKing · Apr 30, 2013

gemini84 said:
may i ask
#1 say you get a budgie to gain experience, what will happen to that said budgie when you gain your experience and get a more prefered bird?? that is not the best way, as that budgie will be ignored. if you wish to gain experience in parrots, i suggest doing some volunteer work at a rescue.
#2. u have all these criterias you want your bird to meet. say we were to say for example we were to recomend you get a green cheek conure. u go out and get one bring it home and it doesnt meet ur criteria?

the only parrot i can suggest that will meet your criteria is at the toy shop. im sorry if i sound rude but i worry for the birds.

all live birds will make noise, will make a mess, will chew, will bite, will poop. most gave the ability to do tricks and talk, but with some it doesnt matter how much training, how much time you spend with them. there is NO guarantee of anything. even if you were to purchase/ adopt/rehome a burd that is all ready trained to meet ur criteria there is still no guarantee that they will continue that behaviour whilst in ur care.

once again i apologise if i come across rude, or if i have offended u, but i only have the best interests of the birds in mind.

best advice is go spend time at a rescue, that way u can gain some knowledge and experience as to what it takes to care for a parrot. parrot care is bot easy, but all the wirk we put in is worth it

I see, you have a good point for # 1. But for #2, I'll still keep the parrot even if it doesn't meet my criteria, as long as the parrot is reasonable; meaning it comes on my hand after training and it doesn't go wild and bite everytime when I go near it.
Other than that, the criteria was just a preferred parrot choice. It's reasonable if the parrot makes noise, bites, makes a mess, and poops randomly occasionally. I'm just looking for a parrot that will "best" fit the criteria as provided.

I was either thinking of the pineapple conure, the black capped conure, the senegal, or the meyer.

If anyone can suggest other parrots, or suggest parrots from the ones I mentioned; that can best fit the criteria, I would gladly appreciate it.
Thanks for your time!

MoneyKing · Apr 30, 2013

SandyBee said:
Yes my amazon poops on me and the furniture. He is partially potty trained but dorsnt always get there. He is 35 and is pretty well trained.
He is one of the less messy parrots I have met but besides cleaning his cage daily, I sweep and vacuum a lot more.

The bigger the bird the bigger the mess. Budgies are very sweet small birds. Maybe you could find a rescue and learn a little bit mote about different species and parrot care.

Are rescue birds free? if not how much cheaper are they than normal birds

SandyBee · Apr 30, 2013

Really depends where you are and how the rescue near you operates. Honestly though read up on parrots and their care, then meet a few and see if you really want a parrot.They are highly intelligent and emotional creatures. They really are not pets, they ate companions.

MoneyKing · Apr 30, 2013

SandyBee said:
Really depends where you are and how the rescue near you operates. Honestly though read up on parrots and their care, then meet a few and see if you really want a parrot.They are highly intelligent and emotional creatures. They really are not pets, they ate companions.

yeah, that's the reason why I want a parrot, they are not just a pet, but they are companions! Greatly said!

My friends have parrots, but they have ones that I'm not considering to get. One of them has a sun conure, couple have parrotlet and budgies, and one them has a macaw. The budgies are REALLYY aggressive and they don't even let you touch them. My friend told me it was store bought.

Which one would you recommend?

LoryLover · Apr 30, 2013

I would suggest you definitely get a baby parrot. And from a breeder who can guide you in various training techniques. I happen to have a very messy bird, but the breeder showed me how to potty train it. Potty training is super easy, and baby birds take to it very well. I think too, that you have a good idea in first getting a budgie... but a baby one. Talk to it just like you were talking to a person, and it will learn to speak very well. As you take care of your "first" parrot, you will learn by trial and error. There are lots of different methods to keep messes to a minimum. For example, seed guards around the cage keep the floor a little cleaner. Question your friends who have birds and find out what they have learned in the time they have had their parrots. Bigger birds require larger toys and destroy their toys quickly. Oh, another thing about obtaining a baby that has not spent time in a pet shop... they haven't learned to screech. Our second lory came to us right out of the nest, and she has never screeched. Our first lory came to us out of a pet shop and he screeched all the time.

antoinette · May 1, 2013

MoneyKing said:
Hello parrot lovers ,

I am planning on getting a parrot within a month, and I would like to know which parrot would be the best for me!
I live in a house, 4 bedrooms, currently in school and will have time to take care of the parrot. I am looking for a parrot that is cuddly, affectionate and friendly. I would like to have a parrot that can talk and do tricks! It would be nice if the parrot is quite, but not too loud. I currently reside in toronto, and would like to know where i can find handfed parrots. I would love to have a parrot that is VERY clean! I would like it to be potty trained to an extent, and not just poop anywhere, but a designated area. The cleanliness part is the biggest factor!. This might be too much to ask for in a parrot, but anything close to these characters would be wonderful!

Please suggest parrots that are both, expensive and inexpensive, and at what age they should be for me to buy them. In particular, I want a young parrot!

Thank you for you time, MoneyKing (to-be parrot lover)

Please bear with me I am not gunning you down, just giving you the facts about living with a bird.
Your expectations of a bird is way to "demanding"
Lets begin... you are in school how much time will you have to spend with your bird?
You are wanting a parrot that is VERY clean, sorry that is just not going to happen. You mentioned: The cleanliness part is the biggest factor! Birds are messy, whether in their cages or or. You will be constantly cleaning, whether the bird is in the cage or not.
Birds can be potty trained, BUT accidents do occur and they poopie absolutely anywhere.
Set aside time each and every day for your bird. It takes hours and hours to train a bird to talk, or to do tricks, are you willing to put in the extra hours? that is besides the normal hours seeing to a bird.
There is also no guarantee that any bird will talk, not matter how much time is spent training the bird.
Each and every bird is different, some are quieter than others.

Please continue researching before becoming guardian, remember a bird is a life-time responsibility.

Tonkatiel · May 1, 2013

MoneyKing said:
Hello parrot lovers ,

I am planning on getting a parrot within a month, and I would like to know which parrot would be the best for me!
I live in a house, 4 bedrooms, currently in school and will have time to take care of the parrot. I am looking for a parrot that is cuddly, affectionate and friendly. I would like to have a parrot that can talk and do tricks! It would be nice if the parrot is quite, but not too loud. I currently reside in toronto, and would like to know where i can find handfed parrots. I would love to have a parrot that is VERY clean! I would like it to be potty trained to an extent, and not just poop anywhere, but a designated area. The cleanliness part is the biggest factor!. This might be too much to ask for in a parrot, but anything close to these characters would be wonderful!

Please suggest parrots that are both, expensive and inexpensive, and at what age they should be for me to buy them. In particular, I want a young parrot!

Thank you for you time, MoneyKing (to-be parrot lover)

Sounds like a cat would be a more suitable companion for you. They're cuddly and affectionate, they arent very loud and they are very clean. I've never met one who could talk, but maybe you could teach it to meow to a tune? Older cats can be pretty 'set in there ways', so a kitten would probably be the best option.

MoneyKing · May 1, 2013

LoryLover said:
I would suggest you definitely get a baby parrot. And from a breeder who can guide you in various training techniques. I happen to have a very messy bird, but the breeder showed me how to potty train it. Potty training is super easy, and baby birds take to it very well. I think too, that you have a good idea in first getting a budgie... but a baby one. Talk to it just like you were talking to a person, and it will learn to speak very well. As you take care of your "first" parrot, you will learn by trial and error. There are lots of different methods to keep messes to a minimum. For example, seed guards around the cage keep the floor a little cleaner. Question your friends who have birds and find out what they have learned in the time they have had their parrots. Bigger birds require larger toys and destroy their toys quickly. Oh, another thing about obtaining a baby that has not spent time in a pet shop... they haven't learned to screech. Our second lory came to us right out of the nest, and she has never screeched. Our first lory came to us out of a pet shop and he screeched all the time.

Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I'll definitely take it into consideration

MoneyKing · May 1, 2013

antoinette said:
MoneyKing said:

Hello parrot lovers ,

I am planning on getting a parrot within a month, and I would like to know which parrot would be the best for me!
I live in a house, 4 bedrooms, currently in school and will have time to take care of the parrot. I am looking for a parrot that is cuddly, affectionate and friendly. I would like to have a parrot that can talk and do tricks! It would be nice if the parrot is quite, but not too loud. I currently reside in toronto, and would like to know where i can find handfed parrots. I would love to have a parrot that is VERY clean! I would like it to be potty trained to an extent, and not just poop anywhere, but a designated area. The cleanliness part is the biggest factor!. This might be too much to ask for in a parrot, but anything close to these characters would be wonderful!

Please suggest parrots that are both, expensive and inexpensive, and at what age they should be for me to buy them. In particular, I want a young parrot!

Thank you for you time, MoneyKing (to-be parrot lover)

Click to expand...

Please bear with me I am not gunning you down, just giving you the facts about living with a bird.
Your expectations of a bird is way to "demanding"
Lets begin... you are in school how much time will you have to spend with your bird?
You are wanting a parrot that is VERY clean, sorry that is just not going to happen. You mentioned: The cleanliness part is the biggest factor! Birds are messy, whether in their cages or or. You will be constantly cleaning, whether the bird is in the cage or not.
Birds can be potty trained, BUT accidents do occur and they poopie absolutely anywhere.
Set aside time each and every day for your bird. It takes hours and hours to train a bird to talk, or to do tricks, are you willing to put in the extra hours? that is besides the normal hours seeing to a bird.
There is also no guarantee that any bird will talk, not matter how much time is spent training the bird.
Each and every bird is different, some are quieter than others.

Please continue researching before becoming guardian, remember a bird is a life-time responsibility.

yes I definitely understand that a bird is a life-time responsibility. I have enough extra time, upto 8 hours a day I am totally free. I just can't decide which specific bird i should get; there are too many to choose from.
Which one would you suggest?

Any suggestions?

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Supporting Member

Banned

New member

New member

Suitable location for pet sitting an African grey ??

Confused and needing some advice!

Similar threads