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young family and a baby bird?


nancybird

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No, but I got a bird BECAUSE of young children in the home. Timber's previous home had young children. Children and greys both require a lot of time, attention and vigilance. Some can balance that, but many struggle with it. I don't know if this is the kind of answer you are looking for, but it's my experience. :)

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Nancy, I'll let you know how it goes in a couple weeks when Pearl gets here. I don't have any concerns. Our 6-year-old son has visited with Pearl since she was brand new. He knows how to talk to her and hold/pet her and they really like each other. We'll see what life is like once she moves in!

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Just my opinion, I believe greys/parrots are like children so if you are willing to deal with a "fourth" small child go for it. My three kids are within 5 years of each other and were a handful when young and very busy with sports and after school activities which meant I was busy too. Also, please realize that some greys get very nervous around small children because children are very energetic and love to poke and tease. So remember to watch your children with your grey very closely because greys/parrots do bite very hard if provoked and can take off a small finger no problem. Greys also use their claws very quickly and can damage skin/faces. Frankly, I'm glad I waited for my greys because greys love attention and I am really enjoying my parrots now that my kids are grown and raising their own families.

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Thanks for your replies every one. I have decided I do need to wait til my boys are more mature. I don't want my grey mimicking tantrums and whining and begging! But I'm still obsessed with greys and this forum! It's going to be hard to wait. I might have to get a canary in the meantime. I'll still be lurking... Might be an expert in theory not practice by the time I get a baby grey!

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Thanks for the link! I probably will get something soon. Before I fell in love with greys, I was considering a parrotlet or caique, but I should wait on them for the same reasons, right? I've read that Pionus make good family pets, so I am researching them now. I've heard they are sweet and quiet, but I know "it all depends on the individual bird". I do love the look of cocktails but they've always struck me as being dirty and boring. I know that is a grossly wrong generalization. That's terrible, sorry! The owner of the parrot store near me suggested a green cheek conure, but they never won me over. I bet anything I research will win me over. Not easy for the most indecisive person in the world!

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parrotlet or caique, but I should wait on them for the same reasons, right? Right! I've read that Pionus make good family pets,Sometimes hard to take care of. green cheek conure, Sometimes standoffish
The bigger the parrot the more dirty lol. Note, having a 'Tiel first will give you incite into the care and raising of a Grey or large parrot.

'Tiels, males talk and sing, they learn easy, and the bite isn't to bad. There diet is like a Greys, there very very smart and love human companionship, even with the very young. They come in a assortment of colors with some with a price tag of over $600.00. Check em out, in your case I personally feel they would be the smartness choice, you wouldn't be disappointed......

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I have a husband (consider him a kid too, :), two children (3 years and 9 years), two dogs and two hermit crabs. We both work full time and we make it work! We got our grey when he was 10 weeks old in August of 2012. He is now 8 months old and so far he seems very well adjusted. It can be challenging though. My husband works in town so he comes home at lunch for an hour and lets Felix out for interaction time. Then he is out with us in the evenings for a few hours. I spend about 30 to 45 minutes each evening changing cage papers, washing food/water dishes, refilling food bowls, sweeping, and cleaning poop under his play stand. Felix will go to the kids if there is no other option (when he flies to the back of the house looking for myself or my husband and can't find us and the kids rescue him) but he does prefer me or my husband.

I think a cockatiel is an excellent option for you. We actually got a cockatiel Christmas 2011 but lost him when he flew away from us outside. He was a great bird. He could whistle, turkey call, and said a few phrases. He wasn't nearly as time-consuming as our grey in that he was perfectly happy to hang out in his cage or he would just sit on top of his cage and talk/whistle to himself for hours. Felix is wherever we are at all times and he is a lot like a toddler in that he is into everything (chewing on everything, investigating everything).

You can't go wrong with either option but a tiel is a great first bird!

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Budgies are wonderful. Very underrated in my opinion. I don't know the dynamic of two rather than a single bird. Perhaps others can share regarding that. It can be difficult to find hand fed ones in some areas though. I had a budgie as a child and he (she?) was fine with a busy home with kids and noise. I don't think he was hand fed, but with regular handling he was great with everyone.

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I have to comment on the cockatiels, they are no dirtier or boring than any other bird, in fact my tiel is probably the cleanest of the three birds I have. I used to think that tiels were not for me but I got the opportunity to adopt one when a tiel landed in my backyard, I captured her and fed her as she was so hungry, I tried to find who she belonged to but to no avail so I gave her a home as she surely would have been snapped up by one of the hawks we are always seeing around our place in the country. She has turned out to be a delight to have around, so inquisitive and she loves to go check out the other two bird's cages for something they have to eat that she does not, she loves to sit on my shoulder when watching tv and preening sometimes she preens me so I have changed my mind about tiels, they are delightful birds and come in many different color combinations. But budgies are good first birds too and reasonable in price as is tiels.

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depends on the kids, i think! we have 5 kids, age 1 to 19, and they are very gentle and bird saavy. my 9 year old has had a very happy well trained (by her) quaker parrot for the past 2 years, and our conure is regularly handled by all. remains to be seen how our new grey will fit in, but we are determined to make it work :)

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I have 4 American parakeets (budgerigars/ "budgies") and they are a joy! They bicker, preen each other, feed each other, and do many things en masse. When one of them goes to eat some millet, they all fly down. They have different personalities, and OMG their poop is way easier to deal with than Oscar's poop! Parakeet poop hardens very easily so that you can easily brush it away with your hand (if you feel so inclined).

 

Some parakeets talk, and are actually the smallest breed of parrot. My parakeets do not talk yet, though, and perhaps they never will because there are 4 of them (apparently singletons are more likely to talk, but they require much more attention). They are fragile, and require any children handling them to be bird savvy. However, their bites are not very bad and they tame pretty fast with proper handling.

 

I think budgies are the most attractive bird, seriously. Hyacinths are a close second, but I would rather pay $15 over $15,000. Haha! Budgies come in a ton of colors, and can learn tricks. It is fun to watch my 4 playing on their loop-rings toy, and climb the wooden ladder in their cage. If you have any budgie questions I would be happy to answer them via PM. :) Good luck with whatever bird you choose, and please keep coming to this forum and learning about Greys!

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If I may, on the Grey forums we have a forum called "Other Birds" there's post and threads on keets and cockatiels to Macaws etc, check it out......As a FYI, keets are one of the best talking parrots, there just quiet. Until you actually spend time with a Hyacinths, you see why they cost so much.lol This baby we cared for was stunted [head to large for body] because it wasn't fed Red Palm oil, let alone a proper diet..

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The pet store I worked in had a pet 'tiel and breeding budgies, and I miss both. I might one day consider getting a tiel. I love budgies but wouldn't have them here because of my cat. He doesn't really register Dorian as a bird, but budgies would be too much temptation. I don't want a situation that is either an accident waiting to happen, or something that will make Jac (kitty) feel like all he hears is "no!" Budgies can be hilarious characters, big personalities in little bodies.

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