Hello all

[maxkhaos]

Hello everyone, I'm glad to find such a nice place to find information, supplies, etc on parrots.

I'm a senior in college, soon to graduate (May 2008) with a Zoo Science degree. I've worked at several zoos, including the Philadelphia Zoo in PA.

It was actually at that zoo that I fell in love with my favorite kind of parrot, the Senegal. I had the privileged of working with one by the name of Chad (see my signature for his picture!). Though I also worked with a Tiel, a female Eclectus, a scarlet Macaw as well as two blue & gold Macaws.

Of course, out of the lot, Chad was my favorite and it was nice to get time between cleaning, feeding and education.. to just spend time with him. After that I decided that someday I would get one to bring into my home.

I am other animals as well including 9 rats, a snake, a colony of Madagascan Hissing cockroaches, 4 cats, 1 dog and 1 rabbit. (of course I share some of these animals with my mother, who loves animals as much as I do).

I, along with two of my good friends, breed rats, thus why I have so many. You can check out our website here: The Rat Pack Rattery :: Home raised, pet rats!

Over Christmas break, I discovered several thing: 1) my favorite rat, Peach, has a mammory tumor, and more than likely by about June, it will be too large and I will have to put her down (though I pray it stays small for far longer and as long as she is comfortable, I can keep her with me for longer then that). 2) my puppy (8 months old) has some kind of condition with the veins around his liver, that could kill him. But the same condition makes surgery nearly impossible because his blood doesn't clot properly and he could very, very easily bleed out. So our vet and my family decided to just leave it be, and all him to live out his life (provided he's not sick or in pain), how ever long that may be.

With my two most loved critters on the edge and my 4 year college carrier nearly done, I decided to start doing my research on Senegals and start preparing to get one this summer. I am very much ready to have an animal that is longer lived than my little rat buddies, but just as social as my dog (or more).

So this research lead me to the site! And I hope to learn more for you all on my journey to finding the right parrot companion for me.

[T.W.]

Sorry about your rat and dog. I'm a little unerved by the hissing cockaroaches!! But that's my problem, I'm major bugafobe!!! LOL
My female rat went for quite a while with her tumor, and she never slowed down, she ran around and ate and played on her wheel etc. You'll know when she starts slowing down and losing weight.
I have a Sennie, his name is BamBam, but we call him the baby. I've had him since he was 4 months old, his first word was where's the baby!! We were sitting in the living room, and I heard him talking, so we lowered the tv and his first word was a whole sentence, we hadn't heard anything until then!! He picks up new words very fast, and learns new words on his own, probably from watching cartoons and such all day!!!! He is a total cuddle bug, loves to snuggle in my neck and purr!!!! If I talk to any of the other birds, he keeps saying where's the baby and peek a boo. One day I said, who's the baby, and he said ME!!!!!!!!!! I never taught him that word, but he knew it and knew what it meant, that really floored me!!!! He talks in a high voic e like me, or a deeper voice like my husband, it is so funny when he talks deep. But only I can take him out and hug him, he will tolerate his dad talking to him, but will gently bite him as a warning if he tries to get him to step up, although one day, hubby was trying to get him to step up and I walked into the room, and he ran up his dad's arm to climb on me, that was the only time hubby kind of held him. He has severe mommyitis!!!! He can be a very nervous little guy, so I only play with him in his room, because he can suddenly panic, sometimes I have no clue why, and then he flys and flops all over the room and there is no reasoning with him, that is his only little fault, otherwise he is a fabulous bird!!! MY mom calls him the suicide bird, because if he gets scared he just flops off of me!!!
Tina

[maxkhaos]

From what I've been reading the panics are a common thing in the species and there's no real rhyme or reason to what they are scared of.

Thanks for the story! Chad knew a few things, including meow... (lord knows why because here no cats in the edjucation department). And I am so glad that they can learn to speak. It's so very cute.

[Courtzrocks]

Aww so sorry about your animals but senegals are gorgeous birds, i would love one of them myself but they are hard to come by in Australia. Welcome to Bird board!

[T.W.]

I too have heard that the panic thing is common in them. Nothing can be out of place in the room, he'll notice it. I was also told by the person I got him from that they aren't much for talking, I guess I got lucky, he never shuts up!!!!!!!!! And they talk in the cutest baby doll voices.

[catschair]

[MrRick]

If there is anything I can do to help you with your Senegal research, please let me know. I'll be happy to share my experiances with Kato, our Senegal.

[Lisa B]

HI

[charlieandmom]

Welcome to BB. Hope you find your Senegal that you want. I like them to. I think they are beautiful. Ex has one and he talks like a human none stop. You wouldn't believe some of he things that bird says. Some I wouldn't care to mention.

[sweetpeaches]

hi and welcome! i find it interesting that out of the other parrots you were around..macaws, tiels, electus that you liked the senegal the most! must be the bird for you..smile. i've heard many good things about them. do you know where you're going to purchase one yet? if your in the philly area there are some good places around. let us know if you need any direction! good luck!