Birds? New Addiction..

[Ethos]

I was woundering, does anyone know of a good website that sells and ships live birds?
I'm looking for Conures, Finches, Parakeets and Canaries.
Does anyone have any expirence with these birds?
What do you think about this cage, and do you know a web site with better or more cages? I need sheap ones...Any help is apreiceated.

 

[Jessica13]

Why on earth would you have those birds shipped?! You can get them at your local pet shop! I would suggest looking for local breeders in your area though..

What do you want them for? Tame pets or aviary-type birds?

 

[Ethos]

I know the more you want your bird to do, the more expansive it gets.
I saw some wounderful birds at our Petco.
There real commen, but I can't remember their name.

I also saw a cheap $30 "modorn" bird cage and stand, but I'd only get that at a last resort. It looked small, for canaries I think.
I like the look of conures, so thats what i'm pushing for.
I also dunno If I'll be able to recieve parential permission for a while....My parents dont like animals that you can't just tie up in the back yard and leave em' out there all day on a nice day (with water of course)

 

[RandomWiktor]

I mean this in the nicest way possible but... have you done any research whatsoever? You want to get conures because you "like the look of them?" You are thinking of bringing a bird into a household where there might be emotional hostility towards it from other family members? You aren't in college yet, but you want to get an animal that will be with you the next 30+ years? You think you can get a big enough cage for anything that cheap? You are even considering shipping??

Listen. Birds are a huge responsibility. They take time, money, effort, and frankly are not a good starter pet. They need hours upon hours of socialization, huge cages, out of cage time, they have very expensive specialized diets, they destroy EVERYTHING, make plenty of noise your animal-hating family will not enjoy, are difficult to find vets for, have very expensive treatments for illness, and live anywhere from 10-80 years. They are not something to buy on impulse.

Please consider at least waiting until you get out of college, so you at least have a secure job and house to have this bird live with you in. And do LOTS of research before selecting your species; do not just go by what is cheap/cute/available.

 

[Ethos]

Oh, i've done some reaserch.
You dont think I've been on this forum, criticizing newbies like the rest of you, about never doingh any research?
the biggest thing for me is where to keep them, and how to make it busy (entertained) to be able to go to school for a day and no have it skwaked itself silly.

Also, Conures have been know to live up to 35 years.
I have a $90 cage on my wish list at DRSfoster.com

I might actually go with a finch because they live about 5 years. Thats shorter than my dog.
Since your right, I haven't gone off to college yet, it'll be a little less of a commitment.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Sorry; it just seemed from the post to have not been well thought out. You listed 4 species of birds, seemed mostly concerned with "cheap," were willing to go for shipping, and didn't seem to have put much thought into college.

I'm aware of conure lifespans, I have one As well as an amazon, three keets, a finch, a pair of hens, and soon enough, a few doves. All of whom are rescues (well, cept for the conure, who was a VERY stupid gift idea from my wonderful grandparents), which is why I go so nuts when people post about wanting a bird in a fashion that seems so impulsive.

Just remember, if you get a finch, you actually need to get "finches." They are highly social birds who need others of thier species. They also do not tame up nicely like parrots, and will more than likely not be handleable. And I don't know about that five year bit... my current one, who outlived everyone else by a few years, is presently 13 and going strong.

 

[Ethos]

Well, If it does live for 5 Years, That'll be the time I move out for college.
if it live longer, I'm sure my parents'll be attached to it by then. I'm planning on doing a exchange student program for my junior year in college, thats one of my parent "requirements" if I want their help in paying for college.
Anyways, do they make a ton of noise? Most likely, It'll live in my room for a while, maybe in our guest bedroom, and moved into my room when we actually HAVE a guest staying here.
I read that the need atleast 10-12 hours of sleep each night, or else they get sick. Would my filter noise bother them, because I also read that little noises like coffee makers bother them, especially when they need sleep.
I dont really want to tame them, I just want them to be able to be quiet. Is this possible with "finches"?
they dont have to be silent, but quiet enough not to disturb anyone while we're sleeping.
but wait, they need 10-12 hours of sleep, which i get about 5.
should I invest in a cage cover, if I ever do get a bird?

PS: I think conures are beautiful birds!

 

[RandomWiktor]

If you want quiet, I'd just go for a mouse or hamster. Birds are anything but quiet; mine do nothing but chatter, shriek, and chirp away all day. Finches make a constant sort of peeping and chirping noise, though it'll all depend on the type of finch. If the bird is at all healthy and content, expect it to make noise pretty well all day.
Once the lights go out, my finch and keets always stay quiet. Not so much, with the parrots; Aspen doesn't like to not be able to see me, so he lets out a loud distress call when the lights first go out. Pretty Bird is fairly quiet, but has a funny habbit of falling off her perch whilst sleeping, which wakes EVERYONE up as she screeches and clammors around the cage. She must thing something knocks her off the perch.
If an air filter bugs them, I think all of my birds would be dead (lol). I always have fans going all night long, every night, and everyone seems well rested. The 10+ hours is a must though; I often times stay up late and go to bed early, so I have to work around them by being out of my room at "bed time" and leaving the room darkened and shades drawn if I wake up early.
Cage cover? You mean to keep seed from getting everywhere, or to darken the cage? I just use a big sheet... but then again, my cages are all over 4 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, so cage covers don't really fit. I don't use them much at all though, mostly just in the summer when my room brightens up very early and they do not get enough sleep as a result.
Very important side note - whatever room you keep them in, I hope you don't like having open windows or doors They need a high, consistent temperature. If you are one of those folks who keeps the house at about 50 and always has a window open, I'd suggest another animal. If they stay in your room, you might be able to keep your windows and door closed, and maybe invest in a heating lamp or space heater if your room is cold. My room is consistently at ~ 75 degrees to accomodate my birds. My door is seldom open, and my windows only open in the summer time. I also keep the room humid for them. So it might make your room less comfortable for you if you get a "serious" bird like a parrot.
Oh yeah, if you can get finches who are used to pellets, it can really benefit them. They do eat mostly seeds in the wild, but captive, they not only have a limited availability of seeds, but also pick and choose what they like. Mazuri and Zupreem make finch pellets formulated to meet thier nutritional needs. Throw in a treat of sprouts, some spray millet, or little bits of fruits and veggies, and you'll have a happy, healthy bird.
Finally, do see that there is a bird/exotics vet before you get your birds. Female finches love to do silly things like get eggbound, and the odd accident does happen; we had a sugar glider escapee who found his way through the WALL into my room, whereupon he ate a big chunk off of my poor little finch through the bars. The time of the accident is never a good time to be looking for a vet.

I'll post more if I think of anything.

 

[Dragonscales]

Personally I think you would be better waiting a couple of years before keeping birds, it sounds as though you aren't 100% aware and/or ready for the amount of commitment birds need.

My cockatiel for instance never shuts up and often wakes me and Kelly up at around 5am. There are also times when some birds will be spooked in the middle of the night and make alot of noise resulting in everybody in the house waking up.

Birds also need alot of excersise and a cage should be at least twice the extended wingspan of the bird, and this is only if it is let out of the cage every day for a couple of hours. If the bird is to be left in it's cage most of the time it will need quite a larger cage and may even have to be kept in an outside avary depending on species. In general, horizontal space is better than height to allow for flight although height is apreciated too for climbing, roosting, etc. In some instances height is just as important as width, such as with some australian natives like King parrots, they won't breed unless they can nest at a certain height.

Birds also need to be entertained, especially parrots. They shouldn't be left is a quiet room by themselves day in, day out. Personally, I often leave the t.v or radio on for Drake whenever I go out so he has something to keep him company. When the weather is nice I often take his cage outside so he can interact with other birds and get a change of scenery. As he has bonded with me quite a bit since I got him though, these are not a substitute for time spent with me, simply ways to enhance his life more. A good part of your time will have to be spent interacting with your birds if they begin to include you into their flock (and should be regardless if you own parrots or single birds). Some birds are thought to be as smart as small children and need to be kept entertained as such with games, toys, etc. I know you said you don't care if they become tame or not, but if they are going to be in your room and around you then there is a chance that you are going to be a big part of their life and they may become accustomed to you and want interaction between you and them.

It is all well and good to say that in five years you will be going to college and your parents will be attached to the bird by then, but what makes you think your bird will be attached to them? Most birds form extremely deep bonds with their owners, to the point that you become part of the bird's family and if seperated they can often fall into deep lapses of depression which can sometimes even lead to death. Not to mention that it is a pretty irresponsible way to think, birds are a living creature and not a piece of furniture and therefore you need to be responsible as well as able to see to their care and wellbeing before even thinking about buying. A bird is a pet which should be looked at as a friend for life and you should be able to commit 110% before purchasing one. Alot of parrots easily live as long as humans and in some cases much longer. The Australian cockatoo for instance has been recorded as living for around 120 years in captivity.

From the sounds of your posts I would recommend waiting until you are at least out of college and have really thought long and hard as to whether you are willing, able and suitable to fully commit yourself to such a demanding pet. I don't mean to sound harsh with this post, but a bird requires even more time, effort and energy than your average fish and if you aren't willing to invest then you would be better off keeping trays of birdseed and water outside and enjoying the wild birds instead.

 

[LadyMinion]

I have kept conures for nearly five years now and I would not recommend them as a beginner's bird. Although they are small(ish), they act very like the larger parrots - and that includes vocally. They are exceptionally intelligent and bond very strongly to their owners. They have a very shrill and loud call which you (and your family) must be prepared to hear at least a couple of times a day. They must be actively involved in your daily activities or they will get very lonely.

They are wonderful birds and will make loyal companions if you have the time and dedication. From the information you have given, I don't think a conure is the right bird for you at this time.

I also agree with the previous posters that shipping a bird is really unnecessary, unless you are a breeder looking for more unusual species. If you look hard enough, I'm sure you will find a local breeder. Buying in this manner also means you get to see your bird before purchase and, as well as ensuring it is healthy, you can see if you like each other.