I would say I have MBS, but I also feel I've tried to make good decisions and that I really don't have much I regret at this point. I am very glad I waited until I was in my late 30's to purchase my first parrot. I was in graduate school, and had wanted for years to get a dog after growing up with dogs but not committing to one after I left home at age 20. At 46 years old, I'm still renting and financially am not ready to commit to my own house. AND I have a flock of 16 parrots. But, I have a lot of priorities about how to live with them and where I want to live. I never wanted to have kids, and I always wanted to live with multiple animals when I got to the point where I could afford to. Now, though I love dogs and other animals, part of my commitment to my birds is not to add an animal that would threaten their safety as well as take time away from them. I now look when I plan to move about 'how the situation I'm moving to will help support my birds'. Is it somewhere with a good vet with in driving distance? Am I near neighbors or friends who can help me take care of my birds immediately if something were to happen to me? Is the house spacious and well-heated, and the landlord knows that my parrots being flighted will inflict some chewing damage? Is there a yard where I can put up aviaries or outdoor cages for time outside on nice days and flight training? Are there multiple rooms so I can separate the guys who get along from the ones who don't or need to be away from larger/noisier birds? Is it a floor I can CLEAN easily? Can I roll cages outside to hose them down easily? Is my job in this area flexible and the time schedule appropriate for my guys? Do I have access to quality vegetables and CSA's for organic produce? Is the area SAFE and is there no chance some neighbor would be cooking with teflon close by, or am I in an area where people might break in to my house when I'm gone?
I was on a board about 6 years ago where an elderly parrot owner posted about MBS and her feelings about it. I had been feeling guilty as I was increasing my flock, but didn't feel like it was getting to be more than I could handle, and really enjoyed all my birds. She told me that her biggest regret was that she got into parrots when she was in her mid 60's, and now ten years later as she was aging she would have less time with them and couldn't make more commitments...so she actually said to if you really enjoy having multiple birds, have them while you are younger and plan the best you can and ENJOY your time with them. I have never been that drawn to getting baby birds, older birds are really what I prefer partially because so many need homes and partially thinking that they hopefully will live a long time and I don't want to commit to 80 years but more like 30. I do not own cockatoos, macaws or amazons presently, and definitely would only get an older macaw or amazon if I decided to...and all my larger birds are between 7 and 17 years old.
I fell out of love with the 'dream bird' concept...I find while there are a lot of species I would love to live with, by interacting with more and more though my jobs and bird clubs, I get an idea of the sorts of birds I really enjoy spending time with. And mainly they are smaller, less known species rather than a Hyacinth or a Major Mitchell's. I worked with a Hy at a bird store for several years, and while she was a sweet bird and I could handle her, she just wasn't my type of parrot though initially I was impressed by her beauty and hilarious nature. And I am leery of birds much larger than an Eclectus or Grey with my flock members, though I have had many macaw friends over the years. Amazons I find adorable, and it's possible I might wind up with one some day if it were the right bird; and I'm just not cracked up for cockatoos, though I have had a few 'too friends as well. It's conures and pois, greys and ekkies, and then maybe a lory or psittacula or brotogeris that I would cave for. Especially if they are handicapped, or losing their home, belong to a friend who needs help, etc. BUT, I do have limits, really. I have turned down A LOT of birds over the years, and will continue to I'm sure. I have pet insurance on all my guys, which is expensive but worth it. I do have an inheritance that goes towards my birds' care supporting my regular income. And I have people listed to help rehome my birds if I get to the point where I would have to do that, though I hope that is 30+ years from now. What I don't want is to have to give them small cages and only minimal time for 30 years...I want them to be the main thing in my life, and work with regular indoor and aviary training for them. While I work at a rescue, I DON'T want to BE a rescue...just have a large flock that I can handle. And I do not want my birds to go to a rescue eventually, unless it has a quality rehoming program and I feel comfortable with the place by visiting it personally and being involved with them.
Anyway, these are some of my thoughts on the subject. I did add three more parrots this year after I lost one of my conures to cancer in February. I only planned to add one, and I was getting him before I lost Chicken but was waiting until I had paid off a few debts first. I also sent back my one foster conure to The Oasis, now that conditions have changed and she has a good place to live inside without being stressed by birds who pick on her. So I am more or less at the same caregiving level I was prior to the recent adoptions. I bird sat four eclectus in addition to my flock two years ago when a woman was having severe health problems, and learned that I don't want to deal with that many birds, at least ekkies...though all four were a lot of fun, they just didn't work well with my other guys (that little plucked Billy...what a charmer he was, but he could throw other birds off their cages and demanded a lot of my attention by coming to find me all the time! Really, he cracked me up). I will say I have one or two commitments out there...a paralyzed male ekkie named Sam who I'll take if his owner gets unable to care for him in the next decade, as his owner is aging...and a friend's bird or two possibly, both pois and conures. But I doubt I'd ever have more than 18, and I'm at 16.