Volunteering would be great. It can give you an idea of what type of bird you may like to get. Keep us informed how it goes.
What Parrot Should I Get?
- Thread starter kcowmoo
- Start date
birdcrazy
New member
- Oct 6, 2006
- 1,063
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Misty ~ Cockatiel,
Sidney ~ Jenday Conure,
Paulie ~ Blue Crowned Conure
I know rockin is passionate about rescue birds,(and won't agree with anything I say) but I would like to give my expereinces.
I was 12 when I got my first bird a cockatiel It was a wonderful learning expereince and I still have her to this day. I rented books, looked up websights, and talked to many people at bird stores (people that weren't just trying to sell me a bird but that had a lot of knowledge and wanted the best for the bird too) Misty has not been an easy bird to care for - she is an obsessive egg layer and I have tried everything short of having her spayed. Owning Misty has been a frustrating expereince, however it does have it's rewards. She loves to have her head scratched and will sit on your shoulder for hours. I am now almost 18 and have added two more birds to the flock - another cockatiel and a jenday conure. The other teil is completly anti social but she loves to play with toys and is fun to watch. The jenday is a wonderful pet although i do get bit badly occasionally and he screams bloody murder just to let everyone know he's happy to be alive. If you are commited to this bird and do your research like i did then I say go for it. Bird ownership is a very rewarding expereince. My reccomendation for you would be a quaker, green cheek, or cockatiel. _never met a budgie I liked. I sent you a PM and would love to talk with you more. nice meeting you -- Kelli
TexDot33
Bird poop and baby poop
- Dec 26, 2006
- 2,576
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15 year-old Sun Conure: Hamlet &
14 year-old Green-Cheeked Conure: Mac
I just want to make sure that everyone is on the same page here in this thread. Kcow we are not saying that because you are 12 years old you shouldn't get a bird, or that you aren't going to be responsible enough to care for a parrot well.
I do believe that there are young people out there who are vastly more mature than others their age. The fact that you are here and posting, and gaining very important knowledge about parrots, shows that you are taking the proper first steps in making a mature decision about a loving pet.
There are some very important key-points in this thread. Parrots are loud, messy and are NOT independent and can not be left alone for long periods of time. I think that your next plan of action should be to sit down with your parents and come to a decision about which type of bird you want AS A FAMILY. This way everyone knows what will be required of them.
:50:
Kelli - we all know that you are not your "average" teenager ... you must make your parents very proud!
I do believe that there are young people out there who are vastly more mature than others their age. The fact that you are here and posting, and gaining very important knowledge about parrots, shows that you are taking the proper first steps in making a mature decision about a loving pet.
There are some very important key-points in this thread. Parrots are loud, messy and are NOT independent and can not be left alone for long periods of time. I think that your next plan of action should be to sit down with your parents and come to a decision about which type of bird you want AS A FAMILY. This way everyone knows what will be required of them.
:50:
Kelli - we all know that you are not your "average" teenager ... you must make your parents very proud!
birdcrazy
New member
- Oct 6, 2006
- 1,063
- Media
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Misty ~ Cockatiel,
Sidney ~ Jenday Conure,
Paulie ~ Blue Crowned Conure
as i mentioned in the email, no bird is easy any bird from budgie to macaw is demanding if your going to take care of it properly. Pis have many pros but they can still scream and bite just like any other bird.
kim
New member
- Jun 12, 2008
- 20
- 0
Ok I've only skimmed through a couple of things here but here's my 2 cents worth anyway....
I also think it sux being told told you're too young to have birds. It happens quite a lot in other forums & I don't think it's a fair thing because some 12 year olds really are responsible pet owners. As far as I'm concerned you're showing how responsible you are now by asking for info in a bird forum as well as a few other things you've said.
When we grew up (younger than 12) we had loads of pets. We always persuaded mum to let us take home something & she only ever allowed it if WE looked after the animals ourselves & properly. We did so we never lost them.
Australia's fav avian vet Dr Harry Cooper had budgies as a kid & then started to breed them by the time he was 12. So....12 year olds owning birds isn't always a bad thing & there is no such thing as having to grow up a little more first. I know adults who do worst jobs of caring for their pets than kids do.
My advice to you:
Sorry I don't know much about pionus parrots but I have heard they're great birds. I would suggest you google the species & get as much info as you can on it, there are also pionus forums & loads of owners around on the net to get more info off.
Do the same thing for any other parrot species you're considering, google as much as you possibly can & don't forget among the great information that at your finger tips, there's also some website that're a load of cr*p. It's up to you to learn enough to know which sites are good & which aren't.
Defiantly start small & have the parents also do some homework on the species. Let them know what to expect, even if it never happens. Don't forget the vet bills. Many parents do consider a bird not worthy of being treated when they're ill. And us adults are the ones who tell kids they're too young to be responsible for birds???..... Speak to parents about this & be prepared to save money yourself if your parents don't want to take the bird to a vet.
I also think it sux being told told you're too young to have birds. It happens quite a lot in other forums & I don't think it's a fair thing because some 12 year olds really are responsible pet owners. As far as I'm concerned you're showing how responsible you are now by asking for info in a bird forum as well as a few other things you've said.
When we grew up (younger than 12) we had loads of pets. We always persuaded mum to let us take home something & she only ever allowed it if WE looked after the animals ourselves & properly. We did so we never lost them.
Australia's fav avian vet Dr Harry Cooper had budgies as a kid & then started to breed them by the time he was 12. So....12 year olds owning birds isn't always a bad thing & there is no such thing as having to grow up a little more first. I know adults who do worst jobs of caring for their pets than kids do.
My advice to you:
Sorry I don't know much about pionus parrots but I have heard they're great birds. I would suggest you google the species & get as much info as you can on it, there are also pionus forums & loads of owners around on the net to get more info off.
Do the same thing for any other parrot species you're considering, google as much as you possibly can & don't forget among the great information that at your finger tips, there's also some website that're a load of cr*p. It's up to you to learn enough to know which sites are good & which aren't.
Defiantly start small & have the parents also do some homework on the species. Let them know what to expect, even if it never happens. Don't forget the vet bills. Many parents do consider a bird not worthy of being treated when they're ill. And us adults are the ones who tell kids they're too young to be responsible for birds???..... Speak to parents about this & be prepared to save money yourself if your parents don't want to take the bird to a vet.
danewillow
New member
No matter what bird you decide on it will most likely be there when you're old enough to leave home. Whether you go off to college or get a place of your own, what will happen to the bird? Will your parents be willing to care for it if you're not able to take the bird with you? Will you find a place that will allow birds? So many birds are given up because a young adult is unable to take the bird with them to college or their new apartment and mom and dad aren't willing to take care of it.
Julie
Julie
Redballoon
New member
- Dec 24, 2006
- 942
- 4
He is 12.
Give him a chance to be a kid with a bird before you have him in higher education. A lot can happen in 5 years.
Get your bird and live in the now.
Dont think about where your will put the bird when you go to college,...... you probably wont get in.
xxox
Give him a chance to be a kid with a bird before you have him in higher education. A lot can happen in 5 years.
Get your bird and live in the now.
Dont think about where your will put the bird when you go to college,...... you probably wont get in.
xxox
kim
New member
- Jun 12, 2008
- 20
- 0
very well said
Zanizaila
New member
- Aug 18, 2009
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- Parrots
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A female Meyers parrot, hatched august 11, 2003
And a male Medium Sulphur-crested cockatoo, hatched march 30, 2006.
There are two sides of this.
When I was your age, I got a Meyers parrot that I still have, six years later.
She is fairly easy to keep, but still like a large parrot. (But weighs only 120 grams) But if I had not known enough/been as understanding about these birds as I am, I would have gotten rid of her years ago, since even if these birds are told to be relatively mild - she can bite me hard (trying to crush the skin) for no apparent reason. Earlier this year, she begun attacking my head while I was just sitting still, and flying across a room to bite me in my neck. She is a little bird, but it still hurts!
Three years ago, when I was fifteen, I got my cockatoo - I thought I was ready, but was I? Hell no. I know so much more about parrots now, but if I had not had my cockatoo already, I would say that I'm not ready, and would wait. Something I read before I got him but didn't want to listen to was "The one who thinks he/she is mature is the last one to say it", and that's probably true.
I've always acted and behaved in more "adult" ways than many other teens, but that doesn't mean that the ability to judge a situation wisely is much better than your peers.
I've been talking to others in your/my age who wants parrots, and I always say - get the bird which is the most likely that you can keep through these hard years you have before you.
Birds that you can have through college (will your parents be willing to take care of them if you can't have them with you?), when you move to your first apartment, if you eventually get married and start a family - the birds should be with you for all these years.
A Meyers och Brown-headed Parrot (or perhaps another Poicephalus, but these are the mildest in temperament) could be considered a good fit for this, but still, I know a woman with two Senegal parrots who was on the verge of giving them up because she had kids recently, and there is barely any time for the birds anymore. The situation was only saved because there were to birds to entertain each other. (I'm looking for cagemates for my two birds as we speak)
How big a cage can you have?
People often think that small birds like cockatiels or poicephalus can have cages as small as the birds themselves, but this is just sad. A bird of this size shouldn't have anything less than four feet wide, so it really has some room both for toys and perhaps even fly a bit.
Like I said on an other board, about my cockatoo.
"Also, the cage I got for him was no more than 40x30" in width and depth (Montanas "Manhattan"). I could have gotten him a double macaw cage... if I had wanted to wait until I had the money. But nope, I couldn't. His cage now (made out of the same material as this one) is 12x4x6', and while that is bigger than I had intended (it wouldn't have worked with the roof otherwise) I would - just my personal opinion then - never stick an umbrella or a similar-sized bird in a cage less than two meters wide.
I think World Parrot Trust have rather good info about keeping the different species.
http://www.parrots.org/index.php/enc...sted_cockatoo/
(I just think it's a little weird that they say "3 meters wide" for the umbrella, but "4.5 meters wide" for a lesser sulphur-crested? And of course, you'll have to read tons more than just what's on WPT
)
Well, they probably have those recommendations for birds that sit in their cages all the time (aviary birds), but even if the bird gets many hours of being out of the cage every day, it is the birds home and it should be as big as just can be. My cockatoo is with me a lot but if he is in a big cage with lots of ways to entertain himself and even get a bit of exercise, I don't have to feel as bad if I'm sick or have to be away for some more hours some times, etc."
Well, that was about my cockatoo. But the same can be applied to both smaller and larger birds. They should have room to really be a bird, and they can't be that in a cage so small they can barely unfold their wings. (Of course, even an entire house is too small compared to what they have in the wild, but the bigger the better)
When I was your age, I got a Meyers parrot that I still have, six years later.
She is fairly easy to keep, but still like a large parrot. (But weighs only 120 grams) But if I had not known enough/been as understanding about these birds as I am, I would have gotten rid of her years ago, since even if these birds are told to be relatively mild - she can bite me hard (trying to crush the skin) for no apparent reason. Earlier this year, she begun attacking my head while I was just sitting still, and flying across a room to bite me in my neck. She is a little bird, but it still hurts!
Three years ago, when I was fifteen, I got my cockatoo - I thought I was ready, but was I? Hell no. I know so much more about parrots now, but if I had not had my cockatoo already, I would say that I'm not ready, and would wait. Something I read before I got him but didn't want to listen to was "The one who thinks he/she is mature is the last one to say it", and that's probably true.
I've always acted and behaved in more "adult" ways than many other teens, but that doesn't mean that the ability to judge a situation wisely is much better than your peers.
I've been talking to others in your/my age who wants parrots, and I always say - get the bird which is the most likely that you can keep through these hard years you have before you.
Birds that you can have through college (will your parents be willing to take care of them if you can't have them with you?), when you move to your first apartment, if you eventually get married and start a family - the birds should be with you for all these years.
A Meyers och Brown-headed Parrot (or perhaps another Poicephalus, but these are the mildest in temperament) could be considered a good fit for this, but still, I know a woman with two Senegal parrots who was on the verge of giving them up because she had kids recently, and there is barely any time for the birds anymore. The situation was only saved because there were to birds to entertain each other. (I'm looking for cagemates for my two birds as we speak)
How big a cage can you have?
People often think that small birds like cockatiels or poicephalus can have cages as small as the birds themselves, but this is just sad. A bird of this size shouldn't have anything less than four feet wide, so it really has some room both for toys and perhaps even fly a bit.
Like I said on an other board, about my cockatoo.
"Also, the cage I got for him was no more than 40x30" in width and depth (Montanas "Manhattan"). I could have gotten him a double macaw cage... if I had wanted to wait until I had the money. But nope, I couldn't. His cage now (made out of the same material as this one) is 12x4x6', and while that is bigger than I had intended (it wouldn't have worked with the roof otherwise) I would - just my personal opinion then - never stick an umbrella or a similar-sized bird in a cage less than two meters wide.
I think World Parrot Trust have rather good info about keeping the different species.
http://www.parrots.org/index.php/enc...sted_cockatoo/
(I just think it's a little weird that they say "3 meters wide" for the umbrella, but "4.5 meters wide" for a lesser sulphur-crested? And of course, you'll have to read tons more than just what's on WPT
Well, they probably have those recommendations for birds that sit in their cages all the time (aviary birds), but even if the bird gets many hours of being out of the cage every day, it is the birds home and it should be as big as just can be. My cockatoo is with me a lot but if he is in a big cage with lots of ways to entertain himself and even get a bit of exercise, I don't have to feel as bad if I'm sick or have to be away for some more hours some times, etc."
Well, that was about my cockatoo. But the same can be applied to both smaller and larger birds. They should have room to really be a bird, and they can't be that in a cage so small they can barely unfold their wings. (Of course, even an entire house is too small compared to what they have in the wild, but the bigger the better)
Redballoon
New member
- Dec 24, 2006
- 942
- 4
Wow. You put a lot of time into that post.
Do you know how old it is? The kid that posted that 1st message is in prison now. I havent been to this forum in a long long time.
Do you know how old it is? The kid that posted that 1st message is in prison now. I havent been to this forum in a long long time.
Have we been visited by a ghost?!
Welcome back Red
Yes this is a very old thread, but that was quite well put and may be useful to other young people considering getting a parrot.
Welcome back Red
Yes this is a very old thread, but that was quite well put and may be useful to other young people considering getting a parrot.
Redballoon
New member
- Dec 24, 2006
- 942
- 4
Oh yes, the information was excellent and well delivered. It will be of some use to new people, but the kid that posted that message is now running the black market in B division in Pentridge Prison.
TexDot33
Bird poop and baby poop
- Dec 26, 2006
- 2,576
- Media
- 4
- 10
- Parrots
-
15 year-old Sun Conure: Hamlet &
14 year-old Green-Cheeked Conure: Mac
WAIT WAIT WAIT ... There's been a RedBalloon sighting ... no way ... I think I have to get some windex and clean my monitor because I can't believe what I am seeing here ...
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