Birds as pets

[DejaVu]

Hey guys. I just got a job (well my training starts today) and I was at the pet store yesterday and when my mom called on my cell phone. I was in the bird room flirting with a very sweet bare eyed cockatoo. So since my mom was on the phone I figured I'd ask her a random question. When I get payed and save up some money, can I get a bird. To my surprise she actually said yes.
I would like a companion bird. I would love to have a bare eyed cockatoo, but those are a bit pricey. Maybe if I were to find a breeder around here... My second best option would probably be Omar's Exotic Birds or another bird store where my friend got her bird.
I am fond of the small conures (green cheek, brown throat, etc) and cockatiels. I would love an "albino" cockatiel. What about pigeons?

What do you all reccomend? What are your suggestions? I feed my hamsters the best quality food. What is the equivalent for a very good bird food? I don't feel that seeds is a good primary diet. I feel that that is something that a bird should get along side of a pelleted diet. What brands do you reccomend? Toys?

Thanks for all of your input.

[popcornbird]

Cockatiels make wonderul pets! You're right on seeds not being a good primary diet for birds. They need variety in their diet to get the proper nutrients required for their bodies.

I feed my tiels Zupreem pellets (good brand), seeds, fresh vegetables (broccoli, carrots, celery, corn, peas, cauliflower, etc.), whole wheat bread, certain types of cereals, popcorn (without butter/salt), etc. They need variety.

Let us know when you get your bird, and what you decide on! They're wonderful, fun pets, for sure!

[Giselle]

Birds are wonderful pets, indeed. The smaller ones have beautiful calls in the morning and their soft warbles fill the evening air. Besides their attractive appearances and beautiful calls, they're fun and energetic to play with. The large parrot types often bond strongly to one person, and this bond often lasts a lifetime in the wild. In captivity, this is a VERY strong bond with the bird's owner and I know plenty of birds who are actually territorial of their owners. With proper socialization, you can turn that fluffy year old macaw into a gregarious and well behaved parrot with the proper manners most parents *dream* of. I digress. LOL.

As for species suggestions, I highly recommend starting with a cockatiel, lovebird, parrotlet, or budgie. Even so, I feel the parrotlet might be a tad too much for a newbie owner. However, you sound VERY knowledgable and if you need help, you can just ask PT, so a parrotlet is still in the question. Generally, I'd go with a 'tiel or budgie. Handfed lovies make greyt first time birds, but the few I've known have a slight tendency towards aggression. Budgies are greyt all around birds. They're greyt beginner birds and are unbelievably easy to tame (even the parent raised ones). They don't fret if you don't interact with them every day, and can go for a week without interaction but plenty of toys, if need be. The same cannot be said for a larger parrot. I feel the Aratinga conure species are much too loud and their cries too high pitched for my taste. Though I adore Jendays....they're not for me. GCs, however, don't seem to have as loud calls and I would recommend it as 'the second time around' bird. They're the type of bird you get after you've owned a cockatiel or something. If you want an "albino" cockatiel, go to a private breeder. Albinos are actually a white-faced/lutino mix, and I know plenty of breeders who use this combo. Pet stores should be avoided if possible.

I agree with the diet. Seeds are a vital part of a seed eating bird's diet. However, the bird's diet should not be composed of more than 50-70% seeds. I like to keep at a 1/4 pellets, 1/4 seed, 1/8 fruits and veggies (depending on the species, I'll give or take a little more), and 1/8 eggfood/supplements/birdie bread/extras. During breeding season, I'll decrease pellet consumption and up the "extras". If you plan to keep a pet, I wouldn't worry about this. Some good pellets brands include: Lafeber (used the Nutriberries on occassion), Roudybush (used it), Zupreem (used it), Harrisons, Pretty Bird, etc. etc. I use species appropriate KayTee Forti-Diet seed mix. As for toys... bells and mirrors are favorites over here. Other than that, I just buy whatever looks "fun" in the pet store and bring it back home. LOL. I also have an endless stack of empty paper towel rolls that I string with sisal cord or hemp. Hope this helps!

Edit: Grammar- agh!

[CathyBogart]

What species to start with depends entirely on what you want in a companion! I chose a parrotlet for myself because I wanted a sassy, spunky, boisterous, noisy (Yes, I consider that a boon), playful and bossy companion. (And I don't have the space for an amazon!)

So ask yourself...do you want a quiet, less active bird? Do you want a silly clown who will keep you entertained? Do you want a super cuddly bird? How much noise will you want to have? How much room do you have? How much time?

You are right about seed not being a good diet...Kiwi eats a mix of Zupreem and Roudybush pellets with a bit of seed, plus fresh fruits and veggies, rice, noodles, all sorts of stuff!! Even with little birds, variety is key!

The best advice I can offer is to research research research! Even though I decided that I wanted a parrotlet within two weeks of getting a job in a pet store, I researched for almost two years before I felt ready. Then I had to get the finances together!

[Logan]

I am a bird advocate, myself. I have two Cockatiels. I will forewarn you that they are messy, but oh my goodness, do they overpower the messiness factor with their personalities. I am constantly watching them and checking on them to make sure they are ok. What sweeties they are! I know that larger birds are probably even more time consuming. Maybe you choose to start with a small one and work your way up.

Logan

[DejaVu]

Wow.. I'm very angry right now... I just typed like an essays worth of questions, etc, and then after I clicked to send, it had logged me out. I am having a bad day and this didn't make it any better. I'll try to start over again.

For feeding I'm basically going off of how I feed my hamsters. Their main diet is lab blocks with about a tablespoon of mix a week. For a bird I would guess maybe a little more than that a few time a week? And we can't forget the fruits and veggies.

I want a companion bird. Something I can cuddle with and that is sweet and loving, but a bird that can be independent when need be and not something that is extremely loud. I would probably get a smaller bird like the ones already mentioned because I want to be able to provide for the bird, though I would have liked to have snagged the bare eyed cockatoo from Petco yesterday. What a sweetie she was. But I know better.
Does gender matter? I know that in hamsters males tend to be a bit calmer and more laid back then females.
If I get one will it bond closer to me? Or is it best to get two?

What kinds/sizes of cages do you recommend? What do you think of a cage this size?
.Cage
Or like this?
Another Cage (this one comes as a starter kit)

What about the vet? How often does a bird to need to see a vet and about how much does it cost?

Now I hope you all don't mind me asking all of these questions. I just feel that it is better to get opinions rather than to just head straight for the books or google every time.

Thanks again.

[CathyBogart]

An initial "Well bird" vet visit tends to run $200 - $300, as they like to do a blood test to make sure the bird is free of any disease that would be hard to find just be examination. Birds are great at hiding illness. I haven't had Kiwi that long, but blood tests are recommended once a year and that's what I plan to do.

Definitely find a good avian vet before you get a bird. I went through two before I found one I liked.

As far as one bird or multiple...well, what kind of bird? For parakeets, I strongly recommend a pair. For lovebirds or parrotlets, a single bird. I agree with Giselle about lovebirds tending to be more aggressive than other small species, and parrotlets are pretty feisty as well. I have zero experience with cockatiels, but there are a LOT of 'tiels here on PT so I'm sure you wll have plenty of info available.

From the birds I have experience with, I would suggest a pair of english budgies. They're larger than the regular budgies, a bit heavier set, and in my experience they tame down easier, and are a lot cuddlier.

Gender is a topic I find debated a lot...I feel that as a general rule, male birds prefer women and female birds prefer men. This applies more to larger birds, although Kiwi has a definite preference for the ladies!

That cockatiel started kit you linked to is a lovely size for a pair of budgies, but I think it's not wide enough for a cockatiel. You probably already know this, but horizontal space is much more important than vertical space to keep our featherkids happy.

Keep the questions coming, I know all of the bird lovers here love talking about their Fids. ^_^

[Vette]

I thought about getting a Cockatoo untill i stumbled upon this webpage

http://www.mytoos.com/

they are adorable birds though.
i wish you the best of luck.

[K9soul]

I have grown up with budgies (regular, not English), and have a tiel now. The budgies were little comedians, SO funny, and one of them that I had was a master talker. He amazed everyone with how clear and well he talked! Budgies that have to be left alone several hours a day would probably do best with two, but my first budgie was alone while I went to school and my mom worked, and he was fine with the radio or TV on, plus he is the one who could talk amazingly. He was also probably the most bonded to me compared to the budgies we had in groups. Parakeets can be little chatterboxes, we used to have to cover Peepers, my parakeet in childhood, if he was in his cage and we were trying to watch TV. One thing is for sure, budgies are one of the most entertaining little birds I've ever been around .

I have a cockatiel now. She is the most gentle, affectionate, and cuddly bird I've ever had. Others I have spoken to have felt their female tiels were more affectionate than their males. She's not as comedic, but she loves and craves being with me, preferably riding on my shoulder, as much as she possibly can. She absolutely loves getting head rubs and has never bitten me, ever, even when I pick her up. She is my first tiel so I am not sure how close to the norm she is, but most people I've known who had tiels agreed they are very sweet and affectionate birds. But they also really crave to be with their people more than a budgie would I think, so definitely need daily attention and loving . My tiel Dawn is mute, but generally tiels are a quieter bird when compared to other species, especially females. This is in general of course. There are louder and quieter individuals

Those have been my experiences with birdies!

Oh, Dawn gets Zupreem pellets (the fruit kind), and about 20% parakeet seed (cockatiel mixes have too many fatty sunflower seeds), plus a wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies.

[DejaVu]

Thanks for the information.. again.
Where do you get english budgies? What do the cost compared to a regular budgie? Just Curious.
I figured as much about the cages. Giving more length. Don't want the cage to high and not enough length. I know this from hamsters. There isn't enough room fom the animal if it is very tall and not very wide, and injuries can occur if they fall.

What about Quaker parrots? I was reading up on them this morning.

[Orca]

I think birds make great pets, I love cockatiels myself. I used to work for a woman who bred them and took in rescue parrots too.

I don't know how old you are or you living situation, but just be careful because they do require LOTS of attention and larger birs live a long time. And you have to think about where you are going to be in the future...are you going to college? Are you getting a job that would take up much of your time? If you travel, can the bird come with you? The bird is going to become very attached to you, maybe you exclusively (I've seen this a lot with the rescues, some bond to one person alone). Keep all this in mind before you get a bird, please.

[chrissycat21]

I have a cockatiel, Buttons. I got him in November, so I haven't had him for that long. He is just the sweetest thing in the world, he loves to cuddle and will fall asleep on your shoulder, but when he isn't tired he loves to play! He especially likes shiny things. Cockatiels are great, they all have different personailities. Buttons is really loud, he wakes me up inthe morning if his cage isn't 100% covered. But how do you get mad at the sweet little face, even if its 5:00 in the morning?

Good luck on getting a bird! They are great pets!

[CathyBogart]

In my area there is a store that sells english budgies for $50.

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Quakers, because they are illegal here. I have heard them compared to grey-cheeked parakeets, and if they are anything like those little gems they are wonderful! I got to know a pair of grey cheeks after their owner died, and they were the quietest, sweetest little things. They loved each other and people very much.

[Felicia's Mom]

I have had three canaries (at different times). I would chose one of them but they are hard to find now.

[luckies4me]

Do you live in Orange County? There is an Omar's Exotic birds there. Just curious.