Looking to get a feathered family member

[MissErica]

Hello all...
I am looking to own a bird,but I need advice on choosing a species.So here are the living conditions I guess lol, I have 3 children ( 10, 5 & 3) not sure if some birds are better with kids then others. I live in a house and have made room for a large cage if I decide to get a large bird, I work 9am-6pm my husband work 3pm-11pm so the bird would not be home alone very much but I am looking for a bird that is playful, not extremely needy or noisy. Please any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Congobongo]

You need to wait until your children are older. The only bird I would suggest right now is a parakeet.

[loyallyroyal]

Im not a big budgie fan myself.

Have you considered pionuses?
Blue Headed Pionus, Pionus for sale, Handfed Pionus

[MissErica]

O wow. that bird is beautiful.

[Greycloud]

I wouldn't recommend a BH pionus. They can tend to be shy and one person birds, in my experience. With the age of your kids you might consider starting with a handfed female tiel. Sweet personalities and not noisey.

[Peanutbutter]

My kids are 3 & 5... they are great with the birds.

tiels are dusty & females are prone to egg laying (even when alone) i have 2.. but if i had know about the dust beforehand... don't get me wrong, they are sweet & I love em'... just wish I had researched MORE!

think about lineolated parakeets (not budgies)- gentle, small beaks, can talk well most of the time, like to hang upside down, playful, about the same calm temperament, size, & diet as a cockatiel (but with a shorter tail --good if around kids). Very cool birds! Only downside-- wetter poops.





So pretty... I would LOVE a half a dozen!


Wait, one more downside... they are harder to find. Try www.birdbreeders.com and craigslist!


__________________________

Birds need a huge variety in diet (pellets, sprouts, high quality seed, fresh foods, cooked foods, fresh water 1-2x a day), new toys *$$$$$$* rotated in and out weekly-ish, several types of perches for foot exercise, play areas out of the cage, handled every day for at least 45min to stay tame- more is better, a good vet, flight time, natural sunlight on nice days, and of course lots of love to be happy!

As for cages, a cockatiel or linnie really needs a cage that's at least 24inx24in or bigger.

My best advice, RESEARCH, sleep on it, Research more, repeat!

[FoxersArtist]

I don't see any reason why a family with small children cannot be a wonderful home for birds. All this means is that adults have to be responsible and teach children to be respectful. Some of themost tolerant and most well loved birds I have seen were family pets where younger children were present.

My suggestion would be to focus more on an individual who seems to be tolerant of lots of activity and noise rather than focusing on the species. You need to find a rescue in your area or a bird store where someone can really work with you to find the right animal for your environment. I would suggest looking into getting a young green cheek conure or an ault lovebird who is already very tolerant and mellow (not too common, but they are out there). I also agree that cockatiels are great starting birds and usually do well with kids.

Good luck.
-Anna

[menafu23]

I have to agree that kids can be great with birds, with the help of adults. My daughter (4 years old) is sometimes better than adults. She does not read into why a bird bit her, she just says, "Rumor does not want to play" and she leaves it at that. The Gold Capped conure follows her around in her room and only preens my daughter's hair.

I also think a well trained Green Cheek would be an excellent choice. Watch craigslist, rescues or well known breeders for hand tame GCC's.

Take your time, buy the cage/toys/perches/food and then find the "perfect" bird for you and your family.

Good Luck! I hope you find the perfect parrot for your family!

[MissErica]

Thank you all so much for all of the info. I am in no rush to get a bird because I want the perfect bird ( or as close as i can get) for me and my family. I know my kids and I know how they are with animals. They are in no way aggressive and I understand and believe it or not I am expecting a pinch or even a bite. I know it may so cruel but I know it can happen. I am looking for a tame bird and I am doing lots of research and asking lots of different questions. I wish I had taken a pic of the baby with the Cockatoo standing on her head ( it flew there) it was so funny. She got scared and frooze just her eyeballs looking um whispering MOMMY...WHAT IS IT DOING...and she is 3

[prettyinpink]

I also agree that it doesn't matter to some extent that you have kids. As long as it's your bird and you are there when they are playing it then your choices are somewhat unlimited.

You need to decide what type of bird fits your personality and your household situations that will make the bird feel comfortable. :)

Hope this helped.