ellen@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com (Ellen Osinski) (12/12/90)
Subject: Novice questions about pet birds > We want a bird who will know and show affection for us and seek the same > from us. From our research, cockatiels seem to fit this general description. > Our cockatiel is now 5 years old, we got her when she was 6 months old from (please - no flames) Petland. We were very lucky to get such healthy bird. We knew of no bird breeders in our area. > 1. Is a cockatiel a good match for inexperienced bird owners. Are they > hard to care for? We knew NOTHING about caring for a bird. She is our first bird. She is VERY easy to care for. She is very hardy and has moved with us 4 times. One move was 2000 miles across the country. She sat on the car headrest and watched the countryside roll by! She eats millet, mixed cockatiel seed, honey sticks, and veggie sticks. She loves to drink water from the tap. Although we provide her with bird toys, she still has claimed a cabinet corner as her own personal chew toy. We have given up and let her chew it in order to localize the damage. > 2. The bird would be alone during the day M-F. Is this bad for the bird > I.e would it be cruel to leave it alone 9 hours a day? We both work, so she is left alone 10 hours M-F. She has adapted to our routine and sleeps when we are not there and is active when we are. When she hears the key in the lock when we come home she screeches in greeting and flies laps around the house! > 3. Do cockatiels like a cage or would it rather live an a larger enclosed > area? Friends from way back owned a large parrot. They had a natural > like setting in the corner in their living room with rope netting as > a boundary. Would a bird love this? We bagan leaving her out of the cage at an early age. She now lives on top of her cage and does not like to be locked in it. In hindsight, allowing her out ALL the time was not a good thing to have done. Locking her in her cage for HER protection is necessary at times and now she does not accept being in her cage well. If we were to do it over we would insist that the bird spend some part of each day in the cage. We have to be VERY cognizant(sp?) of where she is (ie. cage, floor, etc.) since she is free to fly and wander. We have learned not to take a step, but to gently shuffle our feet when we move and to immediately determine where she is. I would not recommend this freedom with children around. Her protection and safety is our primary concern. Thus we keep all our animals segregated. > 4. Do they need consistent daytime/nighttime hours? Would the bird rather > be with us in the living room at night while we watch tv or read or would > it rather sleep in the dark in the evening? She has adapted to our routine. When we sit on the sofa to watch TV, it is her cue to wander over, sit with us and get her head rubbed. She wants to be where the action is and is very vocal if put into a room by herself. > 5. What age bird should we look to get? I'm looking for a lower and upper > bound. Any specific things to look out for? (like never get one with > glossy eyes cause its sick) Have you considered a hand fed bird? They are very tame. Ours was not hand fed and it has taken much time and patience and consistency to win her trust. But it is very worth it. > 6. Lastly, where's the best place to get a bird? Mall, > breeder...? > If you live in south New Jersey (monmouth/ocean) what bird stores are good? > Have you heard about "Bird Jungle"? We are very glad to have the chance to have her as part of our family. We were and are pleasantly surprised at how personable she is and what a character she is. Her actions and antics are so amusing. I could go on and on and on describing her. We think we have provided her with a good environment and think she enjoys it and is a 'happy' bird. It is very rewarding to have gained her trust to the point to where she comes to us and chooses to be with us. Best of luck with your choice. Regards - Ellen - zoo / peace keeper (the human) Jasmine - ruler of the roost (the bird) Cody - terror on grasshoppers (the kitten) Blue - vacumme cleaner nose (the puppy)
steveg@hpcvnb.CV.HP.COM (Steven_Grant) (12/13/90)
/ hpcvnb:rec.birds / donnelly@cbnewsj.att.com (jeffrey.m.donnelly) / 11:06 am Dec 10, 1990 / >We want a bird who will know and show affection for us and seek the same >from us. From our research, cockatiels seem to fit this general description. I agree. Cockatiels are an excelent choice. >1. Is a cockatiel a good match for inexperienced bird owners. Are they > hard to care for? > They are a very easy bird to care for. You should probably get a book and study up a little before getting any kind of pet bird though. The magazene BIRD_TALK is a highly recomended reference. >2. The bird would be alone during the day M-F. Is this bad for the bird > I.e would it be cruel to leave it alone 9 hours a day? > You should have no problems here. What is important is that your bird gets a regular amount of time with you daily. The more time the better of course. >3. Do cockatiels like a cage or would it rather live an a larger enclosed > area? Friends from way back owned a large parrot. They had a natural > like setting in the corner in their living room with rope netting as > a boundary. Would a bird love this? > Buy or make your bird a good cage. Don't mess around with netting or the like, chancces are your bird will get hurt or killed in something like that. My birds have always LOVED their cages. The cage is much easier to keep clean also. A 2X3X3 ft is a good size for a cockatiel. >4. Do they need consistent daytime/nighttime hours? Would the bird rather > be with us in the living room at night while we watch tv or read or would > it rather sleep in the dark in the evening? > Your bird needs to live in the room that you spend the most time in. They are social creatures and will want to be around you as much as possible. >5. What age bird should we look to get? I'm looking for a lower and upper > bound. Any specific things to look out for? (like never get one with > glossy eyes cause its sick) > Get a Hand-fed baby that has just been weened if you want a cuddly bird. ----------