Hi there

[Jollyboy]

Hello My name if Kevin and I live in Yorkshire England.

In the past I have kept Budgies and Cockatiels but that was a fair years ago now. Up until recently I have hunted with hawks and falcons but time restrictions and daylight hours available to me means I can not put 100% into this so for me if I cant put in 100% I just will not do.

I have recently been thinking of getting a parrot however I am still unsure if I really want to do this at the moment as yes not a hunting bird however I think it will be a different level and type of commitment required and to a degree a different mindset and knowledge of owning and caring.

So I have joined the forum basically to "read" and maybe annoy a few member with what may seem silly questions (this is what forums do)

Many thanks tor taking the time to read my intro

Kev

 

[SilverSage]

Welcome!

Your questions won’t be silly what would be silly is to have questions and not ask!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Scott]

Welcome Kevin! The palate of parrots to meet your desire is immensely large. I'd recommend reading a bit from the species sub-forums to narrow the search. If you have a nearby parrot rescue, a wide variety will be available and could use the added socialization of an inquisitive prospective parront.

This thread may be of help: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/7244-parrot-me.html

 

[Kiwibird]

Welcome and good on you to do some research before making the very important and (depending on species) potentially lifelong commitment a parrot will require of you!

I am not very familiar with BOPs or the time dedication or special care needs they require. Do be aware that parrots require a pretty hefty time dedication, in the order of 3-4 hours a day indefinitely. They are both intelligent and highly social animals and without adequate time spent with their owner/family, they can develop serious behavioral issues such as behavioral screaming, aggression issues, feather plucking and self mutilation. And while I'm sure they don't require as extensive time outdoors as a falcon or hawk, they do benefit greatly from being taken out and about frequently, weather permitting. Unlike BOPs, it is recommended parrots wear a harness outdoors or be in some form of cage or carrier. As prey birds, they spook easily and can take off never to be seen again.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, even if they seem silly! Oh, and don't be so sure about parrots not "hunting". Mine "hunts" all kinds of things, like potato chips and sandwiches and other food he shouldn't eat

 

[Jen5200]

Welcome! Very smart to do the research and make an educated decision. Look forward to seeing your questions and finding out what you decide. You sound like a person who keeps your commitments - so if a lifetime companion turns out to be what you are looking for, I think you’ll be a wonderful parrot person .

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you!

 

[Carl_Power]

Hi matey. Welcome to the forums. If you put 100% into a Parrot it can be very rewarding but its also like having a kid. You would be off to a great start with the experience you have. I know the UK is pretty bland for Parrot rescues but it could be good to go check some out. You might just fall in love but also get a feel for things x

 

[GaleriaGila]

I'll second everything above and welcome you!
I like your energy and open-mindedness.
I will add my emphasis to the lifespan issue and related committment. Whereas I think hawks live 10-20 years... parrots can often live for MANY! I got my bird in college, and he's still thriving in my (our?) retirement.

 

[smbrds]

Welcome to the forum. Lots of info here. For more in depth review on specific species, also use the search function and search that bird!

 

[Jollyboy]

Welcome and good on you to do some research before making the very important and (depending on species) potentially lifelong commitment a parrot will require of you!

I am not very familiar with BOPs or the time dedication or special care needs they require. Do be aware that parrots require a pretty hefty time dedication, in the order of 3-4 hours a day indefinitely. They are both intelligent and highly social animals and without adequate time spent with their owner/family, they can develop serious behavioral issues such as behavioral screaming, aggression issues, feather plucking and self mutilation. And while I'm sure they don't require as extensive time outdoors as a falcon or hawk, they do benefit greatly from being taken out and about frequently, weather permitting. Unlike BOPs, it is recommended parrots wear a harness outdoors or be in some form of cage or carrier. As prey birds, they spook easily and can take off never to be seen again.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, even if they seem silly! Oh, and don't be so sure about parrots not "hunting". Mine "hunts" all kinds of things, like potato chips and sandwiches and other food he shouldn't eat

I understand 100 % where you are coming from but for me when having a hunting bird would mean every day in the fields working a dog or Ferrets to flush game for my bird...This could entail being out for 30 mins or 8hrs depending on the condition of the bird (remember BOP condition is a state of fitness, weight and mindset)... Its daylight hours that restricts me at this moment as the hunting season if in the winter.

Kev

 

[Jollyboy]

I know the UK is pretty bland for Parrot rescues but it could be good to go check some out. You might just fall in love but also get a feel for things x

Thats a good point and something I have explored. I need to understand a little more on the behavior of imprints and how they adjust in change.

Kev

 

[Carl_Power]

I think the type of Parrot would be a factor too. They are so different in their needs and personalities. The bigger ones likes Macaws and Amazons ect obviously require more time and attention. Any size Parrot can be trained to do almost anything though. It depends what you are looking to get out of owning one. If nothing else they can be such lovely pets and you will be suprised how funny and quirky their individual personalities are. They can adapt to change i think but some thrive on routine.

With mine i see him in the morning then when i get home on an evening for the rest of the night so he kinda knows whats what and is fine. He is a medium sized bird but a larger one might require somebody home all day. If you are gonna have time on an evening for him/her you would be ok with a medium sized bird. They like to feel part of the family and involved and just being in the living area around you even doing their own thing keeps them happy and even eating together but a few hours one on one time really makes them thrive. Mine is pretty easy work to be honest. My lack of experience makes me over worry sometimes but thats just learning. It changed my life for the better though having him x

 

[Jollyboy]

At the moment I am focusing my research into Conures and Quakers

 

[Kiwibird]

On the subject of "imprinting", one point to consider about parrot behavior that I'm pretty certain differs from BOPs (who to my understanding are very solitary creatures) is that parrots are highly social birds. While most will have a "preferred" or "favorite" human, they live in large flocks in nature where fitting in and interacting with their flock is key to their survival. As domestic pets, this instinct to fit into a social group and socialize is still very strong, so they do best with frequent interactions with a wide range of people and can develop behavioral problems from lack of social interactions. This also means 'rescue' birds still have that instinctual drive to fit in and be social too, and thus the vast vast majority will adapt eventually to their new home. Depending on the background of the individual, this can happen quite quickly (days-weeks) or on a slower timetable for those who suffered extreme abuse or neglect, though virtually all individuals do eventually turn around if given enough time, effort and the correct training/socialization techniques.

The neat thing with parrots social needs is they can just come with you on any normal activities you'd be doing anyways. Many of us take our (harnessed or in a bird backpack) parrots out to run errands, to outdoor eating venues, walks around the neighborhood, hiking, beach trips, concerts...really wherever they'd be allowed. Seems a lot less difficult to find the time to make a parrot happy than the requirements of a hawk or falcon from what you describe. Parrots are just happy to hang out, they don't much care where it is or what you're doing. If the "flock" is doing it, they want to be part of it.

 

[Carl_Power]

Amazing advice above. My birdy is a Quaker and i can tell you that your in for some laughs if you decide to get one. Some good things about them are they are funny clowns with big bird personalities. Dont count on this but most can be amazing talkers. Some are really mechanical minded, mine has more fun taking his toys down than playing with them and seing how things work. They like to build with things like straws or popsticle sticks or safe twigs ect. In the wild they build these huge hotel like nests. They are real characters and very intelligent. You could almost teach them anything and the same with Conures.

Some people say some Quakers can be cage agressive and develop screaming problems but i believe its how you raise them. They love out of cage time, id reccomend a cage with a playtop as they will happily sit and play on it for hours and this would rule out cage agression, i think they just develop that if they are locked in all day.

Some tips would be let him/her have a good few hours outside the cage or more if you can. Be kind and patient and handle the bird every day, give head scratches they love that and be the boss because they will test you and take a mile if you give an inch but its not hard to raise them and tame them really if you give a little effort every day. Also a set bed time and 12 hours sleep is recommended along with a healthy pellet diet with vegetables and some fruit. Veggies give them the calcium they need. Try get them where sunlight hits them too, its really healthy they get daylight but you can get special UV lights too. You get a bit of everything in a Quaker but they can be moody sometimes but its funny. I dont know so much about Conures but everything i hear is that they are also amazing Parrots especially for first time owners. Id also reccomend to raise whichever bird you might get from young and hand fed by the breeder. Things would be alot easier but if you meet one you like at a rescue then thats a really nice thing to do and they can become great pets too x

 

[Jollyboy]

On the subject of "imprinting", one point to consider about parrot behavior that I'm pretty certain differs from BOPs (who to my understanding are very solitary creatures) is that parrots are highly social birds. While most will have a "preferred" or "favorite" human, they live in large flocks in nature where fitting in and interacting with their flock is key to their survival. As domestic pets, this instinct to fit into a social group and socialize is still very strong, so they do best with frequent interactions with a wide range of people and can develop behavioral problems from lack of social interactions. This also means 'rescue' birds still have that instinctual drive to fit in and be social too, and thus the vast vast majority will adapt eventually to their new home. Depending on the background of the individual, this can happen quite quickly (days-weeks) or on a slower timetable for those who suffered extreme abuse or neglect, though virtually all individuals do eventually turn around if given enough time, effort and the correct training/socialization techniques.

The neat thing with parrots social needs is they can just come with you on any normal activities you'd be doing anyways. Many of us take our (harnessed or in a bird backpack) parrots out to run errands, to outdoor eating venues, walks around the neighborhood, hiking, beach trips, concerts...really wherever they'd be allowed. Seems a lot less difficult to find the time to make a parrot happy than the requirements of a hawk or falcon from what you describe. Parrots are just happy to hang out, they don't much care where it is or what you're doing. If the "flock" is doing it, they want to be part of it.

Interesting and thanks...With most BOB they are solitary for most of the part, So what you say really does make sense to me... Also on the flip side when it came to "Manning" a bird it was done by weight control not something I would associate with Parrots

 

[Jollyboy]

Id also reccomend to raise whichever bird you might get from young and hand fed by the breeder. Things would be alot easier but if you meet one you like at a rescue then thats a really nice thing to do and they can become great pets too x

Me being me I would like to do the whole thing from start to finish,two fold is that it would be down to make the bird and also any bad traits would also be down to me.

But having said all that I can see sense in taking on an older bird as I can imagine there are a lot of unwanted birds out there through no fault of their own

 

[Kiwibird]

Interesting and thanks...With most BOB they are solitary for most of the part, So what you say really does make sense to me... Also on the flip side when it came to "Manning" a bird it was done by weight control not something I would associate with Parrots

While some "professional trainers" do advocate "training diets" for parrots where you keep a bird slightly (roughly 10%) underweight to motivate a bird to train for treats, it is not a widely accepted practice for numerous reasons. Many of us (myself included) do use hunger to encourage training, but with a more "gentle" approach than underfeeding. By simply providing 2 normal sized meals a day (morning and evening) with no food dish during the day, you can use the pre-breakfast and pre-dinner time to train when your bird will still be hungry and food motivated A 2 meal a day feeding plan VS free feeding also helps to encourage another important natural behavior for domesticated parrots to indulge in called "foraging". In nature, parrots spend a large part of their day foraging for food in their environment. In captivity, it is simulated by hiding treats in special "puzzle toys" which the bird must solve to get the treat out of. As most individuals quickly master simpler puzzle toys, some very complex ones exist and many of us have extensive collections of these toys to rotate out for variety. This provides both daytime snacks and entertainment, but the treats (which are usually high fat dry foods like unsalted nuts and seeds) shouldn't make up much more than 10% of their overall diet.

Just an FYI, my bird fell into the category of pretty well neglected when we rescued him at 10 years old but with patience and persistence pulled a 180 and is a wonderful bird, strongly bonded and very intelligent. Going on 10 years later, he no longer requires being caged during the day (free roaming), is harness trained, can solve simple shape puzzles and is even starting to show positive signs of correctly identifying basic shapes and colors on a more consistent basis! You'll hear similar stories from many people who've gone the rescue route. Training is a bit slower with adult parrots, but definitely still possible. If they've not started talking or flying before puberty though, it is difficult or impossible for adults to learn. If you do want a "baby", understand in the context of parrots that means a fully weaned juvenile who eats solid food on their own, NOT an unweaned chick who still needs formula feedings. Only disreputable breeders sell babies unweaned and despite what they may say, they absolutely do NOT "bond better" if you finish hand feeding them. It is in fact opposite to their very nature to bond with a parental figure and very dangerous for an inexperienced hand feeder to feed them.

I think you'll find parrots to be a very challenging (in a good and entirely new way) type of bird to keep after BOPs. They are also a great deal more affectionate, I would imagine.