Fostering issues ----is it safe?

[CRYROLFE]

I am a member of a local parrot rescue but I have never fostered for them. If I ever get around to moving my guys to a "Bird Room" I will have space to add a foster bird if I like.

What are the hazards to this? I would only take in a bird who has been quarantined someplace else but is this a good idea? I have a very young Eclectus and I would hate anything to happen to him, but maybe he would like to have other birds around.

Another part of me just wants to get another bird. )

 

[Karigan]

I have the exact same questions! Fostering is something I'm very interested in too.

 

[henpecked]

You have every thing too lose. Your immature could fall in love, disease, behavior issues, huge vet bills, i've been there. There now. Take fostering very seriously. I use a downstairs bathroom for quaratine and soon will have a dedicated out building. If you treasury your pet be careful.Adding any bird to your flock is a risk and should not be taken lightly. I'm not trying to discourage you only inform. Thanks for helping. Just don't let it "bite" you, there are risk.

 

[Remy]

Personally, I can't foresee any problems if they have been quarantined and had a vet checkup before they come in to the home, just as if you were getting a new bird.

 

[Remy]

err- safety problems. They could fall in love, like Henpecked said.

 

[trouble16201]

We are foster parents to large birds. If you join an organization that quarentines the birds like the one we belong to they have them for 30 to 60 days, then are vet checked before you get them. Our organization will then pay for the vet bills if there are any if there is a problem.

 

[henpecked]

You could fall in love!!! Hoarding is a slippery slope. Once you start down that road , it's easy to get in over your head. The more you involve your self in these birds the more you are exposed to. I see rehome / rescue amazons every day. Realize (your limits) there's only so much you can do and pick your battles. Pick birds that pick you. Good homes are hard to find.

 

[henpecked]

The question was, is it safe? No ,it has it's risk. Your dealing with unknowns.

 

[MeganMango]

My experience has been that dealing with the actual rescue is the cause of the drama. I love to help, but sometimes the people make it difficult if not impossible to work with them. I suspect I made a local rescue angry because I agreed to foster but refused a pair of birds. They didnt come right out and say it, but they indicated there wont be more coming my way. I just dont think that two on top of the one I have is ideal and I would rather take one at a time. It can be really frustrating and time consuming to deal with these things.

 

[Boysmom]

As for safety, If you properly quarantine then yes. Will your other birds like them and be happy ? Maybe . I fostered a young pair of sun conures for a friend who had to move into an apartment and couldnt keep them. I quarantined them and had them vetted, they were found to be healthy but a little under weight. I got them off seeds and onto Roudybush pellets, they gained weight quickly. When I moved them into my bird room CHAOS insued. They shrilled ear piercingly from sun up to sun down every day ! That was convienantly not a problem the friend told me about. It kept all the other birds upset all the time. I just recently found them the perfect home with a young deaf couple and they are beloved without noise being an issue. All my other birds calmed down immediately and I believe they were glad the sunnies found a new home also. So you have to be careful of how your others will accept any newbies and the affect it will have on their happiness.

 

[Oedipussrex]

Ask what kind of tests are done in the vet check your rescue requires. Simply having a vet look over a bird to make sure it is in visual physical health, (even coupled with the quarantine time) is not enough to pick up many diseases. Full blood tests and proper testing needs to be done before i would let a foster anywhere near any of your birds.

We took pickle for a 'vet check' within the first week that we got him, but blood tests arent as readily available here in south australia as they seem to be for many american members i have spoken to. After only a general weighing and physical examination we were told he was fine and all was well.
Then after a year of 'plucking' and vets actually insisting we either give him to a larger aviary to live in a large flock, or buy him a companion as he was most likely plucking due to stress from loneliness, he was FINALLY diagnosed with PBFD. I cant imagine how i would have felt if i had bought another bird, or given him up - how many other birds may have been infected is scary.

Any foster bird you bring in, if it hasn't been properly tested could be carrying any kind of disease which are not presenting themselves with clinical symptoms. As well as this the stress of strange birds coming and going may affect your bird. It could be just as hurtful to him if he got along with a foster who then left, as having a foster who doesn't get along with him.

I would love to foster but i will never have another parrot near this house with pickle here. I intend on applying to volunteer at the RSPCA these holidays and keeping the clothes i wear there separate from my home 'pickle' clothes.

 

[MikeyTN]

I don't really mind fostering for people who I know. BUT for organizations, not really....anything can happen and I don't have the time nor the patience for ignorance....I have tons of patience but not for people, my patience runs short. My partner can tell you that, I was up for 24hrs doing saltwater fish tank move and setup. Then I showered, slept for an hour then up for work and drove 25min to get there. Then worked 14hr shift, then drove 25min home. Then came home took care of all the babies, played with them, then off to bed for 7hrs then up and do it all over again....lol....For awhile it was quite rough cause I had to give one of my sick dog and cat meds, we rescued them and they needed anti-biotics. One dog needed to be walked on a leash in the different part of the property away from the other dogs cause he had giradia. Even in the rain I had to bring an umbrella with me....During those period I lost a lot of weight from over worked. Dog took over a year as I clean diarrhea first thing in the morning as giradia makes him sick constantly. Same with the cat, she had diarrhea too....So a lot of sanitizing first thing in the morning and first thing when we get home. But if a person comes up to me with a stupid question more then once, I lose my patience....lol....

 

[Dharmawaits]

Its hard not falling in love with the birds that you take care of. I don't foster because I don't think I could let them go. But even being in the rescue center doing the feeding and cleaning. Birds pick you. And its heart rending to have to leave them week after week. I guess if you do this and I commend you if you do! Just think about it like I do. I work with the little's at the rescue. Mainly because if there is a Macaw or a cockatoo in a room (not to mention several) guess who demands the attention. Mmhmmm.

So the conure's and the cockatiels, lovebirds so on so forth. Ignored. And they end up being some of the sweetest most well established birds. I work with them and then can point them out to people who can't see past the big macaw (Until the Macaw tries to bite their hand off then they are happy to check out the sun conure ) I can show them look! Mango likes to hang out with me and when I say "Tickle, tickle..........did you hear that voice??!" ANYWAY its how I don't bring them all home. Set up a game plan in your head. You want to take care of this_________ type(s) of bird and this is the reason why. And I will do it and then make sure these birds find a happy home. A mission statement so to speak. Because if you don't........you'll end up on hoarders. Seriously. And thank you for even considering it. You rock!

 

[Dharmawaits]

My experience has been that dealing with the actual rescue is the cause of the drama. I love to help, but sometimes the people make it difficult if not impossible to work with them. I suspect I made a local rescue angry because I agreed to foster but refused a pair of birds. They didnt come right out and say it, but they indicated there wont be more coming my way. I just dont think that two on top of the one I have is ideal and I would rather take one at a time. It can be really frustrating and time consuming to deal with these things.

They seriously need to kiss your butt. Someone needs to talk to them. They want foster homes that KNOW their limits and what they can or even want to handle. Good for you for knowing your limits.

 

[MeganMango]

[/quote]

They seriously need to kiss your butt. Someone needs to talk to them. They want foster homes that KNOW their limits and what they can or even want to handle. Good for you for knowing your limits. [/QUOTE]

No one needs to kiss my butt! No one came right out and said they had an issue with it specifically, just that I wont be offered any more birds. They agreed to keep my application "on file" but the tone was pretty irritated (received this news via e-mail). I do expect people who run any kind of organization to do so in a professional manner however, and I expect people to have some sense of mutual respect. I would have appreciated an honest and mature conversation. I had offered an extra cage and to pitch in with vet bills, food etc. At the least I deserved a phone call and a proper discussion of the situation. I know they are busy though, and I think they were frustrated because they had no where for these birds to go. I would hate to take something like that on though, and then have to give up and have them move again because Id committed to more than I could handle.

Foster homes shouldnt have to be afraid to admit that they are not comfortable with something, or that they need help. If any bird came along who needed me I would do everything I could to help, but we are very busy with work and we dont want to commit to two at a time. We have our own Red belly to worry about too, and I dont want anything to interfere with our relationship and training with Mango. I suspect the fact that I have a bird and made it clear he needs a lot of attention on his own is part of the reason they were so annoyed. It did turn me off a bit though, and it reminded me why I had sworn off of rescues. At least I got a sense of how it was going to be before I had a bird in my home. It it a lot more difficult when there is an innocent animal life involved. I keep in touch with parrot people, and if a little feather friend needs me Ill be here.

 

[CRYROLFE]

You're probably all right....I should just stick to babying my own feathered kids.
I do help out at the events and change clothes before touching my baby.
Someday I hope to get my Cape Parrot, so I'll just have to wait. I work a lot w/ our local dog rescue and I know what you mean about hoarders....lol. I feel like a hoarder myself w/ my 4 dogs...sigh.

 

[henpecked]

The birds that need foster homes are the ones that are hardest to find homes for. The cute cuddly ones have the best chances, and the "high turnover" bird the rescue needs to have in store.Be prepared to be a forever home to any bird you foster. I see it in the limited rescue i do. The sweet one that you fall in love with doesn't last long.People snap them right up. The one's with issues are yours forever. Yes there's a need for foster homes, but be realistic. It comes with a price. Meet the bird, if you can "connect" then you have some thing to work with. Who knows maybe the next foster will be a better match. Pick your battles. Don't forget , success is finding that bird a good home.That's why you foster. (then you can tear your heart out on the next one)