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Re: First timer

Postby Pajarita » Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:48 am

A bird lover will always put the birds' needs before her own desires while a bird enjoyer will not. Bird enjoyers might love their own birds but will never really sacrifice for them and don't really care much for all other birds (people who buy babies knowing there is an overpopulation problem are all bird enjoyers and not bird lovers). That's the basic difference.

Yes, rescues do have young birds - sheesh! I even ended up with babies every now and then because people who did not know enough thought that putting a male and female together and giving them a nest was enough (based on the stupid and very erroneous belief that 'nature will take its course' is all is needed for breeding). And, because they did not do things right, they ended up with dead or hurt babies (the father would peck them, the parents would not feed, the mother would throw the baby out of the nest, etc) and then they would panic, blame the birds for it and bring them to the rescue. I've hand-raised several babies because of this...

I do hope that this site will still be up in another five years! If it's not, I will have to look for another such place to post and that won't be easy...

I've never wanted to enlarge my flock and I've hardly ever chosen a bird, I always take in the ones that need it the most and the only birds I've actually gone out looking for are mates for lone ones because I would not have just a single bird, it's not kind to the bird. And even those I do not really choose, I just take the first one that needs a good home regardless of its age, condition, personality, etc. None of those things really make no never mind to me because I like them all.. the old, the mean, the ugly, the handicapped - it's all the same to me, I think they are all beautiful and lovable. Right now, I am looking for a male GCC or any other pyrrhura male and even a small arantinga for my female GCC which recently lost her mate because although I was planning on rehoming her to a couple who had adopted a male GCC from me years ago, they cannot take her (the lady has muscular dystrophy and has gotten worse as the years go by) and I do not want her to end up in a home that I don't know as she was rehomed by me in the past and I had to take her back because the people were not giving her the attention she needed. I also took two birds in recently even though I had said that I was not taking in any more - but I couldn't say no to the poor lady who owned them because she has stage IV breast cancer that has spread to her lymphatic system and, as a cancer survivor myself, I well know the worry of not knowing where my animals would end up when I did not know if I was going to make it or not.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Response

Postby IAmEagerToLearn » Wed Jan 30, 2019 12:03 pm

Yeah I was asking that because I was going to wait 5 years or more to get a bird, and I was hoping it still will be up by then if I wanted to ask for some advice in the late future.
Oh ok thank you for explaining the significant difference between the two.
Would you recommend my friend going to volunteer at a rescue after she rehomes her birds? Or does that mean she can't? (She owns two parakeets since she is a first time owner and she wanted to rehouse them)
Are there other great birds that first time owners can get other than the cockatiel?
Do you shop online for bird supplies instead of going to the store? Or how does that work?
Last edited by IAmEagerToLearn on Wed Jan 30, 2019 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
IAmEagerToLearn
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 24
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Flight: No

Response

Postby IAmEagerToLearn » Wed Jan 30, 2019 4:09 pm

Also would you recommend me getting a young bird?
How do bird owners become experienced? Do they volunteer at rescues, for them to be experienced? Or how does the experienced thing work?
If I ever get decide to get another bird when I get a cockatiel, what bird is available to get?
Are there such thing as birds intermediate owners can get? Or is it no between?
Do you have any tips on experience?

Many Thanks. Also have a lot of time on my hands so that's good, I'm also considering in a few years to get a part time or at home job.

Is it possible for a person like me to try to get a job at a rescue? Or is that not possible for someone like me?
I wish I was a person who already owned a bird for years and just coming on here for info and to say hi. :( That's better than me being a newbie.
How childish of me to say.
Do you still do research even though you are and experienced bird owner? Or is that not needed?
IAmEagerToLearn
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 24
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Flight: No

Re: First timer

Postby Pajarita » Thu Jan 31, 2019 10:55 am

I do research almost every day -most Sundays I don't but I do it every other day of the week. We are only now beginning to learn about birds so we are discovering new things all the time about them... things that help us give them a better life in captivity.

Budgies are as good as tiels as first birds but a bit harder to train, that's why I always recommend tiels. As to 'intermediate' birds... in all honesty, it all depends on the person and his/her personal situation and circumstances because I know people who realized that they were not going to be able to do it with a pair of tiels or budgies and I know people who went from tiels to African Grays and did just fine.

I don't think that rescues pay anybody... at least, all the ones I've known were all run by volunteers.

I used to shop for everything online but now I can get almost everything from my regular supermarket - the only thing I can't get there is stuff like naturally dried organic apple chips and such.

Of course your friend can volunteer at a rescue! Anybody can as long as they are old enough for their insurance to cover (this depends on the actual policy and the state where the rescue is located - when I had a rescue in Pa, the volunteers needed to be 16 or older or come with a parent).
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: First timer

Postby IAmEagerToLearn » Thu Jan 31, 2019 6:59 pm

Oh ok! Was there ever such things as someone getting a large bird as their first birds and it working out?
If I wanted a large bird it wouldn't be fair to the smaller bird I'm starting off with if I'm going to dispose the first one for the one I want.
So how does that work?
Does that mean I would need to work at a rescue so I can be prepared for the bird I might want?
How does that work?
IAmEagerToLearn
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 24
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Flight: No

Re: First timer

Postby Pajarita » Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:22 am

You are going at it backwards. It's not 'the bird you want' that works out, it's 'the bird that chooses you' or 'the bird that you put a lot of work into' and this holds true for any species, from budgies to hyacinths. And, if you are considering getting rid of your first bird so you can get another one once you get experience, you might as well give up now because no bird person would ever do such a thing. Birds are not video games where you start at the first level and work your way up to the 'champion cockatoo level', they are a life-long commitment -either your life or the bird's life.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: First timer

Postby IAmEagerToLearn » Fri Feb 01, 2019 6:37 pm

Glad I'm learning that now! Volunteering will definitely help me see if I'm ready to take care of birds. I'm deciding not to get a bird for a while, because I don't want to do that. I want to figure out of I'm ready yet.
(Probably should have phrased that better, yikes)
And I'm not considering that at all! No! I didn't mean for it to sound that way.
I should just calm down on the questions for now.
I wasn't going to use birds or anyone to get to the top, that is very low and I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't even have a right to live if I did that. (I don't really have a right now to anyway)
On that note I want to decide to give up now.
I'm not even good enough to even own a bird (mainly because I have no experience and I'm not a smart person and because I cannot even have confidence in my own self that I can do things), I can't even get this right so why even try anymore. I've been going about this all wrong and deserve exile for my actions. I knew I couldn't do it. I just knew it. I was right to doubt myself, I was so right.
So um I'll just leave, thank you for spending you precious time for answering my stupid questions.
Thank you very much :)
IAmEagerToLearn
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 24
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Flight: No

Re: .....

Postby Pajarita » Sat Feb 02, 2019 9:42 am

I did not 'waste' any time, there is no such thing as a 'stupid' question and of course that you can do it! Anybody can! I am going to tell you three things I told my children and I now tell my grandkids:

1) If one person can do it, you can, too. Nobody was born an austronaut or a brain surgeon, they all had to learn it and, if they could, you can.

2) There is no 'doing your best is good enough' - that's nothing but a cop out, if you are going to do something, do it right! And, if it doesn't come out right the first time, keep on trying for as long as it takes for you to be successful.

3) The ONLY difference between a successful person and a loser is that the successful person kept on trying.

Anybody can be a good bird owner, It's a matter of loving animals and putting the work into it. But you might be too young for a bird yet... And I don't mean that in the sense that young people cannot do it, it's only that young people don't really know themselves yet (their front lobe is not even completely developed and that's the part of the brain that deals with decisions) and their lives are pretty much up in the air in how they will end up and birds need stability and commitment as well as love so wait a bit, volunteer at a rescue (they ALWAYS need people) and see how it goes between you and the parrots.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: .....

Postby IAmEagerToLearn » Sun Feb 03, 2019 11:55 am

Thanks, for the great advice. I do have a story my friend made. If you can read it would be great, it isn't a really good detailed story but it is at least an explanation of what she did. It was a story she made in her childhood so it maybe a bit hard to understand.
Here's her "story"

So one day I thinking of getting a bird because I lived animals and I wanted a companion around the house. Some one I can have on shoulder, someone I can take care of.
So I decided to get one, one day. I was ready I was excited I got the cage the food a few toys and my bird. I set up the cage and I put the bird inside I said hi. And the bird just stared at me. I immediately did research and only did little research before I got her. I did what the instructions told me, I was patient at times and I was impatient the other times. I watched a video on taking care of birds it seemed simple and easy but it wasn't for me and I had gotten discouraged. I was consistent of putting my hand near the cage, but then I got off track. I did take her out but she ran away so I decided to come closer and she moved a little bit away. She did step up on my finger once or twice but then she jumped off. So I consistently took her out for a week even though I she was not tamed. I didn't know there such a thing as tame. I talked to the pet store and they said budgies are not smart enough to get trained. And I was upset and I thought to myself, no they are pretty smart she just stepped up on my finger I call that cool and sorta trained. I didn't like what the pet store guy said and I stopped calling then for advice ever since. This happened in different times but it was all in the past. I said she looks lonely and I'm not home most of the time so I was looking for the money over the summer when I was with someone. I was planning around on porch and then I saw a money in the bush so I bought another bird for my lonely bird. She was very niceI had her on my finger and I put her on my shoulder the first time met it was cool. Skips all the way one or two months later. But then they started to grow their flight feathers. I sorta stopped taking them out of the cage back then and now I couldn't do that anymore because they could fly around and scare my mother. So I decided to keep them in there for a long while. I felt bad that they were in there with out company. But now after all that I finally find information that could have been useful back then. I do wish I would have surfed the internet a bit more but I didn't know back then. Now I do and it's all my fault, they Still get fed and still get talked to I occasionally let them out, they have been cage bound so it was a hard time getting them out. I feel bad every time because they are scared of me and I just wanted them to be happy but I guess I ruined their lives. No wonder I don't deserve anymore birds, but I at least tried with them. I think that they should get a new home now. But she won't let them go but they need a better person than me. I know I'm going to get shamed for my actions but I at least had a good start on trying with them and then it fell of the rails. To be honest I won't be surprised if they shame me for what I did I surely deserve it. And that's my guilty bird story. They are still alive and well but I want to re-home them because I'm such a terrible owner. The one I got for the first one is nice and doesn't mind my hand being close and sometimes I have her on my finger but she is still a bit scared. I know I'm as guilty as a criminal and the one question that other will ask throughout this story is why did you get birds in the first place? I ask myself that question too. Hopefully I can find better homes for them, they aren't plucked they still have their feathers and they chirp very well. So yeah that's how a child, me, became a terrible bird owner, I still take care of them today. Find joy in taking care of them, but I think that they deserve better. I deserve the shame I'll receive. I do want to try volunteering I think its a least better for me to learn and at least try a little. Thanks for reading this poorly written story. Oh and plus we didn't have much money, I wish we did we could have taken care of them better. They have good cage and and food a few toys but I feel it's not enough. I know it might not seem as if I didn't do anything wrong but I feel like I did. They should get rehomed anyway. I possibly just ruined their lives and my own, it doesn't seem like I did much but little things can have an impact too. It would be nice to have a bird in the future but I think I don't need to have anymore for a long while. I'll just keep volenteering instead until I can fully trust myself again with such delicate souls. But thanks for reading.

Um let me know what you think of her story, she wasn't proud of her work, she quickly put it together though.
Last edited by IAmEagerToLearn on Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
IAmEagerToLearn
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 24
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Flight: No

Re: .....

Postby IAmEagerToLearn » Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:01 pm

Oh yeah I'm volunteer way before I make my decisions. I don't want to turn out like her. That looks like a situation with no way out. I wish good luck to her. Yikes
IAmEagerToLearn
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 24
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Flight: No

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