• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Bringing Home Baby

schnitzle

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
8/19/16
Messages
287
Real Name
Schnitzle
Hi All!

Now that we've decided on a parrot I'm trying to find the best way to handle the ride home from the bird store and how to proceed during the first few days. I've been searching the forum, but haven't come up with the best combination of search words to find this information. A lot of what I've found seems geared toward gaining the trust of a new bird who is less accustomed to human interaction. It's very interesting information for sure, and I am learning things from reading those posts as well.

However I'm not sure that this same method should be used for a hand-fed bird that we'll have been visiting and handling for a few weeks before it comes home. If we left it alone to observe us for 3 days after coming home, I'm worried that the baby will think that we're ignoring it when it has become used to getting attention from my partner and I. I also only want to use positive reinforcement with this little one. Can anyone tell me what to search on or give some ideas for where to find reliable info on what to do during those first few days?

Is it true that we shouldn't talk to him/her or comfort her on the car ride home to make sure it doesn't associate our voices with something bad?!

I'm probably placing too much emphasis on the beginning of the relationship, and doing that "new parront" thing where I worry that I will ruin my perfect little bird baby by doing some small thing wrong. I'm trying to keep in mind that it's a marathon, not a race :)

Oh and I've ordered Barbara Heidenreich's videos "A Good Start To A Good Bird" and "Parrot Behavior and Training".
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/16/13
Messages
28,800
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Michelle
Your baby will probably want comforted. He's leaving what he's used to and is going to need reassurance. They usually say to let a new bird settle in and get used to his new surroundings but this is assuming that you're part of the new surrounding. If he already knows you, he will likely want to interact. Really, you're just going to have to try to follow your bird's lead and see what he's comfortable with.

And initially, try to keep things as close to what he's used to from whoever you're getting him from- same food, same bedtime, covered/not covered, etc. until he is comfortable. Then you can start making the changes you want. Congrats on your new baby!
 

Tiel Feathers

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/15/14
Messages
20,193
Location
Quincy,CA
Real Name
Deanna
Congratulations on your new bird! You should definitely talk to and reassure your bird on the way home, and once you are there too. I also agree with @sunnysmom in that you should follow your birds lead. I've interacted with all of my birds a few hours after they came home because they all seemed comfortable enough. That's great you got a Barbara Heidenreich video, she's wonderful. You will have to post pictures once you bring him home!
 

fluffypoptarts

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
11/15/12
Messages
6,883
Location
Florida
I second what @sunnysmom said. Most important rule in interaction is following the bird's lead, IMO. Not a single one of my birds wanted to be left alone for 3 days. Even if they only wanted to be spoken to at first, they were extremely interested in getting some kind of interaction.
 

schnitzle

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
8/19/16
Messages
287
Real Name
Schnitzle
Thanks for the replies! They make me feel like my natural instincts won't be completely wrong. I know it sounds insane to think "If I talk to him on the car ride home it will ruin him forever!" but Google has not been my friend in this and I keep reading stupid things that scare me. I love that I can follow the birds lead and don't have to feel like if he doesn't want to do XYZ (step up, come out of the cage etc) then all hope is lost :) I'm just trying to think of "If I were a little bird and put into a whole new place, what would I want?".

Someone mentioned always having the same little blanket when we visit the baby so that when it comes home we can leave it in the carrier on the way home and it will be familiar. Not sure if that is something that might comfort a parrot or not though...
 

iamwhoiam

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/16/12
Messages
28,269
Location
the zoo
Congrats on your baby. There is nothing wrong with interacting with him/her when he first comes home. Just don't force the interaction and don't force him to come out of the cage. Do spend time sitting and talking to him and observing and then go from there. As others have noted, "Follow the bird's lead."

What are you getting?
 

greys4u

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
12/30/14
Messages
4,890
:cloud9:
 

nu2birds

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
2/24/17
Messages
1,086
Location
Seattle, Washington
Real Name
Kurt
I am enjoying your thread because you are so enthusiastic and inquisitive and committed to this bird. I think your instincts will be good and you can always check them out against experienced forum members. Don't over think it too much, I doubt you can scar your new baby for life. I guess you'll find out when she is a teenager and she slams the door of her cage and screams "I'm not talking to you!", LOL
 

Milestone

Sprinting down the street
Joined
9/12/16
Messages
584
I'm getting a canary-winged parakeet :fairy2: She "christened" my SO by pooping directly down her shirt into her bra! LOL!
Awe, so cute! I love those birds, unfortunately they aren't available in BC. I'm so jealous of you! Your very fortunate to have one, they're real diamonds in the bird world. :D
 

Tiel Feathers

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/15/14
Messages
20,193
Location
Quincy,CA
Real Name
Deanna
I can tell you are going to make a wonderful bird parront!:) I think the blanket idea is a good one.
 

NK_717

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
6/27/15
Messages
1,641
I'm getting a canary-winged parakeet :fairy2: She "christened" my SO by pooping directly down her shirt into her bra! LOL!
Oh wow!! I see Tod in the background
I go to Wings all the time and have a GCC baby waiting to come home there! Never actually met anyone there who knew of AA before
 

birdashes

Walking the driveway
Joined
2/21/16
Messages
155
Location
U.S.
Real Name
Ash
Everybody already has said wonderful advice, anything I'd say would probably just be repetitive:)

I do wanna say that canary winged parakeets are adorable! Your baby is no exception! I've meet two, I was absolutely taken with them. Good luck with your new friend! You seem to know what you're doing! :)
 

tka

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/4/17
Messages
4,433
Location
London, UK
You could get her a toy to hang in her cage at the shop, then take it with you when you bring her home and hang it in her new cage so she has something familiar with her. I couldn't do this for Leia, but I did ask her breeder what kind of toys she liked and made sure I had some in for her.
 

Donna turner

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
9/10/16
Messages
1,183
Real Name
Donna
I visited my green cheek conure every day for a couple of weeks but could only look and talk to her. I was the one who had to get her out of pet store cage when I bought her. I got one toy she had at store and after just a short while after being home she came out of cage for me and was sweet and ready to interact. I know they won't all be like this but I'm just betting yours might
 

schnitzle

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
8/19/16
Messages
287
Real Name
Schnitzle
Oh wow!! I see Tod in the background
I go to Wings all the time and have a GCC baby waiting to come home there! Never actually met anyone there who knew of AA before
Oh cool!! I kind of wondered if anyone would know where I was based on Tod being in the background haha! Small world, I also found out yesterday that a woman I know from fiber arts is a volunteer there. They have so many adorable baby GCC right now, how exciting that you'll be bringing one home :D
 

schnitzle

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
8/19/16
Messages
287
Real Name
Schnitzle
I guess you'll find out when she is a teenager and she slams the door of her cage and screams "I'm not talking to you!", LOL
Right?! Hopefully I'll stop and remember "Kurt told me this day would come" :lol:
 

schnitzle

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
8/19/16
Messages
287
Real Name
Schnitzle
Thanks so much to everyone for the encouragement and tips! You're all so kind :heart: I'm so glad I found AA!
 

NK_717

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
6/27/15
Messages
1,641
Oh cool!! I kind of wondered if anyone would know where I was based on Tod being in the background haha! Small world, I also found out yesterday that a woman I know from fiber arts is a volunteer there. They have so many adorable baby GCC right now, how exciting that you'll be bringing one home :D
Yep I saw Tod and had to look again- "Are they at Wings??"
He's actually already weaned and was hatched back in January! I just need to save up for him haha.
It'd be cool to run into you with your beebee parrot one day- I go very often :p
 

Rain Bow

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
5/3/17
Messages
4,727
Hi Schnitzel!

Nice to meet you, when I brought my Buddy home, we covered his cage with his blanket but we had to lay it on it's back. I was really worried about the stress after his loss. Although a warmer day to us, to him it was still cold (very cold). I believe it was 55 degrees outdoors but the vehicle was toasty. Anyway... I was not driving so I put his blanket over the headrest so he could see me a bit. Then periodically, I would talk to him & give him praise. He seemed to handle it in stride but he is not a baby birdy, not an adolescent either. :)

We are in the process of getting a travel cage in the event of a Emergency. I think the biggest part is they never feel alone. Maybe I'm incorrect Regarding this. A bird as a pet, is way to new to me to be giving advice. Congrats on the new member of your flock!

:grouphug: Rain
 
Top