Leaderboard

Thank you! My birds aren't clipped and are agile flyers, which is what I mean by their being flighted. This sounds like a wonderful option. Will definitely take a look! Thank you again.

I appreciate your very insightful post, LNCAG. If only our local sanctuaries allowed their birds to remain flighted. That was the game changing reason why I won't consider them. You are very fortunate to have such a phenomenal one within your area. May I ask where your sanctuary is located? If I was nearing my end and had not found any wonderful homes for my flock I would relocate them if it meant they'd be able to remain flighted and kept on healthy fresh diets.

Greytness & LNCAG, I can't thank you enough for your thoughtfulness on this topic & not "shaming" me for my thoughts as I go thru this difficult topic & decison. There are no sanctuary's remotely close to me. Also if I make the arrangements now, being 62, it could be (hopefully) quite some time before this need arises & whose to say the sanctuary would still be there? Another worry.... LNCAGI love that you have made arrangements as the need arose... that would be my hope I could do the same. I imagine my partner would keep my amazon, they really like each other, but not certain. He is 28 years younger & won't even discuss what happens "if" when I talk about it..not worth the argument even tho I try. He J-just doesnt want to hear it, so I will make whatever arrangements need be so things are in place. My hope is he will take her, & my daughter would do what is best with the others. She would either try & find them a really nice home or do what is necessary if she can't. Haven't yet discussed it with her, but I will soon. I am meeting with an Elder lawyer for estate planning soon & we will have this discussion as well. I am so relieved that I am not the only one struggling with this topic. As it so happened this was posted this week on my FB & it really hit home.... https://www.facebook.com/groups/fbfeatheredfriends/permalink/6752566988090152/

@Greytness I messaged you the location and name. Not sure what you mean by 'flighted' -- sorry. My parrots' wings weren't clipped. But they're not loose in the wild -- they are in enclosures -- some very large which allows flying around. Some parrots can't even fly, so they just climb around. Enclosure size depends on parrot size and quantity, I suppose. Mine only recently built a larger macaw enclosure. They have a kitchen built on the premises, making such things as pasta and veg casseroles for the parrots. Plus they do provide seed and pellet mixes, fresh fruit/veg and can't get enough nuts!!! Mine receives a lot of donations. When I could get around better, I would buy up and donate the bagged nut mixes the grocery stores have at xmas time -- the larger birds just dote on them. The thing is, the guy who started this sanctuary was just like us. He needed a place for his own parrots to be free -- to be outside, to fly -- mostly just to not be caged. And now people from all over contact him with birds needing a forever home and sanctuary. Some, like my parrots, were planned additions. Some parrots are abused/neglected and rescued (by police, etc.) and end up there too.

Thanks for posting this. Planning is so crucial. I am blessed to have a local sanctuary where 3 of my flock currently reside. Mine are always happy when I visit, but they tend to fly away from me before I leave -- they have made parrot friends and have their own lives now. They get emotional when I visit, seem so delighted to see me again, but as I mentioned, before I leave, they are already being distracted by their parrot friends who want them to go play, cuddle or what have. Granted mine were well socialized and easily transitioned. It was bittersweet -- I wanted them to be happy, but I suppose selfishly, I also wanted them to really miss me. My sanctuary has many large designated enclosures (well, the place has macaws with other macaws, amazons with other amazons, etc..) Eggs are taken -- no breeding allowed. It's a forever home -- they never adopt out. I also wondered if euthanasia would be best. I knew I didn't want my guys to go into private homes. I couldn't trust someone else to give them the home I'd given them (I had my guys for 20 years). I know people get bored with parrots and parrots are nearly always rehomed many times during their lives. After the novelty wears off, many parrots never get time out of the cage or receive fresh chopped fruits/veggies, rice, noodles, "people food" etc.. Many are lucky if their water is changed regularly, many end up on all seed diets. I just write all this out because it's all our fears, really. I kept my grey though and he is still with me. I only kept my Snickers, CAG, because he is an intense parrot and very attached to me -- had him almost 26 years now. So I do get it. But I admit, now having visited my guys at the sanctuary for 6 years, they also have an excellent grey set up there too (they have 2 huge grey enclosures so that greys who get along well are kept together in one or the other) and all their greys seem happy and active there. Actually, there is a third enclosure (smaller) where a lone grey resides. He was bullied so gets the benefit of being near other greys without having them pick on him, No idea the full story there but he seemed happy (talking, curious, NOT doing repetitive crazy behaviors or feather picking or anything). When I die (or sooner, since I become more disabled by the day) my grey will also go to that sanctuary. I say do your research, make sure it's a place with good back-ups in place, a board of directors, a place that gets lots of funding. I had to pay big bucks to place mine. And if you decide to euthanize instead, well, I get that too. And if you decide on a trust for them, knowing ahead of time who will take them -- I get that too. I was lucky a sanctuary was created just 20 minutes from me. I am in a rural area and so is the sanctuary. The macaw run at mine is 60 feet long. Not the same as free in the wild, but still, they do fly, have lots of fresh healthy stuff to feast on, friends to groom (and be groomed) and have lots of stuff to climb on. The guy who opened mine had macaws and saw a need -- his were the first parrots in the sanctuary -- now it has a staff and 450+ parrots. Don't rule out sanctuaries if one isn't near you -- if you're dead, you wouldn't be able to visit anyway. I am disabled, hence the blessing of placing 3 of my 4 before my death and getting to see them happy and settled. My only goal is my parrots be happy and healthy. But happy most of all. Sorry this is so long. But I've been down this path, and Snickers will also go down this path.

I'm still agonizing over what to do. I may end up adding on a trust for them. My flock is relatively young as well, and most will likely still be alive when my time comes. For now I'm working on writing out bios for each bird explaining their likes, idiosyncracies, food habits, routines etc. I also have a list of places my kids can look into to hopefully find good homes. Of my 11, I think my kids would keep 2 of the greys and possibly the 2 dusky conure clowns. My husband will care for them should I pass first, but he's not really a big bird person.

Thank you, all wonderful things to think about. My avian vet retired many years ago..there is no avian vet near me anymore. My vet for my cat & dog doesnt know anyone..I hope & pray in the next 10 or 20 years ( I exoect to be here) God will help me find someone who will love them & do right by them. I intended for my daughter to take them & find homes for them, but she has a rescue dog that attacks birds so they can't go to her for now...in 10 or 20 years, I pray things change..I know I can trust she will do right by them if that means they go to new homes..:/

Yes, I don't have that kind of $$ for a trust.. 11 is hard to plan for...do you have thoughts on their care?

I'm blessed in that I have two children who would take Timber when the time comes. Will they feed him exactly like I do? Probably not. However, I know he is adaptable since I am his third home (at least) and he has bonded to me. Also, he already knows and accepts the kids, which is a good start. In your situations, I understand it is more difficult. Just my opinion, but where there is life there is hope. While the person who takes your flock members when the time comes may not be ideal, there is no way of knowing if your birds would be "happy" or not, and my initial thought is give them a chance. I'll admit, as Talon implied, I often wonder how satisfying Timber's life is. However, it is all he's ever known. Being hatched in captivity, he's never flown free in the wild or lived a "normal" life. So, I need to believe he is at least content. And, I think he could be content in his next home too. Have you thought about reaching out to some of the forum members (like SRSeedburners) who are younger and might be willing to take on more flock members? Or maybe your avian vet who may know other younger bird enthusiasts who might be willing? Just a thought. It's a quandary I know, and like many other things, there is no perfect answer.

I've been wrestling with the same thoughts. You can create a trust for your birds, but you will have to designate someone to oversee their care. That's the difficult part for me, as no one will feed and care for my birds the way I do. And I have 11!