Normal Protocol?

[MeanDonnaJean]

I finally heard back from the girl who wants me to adopt her 2 year old female cockatiel, Remy (who just so happens to be named after my FAVORITE X-Men character of all time, Gambit, so I'd say this sudden adoption REALLY was meant to be) and she was able to give me a bit more info in answer to my abnormally lengthy list of pre-adoption questions.

She mentioned that Remy was purchased as a baby from Bird Jungle, a bird store somewhere near our area, about 2 years ago and that when she first brought Remy home she had to be hand fed via syringe. I'm just wonderin' if its the norm for stores to sell birds so very young. I've never seen a baby bird in a "pet store", but I've also never visited a "bird store", so I just don't know. I could understand that situation comin' from a breeder, but, from a bird store....???? That's why I ask.

Anyway, her reason for givin' up Remy is quite simple. She just doesn't have the time to devote to her, and I kinda doubt she really ever DID. It is my understandin' that Remy is housed in a small cage, hardly ever gets any attention and even less any outta cage time, has never visited a vet, and is a "bit tempermental". No doubt! I'd be tempermental too after all that. She doesn't talk but she does "whistle hello" and she "occasionally sings". The girl is gonna bring Remy over durin' the week to see how my birds react.

I did explain to her that Remy will have to be quarantined for a month or so and afterwards, she'll slowly be introduced to Zoey (my cockatiel) and Skye and Storm (my 2 budgies). If all goes accordin' to plan, she will finally go into the flight cage that Zoey is currently in. Now, prior to my bringin' home my 3 guys back in July, I had purchased 3 cages....a medium size which is empty and is kept solely for hospital/quarantine/emergency use, a large size that the 2 budgies are in, and the flight cage that Zoey is in.....so I really cannot afford to purchase another cage. Question: I've read that if I change the entire insides of Zoey's cage prior to havin' Remy go inside, it MAY help with any territorial issues on Zoey's part. True or false? Guess I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed on that one. But if push comes to shove and I HAVE TO buy another flight cage, I'll just have to break out the ol' credit card and rack up some more damn debt. What the hell.......it'll be for a good cause

[Michael]

Some bird stores breed their own birds. The sooner they can get them sold, the less effort they have to spend on them and the more money they make.

[Khaiqha]

Bird stores I've seen breed their own birds. There's a sketchy one with kind hearted people...but they treat parrots like merchandise. The other one I've seen tests you first before they sell you a bird, makes you wash your hands before getting in the bird area, and refuses to sell ekkies because they believe no one knows to properly feed them yet. Both have rediculously high price tags on their birds and merchandise. Like, $12 perches that are $5 elsewhere.

[Cage Cleaner]

I really would recommend letting this one go. But:

First of all, DO NOT let this girl bring Remy over to your place, and--this is the important part--DO NOT let him anywhere in the same vicinity as your current birds. Further, do not touch Remy and then touch anything your birds would touch, and of course do not touch your birds. Change all your clothes and ideally take a shower after visiting Remy. Ideally do not walk past near your current birds, either until you have done so. Why the anal retentiveness? There are diseases that undergo airborne transmission and you are putting your current birds at risk.

If you let Remy and your birds see each other, you are breaking quarantine.

The whole point of quarantine is to keep them away from each other, in two different locations that utilize separate air supplies. This means a separate entrance, as well as non-shared ventilation. If you were to take this literally, this would usually not be possible in most modern American homes, and would usually mean keeping the new bird in non-bird-owning friend's house for 40 days, the standard amount of time to allow -most- (but not all) diseases to show.

Further, I'm going to be blunt. If I were in your situation, unable to afford a new cage, and someone was pushing my even my dream parrot (Hawkhead) on me, and this parrot had the exact background and situation Remy had, I would -not- think it was meant it be.

Remy's situation is horrible, and the logistics do not work out correctly. What cage will you be quarantining Remy in?

His history also horrible. 1) He was sold to this owner who apparently doesn't have time for him as an UNWEANED baby. 2) He was from a petstore (and a sketchy one at that, due to point 1), which are cesspools for diseases due to all the avian species coming and going. 3) He clearly was not well-socialized.

I could go on, mainly bashing the current owner, and expressing the risk that taking in a bird from an inexperience/misinformed owner could mean. But, in short: Unless you feel that you have the experience, the patience, and are really for some reason that I cannot see set on taking in this bird, I really think you are setting yourself up completely wrong, and starting off on the absolute wrong foot. As I have already said, I personally would let this one go.

However, I have seen very heart-touching stories of peoples rescuing such birds. If that is what you are looking for, then by all means, this is the perfect bird to rescue. However, that doesn't fix the situation with a lack of cage. I wouldn't stick the new bird in with the current one.

[CinnamonParrots]

With regards to your question, cage re-arrangement is recommended, but I find it more effective if you have 2 separate cages side by side, rather than introducing a new bird into another's cage. But once they are used to each other, and or if they bond, having a re-arrangement can help with the bonding process. But it all depends on the situation and the birds at the end of the day. Moving the cage to a different location can also help, new toys, new perches etc.

It may be more difficult if the bird does not have proper socialization skills that is required to be established for a bird at a young age. So if that is the case, nothing you do with the arrangement of your home will fix the problem because the bird would need to learn how to behave around other birds.

But I do agree with Cage Cleaner with regards to the problems that can arise with this adoption.

As for the pet store thing, I don't know how it's done in the US, but one of the Canadian owned chains around here have baby birds that normally arrive on 3 feeds, sometimes 4 but not often or less. They NEVER go home unless under specific circumstances such as people with previous experience of hand feeding, weighing, and other nutritional information will go home with an unweaned bird. usually the birds stay until they are weaned, and when my friend purchased a bird, and she was in the process of setting up everything, the bird was not rushed home, and during the process of waiting, we visited the bird almost everyday, some people visited more or less but visits were highly recommended to help with bonding. So I guess it really depends on the store to which you go to.

[Cage Cleaner]

In CA, it is illegal to sell an unweaned baby. However, I don't know if the laws apply if the baby is shipped in from out of state.

[liz]

Hey - you are talking about cokatiels. No need to think they will not get along. As soon as they know there is another near by they will start calling. They are flockers.

The only problem I see is the quarentine. I did not have a seperate cage. I used a seperate room and set up everything the bird would need on one table which she claimed as home. You have to keep the door closed or they will find each other. The problem there is if it does not survive quarentine you have to disinfect the whole room.

There is no adjustment period for tiels to get along. They look for friends. Mine even claim the lovebirds.

[MeanDonnaJean]

The whole point of quarantine is to keep them away from each other, in two different locations that utilize separate air supplies. This means a separate entrance, as well as non-shared ventilation.

What cage will you be quarantining Remy in?

First of all, thanx to ALL who responded to my plea....and I'm sorry it took me a while to get back here. I tend to get caught up enjoyin' my fine feathered friends and forget about everything else.

Cage Cleaner, I hear ya. Even tho I DID at first tell this girl I would take Remy for her, she hasn't come thru with her yet, so I'm really not sure where it stands at the moment. But in answer to yer questions:

I DO have a third cage (brand new but not quite as large as the one for the 2 budgie's) which I originally purchased with the other 2 and planned on keepin' strictly for such purposes as quarantines/hospital/time outs (just kiddin'!) or whatever. I'm also fortunate to have a spare bedroom with its own entrance which is where I planned on keepin' Remy durin' the quarantine period. The other 2 cages, which house the 2 budgies in one and the cockatiel in the other, are in the living room.

Sorry to cut this short but my non-feathered-and-sometimes-bird-brained-son is yelpin' for help in the kitchen. Gotta run!

[liz]

Kind of makes you wonder why she didn't get back to you. If it was me I would check.

How old is your "bird brained son"? LOL

[MeanDonnaJean]

Kind of makes you wonder why she didn't get back to you. If it was me I would check.

How old is your "bird brained son"? LOL

He's 19, is as smart as a 59 year old, and at times acts like a 9 year old.

I guess he's just a typical b-o-y! LOL