Parrots and Other Pets in the Home . . .

[Wolf]

Firstly, thank you for your answer to my questions both in the forum and in your PM to me.

Since it will be a little while before you receive this bird and bring it home, I think that this is probably the best time to consider the cage and perches as well as possible toys for your new family member. Although it is unlikely that it will do anything with the toys until you can teach him how to amuse himself with them, the perches are going to be important right away as the ones that cage manufacturers provide with the cage are totally unsuitable for your bird as in time they will cause the bird to have foot issues. I would consider replacing them with a rope perch, a sweetfeet perch or two and one or two natural wood perches made of bird safe wood with the bark still on them. I also think that the size of the cage for him should also be considered at this time. A Senegal parrot will average out to about 9 inches in length and so I recommend that the cage have a bar spacing of no more than 5/8in. and be as close to 4 or 5 times the birds length which means that the width and the depth of the cage be as close as you can get to between 36 to 45 inches and the top of the cage including the stand should be close to your eye level. I consider this to be the minimum size of cage for this species of parrot.

The diet that you are going to feed your bird should also be considered before you bring the bird home, so if I were getting this bird I would find out what handfeeding formula that this bird store is using so that you can get some of it in time to be on hand when you bring the bird home as you will probably need to handfeed this bird two to four times a day when you first get him home. Also they will wean the bird to either seeds or pellets and you will also want to have the same brand on hand as they are using, you can change it as you need to but it is better to start off with what the bird is used to. At the age that you will be getting this bird, you will need to start teaching it to eat a wide variety of fresh, organic fruits and vegetable and the sooner that you begin this process the easier it will be to teach it to eat a good diet. This age is also the same as the age at which the parent birds would start teaching the bird to eat these types of foods.

I think that I would do some research to find a good avian vet for him and when you know when you can get the bird set up an appointment with this vet and take the bird to the vet on the way home with you for a wellness examination as well as it first blood work so that the vet has a baseline set of values for him. once you get him home, I would take him out of the stores carrier and put him in his cage.

Your new friend is very likely to be scared half out of his mind when you get him home, so I would remain in the room with him and talk with him from a little distance from the cage. I would have a name all picked out for him and use it very often while you are speaking with him so that he can learn his name. Parrot parents name their babies just the same as we do and then always use that name for the bird. The sound of your voice will help to reassure your bird that he is not all alone and should help to calm some of his fears and being able to see and watch you will also get him used to your presence and will also help to reassure and comfort him.

Because he will be in a strange place and with a strange human he will probably not trust you and the talking to him as well as hanging out in the same area as he is in will help him to understand that you are not going to eat him or hurt him in any way. These along with patience and consistency are the very first tools that you have to begin to establish his trust in you.

Due to his age as well as his own nature it may only be a few days before he begins to accept you and this first bond should be very easy to establish as he knows that he is dependent upon you for everything including your teaching him everything that he needs to know to survive in a human environment. From this point in your budding relationship with your new friend read and use the method found in this link viewtopic.php?f=11&t=15840

I hope that this will help you to begin your relationship with your new bird when you bring him home and answer your questions about how to begin. Please do not hesitate to ask as many questions as you want or need to ask and we will do our best to give you the best answers that we are able to.

[Pajarita]

All great advice given by Wolf. Now, you don't have to answer this question because it is a bit on the personal side but have you already given a deposit for this baby? Because, I tell you, November is not the time to start breeding any parrot - even the short day breeders are done producing sexual hormones by now. So, the only possible explanation for this is that the breeder is manipulating the light schedule and that's not something that good breeders do as it implies a lack of knowledge of their physiology. Personally, I would much rather get a young adult than a baby (several reasons aside the obvious overpopulation problem) but, if you have your heart set on a baby, why don't you look for somebody who has babies that were born in the spring or summer? You wouldn't have to wait so long and, at least, you would know that it's not an off-season baby...

[ParrotsForLife]

I can easily tell with Loki shes not as nesty as she was in the Summer, Also if I was getting a Senegal I think I would want a young adult too of course babies are great but with some Parrots I wouldn't mind.

[NJBirdMan]

All great advice given by Wolf. Now, you don't have to answer this question because it is a bit on the personal side but have you already given a deposit for this baby? Because, I tell you, November is not the time to start breeding any parrot - even the short day breeders are done producing sexual hormones by now. So, the only possible explanation for this is that the breeder is manipulating the light schedule and that's not something that good breeders do as it implies a lack of knowledge of their physiology. Personally, I would much rather get a young adult than a baby (several reasons aside the obvious overpopulation problem) but, if you have your heart set on a baby, why don't you look for somebody who has babies that were born in the spring or summer? You wouldn't have to wait so long and, at least, you would know that it's not an off-season baby...

No, I have given no Deposit of any kind. In doing my research and checking with all possible Bird Stores in the State, I was getting the same answer. No Senegals at this time. Will have them in April/May 2017. A 'baby' was not my preference, however, it does appear that it is what will be available in the Spring.

Since I already have Gouldian Finches, I already have an Avian Veterinarian - he is only about 15-minutes away from me at the Ocean County Veterinary Hospital.

[Rmoses]

Pajarita, if not NJBirdMan then who would take care of the off-season baby?

[Pajarita]

I am sure it's me, Rmoses, but I don't understand your question.

[Rmoses]

Pajarita, you advised NJBirdMan to wait until spring to get a young bird and not to take an off season baby. My question to you is if there is an off season baby and you advise people not to buy it, then who is going to take care of that baby. Why is an off season baby different from one born in season?

[Pajarita]

If nobody bought off-season babies, breeders would not produce them. It's simple "supply and demand", if there is no demand, there will be no supply. Off-season babies are produced by birds that have a screwed up endocrine system (the breeders manipulate light periods and feed high protein and man-made vitamins to achieve breeding condition when it's not the season for it) and that means, almost always, weak/depleted parents (the endocrine system governs the immune system among others) which, in turn, means weak and/or sickly babies. Birds are meant to reproduce only during a certain time of the year. This time of the year is determined by evolution to be the ideal for it and, when you are forcing birds to reproduce longer periods or all year round, you end up with a bird that is not in prime breeding condition for the simple reason that it was not allowed, as decreed by Nature, to recuperate from the breeding season. The first few times is almost OK but, after a couple of years of this, the parent bird is already weakened and weakened parents cannot produce healthy babies. Breeding off-season is the number one cause of decreased fertility, infant mortality and parents attacking and even killing their own babies. It's a TERRIBLE practice!

[NJBirdMan]

I don't think I will be getting an "Off-season" bird. I'm trying to find information regarding when parrots are born, or are supposed to be born. I thought birds were born in the Spring. I guess that's why every Bird Store told me they have no Senegal Parrots at this time.

I know, Pajarita, though what you are speaking of. I had a Friend who bred very expensive cats.
In his Cattery, which was in his basement, he would keep the "Lights On" constantly to force the females to go into heat. I thought it odd, but I think it has something to do with what you are
speaking about regarding Light cycles and bird breeding.

[liz]

Your friend was cruel.