new and i dont have any parrots.. yet, help

[Teresauk]

i really want a senegal parrot. orange belly. i have a dilema. should i get a baby that i can tame to an extent or take some ones word and buy a tamed parrot that is getting at an older age

we have lots of love and time here for a senegal

[rebeccaturpeinen]

welcome!!

and that is a tricky question you got there... here is my opninion (but i have only had 1 birdie so maybe you shouldnt listen to me )

if you have experience with parrots it could be really nice to rescue an older bird and if there are any problems you will know what to do as you have some experience.

if you dont have experience it might be better to get a baby as there wont be any behavioural problems someone else has caused that you would have to fix.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

If you get a hand-raised baby, you will probably actually have less work than if you buy an older bird that has some history. OTOH, an older bird probably needs a home more. How much bird experience do you and your family have?

Welcome to the forum! There is a ton of good information here. If you read around you'll find lots of opinions related to the question you just asked -- and a ton of other things as well!

[Teresauk]

hiya and thanks for the welcome, my name is teresa and i live in liverpool england,

well to start off, i dont have any bird experience, i have been researching for months and i have finally settled on having a senegal, my only problem is, i keep seeing adverts for senegal parrots that the owners do not have any time for anymore, i was going to buy a 1 year old one, but my husband was catious as we have young children. and after all, with no hatch certificate or ring, the bird could be any age

I am going to buy a baby, but i cant get the other ones out my head, maybe in the future i could build an aviary in my garden and rescue a few, but i know lots of thought, research would have to go into someth even going like that.

im loving this site and i havent my senegal yet. its very useful.

[GlassOnion]

Well, there are some advantages to owning an older bird. Often times, if it is mature and had a decent previous home, its general personality will have developed so you know what you're getting into. Also, you get to skip out on adolescent nipping, and end up with a trained bird- given that the previous home was caring. On the downside, many older birds take a while to warm up to you, and may also come with some behavioural issues that you will need to overcome with training. With a baby, settling and training will probably be easier. But the price is higher.

With my cockatiel that is a rehomed bird, it took me months of patience until I could finally pet his back, and even nowadays he does have a reflexive nip even though it doesn't really hurt.
However, it is nice knowing that I can provide a loving home for him and he won't bounce around to different homes ever again. He is such a sweetie though! So adopting was totally worth it for me.

[born2fly]

Hi Teresa and welcome

Getting a rehome as a great way of providing a home for sometimes unwanted birds but the fact is we can't save them all. A lot of rehome ads won't tell you everything.

Both of my birds are rehomes only because I really didn't put any expectations on them being tame and I was willing to take on their problems. WALL-E took lots of work and he is a great bird now, with Buddy there is some progress but I don't mind the fact that all the interaction is only on his terms.

With a baby sure there are no guarantees either but at least you are there from the beginning to shape their behavior not to inherit it.

Good luck with your search, and let us know then you find one.

[parrotgirl100]

I adopted my two Lovebirds Bitsy and Teeny (going to change their names) yesterday from a bird rescue called Mickaboo. Obviously I'm a newbie to birds, but Mickaboo gave me basic bird care information and I adopted two wonderful, beautiful Lovebirds. I highly recommend adopting from a rescue!
Gemma

www.mickaboo.org

[efobijerry]

In my own suggestion, anyone is OK if its Senegal.
I have had Lizzy for two years now, and I adopted her as
as an adult. They are the most gentle and suitable for
first timers. Adult is OK. Good luck

[patdbunny]

Baby or adult - if you have little to no experience you need to meet the bird and make sure it's calm and easy to handle. Unfortunately, people don't tend to get rid of nice older birds. The nice ones a lot of times get rehomed to friends and family.

Getting a baby doesn't assure you'll get a nice, easy to handle birds. I've seen a lot of babies that come from breeders or pet stores that are handfed, but ended up being left in their cages with little to no human interaction. They end up very difficult to handle.

If you have the inclination or experience to tame a bird and don't mind being bitten, then get whatever you want. I just feel very bad for the birds that end up with people who start with good intentions, but then find out they're over their heads and end up rehoming the birds.

Keep in mind if you don't live alone other family member's feelings on a "project" bird. . . . A nickel for every story I've heard about a spouse/significant other demanding "it's me or the bird". . .

There's a post on my blog about how to assess a bird for its well adjustedness/tameness potential.

Read this great thread: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3944

[mrstweet]

I adopted my two Lovebirds Bitsy and Teeny (going to change their names) yesterday from a bird rescue called Mickaboo. Obviously I'm a newbie to birds, but Mickaboo gave me basic bird care information and I adopted two wonderful, beautiful Lovebirds. I highly recommend adopting from a rescue!
Gemma

http://www.mickaboo.org

I am in the process of becoming a foster parent for Mickaboo, and we offer a phone class that you can take. Covers the basics of bird ownership extensively, which could be helpful for you. Since it is your first bird there IS going to be that dilemna (and I just read a post yesterday in the archives about this, I'll go and look for it shortly). Edit: Here it is! Not that old, similar discussion viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3944&hilit=adopt. In MY experience, if you were to adopt a rescue bird in the traditional sense (neglected, abused, etc.) that could turn you off to birds for the rest of your life, which is what a poster in that thread said. On the other hand, there are many secondhand birds who are FANTASTIC, they just need some time to come around. I adopted my Goffin a week ago, and I was thinking in the first 3 days I was in for a bumpy ride! After day 3-4 though, he came around. Then again, he wasn't in an abusive home, so he became a snuggle bug. That's not to say a rescue from a place like Mickaboo can't or won't be like that--often animals are surrendered just because of changed family circumstances.

Since you're thinking about getting a senni and not a cockatoo or something with the really long life span, I would say if you can find a reputable breeder with a juvenille go for it. My first 2 birds (lovie and tiel) were from a breeder and I wouldn't change that experience for the world, because Skittles turned me on to the true joys of bird ownership, and Twink right after her. I was 13/14 at the time, and if I had rescued a bird I don't think my mindset would have been in the right place to own another bird if I had rescued a neglected or abused bird. Regardless, they are already born and need a home, so that is your choice. Best of luck and welcome to the flock!