daughter wants a bird for a pet...

redfan

my daughter of 8 years old saw a film and they had a bloody cookatoo or somthing for a pet. shes adamint on getting one for her birthday
i know there mad pricy . what would anyone suggest to get . somthing that we can let out to fly for a few miniutes per day. and somthing thats trainable to a certin extent,ive a fairly big back room. 18 x 16

banjopaul

A budgie would probably suit best, but be very careful letting them out, they can crash into windows, be poisoned by some plants, get stuck behind cabinets, you need to have a fairly bare room with perches provided and windows covered if you want to allow them to fly.

Sigma Force

A few minutes a day isn't enough larger birds especially need to be out of the cage for the majority of the day or at least be able to pop in and out of their cage. The only alternative is a mini aviary in the home or outside depending on the type of bird.

Cockatoos can be a bit grumpy and aren't suitable for people as their first bird.

The main thing to consider before you get any bird is bird saftey.
As a bird without an aviary needs out of cage time daily the room needs to be bird proof, checking all windows are closed and doors too, birds often perch on doors so when someone opens the door the bird can end up loosing toes or worse. Many people end up with their birds escaping, there should be zero tolerance when it comes to doors and windows so this can never happen.

That aside birds do make great pets, however for a child of that age I would suggest a bird like a budgie or a cockatiel.

Budgies although small are extremely clever, if you get a lone budgie they need loads of attention. She would have to be prepared to spend at least an hour one on one playtime with the bird a day and also allow free flight under supervision as kids that age although they can be careful and kind can be a bit forgetful. They can also learn to talk it's not as clear as some birds but you can understand them well, if you get more than one budgie they may bond with each other and not talk to the owner. Depends on the relationship and how much time spent etc.

Cage wise a budgie requires a cage large enough for it to be able to fly in without hitting it's wings off the cage bars, most on the market are too small.
They are however easier to keep than larger birds and as they have a small beak there is no risk of a childs small finger being damaged.

Cockatiels are also a nice bird to have although budgies sing and chat to themselves a lot cockatiels tend to be louder this can be too loud for some people so the noise of the bird has to be considered. They will call for you when you leave the room. They can also learn to talk and learn a lot of words a little bit clearer than a budgie you can make it out well and they love to make noises like phones ringing etc.

Aside from free flight they need a large cage, same rules apply wings must not touch bars they need to be able to fly across the cage.
It's very important that they have out of cage time daily and a lot of it.
They love attention.

Saying that all new birds are nervous sometimes you have to be very subtle and take it slowly so as not to scare them, let them come to you in their own time. Food can be used as a reward and to encourage them.

Diet wise seed alone is not enough both budgies and tiels need a good quality seed, cuttle bone, iodine block, fresh water daily, some fruit and veg. be sure to introduce new food gradually and make sure that it's a safe one to feed as some are toxic. Keep treats as natural as possible.
Some boiled egg now and then, a couple of rice krispies, cooked pasta is popular. You can buy bird mixes where you pop the packet and 50mls of water into a microwave, leave to cool and then feed to the bird the brand name is Prestige. It has pasta and other nice veggies for the bird to try very handy esp. as it's safe and healthy.

You will spend a lot more on the housing than on the bird itself, if you were to get a bird larger than a tiel the housing needs to be very big and can be very pricey.

Lone birds need as much attention as a pet dog or cat in my experience.

I have a 9 year old and she loves the cockatiel and the budgies but esp. the tiel he calls for her to say good morning and knows exactly when she's due home from school and keeps calling until she goes in to say hi.
They can be grumpy one minute they are chatting away to you next minute they peck and can be huffy but they aren't nasty or aggressive if treated with care.

If you need any tips on hand taming the bird post here or email cavycare@eircom.net otherwise if I start typing it my post will go on for ever lol.

What you could do with the back room is put in a large cage in a corner some of the mini aviarys available are expensive if you had someone that was good with DIY you could knock together a really good sized indoor aviary for 1/4 the price of a shop bought one.

Another thing birds thrive on routine they are strict time keepers and some hate change even when you change their toys they take a few days to get used to it, depending on the bird. Toys are important though and keep the bird busy and the owner amused. You can get tons and tons of fun toys for budgies and tiels.

Check out zooplus.ie for bird cages and bird toys and treats.
Also highly recommend you visit www.24parrot.com

Don't be put off by my novel they do make great pets they do live a long time so your child will possibly have left home before the cockatiel has left for rainbow bridge. There's no exact number really but budgies in general live approx. 10 years..rough guide and cockatiels 15 years also rough guide to give you an idea.

We have 2 budgies one is 8 years old and mad as a hatter.
Our tiel is approx. gosh trying to think he's about 5 ish now.
Hope this helps.

AngelicRaindrop

Geineapigrescue made a really great post but just to highlight something Cockatoos arent good 1st time birds not just because they are grumpy.. once they become sexually mature...THATs when things get fun and the grumpiness starts lol

they are very demanding of attention... they crave being close to you and will get really stressed so easily.. alot of cockatoos never stay in the one home past a few years. they are rehomed because of a few things. 1 being they scream ALOT if not given the proper care. and some scream anyhow. im not just talking about loud its really ear piercing ( im owned by a cockatoo btw lol ) 5am every morning she starts her morning rant, it lasts about 5minutes but those 5 minutes are hell. after that shes fine because she gets at least 2-5hrs out of the cage a day. but some arent as good as our one, and will scream the house down day in day out.

the second thing is if they are not given enough of the right attention and toys they will pluck! ive seen cockatoos who werent given attention because of the noise factor, and they had literally plucked a big hole in the chest!

Budgies are great little birds but they need exactly the same care as a larger parrot, just on a smaller care.

diet wise, none of my parrots are fed a seed based diet, i import a pelleted diet from 24parrot in the uk. with pellets theres very little waste and you only really need to supplement the diet with fruit and veg, I found with seed i was trying to get calcium and vitamins in anyway i could!

as for toys, they need alot! i rotate the toys in the cages about once a month, and get new ones in. if the toys being destroyed in a day thats a good thing! get more!

my budgie loves destroying balsa wood toys... any shape or size, if they go in his cage its ripped to shreds in hours

also.. theres never such a thing as a bird that doesnt bite! even my friendlist here has drawn blood a few times, its in their nature..

By the way, if you look around a bit you can also get hand raised budgies and teils nowdays here, they are alot more expensive than normal but imo are worth it, you normally have a calm friendly pet from the get go

AngelicRaindrop

heres a few questions for you to have a mull over.. its from a cockatoo website but it really applies to any type of birds, yes some things on the site may be a bit overboard, but it would make you think...

in saying that if your willing to put the work in they are amazing pets... i wouldnt change ours for the world

[SIZE=+2]NOW....ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]1. Owning a bird can cost money. Food, toys, and vets can soon add up. [/SIZE] [SIZE=+0]Do you HAVE an avian vet in your area?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]2. Many birds go through a period of adjustment. They may bite, or just [/SIZE] [SIZE=+0]avoid you altogether. Do you have the patience to deal with this without getting discouraged? It can [/SIZE] [SIZE=+0]take a long time if the birds been abused.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]3. A parrot can live from 10 to 90 years. It can be a LIFETIME pet. Are you ready for this? And what[/SIZE] [SIZE=+0]will happen to the bird when you die? Think about it![/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]4. When you go away on vacation, who will care for the bird? Many people are afraid of large parrots. What if the bird gets out of its cage? Can they handle that?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]5. Do you have the TIME to devote to the bird? Will you be able to play with it everyday, and maybe [/SIZE] [SIZE=+0]let it safely fly? Will the bird have more room than just its cage?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0](Be aware however, "T" stands and 'Toos don't mix, as they are MUCH [/SIZE] [SIZE=+0]too active to sit on a stand. As soon as you leave the room, they are OUTTA THERE!)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]6. Do you have room for a LARGE cage? And what about the droppings [/SIZE] [SIZE=+0]here and there? Mind a little damage now and then to things in your home?[/SIZE] [SIZE=+0]It WILL happen, trust me! (Maybe even LOTS of damage.)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]7. Is anyone in your family allergic to feathers and in the case of Cockatoos, lots of dust? (How do you think they stay so white?)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]8. Do you have other pets in the house? Will they get along with your bird and vice versa? Cats can kill a bird just with its saliva. Are you willing to risk that?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]9. Parrots are normally very shy of small children and I don't recommend giving large parrots to children period! But if you DO give a child a pet bird, are YOU willing to take responsibility if the child gets BIT or gets tired of the bird? Its YOUR fault if that happens.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]10. Forget everything you know about pets when it comes to birds. Many birds are just as EMOTIONAL as humans. Can you deal with this? Can you deal with your husband/ wife/kids? If not, better steer clear of parrots! (See my behavior Page)[/SIZE]

http://www.mytoos.com/main.shtml

tallus

Don't ever get a cockatoo as a pet. They are by far the most demanding parrot around and need constant attention. Also They are really loud, and at least once a day, usually in the morning or evening they like to hang out of their cage and screech for all they are worth.
I kept one myself in the past and ended up selling it to an elderly woman who could give it the care it needed.
As previously stated ... get her a budgie or a cockatiel.

redfan

interesting reading guys ... thanks for the heads up.. will be rethinking an auld 2nd choice for her. ill put an idea in to her head today after school cheers redfan