Anyone In San Diego County Wanna Play w/ Babies?

[kaylayuh]

I would prefer he buy a first bird from a breeder and not a store, but really it's his money and his time he's going to have to spend taming it. I think he's leaning toward a breeder now, but he'll probably check out some stores for bird supplies.

My personal first birds (the budgies) were petshop birds. Handling them seems traumatizing to them and the most I can get them to do is step up. Sometimes No Name will sit on my shoulder, but it takes a lot of coaxing and he seems terrified. I'm trying to persaude him away from buying from a shop because of this, and I think he's listening.

I had him check out this thread and he'll definitely keep you in mind for the next time he's on his way to the valley.

[patdbunny]

I almost didn't get into birds. My first birds weren't tame. I hated loosing blood. I hated even more that the birds seemed so traumatized and terrified. I have people wanting to give me birds that aren't tame or aggressive. They've wanted me to tame it and make it my pet. I tell them no, I'm not into taming birds, but I will give it a companion and let it live out its life in an aviary with companionship. Some people really don't like that response which I don't really understand why not. Some animals come around easily, some don't. I feel it's a bit selfish of people to insist an animal become tame if it doesn't tame down easily.

There's also Bracken (sp? Brakken maybe) up near/in Redding.

[kaylayuh]

I would love for my budgies to be tame and want to be with me, but I don't think they ever will. They're tame enough that I can have them step up, but they fly back to their cage right away. They enjoy playing on their play gym and with their toys and will hang out on the floor, but they really don't want anything to do with me and look petrified when I try to handle them. So I have a huge cage for them, tons of toys, a play gym and I let them in and out of their cage as they please. They're happy with it and they seem happy with eachother. I wouldn't necessarily have gotten them if I knew they'd never be handtame. But now that I have them, I love them and wouldn't have them be any other way. And now I have my companion bird with the GCC.

I wouldn't suggest to anyone wanting a companion parrot to get a bird shop bird though. I know some bird shops do really well with socializing their birds and are great with them, but those seem few and far between. My boyfriend is interested in a companion parrot that he can hang out with and spend time with, and he loves (and gets jealous of!) the GCC wanting to be cuddled and held and just hang out. I don't think he ever really considered that you could get a great handraised / tamed bird from a breeder before. The extent of his experience with birds seems to be with his brother handraising an Amazon from a chick (whose now in its 40s from my boyfriend's best estimates) and his nephew's cockatiels.

[patdbunny]

I think "technically" your budgies are considered handtame. I know many pet stores that would sell them in their current condition as "handtame". I know some breeders that would sell them like that as "handtame".

They're just not what I would consider pet quality. I want my pets to enjoy and seek out human companionship.

I know where your BF's coming from. When I got my african grey I got her as a 5 week old chick because I wanted to raise it very specifically, especially back 15+ years ago they were considered just neurotic crazy plucking birds that you couldn't do anything about. I wanted to raise her super socialized and not take any chances with how someone else may have raised her.

[zazanomore]

Don't give up on your budgies!

I did the same thing you are doing, and I ended up with my budgies trusting me. Just give them lot's of time and patience.

[kaylayuh]

patdbunny: I think my boyfriend saw my GCC and just assumed that any bird he'd get from a petshop would be just like him. I'm actually surprised at how well adjusted he is given that he spent a year in a rescue. I want him to be sure he really wants a bird and is willing to put in a lot of time and dedication to it before getting one, and I'd prefer he get one from someone that does a lot of socializing with their babies before they're allowed to be sent home. He's finally coming around, I hope.

zazanomore: I haven't completely given up on them, but it is a little disheartening. Sometimes No Name will sit on my shoulder.. if I put him there repeatedly over about five minutes. Pigpen has all but given up stepping up when asked in favor of darting around the room and finally landing on my shoulder.. before going back to her playstand. As long as they're healthy and appear happy, I'm okay with that. I'd love if they'd like to hang out and be pet, but I've come around to being okay with how they are now.