Possible first time owner with lots of questions

[Codemaster23]

Hello everyone. Like the title says I'm thinking of getting a bird, and so I was wondering a lot of things. I have a whole laundry list of questions to ask so I will just start off with a few.

First off, I was thinking of getting a Cockatiel since I heard they were social with their human/s and "Cuddly" for a bird. That sounds really nice since I like to interact with my pets. Would one be a good choice for a first time bird owner?

Another thing I am worried about is time outside of the cage. Can anyone give advice as to how to tackle play time outside of the cage? I just plan on having him/her in my room where I will make sure things like wires won't be chewed on.

Then there is changing of water and food daily, how can I do that without the bird flying the coop and having to try and get it back in before it really gets to know me?

 

[Codemaster23]

Hello? wrong place to ask or is no one just on right now?

 

[Mariahh0721]

I know a lot of people do get cockatiels as a first bird, but with getting any bird you should do research to see what bird is best for you rather then getting a "starter bird" then giving that one away to get a bigger one. Some people on this forum have started with larger birds. Pick what you think is best for you and your household.

As for outside of the cage time, my birds have playstands and toys they can play with outside of the cage. They also like to just hang out on my lap or on the couch and play with their toys. We also go outside if it's nice outside, if you take your bird outside always make sure it is in a carrier or a harness for safety reasons.

I was able to change all of my birds food and water when I first got them most cages have doors for the food and water so the bird shouldn't be able to get out . So that shouldn't be a problem

 

[jenphilly]

Alot of your questions are basic care which hopefully you'll spend quite a bit of time researching and doing your homework before bringing home any bird.

A first bird is a total personal choice, some may tell you cockatiel is a wonderful choice, I am not a fan of tiels, my daughter has 4. They are in groups of 2 (same sex, no mating pairs), so a single cockatiel may be entirely different.

The first advice I would give is that you find a local bird rescue and volunteer for a while. You will get lots of bird experience first hand as well as meet many varieties to see who is the best fit for you.

As for tackling out of cage time... not sure what there is to tackle? Do you mean how much out of cage time? Or parrot safing your home? Think everyone would recommend a playstand or hanging boing for your bird's out of cage time. Everyone has different amount of times their birds are out and even with the multiple birds we have, different birds are out different amounts. My Ivory (bare eyed cockatoo) is out all the time when I am home (which is most of the time). Ivory is only caged when no one is home and at night to sleep.

When your bird comes home you need to start working on trust immediately. Talk to your bird while they are in the cage, sit next to the cage and read out loud so she/he gets to know your voice. Offer a treat from your hand, if the bird will eat from you hand, hold the treat (millet or nutriberry for example) while your hand is in the cage.

As for feeding / watering. Not sure what you mean by coop? I think chicken or pigeon when I hear coop, what type of cage will you be housing your cockatiel? The bird will be kept indoors correct? Many bird cages are designed with doors that open so you can access food and water bowls without opening the cage door.

If you do volunteer at a shelter, chances are you will get to know a bird or they will pick you out, which happens quite often... just had that very experience yesterday at the shelter we actively work with. My daughter had fallen in love with a macaw and the adoption was contigent upon me getting past my 'big beak' fears, and yesterday was the moment of do or die Turns out the bird not only accepted attention from me, but almost immediately bonded to me and tho he likes everyone, certainly seemed to make the decision for us, that he needed to come home and live with us! If you spend time around shelter birds, the same will happen, if not the very first day! The best bird to have is the one that picks you out!

 

[Codemaster23]

Thank you for the answers, I was doing research but I figured it might be more helpful to get it from bird owners who I can actually talk with on a forum instead of just reading a post about it somewhere.

As for "Flying the coop" it was just an expression lol. I know where the cage will go. I have a large nightstand next to my chair where I sit at my computer, so I will be close to it and I can talk and read like you said with no problem.

I just wanted to get as much info as possible before making a decision because I'm a nervous kind of person with new things. Heck, my mom said fish were suppose to calm people but when I first got my betta (who sadly passed away a few days ago after having him for almost a year) my mom said I was likely to have an ulcer by the end of it all from worrying so much about what I was doing.

Sadly I can't think of anywhere around where I live that I could volunteer at that deals with birds. Well there is a place that deals with owls, hawks and eagles, but I'm not looking to take care of one of those in my house.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Hello? wrong place to ask or is no one just on right now?

Please remember that while you wait for someone to respond to your questions, this forum is LOADED with helpful information, so hopefully you utilized the "waiting period" to do some reading and research.

Our "SEARCH" function is a great tool, but here, I've found some helpful threads for you to start with:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/7244-parrot-me.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/8769-so-you-want-get-parrot-first-time.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/3100-bond-forming.html

 

[JerseyWendy]

Sadly I can't think of anywhere around where I live that I could volunteer at that deals with birds. Well there is a place that deals with owls, hawks and eagles, but I'm not looking to take care of one of those in my house.

There are absolutely NO rescues in Washington State?

 

[jenphilly]

If you are a nervous type person, I would really suggest you spend time with birds before bringing one home. Birds are very sensitive to your emotions, so you will want to keep that in mind.

I did a quick search and found several bird rescues in Washington, granted i know its a big state If you go to petfinder and put in your zip code and search for birds within 100 miles, you will see what shelters are out there. You might be surprised there is a bird rescue closer then you realize. I was surprised to find we had several in our general area.

Your mom is correct, the pet family members should help you relax!

 

[Codemaster23]

If you are a nervous type person, I would really suggest you spend time with birds before bringing one home. Birds are very sensitive to your emotions, so you will want to keep that in mind.

I did a quick search and found several bird rescues in Washington, granted i know its a big state If you go to petfinder and put in your zip code and search for birds within 100 miles, you will see what shelters are out there. You might be surprised there is a bird rescue closer then you realize. I was surprised to find we had several in our general area.

Your mom is correct, the pet family members should help you relax!

And Midnight did once I got into the groove of things. I'm not a nervous person in general, just getting started. As for bird shelters, I found one close, I will probably give them a call and see if they need volunteers.

 

[Codemaster23]

And while reading the thread "So, you want to get a parrot for the first time?" it mentioned teflon pans being bad. I knew this was the case, but if the bird is in my room and away from the kitchen would it be okay? I still live at home and so I can't make everyone change for the new addition to the home.

 

[jenphilly]

Even if the birdcage is in your room, it would be reasonable to expect that the bird is not only going to be in your room. I am sitting on the sofa right now typing on a laptop and my cockatoo is climbing all over me, my husband has the sun conure on his shoulder and my daughter's 4 tiels are on the back of the sofa... oh and forgot the two green cheeks, one is one a boing hanging looking out the patio door and the other is on her shoulder... Birds are extremely social, so hopefully your family is onboard with welcoming a bird into the home and will also enjoy socializing with your new baby.

With all the babble done... teflon... even in the same house, if someone is say making hard boiled eggs and they are forgotten about (hey, we've all done something similar at some time in our lives!!), when the water boils away, the pan will overheat and the deadly fumes released. Rooms or even a floor away, those fumes can kill your bird. Teflon is not healthy even for people, you can do some quick research and see that teflon as its known and used today is being replaced with coatings that do not release the harmful toxins, nothing to do with birds, its because people also can get sick.

The shelter can give you more advice and information, but the shelter I volunteer for and I do adoption interviews for them, two questions - does anyone in the home smoke and are teflon cookware used.... what a third - scented candles... those are also very unhealthy for your bird. Birds have very sensitive respiratory systems and fumes and smoke are a huge worry. That is one you should worry about when doing your homework.

All of this is not to deter you from a bird, but lots of just babbling and sharing things you should think about and discuss with your family. While you may be adopting a bird for yourself, it is a family decision with some changes that are needed to ensure a happy and healthy feathered baby.

 

[Codemaster23]

Even if the birdcage is in your room, it would be reasonable to expect that the bird is not only going to be in your room. I am sitting on the sofa right now typing on a laptop and my cockatoo is climbing all over me, my husband has the sun conure on his shoulder and my daughter's 4 tiels are on the back of the sofa... oh and forgot the two green cheeks, one is one a boing hanging looking out the patio door and the other is on her shoulder... Birds are extremely social, so hopefully your family is onboard with welcoming a bird into the home and will also enjoy socializing with your new baby.

With all the babble done... teflon... even in the same house, if someone is say making hard boiled eggs and they are forgotten about (hey, we've all done something similar at some time in our lives!!), when the water boils away, the pan will overheat and the deadly fumes released. Rooms or even a floor away, those fumes can kill your bird. Teflon is not healthy even for people, you can do some quick research and see that teflon as its known and used today is being replaced with coatings that do not release the harmful toxins, nothing to do with birds, its because people also can get sick.

The shelter can give you more advice and information, but the shelter I volunteer for and I do adoption interviews for them, two questions - does anyone in the home smoke and are teflon cookware used.... what a third - scented candles... those are also very unhealthy for your bird. Birds have very sensitive respiratory systems and fumes and smoke are a huge worry. That is one you should worry about when doing your homework.

All of this is not to deter you from a bird, but lots of just babbling and sharing things you should think about and discuss with your family. While you may be adopting a bird for yourself, it is a family decision with some changes that are needed to ensure a happy and healthy feathered baby.

I don't know if our pans are Teflon or not, I will have to check. I would love to have the bird all around the house with me eventually, the problem is the cat. I don't know if he will attack or not. I planned on having the bird mostly away from him, but since the cat was here first I can't make him stay outside all the time so the bird can have the house.

 

[jenphilly]

We have cats too, so don't fret, you can teach your cat that indoors birds are not food. A topic you will hear very passionate arguments for and against is wing clipping. If you have a cat, I would definitely allow your bird to fly so just in case the cat stalks, your bird can get up high and safe.

Plan to keep a water bottle handy to spray your cat when your bird first comes home, one of the easiest and many times quite effective way to teach the cat no eating the new family member!! But if your bird goes outside and 'hunts', you may have a bigger challenge. All of our cats are indoor only, so walking to the food bowl is all the hunting they need to do!

 

[Codemaster23]

I will keep that in mind. I honestly have the time and the dedication to take care of a bird. I will have to make sure that the pans and stuff are safe just encase. But I think that with a little training for the cat I can mak ethe home safe for a bird.