what bird should I get?

[magillsp]

I am interested in getting a bird! I have went and handled a b&g and fell in LOVE. The only problem is I run a daycare out of my home. I am thinking I should start with a little bit smaller bird I have looked into conures, yellow collar macaw, amazons. I think I have decided against the amazon because I heard once they reach sexual maturity they can get nippy. Someone else told me that the conures never shut up and it is like a shreek sound they make. I just can't decide what to get. We also go camping a lot in the summer and I want the bird to be able to go with us. I have 2 kids myself 5 & 10. If any one has suggestions I am all ears!!

[swanwillow]

well, first off, hi!

and secondly, I have to say. ALL BIRDS BITE Running a daycare, this becomes a large liability. If one of the kids gets bit, then YOUR in trouble for it.

If you do want a nice bird for you, can you keep it in a room out of the way while the daycare kids are there? I've come to find most birds don't like little kids, and little kids traffic (I have little kids, so the birds are kept out of little kid traffic in the kitchen)

You'll have to bird-proof the house; no teflon pans, no scented plug-ins, things of that nature. Doing a search online will give you a HUGE list of what to and to not do with birds.

now, good family birds. I've heard many good things about poinous when it comes to children. And my Eclectus has proven that if the kids are being calm, she'll hang out with them well. Of course hand tamed/fed cockateils are great, and parrotlets.

You can take any bird camping, but it will take a large understanding of the bird, how to keep it, and probably harness training.

[birdsnreps]

ok, these are my suggestions....for children, a properly socialized caique, meyers, red belly, or cockatiel. they all interact with children well, and we have sold many of these birds to homes that have small children, and they have done great so far. meyers, red bellies and tiels all have very even temperaments, very sweet, cuddly, and not nippy, although every once in a while, you might get a good little nip if you dont read their body language. caiques just have so much energy and they just like to constantly play, they have the same energy level as a small child. ive seen lots of caiques that have done very well with younger children, and several parents have bought caiques for their kids. i love birds and i think they are great for people of all ages, IF they are willing to learn, do their research, and properly care for their bird for their whole lives. birds live for a very long time, so you must take that into account as well, and they have to have a good, varied diet to remain healthy. on top of that, a new-bird-workup and a yearly vet exam is good to spot any potential problems before they happen.

on the other hand, if you are caring for other people's kids, you MUST be very careful with a bird. all the children have to be calm and gentle with the bird, or the bird wont like kids. they also must learn to respect their powerful beaks, and you have to watch out for their body language to tell you if they feel like being held and played with at the moment, or else you, or someone's kid, could get a painful bite.

[Courtzrocks]

Cockatiels are great starters. Quakers are also good starters. Alexandrines (from my research) are good too but can be a bit noise but dont bond with just one person like some other parrots might. But the kids have to be really gentle and not squeal around the birds as it may stress them. research all the ones you like and pick the best for your situation.

[LyndaM]

Hahn's macaws are very affectionate. I have one and two parrotlets -- they are also great!

[Sally]

My Parrotlet does not like noise. She loves a quiet house. You would have to make sure whatever bird you get will have lots of quiet time. Some birds pluck when stressed out.

[PowerBBS]

This sounds aweful, but simply to save you from worring about a financial loss due to deciding you need to rehome you fid to another home due to your daycare business. Maybe you should test out your efforts just on a Parakeet.

NOW please everyone, do not take it as if I'm condoning any abuse, neglect or harm to a Parakeet. It's just like you say, you're unsure of what the effect a bird will have on your daycare. The possibility exists you will suffer customers/childcare recipeints due to owning a larger bird. A parakeet is a good trial size bird and won't be a financial loss should you have to re-home him/her.

Not to mention - you may have kids who have alergies, or parents of kids who don't want them around birds. Plus less of a danger of blood loss due to bites, parents complaining about unsafe environment for their kids around a "monster bird", etc... Plus a simple travel cage and you've taken your fid camping.

It's just a thought. Don't harass me to bad for suggesting it.

[magillsp]

whatever bird I decide to get will NOT be handle by the daycare kids. I plan on either putting a gate around the cage or plexiglass up high enough little ones can't get thier fingers in.

[birdsnreps]

ohhh, ok, we all thought the kids were gonna handle the bird, lol. in that case, you can pretty much pick anything you want, just read and read and read all about the diff parrots out there and you will eventually find one that has a fitting personality :) if you have a local bird shop, give them a visit and ask to handle diff types of parrots, and just see which one you like best, and pick a bird that really responds to you.

[4HAND]

While I will agree that conures can be loud[like most parrots]they do seem to love alot of excitement and are not likely to become anxious or pluck from alot of chaos around them.Our Cheddy has been to show and tell and he had a blast.
Tena