Would like some advice

[Sean]

Here is my situation. I have some large bird experience but my girlfriend doesn't. She is willing to help out with the bird since she doesn't work, so she is home pretty much all day. Now we do have a new born baby in the house too.

 

[birdman78]

I don't have any big bird experience, but I am unclear what you need advice on?

 

[Tamara]

Well, obviously, a balance will need to be found. Of course the baby takes priority, but it is super important to adapt so that your big bird can get some attention too. It will get better as the baby gets older (so I've been told). *hugs* Good luck and congrats on the new baby!

We'd love to get to know you, so please do introduce yourself in the Welcome Lane!

 

[Welshanne]

A young baby can keep you very busy until it is older, so why not research how much your girlfriend knows and if she really will have the time and enthusiasm to get involved with a bird first?

 

[whitewolf3307]

I say let her come into you house to take care of the birds and to play with them that way you get both the help I know you need right now and the peace of mind that the birds are ok too. This way you can still spend time ( when ever you can ) with your birds and it will not be as stressful as haveing to move them to someones home. The birds may get stressed out ( or maybe not) and you will always be wondering about them too. You have a lot of stress on you right now with the new baby and you don't need more. I know how you feel because my baby is due in Jan. and I have been giving this kind of thing a lot of thought. I'm trying to teach my husband how to take care of them just incase something goes wrong ( c-section) and I can't come home for a few days. I do worry about my birds and what will happen and how do I prepare them for what is comming. I have one bird that never leaves my side and I know that this is going to be hard on him. Right now he is sleeping on me useing my ear as a pillow XD He gets mad and trys to bite me when I go to work because he does not want me to leave. I know he will be fine for a few days with out me but I still worry.

 

[Sean]

Well my biggest question is how will a African Gray do in my situation. My girlfriend is a Lil afraid of getting bit. Now to clerify things a Lil bit we don't have the AG yet. We are thinking about getting one.

 

[whitewolf3307]

Well then jto that I would have to say wait a little before you get one. I bet your hands a full right now with the new baby. I would wait until the baby can sleep the whole night through and you can get enough sleep yourself before bringing something new into the house. Oh and then there is this too lol YouTube - Crying Parrot
I hope, no PRAY that this does not happen to me I think I will go mad if it did.

 

[Sean]

Wow that was a trip. Yeah rite now we are just getting some more info on different birds that we like. Them we can decide which one we will get and start to get the cage and other stuff for it. We are looking at Ekki's, African Gray, & Blue & Gold Macaw. However the B&G are beautiful, I think they may be a Lil to big and to much for us. We are really leaning towards the AG.

 

[WenM]

I hate to sound negative here but this probably isn't the best time to bring a big bird into your home. Big birds just require an extremely stable environment. You have to adapt YOUR life to fit big bird's natural needs and behaviors, because they can never really adapt to people's needs for a special routines and lifestyles, especially sleeping baby schedules. Your girlfriend would need to be prepared to change her lifestyle and make sacrifices to ensure the bird is given the best environment - my guess is the baby is going to be first on her priority list - as it should be. Disruptions, lack of proper attention or insufficient committment to training to preventing undesirable behaviors can ruin your bird's opportunity to bond with you and give him/her a really poor outlook moving forward.

I would not say that Eckies are good begginner birds, simply because of their diet issues, sensitive, more laid back, observant and easily distraught natures which can all lead to unfortunate birds that pluck, chew or have worse issues - too many people get frustrated if the bird they gets becomes a plucker or self mutilator and they end up going from home to home or shelters.

African Greys are much quieter birds, but also extremely sensitive and can be one person birds. Jealousy of a new baby or having the bird hold a grudge if it feels it has been neglected could also result in plucking or fearful behaviors.

Macaws are just not great birds to have with a baby in the house - period. I ADORE my Macaw, but let me tell you - he screams when he needs to and can be heard several hundred feet away with the windows closed. They ALL scream - any Macaw that does not scream is either sick or a stuffed animal in a toy store. We knew this when he came home to our house and have adjusted our lives to live with screaming. Good luck making that work with a sleeping baby and still have a bird without major problems.

 

[piercesdesigns]

I have to agree that right now is NOT the time to adopt. It is though, a good time to research and meet birds and maybe go to a local rescue.

Another option would be to help foster. That would give you a security blanket of someone to ask for help from and help you work through issues.

Where are you located?

 

[Sean]

I totally agree with the fact the Macaws are not going to be a good candidate for us. What would be a good family bird for us? We definately would like one that is outgoing and talks.

 

[Djuna]

I absolutely agree with the other posters, this is not a good time to get a large bird. Your girlfriend needs time to adjust to and bond with a new baby.

I don't necessarily believe in starter birds but I think getting an African Grey would be too much for a new bird owner AND a new mum.

An African Grey is a LOT of work.

I would wait until you have your baby and then see how a large bird would fit into your family life.

 

[Holiday]

I totally agree with the fact the Macaws are not going to be a good candidate for us. What would be a good family bird for us? We definately would like one that is outgoing and talks.

I'm glad you're taking a pass on the macaw. They are louder/more high maintenance than you can possibly know until you get one.

No bird is guaranteed to talk. Not even an African Grey. Each bird is an individual--and they all have different personalities. Getting a bird because you want it to talk is not doing yourself or the bird any favors. That being said, the closer your bond to the bird, and the more time you put into teaching it (with tons of love and patience) you do increase your chances. But I'd recommend that kind of project to someone who doesn't already have a young child to teach.

 

[Sean]

Well we don't want a bird just because it talks that would a bonus. We want a bird that we can interact with. In my child hood I had Fenches & Parakeets, she has had a Parakeet. Now we wpuld like a bigger bird that we can do more stuff with.

 

[Saemma]

This is just my opinion but I think the timing just doesn't seem right for any kind of parrot right now. They do require alot of work and alot of consistent and regular personalized attention.... especially if you wish to do this right.

I think doing your research right now is very good and it would also be a good idea to wait a few years to see if you want the added responsibility after you've had the experience of being a father to your human baby.

Having a parrot is a bit like having a child. Would you be ready for 2 babies right now? One of the babies (being the parrot) can live for a VERY long time, never grows up and will depend on you for your entire life..

 

[TITANIS]

Honestly, most parrots that can talk well also happen to be a LOT of work, meaning unbelievably high maintenance. Parrots like greys, Amazons and the macaw species with large vocabulary potential are very difficult birds to own. Even some families that are not usually great talkers can still be incredibly difficult. Don't entertain the thought of a cockatoo at all... I would suggest smaller birds like Pionus and some Poicephalus species, but you have to be selective about which one and that necessitates quite a bit of research. These birds also tend to be smaller than the aforementioned families but can exhibit some talking ability.

 

[Danita]

I really like cockatiels, they are very friendly, playful, great family birds. Especially, with a young child. My Jamie tiel talked

 

[J*M*L]

I'm going to have to agree with all the previous posts, I'm sorry. I have small birds and they take up so much of my time and attention. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a bigger bird. Piercesdesigns had a great idea. Foster a bird for a few weeks or a few months so you can get a feel for it first hand without making a commitment to a new bird. I also think that if you and your girlfriend live together, you should BOTH be 100% on board about getting a bird. Especially since it sounds like she will be the one spending the most time with the bird and with the baby.

 

[Welshanne]

As an after thought, just try to think of you having one of the birds you appear to be set on. Imagine it is going to be like having a toddler in your home 24/7 and they never grow out of that stage if they are one year old to thirty yrs old.You will always be looking after a toddler, and that is high maintenance. So when your baby is grown to a toddlers age you will have not one but two on your hands! Just something for you to ponder on.

 

[Sean]

I understand everything that you guys are saying. This is not my 1st kid. I also have a 5 & 3 year old too but they live with there mother. I figured we would keep going down to the bird store looking at birds and handling them too.