How many parrots can you have out at a time?

[Mona]

Hi Michael:

My five can and are all out at the same time at least daily.

Honestly though, I'm not in the same room. I have a bird room and I shut the door. If I am in the room with them, they fly on me and follow me around. I really can't do much of anything...although Babylon frequently flies out of the bird room and hangs with me while the other four are out playing.

All five are fully flighted. They have worked out the flock dynamics for the most part. They do interact and chase each other around once in a while, but it's part of the flock dynamics.

When I was a kid, I had horses. We used to let them out as a herd. New horses had to be watched until they worked out the "herd dynamics". Once that was worked out, they lived as a "herd". Parrots are different species and since we often keep them confined, it's a bit of a different situation.....but I do believe that if you give them latitude, if they have the ability to fly away from each other and they have some "flock sense" they will work out a lot of their flock issues....assuming you have the right species for the mix. I have all African birds....Three Senegals, a Timneh and a Congo grey (I understand these two greys are now considered different species) so although they are not necessarily "affectionate" towards each other (although some are...like Jack and Babylon) they can learn to get along as a flock.

I do think it's a tough thing to define, but it has to do with the "flock culture". I'm sure that subtle factors such as gender, age and how the animals are introduced as a flock all come into play....also, socialization to people and also to other birds is really important.

Also, I do keep an eye on them for the most part. I listen and check on them once in a while. I would NOT introduce a cockatiel into this flock because cockatiels are too gentle and could not stand up to my other birds.....actually, at this point, I am very reluctant to introduce any other bird into the flock....because it would probably upset the dynamics PLUS...just don't need another bird.

I think there is some risk, but in my opinion, with my flock the risk is outweighed by the benefit to their mental and physical health. They do fly around together...and even chasing each is other a form of "enrichment"....as long as it doesn't lead to serious aggression. I also really enjoy watching them interact. They are really funny. For example: Bailey Senegal will follow Kiri grey around and talk to her. He doesn't talk much in his cage but when he's out with Kiri....his wings go out and he has long, sincere conversations with her. She just looks at him and bats her eyes at him. It's hard to understand what he is saying because his voice is high pitched and a little mechanical but it is also musical and fun to listen to. I laugh every time.


Thx

[Margaret]

I voted 4 and I meant by that my 4 budgies. They keep themselves occupied, play together with or without me. I know that most of you don't approve, but my budgies are outside their cage from the time I woke up till they willingly go to their cage in the evening- and this include the time I'm at work. They can fly and they always come back to their cage/playstand/now tree. It's been over 3 years with them like that and they never put themselves in trouble or chew something that they shouldn't.

Different story is with Chico(Tiel). I give her as much time as possible outside her cage, but simply I can't trust her. She is young and unfortunately clipped, and very curious. She has to be always under our supervision, to not get in trouble. I honestly can't trust her with doing my own things (like cleaning my place) and keep her outside her cage. She'll go to the places I don't want her to and I'm afraid she may hurt herself. I can control her while I can see her(using Internet, cutting food for dinner, etc.), but I don't have control over her while I'm in shower etc.
I have no problem with 5 of them being outside, because so far they go along together OK. Female budgie(Blueberry) try to mess with Chico, but she knows her way to stop her. It doesn't look really serious so far- for me it looks like Blueberry is just trying.

So for your original question Michael:

What is the maximum number of parrots (assuming you have several) that you can have out at a time and still be able to concentrate on your own business?

I voted 4- even though Chico is outside her cage a lot

[zazanomore]

I voted for all.

However, there are times when I can't handle having Einstein out while I'm doing something. He gets pretty needy sometimes. He doesn't like being ignored, and he will get cranky.

The budgies could be out 24/7, they always do their own thing.

[liz]

Rambo and Myrtle don't have their cage doors closed. Sometimes Rambo gets a half hour time out. That is when he started saying "let me out ... let me out".

Myrtle was hitching a ride on my shoulder and Rambo climbed down off his cage and walked between 4 dogs to look for my daughter Rachel. I told him she went Bye Bye but he had to check for himself.

I don't let the cockatiels out unless Rambo is with Rachel and I know where her 2 cats are. The other cats don't bother them. If a tiel startles Rambo he will bite it. Lemone' landed near him and now has a fractured wing. It healed crooked but he can still fly.

[greymatter]

We can have Merlin (Grey) & Rosco (Caique) out together as they relatively ignore each other; Merlin can be out with Stryder (cockatiel), as Stryder scares Merlin .

Rosco cannot be out with Stryder, as per precedence, he will attack him - he stalks Stryder while the little buddy is in his cage, I'd be terrified to see how Rosco would stalk him outside his cage.

More than 2 isn't possible due to Rosco, and it is very manageable for Husband in the evenings while I'm making orders, or for me in the morning while I take care of the bird business.

[Grey_Moon]

Outside the house in their harnesses I can do both no problem. Also if Jacko is sopping wet and all three of us are in the shower, but really its too risky and stressful so I don't do it.

Inside the house....goodness only one at a time. Jacko *hates* the cockatiel in a jealous/territorial fashion and given the chance would probably maul him. Sully, thankfully, has learned over the years to stay *off* her cage. So generally as long as Jacko is securely in her cage and I've got a close eye on Sully its fine for either or to be out but never both.

Given ample amounts of space (like say a good 12 feet between them) there is a tense peace and I could *maybe* get away with having them both out. But the last time that ended in an aerial chase and pursue (there is nothing as hopeless and helpless as being stuck on the ground unable to intervene ). SO again, one only.

[MandyG]

Not sure if I answered right, but I said one. That is because I can't have both birds out at once, and because of that I've only had one bird out at a time. I can have either bird out and do my own thing for the most part. With Mojo I can usually leave him on his stand and go about my business. I can hear him from any room in the house so I can keep tabs on him. If he gets restless he'll fly back and forth between his play stand and his cage but he generally leaves me alone if I'm busy doing something. Except for today, the entire time I've been on my laptop on the forum since I got home from work he's been flying between his play perch and the top of the laptop... That's likely just because he's feeling better since his injury and he has a lot of extra energy to use up.

Pele is a bit of a different case. If she has decided she wants to stay on the play stand I can do a few things, but most times she will fly after me whenever I leave her sight. I can do almost anything with her on my shoulder though, she's used to acting like a little monkey on sweaters and things from her past owners so she has fun crawling around my clothing while I'm doing things. She especially loves hooded sweaters. She's a little Velcro bird.

[liz]

Both Rambo and Myrtle are out all the time, but they do mostly stay in the sunroom. They keep food and toys in their cages. Although at least once a day one of them will call me to get the other one out of their cage. They are thieves and will steal even if they have the exact same thing.

[CheekyandMalolo]

I voted all, but by that I don't mean all 6, 2 out of the 6 live with my bf and the other 4 live at my house. The 4 with me can stay out for most of the day and have no issues, same with the 2 conures. Mali can at times get needy, but she'll usually just get peeved at me ignoring her and go sit and watch me before she tries again. She's also learnt the word 'OUT!!' and knows to go out to her cage or perch, cause mum is over her nagging! lol. Prince and Tim are quite good to stay out all day long as long as the cage is left open for them to go have their nap during the day. We also have a strictly no exploring rule in our house, which for us more means that the doors into the rest of the house (they have access to the combined kitchen/dining room/lounge room), otherwise you end up wondering where the boys have gone and usually find them playing in my room! Otherwise, all most of our birds are happy to sit and look out the window, with the rest happy to just sit with us whatever we're doing.
My OH on the other hand can't seem to stand the conures out just to hang out, he prefers to take them out and spend time with just them for awhile then put them back again, he hasn't been around birds for very long, got his first bird in 2009 and I don't really expect him to be as happy as me to have birds just hanging around the house.

[liz]

Your house sounds normal to me. The Amazons interact with the cats and dogs but I can't leave the cockatiels unsupervised because of one of my daughters cats.