I've searched 6 years for this answer! Bringing a new hand tamed bird home?

Hey everyone! I’m new to this community and this is my first ever post in the ParrotForums! I’m incredibly excited to learn from all you experienced ‘parronts!’ and I hope I can give a few tips to new owners as well! I guess I should begin by introducing myself, I am Shahzeb (as my username says ) and I graduated from high school a few months ago! Looking forward to going to college and the new possibilities that lay ahead!

My issue is regarding bringing a hand tame parrot home for the first time… I used to own the most affectionate little , Dusty, who passed away after only a year with me because unfortunately he had developed a terminal liver condition before he even became a part of the family (Vet told me the breeder was not good and that he hadn't been feeding him well). I do miss him loads and wish that I could see him again! Just thinking about the whole situation makes me want to cry because it was truly heart breaking yet heart warming being his friend and companion. This happened six years ago and it has taken time to get over the experience and I feel I am finally ready to welcome another feathered friend into the household.

When I first saw him at the breeder he was so cuddly and affectionate and was so tame that I could pick him up by scooping him up or by grabbing him… He just gave kisses and snuggled up under my neck while I was picking up his cage and his toys, playstand, food etc. This was a big mistake as I have learnt that I am never going to get the stuff in one day now. I’ll get the cage first and then I’ll make another trip for the toys and playstand/ training perch, then another trip for his playgym and food – this will give me the chance to familiarise myself with the bird and the bird with me. I’ll then pick him up last when I feel we know each other and at least have a bit of a bond. Anyways getting back to the story! When I got home with Dusty ( ) he was so different! He was totally terrified and all shaken up so I let him rest and get used to his surroundings that day. I made sure he had clean water and new food. I then saw him again the next day. I sat next to his cage and he was still so scared of me (again it was a beginner mistake at that point I thought he was wanting out of the cage – I read the body language wrong) so I opened the cage door and he flew out and landed on the ground he then ran around the room I then realised he was so scared so I tried to put him back in the cage (tried to pick him up the way I did at the breeder) and he gave me nasty bite! So I had to towel him after 3 hours when he was still so scared. I pretty much had to work and tame him from the very beginning it was like having bought a wild bird! It took me a month to finally get him to step up with confidence! He really helped me learn so much more than I had hoped to as a beginner! I really do miss him! RIP Dusty!

I haven’t found the answer for why he did this in the last six years!? Why did he become so untame after coming home? I have seen LOADS of YouTube videos of hand tamed birds their first day home. They all seem so calm and cuddly the very first day! Dusty wouldn’t even go near my hands or the side of the cage I was near! I know it takes a while for them to get used to their new home but he had to be trained from scratch! Should I expect this to happen with every ‘hand tame’ bird I get? Will they be angels in the store and then become so scared when they come home?

I hope to get a Sun Conure I have my eyes on! He is a beauty and so charismatic! Since the passing of Dusty, I’ve volunteered at a bird park, I’ve helped tame a few birds for friends because I learnt so much from Dusty. I have also done extensive research on birds the last eight years so I feel I am ready for a Conure! Was this just a strange case or do all birds do this? If so, what is the point of getting a hand tamed bird? Is it really worth paying more for one if you can just get a handfed untame bird?

Please help me out here guys! Much love!

Hand raised, well socialized, IMHO, is really the only way to go. The breeder you choose should be able to give you references to checkout. You will be very happy with one that is tammed from the start. I'm not saying that an untamed parrot doesn't need a good home too. Just for a new "parront" won't get discouraged as easily trying to figure out what, how, & why of "parronting".
Good luck & welcome to the forum!

First days can easily go horribly wrong, especially when it's something you've planned for and anticipated for a long time. Alice and I bonded pretty quickly and she trusted me pretty much from day one... but she was terrified of absolutely everything else, the result of which was that after I opened the carrier and offered my hand, she shot up my arm to my shoulder where she remained glued to my neck for pretty much the next six hours. There was no way she was going to step down onto the cage or java tree - I eventually broke the stalemate by climbing into the cage myself then backing out in such a way she had no option but to jump onto the inside bars. Once in she retreated to the back and spent a couple of days in mournful silence, then gradually I was able to start winning her over.

At the time I was reading other posts on here about people's first days, all cuddles and games and photos of happy looking babies mugging for the camera, then look at my own miserable ball of feathers and think 'What did I do wrong? Is she ill? Hurt? Am I doing something terrible to her?'. At the end of the day though, I underestimated how stressful the day would be for her, and I've no doubt my uncertainty rubbed off on her as well. And we figured things out eventually - it just wasn't what I expected. I guess the moral is, homework and preparation is important but also learning to roll with the punches and deal calmly with situations that don't go according to the book. Your next experience might go perfectly but, if it doesn't, you can still turn it around.

Every bird is different I got Riley from a breeder who socialized all their babies. As a result I got to visit Riley exactly one time before bringing her home about 2 weeks later. She was still just as tame and cuddly when I brought her home last week. Though today she is being a bit of butt. However petstore birds Have never been in a home enviroment before so they are more likely to freak out and not want anything to do with you and will require you to have to rebuild any bond you may have formed. The best way to prepare yourself for your bird as you said you wanted a petstore bird is to plan for it to be "wild"