Looking for General tips on raising a parrot (more specifically an Amazon parrot)

Anonymous

New member
Jun 24, 2022
7
13
Parrots
I do not have one, but I want to get one and am studying on how to properly take care of one.
Hi, I am a student, and my mom told me before I could get a parrot, I need to know how to raise one perfectly before she can consider it. I am looking to find out the general needs of a parrot. I recently got interested in owning a parrot and know they require a lot of work, but I find them so cool that I am willing to put in the effort to get one. So can someone basically give a brief overview of these questions please? Thanks.



⚫️ What is the yearly cost of owning a parrot, like how much money would be needed to properly raise a parrot per year?

⚫️ What are some disease that they can get and how can I treat them?

⚫️ What are their daily care needs, like what would I need to do for them everyday?

⚫️ What temperature would they need in their area to be content/ what are their ideal comfort needs?

⚫️ What types of toys do they need? I mean like what material because I heard some can be toxic.

⚫️ What is the ideal size of the cage?

⚫️ How would I train one? By training I mean being able to fly away and back to me etc.

⚫️ I have two dogs and was wondering if that would be a con to the Parrots comfort, even though it would get a room to itself which the dogs never go into as it is.



I know it’s a lot of questions but I just want to make sure that I am capable of raising a parrot properly and giving it a healthy and happy life. If someone answers all these questions, thank you very much and have a good day. Any additional information that I left out would be appreciated
 

BirdyBee

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Jan 7, 2022
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Hi, I am a student, and my mom told me before I could get a parrot, I need to know how to raise one perfectly before she can consider it. I am looking to find out the general needs of a parrot. I recently got interested in owning a parrot and know they require a lot of work, but I find them so cool that I am willing to put in the effort to get one. So can someone basically give a brief overview of these questions please? Thanks.



⚫️ What is the yearly cost of owning a parrot, like how much money would be needed to properly raise a parrot per year?
For smaller birds, a good cage will cost $100-200. Avian vet visits can cost $50-100 or more depending on whether medications are prescribed or not. It is reccomended to take your bird to an avian vet at least once a year.
⚫️ What are some disease that they can get and how can I treat them?
Avian vet. Take your bird to an avian vet if ill.
⚫️ What are their daily care needs, like what would I need to do for them everyday?
Give attention to them, feed them veggies, spot clean cage(meaning clean areas that are a bit dirty), etc etc.

⚫️ What temperature would they need in their area to be content/ what are their ideal comfort needs?
I'd say about 15-25 degrees Celsius is ideal. This depends on species and individual birds, though.
⚫️ What types of toys do they need? I mean like what material because I heard some can be toxic.
Avoid cotton, copper, sinc, galvanized etc, bells, treat sticks, mirrors, sandpaper perches, unsafe woods(check online for safe woods.) That's what I can remember from the top of my head.

Shredable toys, cardboard, paper, popsicle sticks, vine balls, finger traps, raffia/crinklepaper... just a few examples of safe materials.
⚫️ What is the ideal size of the cage?
Depends on species.
⚫️ How would I train one? By training I mean being able to fly away and back to me etc.
⚫️ I have two dogs and was wondering if that would be a con to the Parrots comfort, even though it would get a room to itself which the dogs never go into as it is.
Never let them interact together. Theree are way to many stories of birds being killed by dogs. In the same house it's probably fine.
I know it’s a lot of questions but I just want to make sure that I am capable of raising a parrot properly and giving it a healthy and happy life. If someone answers all these questions, thank you very much and have a good day. Any additional information that I left out would be appreciated
You may find this useful:

If you tell us what bird you're getting, I can give much better advice.


For diet, birds typically need mostly fresh foods. I give about 50% dry and 50% fresh for my birds. Dry diet:

Grains, seeds, dry herbs/spices, dry flowers, nuts(best to use them as a treat as birds really love them), pellets(optional, avoid pellets with colours, sugar/salt, and soy/peanuts(small amount is ok but shouldn't be main part of the pellets. TOP's and Harrisons are good

Fresh diet:

Veggies, herbs, fruit(10% or less for most species to avoid hormonal behaviour), boiled eggs, etc.


I will add some more links later :)


EDIT: Just read that it's an Amazon you want... I'll tag some Amazon owners.

@SailBoat @wrench13 @saxguy64 @foxgloveparrot @JimsBrother @ravvlet
 
Last edited:
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Anonymous

New member
Jun 24, 2022
7
13
Parrots
I do not have one, but I want to get one and am studying on how to properly take care of one.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
For smaller birds, a good cage will cost $100-200. Avian vet visits can cost $50-100 or more depending on whether medications are prescribed or not. It is reccomended to take your bird to an avian vet at least once a year.

Avian vet. Take your bird to an avian vet if ill.

Give attention to them, feed them veggies, spot clean cage(meaning clean areas that are a bit dirty), etc etc.


I'd say about 15-25 degrees Celsius is ideal. This depends on species and individual birds, though.

Avoid cotton, copper, sinc, galvanized etc, bells, treat sticks, mirrors, sandpaper perches, unsafe woods(check online for safe woods.) That's what I can remember from the top of my head.

Shredable toys, cardboard, paper, popsicle sticks, vine balls, finger traps, raffia/crinklepaper... just a few examples of safe materials.

Depends on species.


Never let them interact together. Theree are way to many stories of birds being killed by dogs. In the same house it's probably fine.

You may find this useful:

If you tell us what bird you're getting, I can give much better advice.


For diet, birds typically need mostly fresh foods. I give about 50% dry and 50% fresh for my birds. Dry diet:

Grains, seeds, dry herbs/spices, dry flowers, nuts(best to use them as a treat as birds really love them), pellets(optional, avoid pellets with colours, sugar/salt, and soy/peanuts(small amount is ok but shouldn't be main part of the pellets. TOP's and Harrisons are good

Fresh diet:

Veggies, herbs, fruit(10% or less for most species to avoid hormonal behaviour), boiled eggs, etc.


I will add some more links later :)


EDIT: Just read that it's an Amazon you want... I'll tag some Amazon owners.

@SailBoat @wrench13
Thanks so much this was very useful
 

BirdyBee

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2022
3,748
Media
34
Albums
6
8,080
South Africa
Parrots
Current birds:
John
Snowy
Pippen

Past birds:
Grumpy
Sunny
Griffen
Jeff
Gertjie
Thanks so much this was very useful







 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house

 
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Anonymous

New member
Jun 24, 2022
7
13
Parrots
I do not have one, but I want to get one and am studying on how to properly take care of one.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6







Thanks so much for these additional tips links. 👍
 

ravvlet

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2019
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Broccoli - Dusky Conure - 3?mo old (July 2023 -)
~~~
(Rehomed) Sammy - YNA, 45 yrs old (2022-2023)
(RIP) Cricket - Cockatiel (2019-2022)
I guess it depends on your location, but a new parrot visit at my avian vet, which includes blood work and a culture, is going to run you about $350 USD. Our newest Amazon’s cage was $600, and her toys were $200 (I buy them rather than make them myself). She also has a $150 playstand and her food costs about $30/month (pellets, fresh organic veg and fruit, treats).

Additionally Amazon parrots from a breeder run about $1500-3000 depending on species. You could find a parrot being rehomed for less, but that often means behavioral or health problems. They are a difficult species for a student whose free time is limited. They live a very long time, thrive on routine, and you would be surprised how much a big green bird will put a dent in your social life and free time. They are also particularly hormonal, infamously so, so you’ll need to plan on having entire periods of the year where they are consistently difficult to handle.

I only have two amazons, but their daily care is pretty involved and requires two adults as they don’t yet get along-

Before I sit down for breakfast in the morning, I prepare the parrots’ chop (a mix of fresh veg, fruit and grain, I usually make in batches and freeze). I take them their breakfast, weigh them and record their weight, and for my orange wing Amazon I also towel him and give him nasal drops.

I then get to sit down and have coffee and my own breakfast. After an hour, I go back and add their pellet bowls. I give them an hour with just veg because both of them prefer the calorically dense pellets, so that hour in the AM is the main time they really get into their vegetables.

I pick up their veg after about two hours max and throw it out and wash the bowls. At this point I also let them out of their cage to play and free roam their room (my other parrot is in my partners office and she does similar at this time). I need to be in the room with them while they’re out as it’s pretty impossible to parrot proof a room; they’re like toddlers with a can opener face!

If I have to run errands or leave the room for more than a few minutes they’ve got to go back up. I usually do this to go make my own lunch and then come back down and eat with them.

Around mid afternoon they get their second serving of veg, which also needs to be removed and thrown out after a couple hours. At this point I also give them a bath if they’re due; my OWA gets daily mists and the Yellow Nape is a couple times a week.

I put them to bed 12 hours after they’ve been woken up - it’s important they get consistent sleep! This means no noise or as little noise as possible. Parrots don’t usually sleep well in high traffic areas, and an underslept Amazon is a terrifying prospect! I wipe down their cage, change their paper, and in the case of my OWA administer his heart medicine and joint supplements, as well as more sinus drops.

By this point it’s usually 10pm. I am home all day, and my partner works from home, so this works well for us. I work in my office and have an activity center for my kids in there, and I know my birds schedule well enough to know when he naps versus when he wants to interact or have company.

While there is no such thing as a “beginner” parrot species as they are all deserving of respect and care, there are many smaller parrots - cockatiels and budgies especially- often looking for new homes as they’ve been acquired on impulse and without enough forethought or research. They are incredibly intelligent and affable little birds deserving of the same level of respect and care, and due to their smaller size they tend to - barring serious health issues - cost less money to house and feed, if budget is a major concern. We have many members of the forums who are enthusiastic and excellent budgie owners who are also able to balance their schoolwork and budgeting concerns. They tend to do well as family birds, so if you’re living at home with other people you’re less likely to run into issues with aggression.

Dogs and birds don’t mix any better than birds and cats. Parrots are a prey animal and it only takes one accident for your bird to become a tragic statistic! Please always keep your bird away from your other pets!
 
OP
A

Anonymous

New member
Jun 24, 2022
7
13
Parrots
I do not have one, but I want to get one and am studying on how to properly take care of one.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8








I guess it depends on your location, but a new parrot visit at my avian vet, which includes blood work and a culture, is going to run you about $350 USD. Our newest Amazon’s cage was $600, and her toys were $200 (I buy them rather than make them myself). She also has a $150 playstand and her food costs about $30/month (pellets, fresh organic veg and fruit, treats).

Additionally Amazon parrots from a breeder run about $1500-3000 depending on species. You could find a parrot being rehomed for less, but that often means behavioral or health problems. They are a difficult species for a student whose free time is limited. They live a very long time, thrive on routine, and you would be surprised how much a big green bird will put a dent in your social life and free time. They are also particularly hormonal, infamously so, so you’ll need to plan on having entire periods of the year where they are consistently difficult to handle.

I only have two amazons, but their daily care is pretty involved and requires two adults as they don’t yet get along-

Before I sit down for breakfast in the morning, I prepare the parrots’ chop (a mix of fresh veg, fruit and grain, I usually make in batches and freeze). I take them their breakfast, weigh them and record their weight, and for my orange wing Amazon I also towel him and give him nasal drops.

I then get to sit down and have coffee and my own breakfast. After an hour, I go back and add their pellet bowls. I give them an hour with just veg because both of them prefer the calorically dense pellets, so that hour in the AM is the main time they really get into their vegetables.

I pick up their veg after about two hours max and throw it out and wash the bowls. At this point I also let them out of their cage to play and free roam their room (my other parrot is in my partners office and she does similar at this time). I need to be in the room with them while they’re out as it’s pretty impossible to parrot proof a room; they’re like toddlers with a can opener face!

If I have to run errands or leave the room for more than a few minutes they’ve got to go back up. I usually do this to go make my own lunch and then come back down and eat with them.

Around mid afternoon they get their second serving of veg, which also needs to be removed and thrown out after a couple hours. At this point I also give them a bath if they’re due; my OWA gets daily mists and the Yellow Nape is a couple times a week.

I put them to bed 12 hours after they’ve been woken up - it’s important they get consistent sleep! This means no noise or as little noise as possible. Parrots don’t usually sleep well in high traffic areas, and an underslept Amazon is a terrifying prospect! I wipe down their cage, change their paper, and in the case of my OWA administer his heart medicine and joint supplements, as well as more sinus drops.

By this point it’s usually 10pm. I am home all day, and my partner works from home, so this works well for us. I work in my office and have an activity center for my kids in there, and I know my birds schedule well enough to know when he naps versus when he wants to interact or have company.

While there is no such thing as a “beginner” parrot species as they are all deserving of respect and care, there are many smaller parrots - cockatiels and budgies especially- often looking for new homes as they’ve been acquired on impulse and without enough forethought or research. They are incredibly intelligent and affable little birds deserving of the same level of respect and care, and due to their smaller size they tend to - barring serious health issues - cost less money to house and feed, if budget is a major concern. We have many members of the forums who are enthusiastic and excellent budgie owners who are also able to balance their schoolwork and budgeting concerns. They tend to do well as family birds, so if you’re living at home with other people you’re less likely to run into issues with aggression.

Dogs and birds don’t mix any better than birds and cats. Parrots are a prey animal and it only takes one accident for your bird to become a tragic statistic! Please always keep your bird away from your other pets!
Thanks so much.
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,643
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DYH Amazon
Large Parrots and especially Amazons are demanding and represent a real challenge and long hours of commitment!

Look around and see if you have a Parrot Rescue near you. Help them out four or five days a week, for free!! After a month, you will either be still crazy over large Parrots or be running off to something else.

As a long time Amazon Snob, I do not recommend Amazons to young owners as your life will be in a near constant state of change., during the same time your Parrot needs stability.
 

wrench13

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Ditto on what Sailboat says. Amazons are truly like having a perpetual 3 yr old human baby, who has a can opener for a mouth. They have real emotions and get upset, mad, annoyed and the full spectrum of feelings that humans are capable of. THink VERY hard on whether you want this responsibility for the rest of your life, my friend. I honestly can't think of a single teenager or younger that I know who would be a capable owner of an Amazon, they take up that much time (and $$). I easily drop $100-150 a month in food and toys on my 1 Amazon. So much to consider about your available time outside of school, you need to take a realistic assessment of that. I always recommend that parrots, especially large ones like an Amazon, wait until you finish all schooling, and are firmly into your chosen profession and adult life, before getting one. Oh yes, and your future significant other has to sign on to this too - many is the parrot that has had to be rehomed because the SO is not on board with this large green semiperson, who rules the household.
 

MykaMom

Active member
Aug 24, 2019
62
193
Illinois
Parrots
Yellow Nape Amazon
Chickens
Hi, I am a student, and my mom told me before I could get a parrot, I need to know how to raise one perfectly before she can consider it. I am looking to find out the general needs of a parrot. I recently got interested in owning a parrot and know they require a lot of work, but I find them so cool that I am willing to put in the effort to get one. So can someone basically give a brief overview of these questions please? Thanks.



⚫️ What is the yearly cost of owning a parrot, like how much money would be needed to properly raise a parrot per year?

⚫️ What are some disease that they can get and how can I treat them?

⚫️ What are their daily care needs, like what would I need to do for them everyday?

⚫️ What temperature would they need in their area to be content/ what are their ideal comfort needs?

⚫️ What types of toys do they need? I mean like what material because I heard some can be toxic.

⚫️ What is the ideal size of the cage?

⚫️ How would I train one? By training I mean being able to fly away and back to me etc.

⚫️ I have two dogs and was wondering if that would be a con to the Parrots comfort, even though it would get a room to itself which the dogs never go into as it is.



I know it’s a lot of questions but I just want to make sure that I am capable of raising a parrot properly and giving it a healthy and happy life. If someone answers all these questions, thank you very much and have a good day. Any additional information that I left out would be appreciated
I commend you on starting your research here. The amount of knowledge in this group is fantastic!

I have an Amazon, a yellow nape. Myka is my dream bird: I was in my mid to upper 40s when he came into my life, still being hand-fed.

Despite a great deal of bird experience (including wild bird rescue and rehab) as well as hook bills of many species, Myka is a challenge. He is now 13. We learn something new ALL THE TIME.

The time commitment is intense. This is not a pet bird you keep in a cage and play/interact with once in a while. These birds are intelligent and long-lived. Their needs are many and complex.

I urge you to find a local parrot sanctuary and volunteer. You will learn far, far more hands-on than all the reading and research combined.

I think you will become an amazing parrot parent(parront!). You have started a wonderful, life-long journey.

Welcome to the flock!
 

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