Can someone who works full time have a bird? Also asking about birds who have plucked most of their feathers out.

[linda888]

Hello, do most people who have birds have stay-at-home jobs, or no job? There is a plucked goffin cockatoo at a local rescue who caught my eye. I would love to be able to give her a happier life. I'm ok if she's not hand tame, and I know she may never regrow her feathers, and I'm ok with that. But I'm a teacher, so I'm gone from 8:00 - 4:00 M-F. I do have weekends off, 2 weeks at Christmas, 10 days in the spring, and of course summer break. I don't want to adopt her if she will be unhappy with me, only if I would be making a positive difference for her. Thank you

 

[petunia]

Personally, I would say no. That bird may have problems in her previous home and leaving it alone for some time during the day is not good. She/he needs a routine. You might want to check with a vet to see if there are any diseases causing the plucking. One more thing, when choosing a bird make sure it is your heart bird.

 

[chris-md]

Many of us have full time jobs, you absolutely can. Because it’s about the quality of time the bird spends with you when out of cage, not the quantity.

 

[Jcas]

Some people certainly do work full time and have a bird(s) who do fine with that but for many/ most birds it’s not generally the ideal situation. Many who work full time have more than one bird so that they are never truly alone. Cockatoos are extremely social birds so spending entire days alone might be stressful for them. Stress and boredom can be two key factors in causing a bird to pluck, so with a bird who is already plucking, leaving them alone all day may not be the best situation. Still, every person, bird, and situation is unique and there is a possibility that you could be a great home for this bird. I would discuss your questions and concerns with the rescue; they know this particular bird. One other thing to consider: any bird rescue that I know of will not usually adopt out large, high maintenance birds like Cockatoos, Grays, or Macaws to people who do not have previous large bird experience.

 

[Free as a bird]

Hello, do most people who have birds have stay-at-home jobs, or no job? There is a plucked goffin cockatoo at a local rescue who caught my eye. I would love to be able to give her a happier life. I'm ok if she's not hand tame, and I know she may never regrow her feathers, and I'm ok with that. But I'm a teacher, so I'm gone from 8:00 - 4:00 M-F. I do have weekends off, 2 weeks at Christmas, 10 days in the spring, and of course summer break. I don't want to adopt her if she will be unhappy with me, only if I would be making a positive difference for her. Thank you

Someone who works full time can indeed have a bird. I work full time and own a cockatiel and a princess parrot and they are very happy

BUT

I would suggest not getting any kind of cockatoo (besides a cockatiel) especially one that has already got issues and plucking it's feathers. Cockatoos are notoriously difficult to keep and require much more attention and time.

You probably feel for this lonely bird you saw and you have a big heart in wanting to give it a better life but it would be at a huge expense to your life style and it may happier being where it is with other birds and animals

A cockatiel is a mini cockatoo, the smallest of the cockatoo family, and prettiest in my opinion. They have similar physical traits and characteristics. I would recommend one of them for anyone.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Oh, goody!
An excuse to tell the Rickeybird's story again!
Here goes... I hope some of it will help....
I got him in 1984. I was fearing getting evicted due to his noise, and my family at the time HATED him. I recall struggling to make a decision, sitting on the floor of my townhouse, watching him race and skip and frolic around on the tile floor, and then run to me GRINNING, so proud to be showing off for me. I would just stare at him and be amazed: imagine --- a real parrot in my house, and it loved me! I felt so guilty and inadequate and afraid at one point that I had him in his travel cage and was planning to take him back to the bird store. I opened the front door and couldn't go through. Closed it. Sat down. Took my little love out and promised him we would stay together.
I didn't really believe it, but I wanted to. Eventually, I did. I was in college back then, and at least I could spend a lot of time with him.
Then 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 wasn't responsible for the first marriage's ending!
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, shopping channels), 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. Side-note... when I first started being able to spend much more time, he was strangely aggressive and jumpy. Eventually we settled down.
And we lived happily ever... *sigh*

 

[texsize]

I missed this.
I don’t know if you have experience with parrots or not.
If not adopting a parrot with issues really isn’t a good way to start.

I totally understand the desire to help.
Bella our CAG was/is, and probably ever shall be a plucker and a barberer. But she is much improved from how we found her.
But that was with 30 years of caring for healthy parrots.

Even before I retired we had someone home.
Plus we have multiple birds so even in the rare occasions we all leave they have each other.

As much as your wants to help I wouldn’t recommend it.

as mentioned above most bird rescues screen the potential adopter for a good fit as they truly have the best interest of the birds in mind.