Question about sennies as pets. :D

[safarichick101]

I'd like to know about them. I find the yellow bellied ones to be beautiful, and they look playful and when I found out they were relatively quite, I thought I gotta consider this for a first birdie! I just really like them, and want to know about them.

Are they known to be nippy?

Do you think a 13 year old could handle one?

How much do they usually cost? (tx)

Do they go through a nippy stage (not that thats a problem) or do they excibit breeding related aggression (i believe I read that but once but wanted to make sure) during a certain time?

[Emmilyy]

i'm curious about this, also! I'm by no means getting another bird any time soon, but before i got Cookie i fell in love with a senegal at the pet store and was considering them as a first bird..

[ThreeX]

They do have their quirks (what parrot doesn't) They can be nippy, and what's worse (has happened to me a couple of times) they can sit on the shoulder od someone and out of the blue fly over and bite.
Also, make no mistake about their voice capability. They rival my CAG's at times. Generally they are pretty quiet though.
If you're into a poicephalus i personally think you should take a closer look at the brownheaded or Meyers (both recommended as easier going than Senegals by three different breeders i know)
I do love mine, it's not that, but every time Hugo's going back in th cage i don't know if he will bite or obey. so i wouldn't really recommend them for a "beginner" as they can intimidate people in spite of their petite size :)

[Falsk]

I initially was looking into getting a Senegal or a Meyer's but ended up going with a GCC when I heard they (poi's) tend to be one-person birds. Of course there are exceptions, but I felt more comfortable getting the GCC.

Although that hasn't stopped me from huddling in front of the cage filled with baby Meyers at my local bird store whenever I'm in. :X

[ThreeX]

Isn't that a common disease among us? : ) No matter how many birds you own you still turn 10 years old among birds in shops or at expos.
So far both my sennies fly to other people even if they prefer me. Granted, only Hugo is sexually mature (Pepsi's only some 15-16 months old) so it's subject to change without prior warning : ) that said. a friend of mine has a breeder hen who is still tame to the point that she can take her out of the cage and put her in the palm of her hand on her back.

[safarichick101]

oh, I like meyers, how much do they usually cost?

[Poicephalus girl]

Regarding the one person bird thing...I think that can be avoided by proper socialization. My Senegal is 3 and so far, she has no problem going to see just about anyone. She does have some preference (myself and my dad (all birds who have met my dad so far like him)) but she will sit on other people's hands and will no bite them. I've actually brought her when members of my parrot club went to some scouts/brownies meetings to talk about parrots and I let the kids there manipulate her; she did wonderfully and would rather seek me out when she tired of the attention than bite. She can be stubborn, but unfortunately for her, I'm even more stubborn..and I usually get my way.

I've heard Meyer's tend to be better "family" pets as they are apparently better with different people; my 14 year old Meyer's is the perfect example of the exact opposite. She is a one person bird (my boyfriend being her person) but will tolerate men in general and will attack women. Is it because all Meyer's are like this? Nope, just her. And I highly doubt that she was properly socialize and am pretty sure at one point that a women in her past did her some wrong..My other Meyer's is much younger and although she's had no real education before coming to me (owner got diagnosed with cancer and died and she's been in a couple of different places while he was getting treated), she is starting to come around nicely. She was shy at first, but as she is getting more comfortable, she is getting better with people.

My male Red-bellied parrot came to me with a slight preference for men (his former owner was a men) and over the year and a half I've had him, he's changed on that regard. He doesn't that preference any more, he will seek out anyone willing to give him some attention. When I got him, he was nippy with me; that has also changed. Mind you, when hormones are higher than usual, he tends to revert a bit, but it doesn't last.