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KellyJ
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| Posted: Aug 22 2007 at 5:51am | IP Logged
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We have been thinking of getting a pet bird for all the kids and giving it to them as a Christmas gift. However, I'm wondering if we shouldn't re-think this, as this morning one of our children came downstairs most excitedly, intent on finding his older brother to tell him of the bird that awoke him outside their window. They discussed what kind of bird it could be based on the call it was making and couldn't decide; so, they headed back to the place where it all started. They are now still happily up there, in the dark, listening to and watching a Downy Woodpecker.
My concern/question is this: Do you think a pet bird takes away from the joy and wonder over wild birds, particularly those in the yard? I don't want to lessen their love for or attention to outdoor birds. Thank you for your input.
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KellyJ
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Aug 22 2007 at 7:30am | IP Logged
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Hmmm...we don't have pet birds right now, but we used to. Aside from the chickens and ducks we had an assortment of finches and some canaries, and a parakeet or two. Of all of them we enjoyed the finches the most. They even nested and hatched a few sets of chicks!
I can't say they lessened our enthusiasm for outdoor birds any. But it is an interesting question and I can see how you would be concerned. I will be interested in seeing what others have to say on this one!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Aug 22 2007 at 10:06am | IP Logged
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We had two beautiful Rosy Parakeets for a short time. I do not think they dampened my ds's attraction to all birds in any way. He's the bird man! If anything, it added to the fascination by being in contact with real ones.
He's been asking for a bird again lately. We're just waiting for the right bird and the money.
The only thing I will say is that after a while, I felt a little sad seeing them in the cage. So, in the future, we'll either get ones that are ONLY in the cage like finches, or ones that can be out safely for extended periods and are friendly, like a cockatiel.
hth
ck
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marihalojen
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I would have to advise doing your research very carefully before purchasing a bird. The larger birds have very long lives and are very smart, it can be like having a toddler for the rest of your life who likes to scream and throw birdseed  and just like toddlers they need regular mealtimes involving much more than seed, and are even capable of being potty trained. 
Having a bird is a big deal, and we have thought long and hard about it, my dh has had quite a few large birds in his life (as well as small ones too) and we know lots of boaters who have birds, they usually devote an entire cabin to the bird and we definitely don't have that kind of space!
If you're thinking a larger bird, you might see if there is a bird rescue near you, the larger birds are frequently abandoned as people generally buy them thinking they're decorative and will sit in the corner lending an air of the tropics to the living room this winter and instead get a toddler temper tantrum meltdown nightly as the people have been off to work and the bird feels neglected and starved for socialization being an animal with herd (make that flock) mentality, not meant to sit on a perch or in a cage all day alone.
We've had lots of small parakeets and enjoyed them tons, as far as diminishing the enjoyment of outdoor birds put the bird near the open window! They love to sing with the outdoor birds! Put the bird out on the porch on warm days (rope the cage completely tight though, the wind and cats can tip most cages over quickly!) and listen to birdsong erupt nearby!
Sorry if this jumpy, I'm trying to do maintenance on my blog at the same time, multi-tasking as things load, ya know!
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Aug 22 2007 at 1:34pm | IP Logged
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Theresa,
What variety of finches did the nesting?
What did you do with the babies?
My ds is totally excited about the idea!
Thanks,
CK
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KellyJ
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| Posted: Aug 22 2007 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
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Thank you for the feedback.
We are thinking of a cockatiel. We have identified a rescue and will likely use it if we do get a bird. (Thanks for the push, Jennifer. There isn't one near us, but I just found one that is a couple hours away, and it fosters the birds out--so, we might not have so far of drive depending on the foster family's location.)
Thanks again!
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lapazfarm
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CK, I think the ones that nested were zebra finches. We had several varieties of those-so cute! And excellent little parents. We also had society finches, spice finches and Java rice birds. Finches are very easy to keep and pretty long lived. We had trouble with the canaries not living very long and being so expensive we did not continue with them for long. But, oh, the songs they would sing! Glorious!Fiches just sort of have a happy peep-peep sound.
Finches are not the kind of bird that likes to be handled like parakeets and the like. They are more like wild birds in that handling actually stresses them out quite a bit. So if you have a child that wants to handle the birds I advise against them. But the plus side is that they are awfully cute and active and low maintenance. Just make sure you have a nice large cage so they can stretch their wings a bit.
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Theresa
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lapazfarm
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Oh, the babies. Most we kept, some we gave away as gifts to friends, paired with an unrelated bird.
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Theresa
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Aug 22 2007 at 5:32pm | IP Logged
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Sounds like you had a whole aviary going!
Thanks for this info. Now, we'll do a little research and weigh the pros and cons of parakeets vs. finches.
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Kelly
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| Posted: Aug 22 2007 at 11:44pm | IP Logged
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Cockatiels are great---I've had several, currently have two, plus two parakeets and a lovebird (on loan from my sil). I've never had luck teaching my parakeets to talk, but my first parakeet was wonderful and lived for @14 years. Cockatiels have a lifespan of about 18 to 22 years (I think) and are very personable, but be sure and buy a HAND FED bird-they are always a little more expensive but worth it. We have allowed all our cockatiels out for extended periods of time (one in particular liked to hang out on the bookshelf-on a towel-and nibble on our timeline during school) Anyway, handfed birds are much more affectionate right off the bat. Love Birds are also very personable. The one we have now is a rascal-loves to ride around on your head and go in your shirt-and VERY opinionated.
Birds ARE messy but fun. My children all enjoy the pet birds and they have not affected their love of the outdoor variety at all...in fact, we're in the midst of Bird Camp all week at the request of my children.
Kelly in FL
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Kristen in TN
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Ditto to what Kelly and Jennifer said. You definately want to find out the temperment of the bird before you purchase it. You need to beware of rescues because the previous owners might have given them up due to the birds not being nice.
We had an aviary in our basement with a sliding glass door for a bunch of cockatiels and an African Grey parrot. Once we started having children, the birds were really just too much work. We ended up giving most away and tried to keep just a few in a cage, but my husband was really worried about the little ones getting into that cage mess, or around the cage mess (and I vacuumed several times a day around that cage!)
So, while they are fun, they really are A LOT of work.
Just a side note, I had fed a clutch of cockatiels while I was pregnant with my first child. I remember wondering how I was going to take care of the child because I had to wake up every 3 hours to feed the birds. Well, the baby was much easier than the baby birds! 
God bless,
Kristen in TN
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KackyK
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We have thought about birds too. My only worry is letting the bird out of the cage. We have one of those high high ceiling family rooms right in the middle of the house with a large window way way up high. I fear they'll fly right into it and/or sit up on that ledge for long periods of time.
So finches you don't need to let out right? Parakeets always need to be let out I'm assuming? How long would a cockatiel need to be let out? I'm thinking maybe we could let it out in a smaller room with the door closed...but I'm betting that may not provide enought space either??
This thread is very interesting to me!!! Thanks ladies!
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CKwasniewski
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If you are worried about your bird flying too high--and they will!--you should cut off the primary flight feathers (the big ones). Any decent bird care book will explain exactly where to do it.
I was frightened the first time, but it was actually easy.
You put their head in a towel so they can't see--this immobilizes them. Then spread their wings and clip the feathers!
Its also important to do that so they don't consider themselves dominant with respect to you. The "better" bird gets the higher branch.
ck
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Do any of you have pet birds?
