parrotlet help please.

[natalie_janye]

hi,i am about to get a parrotlet in a few months and was wondering if i can keep him/her in my bedroom? i have two children who would like nothing more to just stick there fingers in the cage 24/7 and can be noisy so would the bird be ok in my bedroom,during the day? i do come upstairs many time during the day and at night he/she will be downstairs with me,also what food is best for the? any recommendations would be great aswell,this will be my first parrotlet though i have owned budgies for most of my life,thankyou

 

[Birdiemarie]

Welcome. Many members keep their birds in bedrooms. Your mentioning that you will be bringing him/her downstairs a lot is good/important since birds thrive better with their flock which in this case will be you and your family. Having a tv or radio on in the bedroom when you will be gone for extended periods will help plus having plenty of toys in the cage, especially foraging toys. Make sure the cage is not directly in line with the AC or heat output. Be careful to avoid window drafts and continual direct sunlight. Many birds adjust well to being in the bedroom. I share my bedroom with my three birds and it works out very well. At night I cover their cages on three sides so they are not disturbed when I watch tv or am on the computer. I compromise by using low voltage light and turning the volume down on the tv so they can sleep well. In the morning I don't uncover them till they start to stir and make noise so I know they are ready to welcome the day.

 

[QBird]

Hi I do hope things go well with your little fellow when he/she arrives

I too have two children and larger birds. My children have had nips on occasion, I actually have one which thinks the best game in the world is to chase the boys (he will give a nasty nip if he can get them). However both of mine have learnt not to stick their fingers in the cage. The big one now handles budgies confidently whilst the little one will ask to have a budgie, stand like a statue and let you pop a budgie on his arm or shoulder, then he grins. Depending on the age of your children I would advise caution if they are small and handling birds, it is all too easy to forget and sit on them, trap them in doors etc through excitement or even just grabbing them can cause them serious injury.

As for the bedroom this is covered very well by Marie, unfortunately it would be too much of a risk for me with my breathing problems. But it is probably great that the bird knows a space outside of the manic madness that children can create

 

[allison]

My two parrotlets were in my room for a few years. They were very happy. I would sit in there with them a lot. They probably got more attention than they do now that they have their own bird room. But they also have each other and keep each other company all day. You might want to get an air purifier because they can be kind of dusty.

Mine eat a mix of a quality seed mix. I like a mixture of Higgins and Goldenfeast. There is some question whether pellets are ok or not. I think they are ok in limited qualities but may cause kidney problems if fed a lot. I also feed veggies and seed sprouts. Totally Organics is a good sprout mix or you can buy your own grains and seeds at health food stores in bulk.

 

[natalie_janye]

thankyou it is much appreciated i have heard alot of conflicting information from pet stores these past few weeks,and i just thought "you know what? why not ask the experts" and i am glad i did i am a very paranoid person when it comes to my pets so i would much rather check first before doing anything.again i thankyou you lovely people very giving me some great advice and info x

 

[Kelli]

I just moved my parrotlet to my bedroom - I had her in my bird room, but I think my conures were stressing her out. She started to pluck her feathers. About a week and a half later she looks much better and has been chirping and seeming happier.

 

[Colbon2]

hi,i am about to get a parrotlet in a few months and was wondering if i can keep him/her in my bedroom? i have two children who would like nothing more to just stick there fingers in the cage 24/7 and can be noisy so would the bird be ok in my bedroom,during the day? i do come upstairs many time during the day and at night he/she will be downstairs with me,also what food is best for the? any recommendations would be great aswell,this will be my first parrotlet though i have owned budgies for most of my life,thankyou

Having the birds in a quite space is quite alright just make sure they always feel included. I live in a small condo so my birds stay in my spare bedroom so I can shut the door for them to sleep well without the dog or cat bugging them.

Parrotlets are wonderful birds! And mighty for their size. They truly do believe they are the almighty and will show you they are fearless. Just keep in mind though that means they can bite. Now I have been bitten by all kinds of birds but I find that a bite from a Parrotlet can be something foul. When hey bite they hold on and try to tear through. Mine has only done this once and I should have seen the signs. He will always warn me now when he is in a bad mood. He fluffs up like a big green ball and starts chattering away. The one thing I have learned is Parrotlets hate bags. Every time I change the garbage bag in the room he goes crazy. He gets all puffed up and screams at me. So to avoid this I take the garbage outside and change the bag away from his eyesight but he still hears me and will sometimes still let me know he is upset by the big bad bags. That was how I got bit he got mad one day about the bags and flew over to me and nipped me good. So now the cage door is always closed when I am cleaning.

But all in all they make a great companion. They are playful and come in all sorts of variations. They are small, yet have a big mentality.

Food wise I give my birds Harrison's pellets, with a measured amount of seeds usually no more than 1/4 of the amount of pellets. I have heard you can leave pellets in for longer than a day but I dump and change out the food everyday.
I also do a birds mash consisting of egg noodles, rice, mixed veggies, fruit, and even some dark green leafed lettuce. I will also cut up apples and put whole slices in a clip to the side once every couple weeks. With fruit I am careful as it is really sweet. They will usually get two grapes cut into 4 each as a regular fruit. Other fruits are added periodically depending on what I am eating. I mostly use veggies. This is given to them almost every second day. I don't give it everyday because I am not always home to pull out the soft food within a timely manner so on the days I can be home within a few hours I will give them some or if I am home for the day like a weekend. They can always have this everyday. I try to give it as often as I can. Birds love fresh food including what you are eating. I always share my rice with my birds as long as I have no seasoning on it. If I have added salt or it is fried I don't, but if I have just plain rice we share.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

The one thing I have learned is Parrotlets hate bags. Every time I change the garbage bag in the room he goes crazy. He gets all puffed up and screams at me. So to avoid this I take the garbage outside and change the bag away from his eyesight but he still hears me and will sometimes still let me know he is upset by the big bad bags. That was how I got bit he got mad one day about the bags and flew over to me and nipped me good. So now the cage door is always closed when I am cleaning.

There are many species of birds that have "noise triggers" in where they will become highly aggressive and attempt to attack you or the item making the noise. I don't know the explanation for this behavior. I do have one bird ( amazon) who is also triggered by the sound of a rumpling plastic bag, crumpling paper, and the sound of my wiping out her stainless steel bowl drives her to wanting to attack me. You just learn to adjust those things you do to avoid those triggers like Nikki and myself and keep things more harmonious between you and your bird. Parrotlets can be like mini amazons in nature so poke in to the Parrotlet section for good reading on those that own them and what their behavior can be as adult birds.