new to owning "exotic" birds

[Heather123]

I think Clark Conure has a point here I mean I got my budgies from a local pet store but I later went to petsmart to get a few things and of course stopped to look at the birds. The man caring for the birds was great and seemed to have a great relationship with all the birds. He expressed concerned for how long some of them have been there and maybe its because people are being scared away from buying birds there. All of them deserve a home not just the ones at local pet stores and breeders.

 

[Flboy]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to introduce myself. I've owned birds before and suffered the loss of my cockatiel this past May. (It was due to old age). She was my sweetheart, but recently found out it was best to avoid "powdery" birds due to flare up of allergies and respiratory issues. So I'm looking into other species such as an Eclectus. I'm also looking into Hahn's macaws, as I found out Macaws are not considered "powdery" birds, either. So you'll be probably see more of me in the Electus or Macaw forums. As I gain experience I can answer questions, but for now I'll mainly be asking. This forum has been an excellent and friendly source of info so I'm glad to be a part of it!

Hi, back to you! Sorry for the loss of your little girl!
Powdery - old world parrots (anything outside of the Americas)
Enjoy your search and be very receptive as to how a new fid reacts to you!
My JoJo was considered unplaceable when my daughter and I walked into the place. He jumped up on us both, first time in a year for anyone! Every visit was the same!

 

[Puck]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! On what bird you're going to purchase, I would do a comparison of the kind of care they need after narrowing down the list of birds that are more hypoallergenic. Most birds are fine that aren't in the cockatoo family--those are the birds that generally produce enough "dust" that it can be a problem. Any other species, regularly bathed, should be fine for your allergies, especially if you invest in a good air purifier for near the cage (which is good for the birds, too!)

My galah isn't even too dusty because she's bathed every other day.

As for choosing an ekkie for the hypoallergenic properties... You definitely want to look into what kind of care they take before buying. You may already have, which is totally cool! But they are some of the toughest hookbills to care for due to their need for a VERY specialized diet (they have a very interesting digestive tract). Hahn's macaws are great. If you get the chance, try hanging out with some different types of birds and see what you love. If not, just think about what you have the space, money, and time for.

 

[plumsmum2005]

I accept your apology. And I disagree, I know all about puppy mills but that doesn't mean all pet stores use bird mills. I did some google digging but a lot of the stuff was unsubstantiated. Also when I got my bird they actually had a daily chart of his weight and weighed him in front of me before they would allow me to buy him. The fact that I first saw him sitting on a guys head as he was feeding fish because they wanted to get them personalized more...he as hand raised, maybe that was why I was such luck bonding with him. I don't think mass pet stores are inherently bad. I realize pet overpopulation is a problem, but like I said in a previous post a pet chain store is not going to sell sickly animals. A chain store has an image to protect and would be much less able to get away with it than a single breeder out to make a buck...The employees themselves would be the whistle blowers if not the customers. People do love animals. I looked up petco on the BBB Better buisness bureau just now and not a single complaint against a bird. SO I can only complain about my bird, and how he likes to watch me pee.

I thought this was in the parrot Bill of Rights

He/she shall sit on you whilst ablutions are being carried out!

 

[LordTriggs]

Going on with petco and stuff like that it really depends on the store. Much like when you go to a breeder. Some stores have people who either are or become parrot experts to help care for the ones in the store. Meanwhile some independent pet shops will keep their birds in terrible conditions just to turn a profit, we all know birds are expensive creatures after all.

Like when looking at any parrot you should ask questions and look into things.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I personally would never buy an animal, even a fish, from Petco or Petsmart. By doing this, you are supporting them and giving them money so they will continue to buy more animals.
My local independent pet store is great. They work with an adoption program to adopt out dogs and cats. The birds are fed a healthy diet with fresh vegetables and fruits, handfed and people can ask to take them out of their cages to play with them. They even have a golden conure who is out most of the day and the customers interact with it. I taught him to do several tricks! Customers are amazed when he waves hello or hangs upside down. They just received a female eclectus parrot that had to be rehomed. I'm not sure if they're going to find her a home or keep her, but she's beautiful.

 

[plumsmum2005]

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/60536-your-parrot-new-old-world.html

You might find this useful info?

 

[Presley]

Hey guys, thanks for the helpful info. You have definitely talked me into considering GCCs. I'll just make sure to check out the boards on how to decrease nippy behaviors. (A few months ago, I encountered a GCC at a petstore that was just constantly nipping at me. I wasn't even touching it except for having it perched on my finger. That bird even hung to my finger with its beak as I was putting it back down!)

If I were to buy a bird from a petstore, I'll look into that particular store and the conditions of the birds, how they keep them, do they come from mills, etc. I'll keep looking at my local rescue, too.

I love Galahs! I have a pic of a baby Galah as my phone's background. Their shade of pink is so pretty! I'll look into the idea of bathing a bird to reduce dustiness. I also read about that recently in another article. I wish I had heard about the idea before.

Those links were helpful, plumsmum2005. Thanks for posting the thread link here.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Hey guys, thanks for the helpful info. You have definitely talked me into considering GCCs. I'll just make sure to check out the boards on how to decrease nippy behaviors. (A few months ago, I encountered a GCC at a petstore that was just constantly nipping at me. I wasn't even touching it except for having it perched on my finger. That bird even hung to my finger with its beak as I was putting it back down!)

If I were to buy a bird from a petstore, I'll look into that particular store and the conditions of the birds, how they keep them, do they come from mills, etc. I'll keep looking at my local rescue, too.

I love Galahs! I have a pic of a baby Galah as my phone's background. Their shade of pink is so pretty! I'll look into the idea of bathing a bird to reduce dustiness. I also read about that recently in another article. I wish I had heard about the idea before.

Those links were helpful, plumsmum2005. Thanks for posting the thread link here.

You are very welcome.

Just one point re the Galah's, they are very dusty, it is like someone has been shaking fine talc in the room despite an air purifier running all day.