taking care of a parrot/cockatoo

carlowplayer

are parotts/cockatoos hard to maintain both physically and financially.I am considering buying one possibly a big one and want to know what are the costs to feed and house one as well as is there any where i can check to see if im allergic to it ie get myself tested for allergies and also where can you buy one here in ireland.

Irishchick

Yes and yes.

The initial cost of buying the bird/cage/toys/food will burn a decent hole in your pocket.

Parrots are extremely intelligent animals that need daily stimulation and interaction to prevent behaviour and self harm problems. You shouldn't consider one if you work away from home all day.

If you have never owned a parrot before I would definitely not recommend a larger bird like Macaw or a cockatoo. Having one would be like owning a toddler with a chainsaw for the next 30 or more years.

If you are new to birds then go for a tame cockatiel. They are just as lovable with huge personalities. They are easier to manage and train.

You could also go for a conure but they are (like a lot of parrots) extremely loud so if you live in an apartment or attached house they are a no no.


As for on going costs. A good diet like harrisons would cost between 30-40 a month. You can buy cheaper seed diets but birds on seed diets tend to suffer from malnutrition.

Larger birds and enthusiastic chewers tear threw toys quickly so they would need to be replaced monthly. You can make your own to cut down on the cost. you can find details of how to do this online through google.


A yearly blood profile at the vets will cost a couple of hundred euro's.

As for the allergy the only way to check is to ask someone who owns one to let you spend some time around it.

You can buy parrots from breeders and pet shops. I wouldn't recommend buying a pet shop bird. They just don't get the interaction they need everyday as staff are usually too busy. Buy from a breeder that treats the bird well and socialises the chicks in a family environment.

Some breeders take the chicks from the mother and rear them themselves. Others allow the parents to rear it and then tame the chick. There are positives and negatives for both. Just make sure you go to the breeders home and see where the birds are kept.

Dingle_berry

+1 for everything Irishchick said above.

The propper set up (cage, stands etc) for parotts are expensive. The bigger the bird the more money.
Food again, bigger bird more money. If you try and do it cheaply you'll end up unhappy with a sick bird.
Not all vets are comfortable or experienced with birds, especially parrots. Those that are have extra training and cost.
Hand reared birds - the ones that make the best "pets" are very expensive. They are also almost as big a commitment as having a child. Some breeds are better, some worse but they will all require lots of interaction.

If you live around Dublin call into Petstop in the Carrickmines retail park and talk to the staff about their two cockatoos. They got them from the Aviary in Kilmacenogue. You could also call into them.
Unless you have experience with parrots, I wouldn't go for a large one. We own a Senegal and she is a beautiful bird, intelligent, playful and not as noisey as other breeds from what I've heard.

carlowplayer

with regards t cocktiels and senegal parrots ,im usually n the living room for five to seven hours after work so id keep it company that long.Also would the tv or music suffice as entertainment when im gone during the day.also how expensive are they to maintain and how long would you wait until moving onto larger birds

Dingle_berry

carlowplayer wrote: »

with regards t cocktiels and senegal parrots ,im usually n the living room for five to seven hours after work so id keep it company that long.Also would the tv or music suffice as entertainment when im gone during the day.also how expensive are they to maintain and how long would you wait until moving onto larger birds

You're being very wise by asking all these questions before going out and buying. Most parrots etc will be starting to breed around now anyway so chicks won't be ready til the summer/autumn.
Birds don't have the same visual range as we do so I don't think TV works for them. They like to know where the sounds are coming from, what has your attention and will mimick sounds from a tv but they aren't couch potatoes!
Think of it like this: if they are hand reared (fed by humans from a very early age to make good pets) they consider their humans their flock. Most are very sociable creatures. So any time spent alone is like putting a human in isolation. I know it's not practical to keep the bird with you at all times so having a suitable (large enough) cage filled with toys can occupy some of the birds time.

With regards to cost, the initial outlay/investment is very large. For a hand reared Senegal about €600. At least the same, probably more for an appropriate cage. Harrison's bird food is about €20 for 4-6 weeks worth, plus fresh fruit, veg and seeds. Toys can range upwards from €10 and will need to be swapped, replaced, re-arranged, etc. you should have a suitable small carrier cage for transporting the bird and something like an aviator harness for the fun of it! Contact your local vet to find out if they are comfortable with birds and how much they'd charge. Otherwise you'd have to travel to the likes of Barbre O'Malley in Bray who is excellent but as expensive as a GP.

The bird may have no training when you get it, may not know "step up" (onto your finger) or about where is acceptable to go to the toilet. They go to the toilet very frequently to stay light. Furniture etc may suffer! There are some online resources on how to train parrots and some excellent books. Look at "Guide to the Senegal Parrot and Its Family" by Mattie S Athan.

Just like dog breeds, different birds have different characteristics. African Greys can be very intelligent, Cockatoos can be very needy, conures can be loud, Senegals can be affectionate. These traits are discussed in parrot encyclopedia style books. But how you treat them nurtures and encourages these traits. Many of the birds on public display have "do not put fingers in cage" signs because a parrot investigates things with its beak/toungue. People take this as intent to bite so pull their finger away, but the bird wants to investigate so holds on, tightly! Consider the life span of the breed you're looking at too. Senegals can live between 20 and 30 years. African greys can live 80 years.

With regards to getting other birds, a hand reared bird will often bond to their "owner" and see them as their life mate. Competition from other humans can be poorly tolerated so introducing another bird can be disastrous! It can be done, especially if the bird is well socialised and trained from the start but you risk not only the birds fighting but the bird self harming too. I wouldn't get a bird as a trainer version while you wait to get a bigger bird. Find a breeder or aviary willing to show you how to handle the breed of bird you want instead.

De Hipster

The advice above from both Irishchick & Dingle Berry is spot on - we have two African Greys, one is ~25 and the younger 5-6 - although they are very sociable and loveable they are extremely demanding.

Zach - the younger of the two is male & has been going through the equivalent of 'the terrible twos' for the most part of the 3.5 years we have had him. He cannot be let out of the cage unsupervised which means there has to be someone there almost 12hours per day so that he is not unfairly caged, even at that he needs constant attention, supervision & chastising to keep him in check & protect the furniture, clothes, fixtures & fittings, not to mention his safety!

Do not take on the responsibility of a large bird without very careful consideration for both yourself and the bird.