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-   -   Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird? (http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community/showthread.php?t=524271)

Beth1231 11-28-2017 07:57 AM

Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
Can you chat with me for a minute?
My 10 yr old had been asking for a parakeet for over a year and the plan is to surprise her for Christmas. She’s proven herself entirely responsible for the feeding and bowl cleaning of her betta fish and she takes very good care of things she knows to be valuable such as the little birthstone ring we gave her a year ago.
So her responsibility with the bird isn’t my concern. It’s all these things I’m reading about online about wing clipping and that the wings grow back and the bird flying about the house. How do I manage thatvat all? How do you get them back to the cage? I’ve been reading about taming and training and removing hazards (like turning faucets and stoves off and putting the dog outside).
My real question here is “how difficult is it to keep a little pet bird,really?” Do they bring joy like the articles repeatedly say? Is the high pitched birdsong going to drive me a little crazy?
On a scale of 1-10, 1 being a betta fish and 9 being our golden retriever,how hard is it to have and keep and care for a parakeet?
Any other tricks and tips you wish you had known?

Aerynne 11-28-2017 09:20 AM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
canaries sound much less annoying when they are noisy :shifty

We had birds as kids. So keep in mind my mom might feel differently ;) but I didn't think they were very hard. Maybe 3-4 on your scale. Ours didn't get loose.

MaySunflowers 11-28-2017 09:26 AM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
I looove budgies and have had many in the past.

My number one tip is to buy one hand reared from a breeder. It will cost you more but be far more rewarding. My hand reared ones were easily picked up and returned to their cages.

I also only wing clipped a few times. I'd let them out in a bed room with the door closed as it was much easier to keep them safe there.

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Mother of Sons 11-28-2017 10:11 AM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
The vacuuming is the hardest part imo. I worked in a pet store and hated the constant vacuuming. I agree with buying a hand raised bird.

sweetpeasmommy 11-28-2017 10:28 AM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
They are really loud for noise sensitive people.


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twoplustwo 11-28-2017 11:28 AM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
My grandma had a parakeet. So I won't be able to answer a lot of your questions. But I love the "on a scale" question - it made me :giggle a little bit - even though I can't answer it.

If you wore a thick glove you could put your hand in the cage and it would hop from it's perch to your hand. You had to wear the glove because it would bite your hand first. Then you could pet it with your other (ungloved) hand - it would only bite the hand it was sitting on.

She would let it fly around and she just leave the door to the cage open and it would return at some point (probably for food).

It was noisy-ish a lot of the time but if you put the cover over the top of the cage it would be quite or go to sleep. But of course you wouln't want to do that all day.

light of mine 11-28-2017 12:31 PM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
I don't have any birds currently because I have two terriers that can't handle the excitement, but I love birds and wish I could have another. I do suggest handfed/handraised bird, especially in a house with a lot of children, I think it would just be too noisy, too busy to tame one. If you just had one or 2 I don't think cleanup would be too bad, during their molts the feathers can be bad. A quieter bird, but still the same size would be a parrolet--they are super smart and can be trained to do lots of tricks.

Beth1231 11-28-2017 04:29 PM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpeasmommy (Post 6117847)
They are really loud for noise sensitive people.


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This is something that is really on my mind. But A assures me it won’t bother her. :-/

sweetpeasmommy 11-28-2017 06:14 PM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
It bothered C a lot. They have a range of noises and some are very squacky. It bothered C so much that he really didn’t like the birds anymore because he just could not filter out the noise and he would sometimes lose it and bang on the cage. If you can find a video or audio and play it while she’s otherwise trying to concentrate on something, it might help to tell if she can handle it. Otherwise, maybe find a less noisy bird. Lol I looked and parakeets are listed as one of the quieter birds.


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Beth1231 11-29-2017 07:10 PM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
Y’all helped me a lot with this,Husband and I decided to opt for an MP3 player and we will tackle the pet bird question again in July for her 11th birthday.
:ty!

KarenBoo 11-30-2017 03:26 AM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
Well even though you've got your decision made for now, I'll just put this here for thought.

I had a bird from age 12-18. It was a ringneck parakeet, and my dad actually caught it in south Florida! He went outside and held up a cracker and it landed on his head. He believes it escaped from someone during a storm. This was before the internet y'all, so he just gave that bird to me. I tamed it, and I still have a scar on my hand from when it bit me! It bit me a lot!!:giggle

Anyway, I *loved* that bird, and it *loved* me. She was crazy for me! Whenever she saw me, she'd do a funny dance and song, and she couldn't wait to get out and kiss me and let me love on her. Until....we moved from FL to TX. And I had maybe only had the bird for a year. We did clip its wing, and I would wear it on my shoulder for walks around the block. Yes, it pooped all over me, so I had to change my clothes a lot.:giggle

When we moved, I had to live with my dad for a couple of months while my mom and step-dad went to TX to look at houses. They took the bird with them. During that time, the bird transferred its love to my mother!!!:jawdrop:jawdrop:jawdrop When I arrived in TX, I was so overjoyed to see my bird again, but that bird no longer was crazy about me. It only tolerated me. It *loved* my mother! And even though the bird was put in my bedroom, it never transferred its main love and affection back to me ever again. I can not describe how heartbroken I was...for months!! And my poor mom, she tried to ignore the bird so it would love me again. It did not work. I never blamed my mom - I understood that she had not done anything on purpose to win the bird over. But, I was just heartbroken!

Even so, it was my bird and I had to feed it and take care of it, and so with whatever colored glasses those may be (of the bird not really loving me anymore), taking care of her was drudgery! I had to vacuum every single day. She was noisy. Fresh food and water daily. Taking her out to play with her daily. (trying so, so hard to win her affection back!!!) I think the worst part was taking apart the cage to soak it in the tub because stuck on bird poop is very difficult to clean! I had to do that every week or so. And I had to put in fresh newspaper daily (or so) in between cage cleanings.

We eventually moved her cage to the kitchen (after we realized that she would never love me again like she now loved my mother.) She got more attention there from the entire family. When I left home at age 18, my mom tried to make me take the bird with me!! I told her that the bird was hers and we all knew it, and there was no way I was taking it with me!!:snooty

sprout 11-30-2017 05:41 AM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
We have three pet budgies (the kind you just go and pick up in the store). They are my middle daughter's.

We choose the budgie bc they really are not that noisy compared to other birds. We had some really noisy birds in the past and I did not want to go down that road again.

we got a male and female at the store and then bred a baby. The parents are friendly, but the baby we bred is much, much more friendly for sure.

I like them b/c they are easy to keep and not very expensive and really friendly with my daughter.

Barefoot 11-30-2017 04:16 PM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
I've always had budgies. I love them.
If you buy a baby one, then hold it every day it won't really be a problem flying around (but we had a big butterfly net to catch them if we really needed to).
They can also learn to talk if you repeat a word to them. They are also good at learning tricks.
If they are handled daily they tend not to bite, but do go through a stage of it anyway, but it's not very hard to break the skin. Just a little pinch really.
They are the only pet my 7yo son has had so far.

Beth1231 11-30-2017 08:27 PM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Barefoot (Post 6118307)
I've always had budgies. I love them.
If you buy a baby one, then hold it every day it won't really be a problem flying around (but we had a big butterfly net to catch them if we really needed to).
They can also learn to talk if you repeat a word to them. They are also good at learning tricks.
If they are handled daily they tend not to bite, but do go through a stage of it anyway, but it's not very hard to break the skin. Just a little pinch really.
They are the only pet my 7yo son has had so far.

I am convinced I need a baby one! Or someone’s beloved pet they can’t keep anymore.

Soliloquy 11-30-2017 08:59 PM

Re: Do you/have you ever had a small,pet bird?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Beth1231 (Post 6117825)
Can you chat with me for a minute?
My 10 yr old had been asking for a parakeet for over a year and the plan is to surprise her for Christmas. She’s proven herself entirely responsible for the feeding and bowl cleaning of her betta fish and she takes very good care of things she knows to be valuable such as the little birthstone ring we gave her a year ago.

Not to be obtuse but caring for a betta fish and a bird are very, very different. Also, please look into the lifespan of the bird you plan to get. There's a possibility this bird will be your responsibility when she moves out. Some can live 20+ years. Bird rescues are very crowded places.


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