Hello, I'm Josh from canada

[iwantabird]

Hello everyone, My Name is josh. I live in winnipeg, and I currently do not own a bird, and never have. I am hoping that this forum will help me find the kind of bird I am looking for.

-Iwantabird

[ndeben]

Hello and welcome! Tell us about you, and your home/house,apartment? How much time to you plan on spending with a bird, how much time do you want to spend cleaning and feeding this bird? Do you work? Student? hours up? How much $ do you want to spend on the purchase of a bird? sorry to be so nosy, but in order to give a good guess, we need to know lots about you.

[iwantabird]

well, honestly, I am 12 years old. I live with my parents. and my parents dont really care for the cost of the bird. I have never had a bird before. So I want to start off small and get a smaller bird. Also, I want one that is quiet enough for it to be allowed in a collage dorm room, because I know that these things love very long, So just to be safe. I know that i'm 12 years old, but I am willing to take the responsibility of cleaning, bathing/showering, feeding ECT.... the bird.

-Iwantabird

[ndeben]

Thank you for being honest, now to get started, IMO a starter bird list might include tiels, parrolets, budgies or lovebird sizes. I always like something I can interact with, hold, talk to, teach tricks, and they are not so noisy as big birds. These guys are fairly inexpensive, and not quite as messy as bigger ones. They dont chew as fast thru things.. BUT they do chew. (curtains, wood things.. Been there, ) But dont think a smaller bird is a boring bird. I have had all I listed and they were great guys. Parrotlets are nippy, you just have to be aware of this, and when they get this way, put it back in the cage. ONLY reward good behavior. Budgies are my husbands all time favorite, he could listen to budgie chatter all day. Lovebirds are sort of clowns, and tiels learn pretty quickly too. Just remember to give them plenty of fresh fruits and veggies every day, lots of fresh water, and time out of the cage. I think by researching, it shows you want to be a good responsible bird owner. Good luck, and let me know what you decide.

[Tom Lawless]

All of the advice given so far is better than anything I could say. Try to get something that has been hand raised. I had a cockatiel once that was not and he never bonded to me the way I hear of other people's experiences. If it is true of them I would imagine it is true of the others on the list.

Good luck. It's great your parents trust you and support you in this.

[kellywess]

Lineolated Parakeets are very cute and have alot of the same feautes as a larger bird.
(I sound like a car salesman)

[DynamitePsycho]

Welcome to the board...this is a great resource for figuring out what you want in a companion

[thejoie]

Most college dorms don't allow pets.
We could have a fish, in a tank less than 5 gallons.

At 12, I would say start with a hand fed budgie or hand fed cockatiel. Go to a breeder or a rescue, not a pet shop. Get the biggest cage you can afford, tons of toys.
Birds are a big responsibility and you have to spend a lot of time with them for them to be tame. If they're not tame, they will bite and be scared of you- which no one wants. So you really have to take an honest look at your life.... what do you do? Are you playing any sports? Are you home enough?

I'm 22 and in college and this is my life with my birds...
6:00- Get up. Clean bowls, refill seed cups, warm up some fresh foods, feed my birds (I have 3 parrotlets, 1 Hahn's macaw, and 2 parakeets). Refill water bowls. Change the paper in the tray. I give the parrotlets some millet in the morning too.
That usually takes me about an hour.
During this time, my Hahn's macaw is out with me because she will just call and call and call otherwise.
I leave for class about 7:30 and right before I leave I hand feed my special needs parrotlet (she has the bird version of Downs Syndrome).

I get home from class about 1. I take out the fresh foods and clean the bowls again. I get them a different fresh food. I have a playstand for my birds and first the parrotlets get to come out to play and eat some treats for about an hour or two. Then my Hahn's macaw gets playstand time.
I hand feed my special needs bird again.

About 3 hours after I put out fresh foods again, I take the bowls away (can't let bacteria grow!!) I change the water again.

At about 6 my parrotlet cages get covered because they need 12 hours of sleep. Before they go to bed, I feed my special needs bird one more time.

My Hahn's macaw gets cuddle time with me. If she doesn't get the time with me she will get jealous and bite. I don't like to deprive her of that interaction so we usually hang out for a few hours.
I do my homework and she eats my books.... and notebooks... and notes....
When I can't take it anymore, I pull the playstand close to my bed and she will sit there and talk to me while I finish reading/homework. I put her away at about 10.

The end.

Owning a bird is expensive. Not just the initial costs of a bird, the cage, tons of toys, enough seed cups, perches, and anything else they want.
Every month I buy regular bird seed, pellets, a dried fruit/veggie/nut mix.
Every week I buy fresh brocolli, squash, green beans, corn, beans, peppers for my birds.
Every two weeks I make a batch of birdie muffins and cook up some beans for my birds.
Every month (haha.. who am I kidding... every 2 weeks) I buy new toys for them so they don't get bored.
Every time I'm at the pet store I buy some kind of treat. Nutriberries, millet, Beak Apetite, yogurt drops, coconut shavings.....

The expenses are unbelievable. But I want to keep my birds happy! And I'd do anything for them.

I clean the paper in the trays every day. I clean the bowls once a day. I vacuum my room once a day because of all the tossed seeds. I replace water twice a day. I do a thorough cleaning of the cages weekly. Plus you have to clean toys and perches with poop.

It's more work than I could have ever imagined. But I'm 22... I'm pretty set in my life. I know what I'm going to be doing and I know my schedule and my routine. I finish college in 9 months and the things might get a little easier because I won't have so much homework to do :) But I know there isn't going to be many more changes in my life... except for the better....

Think long and hard before you get a bird because they're not like hamsters. They have such big complicated feelings. My Hahn's macaw gets so jealous and hurt when I don't spend enough time with her.... that I don't allow myself to NOT spend enough time with her. She thinks and feels and lets you know what she thinks about you :)

Some birds take a long time to trust you, and until they do you will get bit and ignored. Do you have the patience to work towards getting your bird to like you? I've gotten some fun bites before :)
Some birds are insanely loud during certain periods of the day. Mine are generally quiet but first thing in the morning.... THEY are my wake up call. They start squacking and making a ton of chirping noises! And I don't have any of the technically "loud" species.

My Hahn's macaw right now, is yelling "PEEKABOOOOO..... Hellllooooooooooooooo" as loud as she can. When someone calls my phone she is so loud with her "Hellooooooo.... what's up!!??" that I can barely talk in my room... I need to go somewhere else!

If you don't take care of your birds and don't give them proper toys and attention, they can even get depressed and can start hurting themselves. Birds will pluck their own feathers and hurt their skin if not provided the proper time, entertainment, and food for.

It's a big responsibility. I've had a lot of animals. Believe me..... but my birds are the most work. I hope this gives you a little insight into what life is really like with a bird. It's not easy...



PS- Hi yahooshie... I'm glad you're doing it right this time around....

[geekasaurus]

Originally Posted by thejoie

PS- Hi yahooshie... I'm glad you're doing it right this time around....

ooh i was thinking the same thing

[Addicted to Tequila]

I still say a GCC!