How many BYC members have other avian pets?

[kaddidle]

I'm considering adding some caged birds to my flock. I've kept cockatiels and parakeets in the past. I'm considering finches this go round as I'm pretty busy taking care of my cats, dogs, turtle, fish, and chickens and don't have time for a much more demanding pet but would enjoy some feathered friends that could live indoors and be fun to watch. What kinds of caged birds do you have and how do you enjoy them?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I have 2 cockatiels in the house, Badbird & Rabirda. They are talking up a storm right now. Rabirda loves to get on your finger & be talked to. Badbird would rather chew through the cage wire & attack. He hates people. These are 2 birds I got from the local humane society when I worked there. They were escapees from someone. They get along with each other, & are laying eggs left & right, but none have hatched so far.

 

[ParlorCityChickens]

We have 3 parakeets that basically own us, they fly free all day and go into the cage to sleep at night, and they never shut up. But they are great fun!

 

[sianara]

Two parakeets. Jack (5.5 years old) & Jill (8 months old). Jacks wife Olive (who was a year older than him) died in October so we went right out and got him Jill. They fly free all day long except when the ferret is out

 

[Duck_feeder]

4 budgies - Stormy, Sunny, Icy, and Muggy
3 cockatiels - Bacon, Butter, Biscuit

Bacon used to fly to me as soon as I came into the room until we got Butter. Now they freak out if they are more than 3 feet apart and don't want anything to do with people...

The cockatiels get between 2 and 10 hours outside their cage everyday. The budgies are allowed outside their cage during the same times but they rarely leave their cage ever since we got them a very large flight cage (they used to go back and forth between their cage and play gym all day). If Stormy decides to leave the cage the others will follow eventually. If any of the others try leaving the cage, Stormy will cal to them until they come back.

 

[chickerdoodle]

We have a Pacific Parrotlet, Kiwi

. They are absolutely beautiful! We've had him over 10 years and he is a real character. Parrotlets are the smallest parrots in the world yet are closely related to Amazon Parrots. He thinks he is a chicken hawk (hee, hee, hee, Kiwi doesn't realize how big chickens are). He is really fun to have around and loves to play with toys and is talkative but not as loud as other parrots. He does need veggies, fruits, grains, beans and seeds in their diet. Not as messy as other small birds but they do need a good sized cage. You can finger train them as well. They are so tiny though they can get in trouble if left unattended out of their cage in the house.

 

[Parrotchick]

I have had parrots for about 14 years. Right now I have 6: Two Senegals, a Green Wing Macaw, a Red-Lored Amazon, a Patagonian conure, and a cockatiel. One of the Senegals I got this winter and she hadn't gotten a lot of interaction so she's super skittish. My other birds are quite tame, but the Amazon is fiesty. The other Senegal wants to marry me. Most of them talk-sometimes to each other. One will ring like a telephone, another will say "Hello?" and another will say "telephone." They just looooove the phone and sometimes will alert me to my cell phone ringing when even I don't hear it.

I'd say indoor birds take a lot more work and maintenance than "outdoor" birds. Cleanliness is more important, as well as spending regular time with them, handling them and letting them out of their cages. They can get into trouble easily, from flying into windows and chewing all kinds of things they shouldn't so they need supervision. It varies with the breed of bird and greatly of the disposition of the individual bird. Regular veterinary care/check ups are more important, and I've found is more expensive than "livestock" care. Blood work for parrots is no cheaper than for dogs!

I don't know much about finches but my impression is that they don't require as much socialization as parrots to lead happy lives. So if you're kind of pinched for time, I agree you should probably stay away from anything in the parrot family.

 

[susie6582001]

I am new to chickens but have had my spoiled rotten 10 year old umbrella cockatoo for 4 years..I adopted him from a bird rescue, and have loved every minute that i have had him.. He is truly a part of my family.... We added 24 RIRs on march 19th... lost one and one other is a special needs chicken.... long story, but adds a bit of a challange to my household.. keeping the cockatoo and the chicken seperated enough to not spread any diseases, or enrage the cockatoo! (the chicken must be kept out of sight, or the cockatoo goes balistic... I think he is a wee bit jealous

 

[sonjab314]

I have a pair of tiels that I inherited earlier this year named Fred and Ethel. I also have a Senegal parrot named Jack Jack. I hatched Jack Jack out 8 years ago and hand fed him. He likes to ring like the phone and when I come running to get the phone, he laughs

duh me lol. He also creaks like my front door. I'm always yelling at the kids for running in and out and its the bird. One of these days...

lol.

My tiels are right at 1 year old. I plan on breeding them come September. I have no idea of their splits and will be surprised with the color of the babies. I bred and raised parrots for years but had to sell my breeders to make room for my human babies. I miss it and can't wait til September comes.

 

[tammyd57]

I have a Blue Front Amazon Parrot, Rusty, who is 23 years old and I have had him since he was a 6 month old baby. He lives in a huge parrot house right next to my desk, where I spend most of my time. He has never liked being out of his house and I could leave his door open all day and he would never even attempt to come out. He will stand on my hand if I put it in his house but the second he thinks I'm going to bring him out he jumps back on his perch. I think he's agoraphobic, so I never press the issue because he seems so content to just sit there near me and talk to me all day and share my lunch. He loves being petted and getting his chin rubbed. He has a huge vocabulary (300+ words, phrases, songs and sounds)
I also have 2 Parakeets, Mr. & Mrs. Jabber. I got Mr. Jabber first, about 6 years ago he appeared on my front porch and flew down onto my hand when I offered it to him. He was starving, evidently an escapee from someone. I couldn't find his owner so he stayed with me. He really liked being held and played with until I thought he might be lonely for others of his kind and bought Mrs. Jabber to share his home with. Now he doesn't want anything to do with me. He is SO in love with his wife! She was very young when I bought her and I didn't notice that she had a crossed beak, she's white and so is her beak so it wasn't easy to see. Mr. Jabber feeds her because she has such a hard time eating. It is just so cute how he takes care of her! Mr. Jabber is neon lime green with a yellow head and Mrs. Jabber is white with sky blue clouds all over. Very cute couple. They can both talk and love to repeat the things they hear Rusty say.