First bird?

[Customcasket]

Keep us updated on what's going on with your decisions and your parents. Even if you have to take time to convince them you can still post here

 

[mrgoogls]

of course i will keep you updated. and of cours i will post as i am saving moneya nd convincing! im not leaving that fast! i have several threads and reply to others all the time!

 

[mrgoogls]

hi guys. sorry i havent been able to post much! i have been studying a lot for my exams and havent had much time for anything else. but i just did my spanish and got a bit of time.

good news! i am 99% sure i can get the bird. my mom is acually helping me convince my dad and is as excited as me! she like wants to help me make toys ans such. lol. my dad is "dealing with it" for now. meaning he will let me get a bird. but he wont be very happy. lol. im so excited!!!!!!!

 

[KatherineI]

hi guys. sorry i havent been able to post much! i have been studying a lot for my exams and havent had much time for anything else. but i just did my spanish and got a bit of time.

good news! i am 99% sure i can get the bird. my mom is acually helping me convince my dad and is as excited as me! she like wants to help me make toys ans such. lol. my dad is "dealing with it" for now. meaning he will let me get a bird. but he wont be very happy. lol. im so excited!!!!!!!

YAY!! I found, as a kid, that even when my parents would "deal with it", they'd often become just as attached or happy with the idea as myself

 

[ann]

yaaay!!!!! i know exactly what you mean, my mom helped talk my dad into it. first with cats, then with birds. but every so often i catch him petting or talking to them . he was also the one who let me get my rescue finches . your dad and mom will love him/her, and since quakers are loud and vocal birds, your dad might like to try and teach him some words or songs! congrats and good luck!
btw im not sure where you live but Elly & Willie's birds is a good and inexpensive breeder, i dont know if they ship though, but its worth checking out. heres a link to a bird breeders web site, its where i found my bird

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...2_3OBQ&usg=AFQjCNFZUFoZF3x4I7eeM7Tzt-tuZIFlWA

elly and willies birds
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...0vC6Cg&usg=AFQjCNGp5XqTMLtHRNSKAU0BnoMLu0ttXw

good luck!

 

[aliray]

Like I said before I have one quaker and one canary. I am pretty sure if my quaker was living in the same house with other parrot type birds he would probably be noisier . but I also think that would apply to any type of parrot. ie more birds more noise. How ever like I said My quaker is mostley very quiet and my canary sings his little heart out a foot away from him in his cage., 5they watch each other but do not try to communicate like mutiple parrots would. Good luck with getting your bird. Alison and sweetie pie

 

[mrgoogls]

hey guys! i am now even more sure that i will get one! so yay! i am sure my mom and dad will grow attached to him/her. they did with both my dogs, both my cats, both my lizards and my snake.

let me just tell you guys what i am already doing so far to prove that i can handle a bird. i vacuum the whole house EVERY day. i clean my room top to bottom every day(not just make my bed. like dust, wash the window, everything...) i dust the whole house except my parents room and brothers room. i do all my normal chorses that i did even b4 the bird idea without even being asked too. it is very tiering. lol. oh ya! i also wash breakfast ans dinner dishes! and with me studying for my nest few final axams for school. WOW! i have almost no time for fun lol!

my next biggest task besides getting all new cookware (without teflon) is getting all the money. i am just about 14 so it is a challenge. i need about(total estimate, could be much more or much less) 300$ for the bird(it is a pallid blue, not green. i have one from the next clutch reserved) about 240$ for the cage. about another 100-150$ for all of the playstands and perchs, abut 50-70$ for all of the initail toys for the cage and playstands and for cage perchs. then food over time.....all in a few months....lol im in for a lot of work between raising that money and doing chores(aka cleanign ym whole house....lol)

bye guys hope to talk to u soon!

 

[Parrotmamma]

That is wonderful, you sound like a very dedicated guy. You will make a great parront : )

 

[mrgoogls]

thank you. but i am still trying to get money as i am only 14... so it is kinda tough to get that much in such a short time. ill post agin soon! bye

 

[Bobioden]

Here is a link to the cage I have. If you get it in green it is $316.00 otherwise it is $395.
32 x 23 x64 It is a super nice cage. Also has a cabinet on bottom.
You could even use a smaller one for a quaker.
Conure Castle Dometop / Fan Top Bird Cage by A&E Cage Co. Everything for Birds

Nor only do Forest and Maxx look alike, they have the same cage. I have it in Black.

 

[Tonners]

I just read the first page, but I'm hoping someone said you could get a cheaper cage that's big and roomy just as well as an expensive one. Its great idea to have a lower price range, $700 dollar range is insane, especially when it'll get played with. Just a response to a post on the first page, $400-$800 is kind of a ridiculous idea, especially to be telling a teen, especially when there are other prices and places out there you could suggest. I'm in my twenties, and there's no way I could afford those prices. My husband and I have been debating on what bird to get for a while, as we haven't decided 100% yet, but we found a cage just as large as many of those cages on that website provided by Dishgal1 for MUCH cheaper on Amazon. If you do buy from Amazon or Ebay, make sure you buy from a reputable user or Amazon themselves (I have had bad luck with some Amazon users in the past, but never from an actual company). You could very likely even find kits from Ebay or even at local garage sells or pawn shops that have been used. Just wanted to give my two cents!

 

[Oedipussrex]

I think the idea of a "first bird" is slightly ridiculous, no offence. Its probably because i have a larger parrot who is expected to live for at least another 40 years. But i would suggest just getting a budgie for a truly 'first' bird. otherwise you should just thoroughly research which bird you truly want and make sure you are prepared to provide for them for the rest of their lives.

I would also reccommend not trusting much of the advice given to you by your breeder. I know there are lovely people out there who want to make sure their babies go to a good home, but there are also lazy, inexperienced, inconsiderate con-artists out there as well and i wouldnt trust their advice unless you have heard it repeated by other prospective breeders or come across it on the internet.

seriously, do not buy the first bird that you see who captures your heart. some people believe they bonded with their bird at first sight which is sweet and can lead to good bird-owner relationships. but it is more likely to lead to an impulse decision that you may regret or be ripped off through.

Please please please make sure you continue researching, even after you have your bird and think everything should be set from then on. there are so many things that many people just dont tell you, and that you dont even know you dont know which can lead to the tragic death of a companion.

Such a thing is Tefflon. if there is not sufficient air circulation in your home or your bird is near the kitchen, i would reccommend you check all your non-stick cookware. Possibly throwing it all out and just getting stainless steel or aluminium pans instead. The fumes created by heating non-stick cookware which are layered in tefflon are deadly to birds, who on too much exposure will die terribly, drowning in their own respiratory systems secretions designed to protect them from toxins.

All im saying is make sure you are sure, before you buy your new bird they are lovely pets and amasing companions.

 

[mrgoogls]

hey guys. thanks for your concern Oedipussrex. i have been researching for over 2 months now and like u said, will continue even after i get my bird. so far i think a quaker is a really good match for me. they live shorter compared to large birds liek you have(i know they still live a long time, just not THAT long, like 20-30 years). i think i am ready for that responsiblilty. i have a few reptiles expected to like another 15-20 years that i have had for about 8 years already. so i know what its like in the long run. you gota keep buying food and in a birds case, toys, and that adds up.

i do know about teflon. i am currently helping my mom find a new brand of cookware made of UN COATED aluminum. so they will be nice and safe so my birds can be with us in the kitchen while we eat

the breeder i have been in touch with seems very good. she was #1 on a trusted website(cant remember name, i found it on a thread on this site though) and after e mailing her a few times. she seems pretty good. hew price for a Pallid blue QP was between 400 and 500 and i worked her down to only 300$! great deal!

Tonners,
i think i have found a cage that is good. i posted a link earlyer. online it is about 220$ on the Petco web site. in store it is 300$ it is very large for a QP being about 30x30x48 in without stand. with the stand it is 40x40x like 62in or somthing liek that. other brand with cages that size or well over 600$ so it is a goof deal.very1 here seems to approve of it and ALL the reveiws on the petco site are at least 4/5. it is powder coated iron.

one of my last questions:

i really like the look of the pallid blue QP. is there a difference in personality between blues and greens? i read that blues are usually a BIT smaller but that dont matter to me. any difference in personality i mighty care about though. thanks!

 

[mrgoogls]

hey guys! exciting news! i went to my favortie pet store today(havent been there in forever!!) and they had tree quaker parrots!!!!! this is the first time i had seen them in person. i asked if i could hold one and they wwent to take one out but they were all pretty shy and didnt want to be handled. so i said dont worry 'bout it. so i help a pinapple green cheek conure. he was so sweet! he was a bit nippy but otherwise great! he almost peirced my ear with his beak though....lol that is acually the first time i help a parrot! so excited!!!

 

[friedsoup]

noise level Quaker is up there with sun conure LOUD!!!! go sit in a bird store with some Green cheeks or a meyers or senegal after that a Irn but it depends on the bird some of each can be loud but oh a whole those are quieter longer than any others in my experience.

 

[mrgoogls]

thanks, but i sorta already new that about noise....lol

 

[lokiNotis]

I have a blue quaker and a green cheek conure. My quaker is very loud. He can talk but prefers to do it if he thinks no one is around (closet talker). My green cheek conure is not loud at all. He is a little acrobat. He loves to play with toys and can actually talk pretty well. Conures are not necessarily known to be talkers. I understand you don't mind the noise but your Mom may. Like I said my quaker is very loud. I am not saying they all are though. As far as diet he gets fresh fruit and vegetables and I use Roudybush pellets. Sounds like you are on the right path doing your research. Try checking out some breeders/pet shops and handle some birds and maybe you'll get a better idea of what you want. Good Luck!!

 

[mrgoogls]

i already handeled a few quakers from my local store. and i am visiting my breeder(where i am getting the quaker from) when the quaker are 3 weeks old to put a deposit on one. she said i can hold/look at them. and i am going another time before i buy thn to hold them. to kinda see who likes me the best. and i have already talked this whole thing over with my mom and dad. they said they wil "deal with" the noise. but i think that once i get the bird tey will see it is worth having even with the noise.

 

[lokiNotis]

Good for you! My quaker is loud as I said but not all the time. He is definitely my bird and doesn't care that much for my husband. I think it is because he was handfed by women. Whenever we come in from work he does scream a lot until you go greet him and he is fine then. About 7:00 in the evening he gets on a screaming kick but a lot of birds tend to do that in the evenings. He doesn't do it in the mornings like a lot of birds do. He is extremely smart and I love him to pieces. Best of luck with your decision!

 

[tesseagles]

hey guys! i dont have a bird but i might be able to get 1. i really like the look of a quaker. are they good for beginners? here are a few criteria:

1. how loud are they. i mean how often do they "scream" and how loud is it?(this one if big for my mom, she thinks that all birds never be quiet)

2.how expensive is the initial investment such as, the bird, the cage, food/water dishs ect.

3. abut how much is it per month, such as food, new toys vet bills ect

4. how often do they need wings cliped and can i do this so i dont have to go to vet

5. how messy are they?(a big one for my dad)

thanks guys. if i have other ?'s ill ask!

my guy is LOUD.. he screeches out of the blue. I do spend tons of time with him and he expects it. He thinks he is the boss...and he is. They can be real loud. In the mornings when he is ready to wake up he'll make a small screech. Then a bigger one. then a whistle then a screech again. If I dont get up and let him out he will screech so loud it hurts my ears. He is quiet alot as long as Im in the room with him. He is in my room by my bed which probably isnt a great idea. But they like to be around people. He does have toys but since getting him ( he is 12 ) from a lady who had him since he hatched, he doesnt seem real interested in toys. Ive tried lots of toys and he just looks at them. I dont clip his wings. I use a sand perch for his claws also. we do go outside and he sits on my head. Yup. He did fly off once but he sat in a tree until I got a stick and he jumped on it and I got him out of the tree. he can be messy but not too bad. Not so bad I cant keep him clean. Or his area clean. I did find a great cage on craigslist, an older one but a well made heavy steel one. Its probably 3 ft tall and two wide. heavy metal cage probably from the 70's. I use perches on top of it so he spends most of his time out of it. perches off the sides too so that makes poop on the floor alot. he eats on top more then inside also. He loves those seed sticks. I have trouble getting him to eat pellets. I give him limited seed as its very fatty for them. HE LOVES APPLES AND PEACHES AND BANANAS. He eats bread and mini shredded wheat too. every morning. Keep a bowl close for them to bathe in as he bathes once a week. its so funny to watch. they are sweet things but they are also demanding.