TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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The title of this post sounds simple, but it’s far more complicated to answer. There are simply so many aspects in owning a bird, as it can take days of research to figure out exactly what type of birds best fits you.

COST- Lets face it…breeding and selling birds is a business. And like any business there are factors involved in price. Supply and demand, cost of breeding, delivery, and other hidden expenses

For example, birds sold in warmer climates like Florida and California are much cheaper to buy then Michigan, New York, or Iowa. It costs money to control the climate in cold weather states, which adds to the cost. Warm states save money by having outdoor flight cages. This difference can save 50% to the cost of birds.

Parent fed, hand fed, or wild caught? Obviously wild caught birds are cheap, and you will get what you pay for in the form of unfriendly or unhealthy birds. Parent fed birds do not require labor costs to feed the babies and give continuous attention. Hand feeding requires 24 hour attention, and this adds to the labor cost. Generally, birds purchased from an experience bird breeder are more healthy and friendly then pet stores. But due to the overhead of pet stores, the same birds can cost more.

The age of the bird is also a factor. Every day a pet store or breeder keeps a bird, the cost for food and care continues to rise. Shipping birds around the country also adds a tremendous amount to the cost. It’s to their advantage to sell the birds as soon as possible.

So just on these factors, a bird such as an African Grey can be purchased in Florida at 3 months old for around $600. Go to Michigan, buy it from a pet store, and the same bird now costs $1500.

Because of these factors, it’s rather difficult to place a price of a specific bird. Cockatiels can range from $50 from a breeder to $120 from a pet store.

Therefore, it’s up to the customer to do their research, shop around, ask lots of questions, and BARGAIN! In many cases you can negotiate a much lower price. Never buy a bird unless you can be certain it’s healthy. This can only be done by taking it to a trained avian veterinarian for a checkup. Be sure your bird comes with a warrantee.

THE TYPE OF BIRD FOR BEGINNERS

We have had many clients come to us looking for a rather large, expensive bird. Many times it’s because they just like the type of bird, saw one on TV or had a friend with one. We have also talked customers out of the purchase. Why? Because we felt it was “too much bird” for them. In a few months they will quickly be overwhelmed with the demands of this bird and end up selling it or giving it away.

We always recommend that new bird owners start with small, inexpensive birds. Once they get the hang of handling, feeding and caring for the bird, they will be much better prepared to take on the challenge of a Macaw or Amazon.

For this reason, we like to recommend cockatiels and lovebirds. They are friendly and easy to handle, and fairly hardy. Finches and parakeets are fine, but they tend to not care to be handled. . If you simply want a caged bird, these are for you. All of these birds are inexpensive and readily available Another great starter bird is the Quaker. These comical birds are friendly, great talkers, and fairly inexpensive. If you want a little more of a challenge, consider some of the smaller conure species like the Sun or Nanday. But while these birds are friendly, they are also a little noisy.

Before you buy the bird, be sure you have research everything you can about it. Know what type of food it eats, what cage is required, and how to treat medical issues.

DIETS- I could talk for hours on this topic. But I have a very simple answer also. Birds have the exact same nutritional requirements as humans do. If you fed your kids nothing but nuts and seeds, how long do you think they will survive? It’s the same situation with birds.

They need their vitamins and minerals. They need fruits and vegetables. They need their protein. You do not get any of these in an all seed diet. Therefore, seed should only be considered as a treat, and not the main source of food. This is also a great way to check the knowledge the person who is selling you a bird. If they tell you all the bird need is seed, run away! Find a more knowledgeable pet store or breeder.

We strongly recommend pelleted or extruded diets. Supplement this with fresh fruits and vegetables. Offer your bird some of your own meal! Yes they eat meat! And bread, pasta, cereal, and pizza!

We do not recommend daily vitamin additives in food or water. If your bird is on the correct diet it’s not necessary. But because of improper food, calcium and Vitamin A are common problems. By simply offering your bird foods rich in these items, you avoid the need for medications.

LIFESPAN- From our experience, there is one area that is rarely paid attention to when buying a bird. A properly cared for bird has a long lifespan. In general, the larger the bird, the longer the lifespan.

Therefore, birds such as Cockatoos, Macaws, Amazons, and African Grey will easily live to the age of 50, and if properly cared for even 70. Without taking this into consideration, what do you plan to do if the bird outlives you?

Here is a brief list of birds and their expected lifespan.

Small birds like Finches, Parakeets, Canaries life from 5-12 years. Medium size birds like Doves, Cockatiels and Conures live from 10-20 years. Small parrots like the Pionus, Senegal, Quakers, and Mini Macaws live from 20-30 years. Large parrots like Macaws, Amazons, Eclectus and African Greys live 30-50+ years.

Therefore, you must take this fact into account when buying your first bird. This is not a short term commitment you are making! You are committing a huge portion of your life to the care of this pet.

ATTENTION REQUIRED- Birds are intelligent. Birds will demand attention. They need their play time and their quiet time. They need to interact with their owners. Deal with it! You are not buying a pet, you are getting involved in a long term commitment.

Some species of birds are more then happy just playing in their cage. Finches, Canaries and even doves are great if all you want is some ambiance in your home. Cockatiels and conures require a bit more attention. If you intend to take these birds out of their cage and be handle, you can expect even more time be spent in interacting.

Cockatoos are extremely demanding! If they don’t get it, they will scream until they do! And too much attention will spoil them! Not enough attention can create psychological problems, which can develop into self mutilating habits like feather plucking.

So you must take this factor into consideration when you choose your bird. If you are not prepared to take the time to interact, then a large parrot may not be a wise choice.