Seriously considering a caique

[xafsmom]

I have 4 Caique pets and quite a few breeders. Caiques are very fun, very funny and honestly, aren't high maintenance if you train them right and shove them full of 10023049234232202323409439.4 toys and interesting objects ...or food.

Three of them get along peachy with my Congos, and my Jardines. They also do not cross my RFMs. However, anything smaller and they'll go after with the ferocity and tenacity of a hungry lion - except Sun Conures (reason why below). One of them (wbc hen) will attack anything feathered and moving that's not a Caique. Not surprising seeing how related they are to Hawkheads! LOL

I raised all but the WBC hen, and they were raised around other birds, and are far more tolerant of any other bird species. The WBC hen isn't, nor was she raised with other birds. The 3 others particularly love Suns, even though they're little birds, because they were raised with Suns. But, any other smaller species? Look out!

However! They won't go out of their way to get them.

But, are they worth it? Yes. Double yes. Quadruple yes!

I would recommend though, you get two (I know, $$). Two Caiques are actually less trouble than a single one, plus they don't over-bond with each other. They include their human victims just fine!

[Flappuccino]

Yeah- I SO wish I'd gotten mine as a baby! They really are cool little guys.

[Abby]

Well when I make a decision I work fast. One BH caique reserved for moi once the hahns girls are sorted. Instead of keeping one of the hahns girls their breeder is happy for me to have a caique instead.

So...Aussie dollar is up atm, looks like I need to get that book ordered along with a few others from Amazon. Well it seems kinda silly ordering just one book and getting it sent all the way over here, well that's my excuse anyway.

Oh and this breeder has a few other projects coming up so I'll see if I can talk my way into a second one. :P

[Ashling]

Gosh what a thread! Congratulations on the Caique Mary, you really do act fast! I have been considering a caique for a while. They don't sound much different to lorikeets- people say lorikeets are aggressive and don't get along with other birds but I have Ashling who, although is bossy, is ok with them. (Just then my rat ran across the keyboard and pressed the backspace button at the exact second I needed him to! hahaha) I'm just not so sure if I could handle two Ashlings? I mean, I consider her quite laid back for a lori. I might have to come and visit your new candy corn parrot one day and see first hand what a caique is like...

[ThreeX]

Originally Posted by Flappuccino

Yeah- I SO wish I'd gotten mine as a baby! They really are cool little guys.

The only flaw in that line of thinking is - babies get older and sexually mature too. :)
Actually, one of the ex-caiquers i know had a rehome "on trial" first and decided he was too much of a handful. She even had to simply leave the room when the little devil started his "Caique march" because that was the pre-stage of hell breaking loose. A while after that she got a handfed chick, but lo and behold, right around 2,5 - 3 years old she had another Son of Sam on her hands :(

[ThreeX]

Originally Posted by Abby

Well when I make a decision I work fast. One BH caique reserved for moi once the hahns girls are sorted. Instead of keeping one of the hahns girls their breeder is happy for me to have a caique instead.

So...Aussie dollar is up atm, looks like I need to get that book ordered along with a few others from Amazon. Well it seems kinda silly ordering just one book and getting it sent all the way over here, well that's my excuse anyway.

Oh and this breeder has a few other projects coming up so I'll see if I can talk my way into a second one. :P

Congrats *i guess* ;)
I will keep my fingers crossed you get one of the good 'uns.
I strongly advice you to read "The Caique manual" i linked to earlier, i am not suggesting you don't know your way around birds, i simply feel it's a darned good source for caique-specific info :)

[Abby]

Originally Posted by ThreeX

Congrats *i guess* ;)
I will keep my fingers crossed you get one of the good 'uns.
I strongly advice you to read "The Caique manual" i linked to earlier, i am not suggesting you don't know your way around birds, i simply feel it's a darned good source for caique-specific info :)

Look, whatever info I can get my hands on is good. I kinda understand your lack of enthusiasm. I'm similar in regards to certain species. This is a bird I've been looking at for close on 3 years now so not like I woke up this morning and went, I think I might get a caique. I do appreciate your comments threeX. It's all stuff to keep in mind and be prepared for potentially.

[ThreeX]

Yeah well, i might not top the popularity polls at forums but i do say my honest opinion always : )
I know people want cheers when they have something in mind (not referring to you in particular, Abby)
So saying that something probably is less than great idea is not the most enthusiastic, but in the long run i feel the only way i can live at peace with myself :)

[Alan]

Caiques are great! Reggie can be sweet and then she can be a beast. She is a WBC. I had a male BHC that had been housed together from what i was told but she ended up killing him in one of her beasty moments. I miss that little guy. I wish I had separated them cause she is such a dear without him in her cage.

Ashling, I had a lorikeet as well I don't think they are like caiques at all. Dont get me wrong both are great birds and I would rehome another lorikeet in a minute. But they are much much different birds.

[Freedomoflight]

Ok so I can blow my own here then huh?

Online resource also recommend: Caique Crazy - the ultimate caique web portal

*big grin*

Honestly the thing with caiques and getting them as babies is you know how they are raised and what sets them off, vs getting a rehome. Both mine are rehomes and sometimes I wish I had gotten them as babies, simply so I know what the heck went on as they were young, and go from there. I have a caique that will literally lung and go for your jugular- or, that is, he used to.

Honestly I've noticed the people that rehome their caiques due to behavioral issues are the ones that did not set boundaries, and are pushovers when it comes to caiques and their mannerisms. Can't be a pushover with a caique.