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A question for those with a large varied flock!

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Renae

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I just thought of an idea. :dance4:

I'm going to ask you guys (those with a larger varied flocks) a question.. once everyone's put their answers in I'm going to put your answers together and make another thread called "People with large varied flocks and what it's like living with them" .. so those with the fairly smaller flocks, or those who are looking into getting more birds and having a varied flock can see what it's like when they read your answers.

The question is:
"What is it like living with such a large and varied flock of birds?"

Please try and keep this thread to answers ONLY so it'll be easier for me to go through and get everyone's answers and put them together. You can write a paragraph, a few lines, it can be as long as you want, but it must be along the lines of the question -your experience, what it's like, etc etc. :)

* People with varied large flocks only!
 
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JLcribber

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Well first off what do you consider large??
 

Renae

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Hmm.. I guess something like between 8 & 20 + birds.
 
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Beatriz Cazeneuve

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Well, I care for about 100 and, with the exception of two pairs of doves (one in each pair has a badly set broken wing so they cannot fly), a pair of lovies (male had stroke and was left with a pronounced head tilt) and a few tiels who are handicapped (one is pinionned, another plucks the primaries on one wing, a third has his wings fused in front of his chest and there is this little female who is too weak to fly and nobody has been able to figure out why) and stay in cages (with their mates, if they have them), everybody is out all the time.

Having a lot of birds all flying around is, on one hand, easier because you don't need to clean the cages all the time, food and water dishes are shared, they develop excellent foraging skills and eat much, much better than the average captive bird (they learn from one another), they exercise and bathe on their own, they entertain each other with more natural and normal activities than playing with man-made toys or watching TV with humans, they establish relationships as they see fit (which is great for their emotional wellbeing), you can tell right away if a bird is getting weaker or developing labored breathing and, most importantly, they get the benefit of living in a flock which reduces the constant and unabatable stress of living in an unnatural environment that is unavoidable with captivity. BUT, on the other hand, it is harder to monitor their health so you need to get to know their personal habits and observe them very, very closely twice a day to make sure that everybody is behaving, eating and pooping as they should. It's also a bit harder during breeding season because you need to make sure that there are enough usable nesting spots, that you know where all the nests are and never forget to replace the eggs. And let's not even go into the difficulty of catching one of the little ones while he or she is flying around from one end of the birdroom to the other! Ay, ay, ay! Talk about cardiovascular workout!! LOL - So, basically, it's immensely better for them but a bit harder on the health monitoring for the caregiver.

As to birds not getting along with each other... well, I have from canaries to U2's and, contrary to what most people believe, they all get along without a problem. Sometimes, a bird or two will take a dislike to a new one but a longer quarantine with monitored out of cage time with me acting as referee until they get used to one another takes care of that . There was only one bird that never got used to the other birds, a female ekkie who was very aggressive to other birds although nice to people (she adored my husband) so she was rehomed to the excellent home of one of my avian vet's technicians where she is now the queen of the house, as she always wanted to be. That's the only condition for my keeping any bird: that they cannot be aggressive to other birds... they can be aggressive to people but they cannot hurt other birds. But, in reality, 99.99% of them do and it's only the odd one that doesn't.

So, there you have it. I don't know if this is what you were asking about but, if it isn't, let me know specifically what you wanted to know and I'll tell you.
 

Quiverful

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I have 15 birds. Ranging in size from a Parrotlet all the way up to a M2. It can be crazy sometimes, but I love it. The reason I have so many different kinds of birds is that each kind has something very special and unique about them. They cannot all be out at the same time. Some get along with others and others have to have their time out by themselves. But, the juggle is worth it:)
 

thebirdnerds

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"What is it like living with such a large and varied flock of birds?"
Loud!!!!!!!!!! I have 9 residing in my home now and with having a rescue the number of birds can vary. I am sure that it is different for people who have flock of tame pets vs. abuse/neglected/wild caught/ex breeders etc. Not all of the birds we get have behavioral issues but a lot of them due. More so than not. I love having many birds around. Even if I am not home they keep each other company. The Suns are especially loud. I love having more than one bird. I am always busy in my house though hahaha. I think it also depends on what species you have. I love my large flock and I would never change anything :hug8:
 

birdlover82

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I have 17 birds( you can read what I have in my siggy)
I'd say it busy living with a large flock.
I think the biggest thing is it's very time consuming. Instead of taking 20 minutes to change papers and vacuum cages it takes at least a hour to do them all. And it takes at least 20 minutes to feed and water all of them.
And it can also be loud even with smaller ones. You get enough in one room and you might as well forget watching TV without having the volume way up. And when there's a night fright you don't just have to settle down just a few but the whole flock normally which once again takes more time.
But to me it is all worth it.
 
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M

M.C Bird Rescue

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It is..well.....hmm...depends on the day! Some days I feel overwhelmed, some days everything runs smoothly. I do notice my pace of the day depends on Tiki for some reason. She is having hard core breeding behaviors at the moment, so it all depends on how freaking loud or aggressive she is being that day.

I have at my home 5 of my own birds, 6 rescues waiting for homes, 3 guinea pibs, 1 tortoise, 2 dogs, and 3 cats.

Out of the 9 birds Tiki is in the bird room with 2 tiels, 2 quakers, the gpigs, and tortoise. Tiki is allowed out the entire day, and I notice when I close the door to her cage she is much more aggressive than is I leave it open.
Alex (CAG) is also out all day, but he gets put away when he gets overly stimulated. Rico is a velcro bird and spends most of his time on me. Lola the macaw (new) is out the entire day. The plets are only out sometimes..too small to have out completely all day.

It is a juggling act at times, but as I said it depends on the attitudes here. I deal with many aggressive ex breeders, senior unhandled birds, and handicapped birds. It all depends on the day. usually everyone is great! NOONE HERE IS ABLE TO TOUCH! They are all sperate on playstands and cage tops! I will not tolerate any accidents!
 

Renae

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Beatriz, that's perfect! :highfive:

Thanks to everyone for the replies so far, wanna keep this going. :dance4:
 

Mystics Mom

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I live with many birds from Parrolets to Hyacinths..actually the birds are great you learn all their moods and who likes who in the summer it is great have outdoor flighted aviarys and sun room..the birds love it and we take turns with mommy time i do ALOT of Ed programs in the nice weather also...birds love it...in the winter it is more of a balancing act..when the big birds are in i put med birds in their cages and let lil birds in med birds cages and do alot of foraging then we trade places ..the birds love being around other birds IT IS ALOT OF WORK...80% of the time i love it the other 20% of the time i think im crazy
 

birdlady

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Right now I live with 11 birds ranging from a parrolet up to a M2....it is busy for sure, but so worth it. It is easier now that our new addition is done.

The five conures have their own room which makes letting them out much easier...the three larger birds are in the large family room and get along in their own spaces on their cages and gyms...Jade my sennie gets wheeled into the sunroom for her out of cage time.

The two little ones are upstairs and I spend time with them in the bedroom or on the third floor.

It takes some organization and effort to make them all happy, but we seem to do it ok!
 

Gen120

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I have a flock of 11 birds also! 6 cockatiels, 2 Sun Conures, 1 budgie, 1 Green Cheeked Conure and 1 Lilac Crowned Amazon parrot. They have their own room, and it is a lot of work, to mantain their cages and take care of them, but it is so worth it.

I have a rountine down though, I let the tiels/conures out (they can be out together, they are supervised), and while the conures/tiels are out, I take Sammy in my bedroom, (which is right across from the birdroom, and snuggle with her for a hour or so, while I am on my laptop.

I then put the cockatiels up, and then keep the conures out (they stay on their cage), and then I let Sammy out of her cage, she stays on her cage, playstand or her Jollyball. I also keep a eye on them when they are out. It is fun having a large flock and is soo rewarding. Each and every 1 of my fids has a different personality.

Sammy comforts me when I am sad and she knows when I don't feel 100%. It is a really strange feeling, cause she automatically knows, when I feel bad, etc, and when I get her out to snuggle her, when I feel bad, she comes over and snuggles up to my face. It makes me feel a lot better, and I just love Sammy soo much! (I love my other fids too, but Sammy is very very special to me, her and I have a very unique bond).
 

Angelicarboreals

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I have eleven birds, and it is never dull in my home. :) Having such a diverse group of intelligent, feeling beings sharing my life with me has enriched my outlook on nature and life in general in ways that I cannot comprehend. I have learned to cherish each friendship that I have built with my birds, and have learned to love and accept each one for who they are. From listening to my African Grey beatbox, to watching my lorikeet hop around, from giving cuddles to my cockatoo, to giving scritches to my senegal, life has never been so complete without having the psittacine paradise that I do now. Just like having multiple friends and valuing each one for their individualness, I do the same with my feathered family.

Are there some days that I want to pull my hair out because the conures are chasing each other around or my amazons decide that they need to have a contest to see who is the loudest? Sure! But then there are other moments that I could not trade for the whole world.
 

Nikki

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I have 9 birds; Parrotlet - Umbrella Cockatoo. It's expensive & a lot of work, but all things are that you love :heart:. Even in when they're in a cranky fighty bitey mood they make me smile. I couldn't imagine my home without them. When I go to a quiet home it feels so empty, like something is missing.
 

Renae

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With only having five birds and no room for anymore I am not normal then?:(
Do you have all large birds? it's alright, just add in with the rest and I'll post your answer too. I'd like to get answers from people with larger birds too anyway!

You're normal, 5 or 2 birds, lol. ;)
 
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