A few thoughts on MBS/Multiple Birds Syndrom

[Tari]

MBS IS NOT A LAUGHING MATTER

 

It is so strange how everyone always thinks this is so funny. But I have to wonder if we are doing birds any real favorers by taking in that bird no one wants.

 

There are a few that do very well with lots of birds and can give them all they need but only a few most of us get in over our heads very quickly.(but rarely admit it to anyone) Then what?

 

When do you say enough is enough? Can we say it?

 

Here are some things to think about before adding just one more bird.

 

Can you with no strain at all on the budget take your birds to an avian vet when needed?

 

Can you spend at least 15 minutes in your face time daily with each bird? More is better.

 

Do you have the space without making the rest of the family feel put out?

 

Does your spouse roll their eyes or say something like "where do you plan to put it?' but would never come right out and tell you no?

 

Just why do you want another one anyway? Is it so you can say you have a such and such? Or cause you think it well bond with you better then the others have?

 

Why do we always laugh when people bring up getting a new bird? Why do we think MBS is funny?

 

I for one have met my limit. Do you know what your limit is? Did you stop? Or well you stop?

 

I am sure some of you think the same way but knowing it is not the popular thing to say and that people wont like you to point out the reasons not to get more birds.

 

On the plus side less birds means you can buy the birds you do have the very best and more toys.

 

It means you can build a special relationship with them that you could not have if you had to many cause your time is spread out.

 

Just food for thought.

 

Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/05/03 14:28<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/05/03 14:35

[siobha9]

You have raised some very valid questions here Tari. And I suppose there are varying degrees of MBS!

 

I am sure most of have our limits and know what they are. I for one, will never have a cockatoo or a Macaw for different reasons. I will never have a cockatoo because I KNOW I couldnt give them the attention that they would need and still keep my other babies happy. And I will never have a Macaw because I am afraid of their beak

 

Then there are different reasons why people take on a new bird. Maybe they do it for the love of the new bird, well obviously this must be a factor to some degree else why would you take the bird;) ? But there are other reasons. Maybe its because our Greys are one person birds and another member of the family wants a relationship like that with a bird. That was the case in my family for 2 of my birds.

 

Birds did not evolve to need human interaction, therefore some birds do better without it. I have small birds who are very happy little guys but who do not need, or want handling by me. I give them toys, I give them food and water and I let them play with each other. I don't consider that these little guys are suffering for want of my giant hand in their face on a daily basis! But most of all I gave them playmates of their own kind.

 

I know for sure that there are individuals out there who get birds just to say they have bird X or Bird Y. But I honestly dont believe that those types of people are on a site like this one. Those kinds of people are probably not interested in enriching their birds lives, and in looking for help to interact with them. So why would they be reading a forum like this?

I consider the members of this forum to be the elite in bird owners for the most part. And I truly believe that if a bird is plucking, or biting, or whatever, that our members, with the support from the rest of us, have the best possible chance of improving that birds quality of life.

 

However.... having said all that.... each and every time someone considers taking in another bird, they should definitely reflect on the questions you raise regarding vet bills, space and whether they need interaction, and whether you can give it!

[danmcq]

Tari - This is a great post and brings out many questions anyone considering bringing more parrots home should answer to themselves truthfully. I think you should make this a "Sticky" so it will be in view constantly. Perhaps even change the title to "Multiple Birds Syndrome" since some will not recognize the acronym. :-)

 

Siobha - Great thoughts and responses. It is obvious you thought before you leaped.

 

I am also on the same page with Siobha's comments. I want a B&G Macaw, but I know it would require too much Cage space and attention to truly be the owner of a Grey, a Conure and it. Large Cockatoos of course are completely out of the possibilities. Due to their very needful nature in terms of requiring constant attention.

 

I am getting a Jenday Conure. Why? - 1) because they do not require the attention a Grey does 2) they will flock with other species and enjoy it 3) my existing Conure "Jake" is very friendly to other Parrots and the Jenday would be a welcomed flock member he could interact with 4) My existing Conure cannot interact with my Grey at all, though he tries constantly 5) If, for some reason the previous 4 items were not true, I would keep and love the new Conure regardless and divide time as needed.

 

One serious thought for all, whether they own a Parrot or not. It is a huge responsibility and a multi-decade commitment. You do not buy them like clothes and discard them if you decide it wasn't what you wanted after all.

[Tari]

Thank you for your great responses.

 

I know that here most of us keep our bird ownership within reason. But on some of the other forums I am on where people have 18 or more birds and keep adding. They justify it by taking in rehomes.

 

I have also seen post from people complaining about not being able to take their bird to the vet or spend enough time with it then two weeks later announce a new bird. Again not here but I do see it.

 

I thought this would be a great topic for this forum to bring up and keep in mind so none of us get in that boat.

 

I for one would love a rose breasted too. But for many reasons well never own one.

[judygram]

"""""I thought this would be a great topic for this forum to bring up and keep in mind so none of us get in that boat."""""

 

I completely agree Tari and you have made an excellent thread and I second Dan's comment that this be made a sticky with the title as he suggested.

 

I too would love to have more birds but I question having the time to devote to another bird and the one I would have is one that requires lots of it.

 

I think most of us here are the kind of parrot owners that know their limits and give their all to the ones we own, not that we wouldn't love to have one more but we have to be realistic, we want what is best for the bird not just what we would love to have.

[Lyric]

I'm one of those that got in over their head before they even realized what was happening. It's good you are drawing attention to this topic. I loved birds so much that when people had one they just didn't want they always thought of me. I had a hard time saying no because I just wanted the birds to have a good home. After a few years of caring for so many I realized I had reached my limit and learned how to say "No". Just recently I had to turn down a blue & gold macaw that some friends of mine had. The father had developed an allergy to the bird and just couldn't keep him. They offered him to me knowing I would give him a good home. Knowing that I really couldn't offer him the attention he would need on top of all my other birds I had to say no. It was hard, but I feel like it was in all of our best interests!

[MommaFawkes]

This is a very good topic...

 

As you all know I own MANY birds!! So I guess you could say I have MBS, however I do not take in every bird offered to me and give each one careful thought before I add it. I have turned down parrots that would be great for Shane and I because I thought they could negatively impact my flock..I always put my flock first. I firmly believe that each of my birds gets the attention they need, and yes I do believe I can handle a few more yet. But I am home all day also, this is a big factor. I can afford the vet care they need...I have a bird emergency fund. It had been cleaned out many times and replenished very quickly. Shooot last month I spent well over $2000 on vet bills and never gave it a second thought. Could I of used that money for things shane and I needed? Yes, but I took on this responsibility and its one I am serious about. My pets come first, no doubt about it. Shane and I would eat Mac N cheese if we were broke just so we could feed the birds what they deserve. In fact $ was tight this winter and we ate cheap food, while the birds got everything they always have, the best pellets, fresh food, etc.

 

I guess the point im trying to make is just know YOUR limits, everybody are different. Now I have a ton of birds, so do I get much alone time ever> NOPE. But I enjoy giving up my time for them all. I have a lot of "problem" birds, they take even more time and patience. But we always get through it! Anyways how many birds you can handle is up to you and you only, as long as you can care for and provide all the birds with what the need and lead a normal healthy life yourself.

[Tari]

I have several birds also. Only three pet birds and one semi pet.

But last summer when I had three extras cause of the baby blues there were days I felt I had way to many. lol

So far no viable eggs. But the thoughts of the extra babies I may get this year keep me from getting more.

At least it has so far but bird fair next month and those are my great weakness and I still want a white budgie..... Please don't let there be any. But I guess adding anouther untamed budgie to my budgies would not be to much except I well need a bigger cage.<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/05/05 23:36

[MommaFawkes]

LOL! I have a bird fair on saturday! Oh boy budgies are my weakeness too!! I do know Im getting 2 lovebirds and 2 button quail babies there but thats been planned for a while now, lol! I am also hoping to find a female Green cheek conure there!

[Tycos_mom]

This is a wonderful thread and I think you have to know your limits I am totaly at my limits even though I stay home most of the time I still work 3nights a week 6 hours a shift from 5pm til 11pm so for most of that time my birds are sleeping. I have 6 birds 3 of which are small I have 2 small conures 1 Green cheek and 1 Fiery shoulder they are great friends and keep each other company they are both still very bonded to me so I make a point of spending at least a half an hour a day with them my cockateil I didn't ask for Some one left him on my doorstep in a box with a note He wasn't even weaned yet so I took him in. He sits beside my bed so he's with me allot The others are big birds and need alot of intervention I love my birds and I spend a lot of time with each of them my Grey and my Amazon share my bedroom with me along with my cockateil I spend allot of time there due to my disablity I have very bad legs and must keep them up for allot of the time I can walk but if I am on my feet to much my legs break out into alsers that take forever to heal so its two hours up and two hours down all day long on the days I have to work I have to keep my feet up most of the day so I can do my job and not have problems. My cockatoo is in the living room so every couple hours I go and spend a half hour with him playing with his toys and cuddling him my Amazon just flys over to the bed when she want to be with me and Tyco i talk at all day. and play different games with her teach her things and just try to earn her trust which is working great but because I only have three big bird I have lots of time to spend with all of them I am at my limit though I couldn't imagine trying to give any more than I have the quality time they deserve and need Pat

[Tari]

Sounds like you stay pretty busy and have a schedule all worked out.

[BMustee]

This is a good topic and I agree that parrots should not be an inpulse buy. I have my one Grey, Elmo, and 14 finches. When I tell people I have 15 birds the look on their faces is pricless, but then I explain to them that all but one are finches and are not "pet birds" in the same respect as a parrot, where they need you to spend time with them every day. I love every one of them and tend to their needs. I have nursed 3 of them back to health, (one egg bound, and two Gouldians got nasty respritory infections) and because I cought the issues early all of them are better than ever. I have a good relationship with a GREAT avian vet and he advises me on treatment when I have a problem. Would I add another parrot to my flock...not right now. If I bought a house I would concider bringing in the pair of old macaws from my work because I have been working with them for months and months and have really fell for them. Although I think there would be snowballs down below before I would be able to talk the store owner into selling them to me they are birds I would move mountains to get. I would have my hands full with two large macaws and my grey, but I know the dynamic would work. There have been countless parrots I would have loved to have got, but I know that they would only get in the way of my relationship with Elmo and he is my #1 priority so I would never get them.

[spookyhurst]

I would like to get a second bird someday. Maybe another grey, but probably not. I've thought the Senegal, Meyer's, and Pionus would be nice birds. They have the kind of personality that would fit nicely into my household. But more than likely, I'll just get either a canary or a pair of budgies. I think people tend to forget that smaller birds can be just as enjoyable as bigger birds. And I think Nikko would probably be less jealous of little birds that spend the brunt of their time in a cage.

 

The one thing that bugs me about bird owners is when they say they can't afford to take their bird to the vet. To me, that isn't an option. You have to make a choice, go into debt or rehome your bird to someone who can afford to care for it. Unfortunately, I've seen posts on these forums from people who have a sick bird but won't take it to a vet, with excuses ranging from I'm-a-poor-college-student to I-spent-all-my-money-on-buying-the-bird. If you're flat broke and have spent your last dollar on a new bird, it's kind of Murphy's law that your bird is going to get sick. Personally, I don't have a ton of cash, but before I adopted Nikko, I made sure that I had enough set aside for emergencies. I cross my fingers that I'll never need to use it on anything more than annual well-bird exams.

[Tari]

I so agree with the vet part. My hubby and I have been eating cheep to cover the last vet bill on my dog.

We are not going without but hubby is complaining about the lack of meat on the table. But he don't complain to loud. lol

[spookyhurst]

When people say they have no money for the vet, I think that they aren't prioritizing very well. If your bird has a medical emergency, there's most likely something in your life you can cut out, ie. cable tv, cable internet, eating out (or in Tari's case, meat ), etc. When I lived by myself, money was extremely tight, and those were the first 3 things to go. I even rode the bus...in 115 degree weather...after grocery shopping...with a connection :ohmy:. Fun times, those were .

[busere]

Our family is a “Bird Family.” We are all bird people, to include our nine-year-old son. We have made the decision that we will have no more then one bird per person…as it is, each of our birds (and I must say that this is all luck) like some one different in our family (e.g. Piper’s favorite human is Nikki. Rio’s favorite human is me, and Lucky’s favorite human if our son.) Cool, hu? As for the vet bills…three is what we budgeted for, and we could actually afford four birds if we had to (Always willing to foster at least one small to medium rescue-bird, if needed) and we have the room for it as well. Fostering would be a family round table discussion and would have to be a unanimous vote.

 

Currently we are having a big problem with Piper our Quaker, which I’ve already went into on another post which is involving rehoming…Piper goes into attack mode around our son, whom we recently adopted. We’ve already tried every trick in the book to get Piper on board, but nothing is working…don’t even ask the question that you are thinking of asking…we’ve already tried it. Back-story was needed to help all see our situation, incase you didn’t read my other related post under “Other birds”/”Children and Parrots.”

 

However, this should not only be for those that are planning on having more then one bird, there are still so many that buy ONE bird that have no clue what they’re getting into. I am so happy that in our MISTAKE faze, we made our mistakes with a little bird vice a Macaw or an Umbrella Cockatoo. It was much easier to correct those mistakes with an Indian Ringneck...which has taken us about a year to fix all the bad habits that she picked up…but we’ve learned SO Much on how to retrain a bird…which is a whole different ballgame from initial training. The biggest problem that I see, is people not doing the research to learn themselves how to initially train their birds, their birds become aggressive, they want to get rid of their bird vice fix the issue…with Piper, he was doing wonderful until J (The child we adopted) came along…and Mom started giving more attention to J then Piper…Piper started despising J. And like I said, we gave it a chance, we tried to make it work…sorry, but it’s not working, it’s hard to fix a Quaker when it comes to jealousy…all Quaker owners can probably relate somewhat.

 

All of that just to say…I agree with you, but it should go for new bird owners as well.

 

Rodney

[tarnold]

At one time I had 6 tiels and some keets. I never intended to have that many birds but when I was offered a bird I knew was not being taken care of I could not help myself! In the end I was spending a lot of money on vet bills and spending to much time with the birds and not enough time with my kids. My now ex-wife had to point it all out to me. In retrospect, I should have kept the birds! So now i'm down to my TAG and my Teil and plan on keeping it that way.

[cocom]

This is a very interesting post. i would love more birds as i just adore them but the reality is space and time. I know in my heart that i just couldnt cope with a 3rd. I would like a female ekkie or a blue and gold macaw but i dont really have the space......time i could probably find but i know my grey and ekkie would have their beaks put out of joint as i spend most of my days playing with them. Maybe one day when im not moving about so much with my flock and m settled in one house instead of half living at home and half living with the Oh but at the moment it suits us and my fids love going round to play with my OHs fids at the weekends so no more birds for now. We have 4 between us and i think thats enough. Both my guys are fuly insured and if theres any problems they come first before any thoughts of the costs are considered........maybe thats why im always poor..

[zooman]

At 2 birds im at my limit and everyone is different i work night shift so im around all day with them so i can give them the time. But id love to have a huge flock and no bird truly scares me except for a macaw i didnt know. The late Steve Irwin the crocodile hunter once admitted one of the very few animals he feared was a large parrots.

[BaxtersMom]

I am so glad I read this forum. I have been thinking of getting another bird of some sort other than Baxter my CAG. A few weeks ago my neighbor brought over a lost conure and I took him so now I have 2 birds. But I am still left with the urge to get another bird so I can see how easy it is to find yourself with too many birds. I read the post and thought it over real good. I do need to know my limits. I think I can get one more but it has to be the right one. Thanks for the post. It gave me a lot to think about.

[Abernathy]

Great post. Definately gets me thinking. We're a multi bird home with 2 budgies, 1 conure and soon 1 TAG (in addition to our 2 cats and 1 dog). We have lots of space and noise is not a problem for our neighbors so it can be very tempting to expand our flock even more. I'm fairly certain that the addition of Morgan will be our limit, at least for a few years. Easy for me to say that now, but when faced with an unwanted bird it's so hard not to crack under temptation. I'm such a sucker for the underdog :unsure: If that happens I'll definately be refering to this thread for a reality check.

[Tammy]

When I started to think about getting another Bird I had to make sure there will be time for him/her. I Love Umbrella cockatoos and African Greys. I know how Umbrella cockatoo are. I grew up around one. They need alot of attention then other birds. I picked an CAG. With my kids being at the age they are A Bigger Beak might Scare them! LOL! But some day down the road I will get another Umbrella Cockatoo. Even if I have to wait till I am 65 yrs old. WOW, That will be 32 yrs down the road! LOL!

[pugwash]

Hi there

Interesting thread, I have just taken on a Goffins cockatoo to go with the 19 week old grey I already have

My cockatoo is a rescue and a plucker, perhaps more of a needy chappie than my grey who is quite aloof and not at all needy on the affection front.

 

Saying that both birds have their individual needs met and flocking together has improved the confidence of both birds and given much more than I alone could provide.

I am lucky enough to be in a positon to insure both birds, have the funds to allow a full balanced diet and have much time to dedicate to their needs.

The mess is tolerable and the avairy space for the summer much welcome but thats it for us..no more birdies;)

[she]

Haley I feel as you do. I have my two but I think I would be pushing it to get another.Both mine are insured and get the very best diet and I think adding another would mean cut backs on the attention front.I am lucky that both mine are not too needy,but perhaps thats because they get lots of attention anyway.I have an outdoor aviery and it is a very welcome space for them in the summer.I also mind my cousins grey so have the feel of having another larger parrot in the house.I think my grey and little Cracker the tiel are enough for me,unless I win the lottery,get a big house in the country and not have to work.Oh well we can all dream cant we?

[lovethatgrey]

I have 2 parrots. An african grey and a pionus parrot. As much as I love parrots, I do NOT intend to add any more. The quality of attention that I give to my existing 2 would not be the same. After all there are only 24 hours in a day and I have other responsibilities and interests. My family and friends sometimes joke around and say that when they die they hope to come back as a parrot in my home.:blink: I admit that occasionally I find it to be quite a balancing act and sometimes feel like I need a vacation away from my parrots and their needs. There are days that I wake up not feeling well... and the last thing I wish to do is clean the cages, but I do. More parrots would mean MORE house cleaning and less time and money for the ones I already have. In order to do it exactly the Way I want to do it.. I must limit myself to just Emma and Sachi and that's ok with me.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/03/11 18:48