Enough time for meyers/brown head?

[Dmott1]

Hi,
This is my first post. I've researched as much as I can on this topic but thought I'd create a post. I'm wanting a meyers or brown head but making sure 40 hrs a week mon - fri is acceptable. I live alone with no kids or pets.

I work 2nd shift 9 months out of the year from 3:15pm to 11:45pm and the other 3 other months first shift from 6am to 2:30pm. When on 2nd shift I get up at 10 or 10:30am and leave for work at 2:45pm. I estimate he would be out of cage time with me 3 and a half hours before work and an hour and a half after work. When I get home at 11:45 I go to sleep at 2am or 2:30am. So he would sleep from 2am to 11am or so? Is that ok for the bird to slee on my schedule?

I just don't want to put a bird through something i would not want to go through. I feel bad leaving him for 9 hrs while at work. I literally live 1 min from work so would come home on lunch break for 20 min everyday. I know thats not much but at least he would see me halfway through my shift. If you believe someone should not work at all or only part time to have a bird please be honest and let me know. I only want to bring one in if he is truly going to be happy. On weekends I don't do much so he'd probably be out with me at least 10 hrs if not more. Sorry for the long post and hopen to get some feed back.

 

[emdh]

I personally don't think leaving him for 9 hours is a problem as long as he is out when you're home (and not sleeping) and as long as he has plenty of toys to challenge and keep him happy. I work all day and my guys are fine-they're out before and after my work day Flipping the schedule, I'm not sure about though, especially since birds rise with the sun and generally go to sleep with the dusk. I'll defer to others on that....

 

[Dmott1]

Thanks. Do you have a preference on cage for meyers and brown head? Money is no objective and I want to go as big as possible. However, you go so big and bar spacing becomes an issue. Do you recommend 5/8? Is 3/4 too big? Any cages you recommend? Thanks

 

[Begone]

I think 9 hrs is way to much. Consider that they in the wild lives very close, always near and never away from each other.
A parrot that is forced to be alone for 9 hrs a day, will be a very sad parrot.

But... If you chose to get two, their is no problem at all.
And to have two is so awesome. You will all three be a little flock, and you will have one parrot on each shoulder.

 

[Dmott1]

Thanks eloy, I think most people say it's ok to work 40 hrs a week and have 1 bird because they themselves do this. I said 9 hrs because when you figure a 30 min lunch break and everything that's what it comes too. Even people who ask if 8hrs a day is too much. When they figure break and drive time it is probably 9. I also said I would come home halfway through my break and you said that's not even enough. So these people who are gone 9 hrs without coming home halfway through surley is too long I guess. Thanks.

 

[theocnoob]

Get two siblings from a breeder, not a pet shop. Be very judgemental of this person. Are they exceptionally nice to their parrots? Are the parrots there happy?

 

[Dmott1]

Thanks theocnoob. I've heard good things about jc aviary in texas.

 

[Begone]

Get two siblings from a breeder

Or two rescues. Much better to give the ones that don't have a home a new good one.

 

[Dmott1]

I know. No rescues close to me and the ones I've seen say they want to do home inspection prior to adopting so you need to live close. Some say no out of state either. I understand their concern and guidelines but at the same time those rules disqualify good potential owners.

 

[theocnoob]

I know. No rescues close to me and the ones I've seen say they want to do home inspection prior to adopting so you need to live close. Some say no out of state either. I understand their concern and guidelines but at the same time those rules disqualify good potential owners.

Yes but you have to understand that a parrot is much more like a child than most pets and parrots are very needy of attention and proper treatment. It's bad enough that these poor birds don't have a proper home. The last thing they need is to be placed in an unacceptable environment. Not saying that you are that environment, just justifying the way these rescues do business.

Although rescuing a homeless animal is a noble thing to do, it has to be kept in mind that you have (AFAIK), zero parrot experience, and a bird(s) that has been traumatized will be more difficult to work with. My vote for a first time parrot parent is to get a young bird(s) (birds in your case) that are trauma free and willing to put their trust in a new person.

By the way another type of small parrot in the poi family you may want to consider is the senegal. Though meyers and brownheads are good starter parrots too. Remember that these animals live for four decades+ and it's pretty much a lifelong commitment. If there ever comes a time that you can no longer care for your bird(s) those birds will be heartbroken and depressed and sad without you. You have to make sure you can be there for them for the long haul.

You really need to be careful about where you get these little fellers from. I went to a couple of breeders before I met Lisa. The first breeder I went to treated his parrots more like livestock and I got the hell out of there pretty fast. Once I met Lisa and saw the way she treated her birds I knew that she was the person I wanted to get George from.

Think of what you are planning to do more like adopting a pair of tiny feather covered children vs getting a puppy or a kitten. The emotional investment and level of patience and effort required on your part is many times greater.

PS before you get the birds, please throw away any TEFLON cookware you may have. When you cook in a TEFLON pan it releases fluorine into the air which is toxic even for humans, but since birds have a nearly completely unfiltered respiratory system it can make them sick and even kill them without warning. It's not worth it. There are now ceramic cooking pans that are nearly as non-stick as TEFLON. You MUST do this. Along these same lines, please avoid incense, air freshners, smoking indoors or anywhere near your birds, spraying perfume or cologne anywhere near your birds, etc. if it's not air, they shouldn't breathe it.

Also, you might want to get tested for bird dander allergy before you get the birds. A lot of people who have never lived with birds have this allergy but are unaware. I didn't know I had it until after I got george. I got tested and was told I was allergic to birds. So now I just take a reactine when it gets really bad. That's bad for you though. Don't be stupid like me.

HTH

 

[Dmott1]

Thanks for the post. I thought about most of everything you mentioned by doing research except getting tested for allergies. Lisa? Does she breed meyers or brown heads? Do you have contact info? Unfortunately I can't find one close by so unless I want to have a bird shipped my only other option is to drive hours away. I think the long drive back would be hard on birds. Also, do you have experience on combo cages? Kings has one in their economy line called 4226 combo play pen. I'm trying to find the biggest I can while still having 5/8 in bar spacing. I've read for the species I'm considering that is best. Max would be 3/4. Thanks

 

[Begone]

I think the long drive back would be hard on birds.

That is no problem. I have travel all from 6- 11 hrs to get mine home.

And about cage, I know someone that can help you with that. @iamwhoiam

 

[iamwhoiam]

It really does depend on the bird but many will adjust to your routine. You need to make sure to give him attention when you are around. Give him lots of fun things to keep him busy. Consider leaving the TV or a radio on. If you can go home at lunch and visit with him that would be great. I used to do that with mine sometimes.
Cages: I use the Avian Adventures Chiquita play top with a few of my red-bellied parrots. That size has worked out well. The Mediana is the next size up but bar spacing is 7/8". Another cage to consider is the A&E 32X23 play top. It's a bit bigger than the Chiquita. Kings and HQ have similarly sized cages, Kings more expensive but supposedly thicker powder coat. Compared to the A&E I like the Chiquita better....easier to assemble, removable play top, thicker bar gauge. The manufacturers of the other cages I have for my Senegal and red-bellies are no longer in business.
I have no experience with Meyer's or brown heads. You may also want to consider other Pois such as Senegals or red-bellies.

 

[theocnoob]

Thanks for the post. I thought about most of everything you mentioned by doing research except getting tested for allergies. Lisa? Does she breed meyers or brown heads? Do you have contact info? Unfortunately I can't find one close by so unless I want to have a bird shipped my only other option is to drive hours away. I think the long drive back would be hard on birds. Also, do you have experience on combo cages? Kings has one in their economy line called 4226 combo play pen. I'm trying to find the biggest I can while still having 5/8 in bar spacing. I've read for the species I'm considering that is best. Max would be 3/4. Thanks

Unfortunately Lisa no longer breeds parrots. I don't know where to send you besides suggesting that you ask around and maybe look on kijiji.

I really have no experience with cage shopping. I have an appropriate cage for George but that's where my knowledge ends.

 

[Audrey S]

Hi, My name is Audrey. I'm not sure which one of you is interested in a Meyers but I know where you can get one. rita@rainbowparrotsaviary. You may have to wait for one but she breeds them. She lives in Buford, GA. She posts great videos of her babies growing up on Facebook. I'm getting a Meyers from her in about 10 to 12 weeks. I'm so excited!

 

[jh81]

Rescue two!

As i posted in another thread in this forum, i am no fan of "one bird" regardless of how many time or space you have
I started out with 1 Senegal, and i now have 2. having a fulltime job, and sometimes less then 2 hours a day to spend with my pea i decided to get her a companion. A rescue! Its nice to know i gave home to some poor fella who might end up nowhere otherwise Parrots are very intelligent,i truely believe they benefit from the companion of another bird, and it doesnt impact their bond with you.

 

[MnGuy]

As some have said, don't rule out adopting a rescue. Yes, some may have traumatic pasts that make them more complicated than a baby, but plenty of baby birds grow up in healthy homes to develop issues of their own, too. If you find a good rescue or a good bird owner who has a good understanding of their bird, you can adopt a full grown parrot and be just as successful with it. There are plenty of adult rescue birds with no "problems" other than owners who got bored/lazy/died/moved/etc. I also thinking getting two who are already bonded/friendly is really ideal.

Working a 40-hour work week should not be a problem. Sure, it is not ideal, but most of us have to work to support ourselves and our birds, and 40-hour work weeks are fairly standard.

But, as someone else mentioned, I don't know how flipping the schedule for three months would impact the bird. Birds are so wired to the sun that you may want to make sure you can black out all sun from 2 a.m. to 11 a.m., otherwise, your bird is likely to wake up with the sunrise regardless of when it goes to bed.

I had a Meyer's, and she was awesome. Not terribly noisy, only loud on occasion, cuddly but independent, too. Passed away of old age.