Introducing a second bird to your home

[MandyG]

Today I was asked if we were interested in getting another bird or if we knew anybody that was looking for a bird. I've always known that one day we'd be adding another parrot to our family but it wasn't something that I had put any serious thought into because I knew it would be a few years until we started looking. Now a friend of my mother-in-law's has inherited a macaw when her friend had to move into a retirement home. She doesn't know anything about birds and doesn't want the bird, she just wants to find a home that she can give the bird to so it can have the proper care it needs. Right now she is taking the macaw to our local dog vet to get it's beak trimmed, and this is a vet that I refuse to take my dog's to unless it is an emergency and they can't make it to the city where our vet is located. I don't have any details about the parrot yet besides the fact that it's a macaw and I don't know if we will be taking it or not. I just can't stand the thought of a bird being solely cared for by a person that knows nothing about owning a parrot.

I know that a lot of people on this forum have multiple birds and even have re homed birds, so I was just wondering what types of experiences other people had.

When introducing a new bird to your home what types of things did you do to ensure the process went smoothly? How did you introduce your birds to each other? How long did you quarantine the new bird? What types of obstacles did you have to overcome?

[Michael]

First off I have no personal experience on this point but I want to say that I don't believe that it is automatically the burden of every good parrot owner to have to take in everyone else's unwanted parrots. I know it can be tempting, I know that good parrot owners are very generous and want to do the best for the rehomed birds, and I know that it's hard to turn down a free parrot, but you must only choose to do so if it is a parrot you would have chosen to get (money aside) anyway. Furthermore, forget not the long term cost of owning the parrot. I always say not to get a parrot that you cannot afford and this especially goes for a "free of charge" rehome parrot. It is easy to get starry eyed about saving thousands of dollars on the cost of the bird and forget that the cost of ownership is far greater than the cost of the bird.

I'm not trying to turn you off from doing this and I think it is a wonderful consideration, but I really want you to thoroughly think it through and not make a spontaneous buy.

Also, have you ever handled a macaw? Are you ready to hold one? Are you ready to deal with biting? I'm not even going to bring up the issue of your husband or other parrot for the moment. First I want you to really really think if you can handle a macaw. And not just a sweet baby one at a store or a well socialized one that you had met somewhere else. Think of the worst your Amazon had every done and then quadruple it. Is that something you can handle? BTW this is a question I am tackling looking for a cape. I am asking myself if I can handle the worst of my Senegal at four times the scale. So definitely put yourself first and your existing parrot first before you try to do something for someone else's parrot. You have to make sure it is a parrot that you want and that you can handle. And you have to think through how it will get along with your Amazon. Be prepared that it does not and that you can never have both out at the same time. Finally, you've mentioned that you've been busy lately and not have enough time to train your Amazon enough (if I remember, I think it's you but sorry if I got you mixed up with someone else), so definitely consider if you'd have more time for another parrot. And figure this new one could take significantly more time than your bird. Normal tasks that you take for granted like having it step up from cage, putting on a perch, and cleaning its cage could become ten times more complicated with an uncooperative parrot. Don't mean to spoil the excitement but I think it is very important to consider. And if despite all these warnings/turn offs and many others to consider, you decide to go with it, I congratulate you and think you are generous for doing a fantastic thing.

[windharper]

[quote]When introducing a new bird to your home what types of things did you do to ensure the process went smoothly? How did you introduce your birds to each other? How long did you quarantine the new bird? What types of obstacles did you have to overcome?[quote]

Hi Mandy,

First off, I think you need to meet the Macaw to see if you hit it off together. If not, the point it moot.

Then, if you do decide that your meeting went well, your first trip is to your vet and it is your vet who should be talking to you about how long to quarantine the new parrot.

I have one of those circumstances that Michael was referring to in that both my birds cannot be out of their cages at the same time. Tamber is definitely top bird and he gets very jealous of Teyla. At times when Teyla has landed on top of Tamber's cage, he has nearly taken a bite out of her toes! When I take him out, I always walk him over to be next to Teyla's cage for just a moment and his entire posture changes and his pupils pin. That's about the time I get him away from her. I keep hoping he will adjust to her (afterall she was here first), but, it just hasn't happened. Meanwhile, Teyla is very curious about Tamber and seems to have no problem with him. They do alright being in the same room. Just not out at the same time. I would very definitely fear for Teyla's well being.

A problem that did happen was that Tamber learned how to scream just like a cockatiel. He didn't start out being a loud bird until Teyla (and clutch mate Tico) screamed.

I would suggest that to be fair and keep happy birds, whoever is top bird in your home right now, still needs to know that they are still top bird, meaning that they still get your attention and interaction, and all that this entails.

If you decide not to take the Macaw, you might want to suggested that this lady turn the Macaw over to a parrot rescue organization as they will do a better job than she can in finding a good and appropriate home for it to go to.

FWIW.

Deb

[MandyG]

Thanks for the additional points to consider! And don't worry, whatever decision we make won't be made lightly. I've been thinking of other things we could do to help if we don't take it in. It sounds like the only options for the bird was for it to be given to this lady or put down, and now she has taken it in until she can find a home for it. So maybe we can just give her some ideas on how to make sure it's getting everything it needs and help her find an appropriate home, I believe the closest rescue that takes birds is a province away. I'll know more once I've had a chance to talk to her and to meet the bird!

Jealousy of the new bird was my first thought and just the size difference made me assume that I'd be keeping them separate. I hadn't thought of the possibility of Mojo picking up a macaw's vocalizations though! He already barks like the dogs. And I've been very lucky with the level of noise that Mojo makes, I'm already assuming that the macaw will scream but I didn't think about Mojo developing a problem as well.

Again, thanks for the additional things to think about! I definitely want to make the most educated decision as possible and hearing about other people's experiences provides some more information than you get from just researching.

[MandyG]

Ok, this is a little bit of a funny misunderstanding due to my mother-in-law's lack of knowledge about birds. The macaw is actually a cockatiel! That's a HUGE difference! She couldn't remember what exactly the lady had said the bird was, but she did refer to it as a parrot, and of course the only birds that are parrots are the large parrots such as macaws . And the lady is willing to keep the bird if she can learn how to care for it properly, so that's great news! I don't know a lot about cockatiels so I told her what I did know and pointed her in the direction of a great vet that I know will sit down with her and let her know the basics.

[Michael]

A marketing ploy to get your hopes up and then smash them down.

Actually it was a good mental exercise nonetheless for you to think about the proposal. I had someone offer me an Amazon under similar circumstances and the same way I was panicking thinking about it back and forth and before I could decide it fell through. But hey, it makes you more prepared to make that kind of decision next time it comes up. Because it keeps coming up. Someone offered us a budgie just yesterday and we already knew immediately to decline because we had thought about that.

[MandyG]

Yes, it was really good to give us the opportunity to think about it. Now I know a lot of the things that I want to learn about and research before we get another bird, and maybe I can be more prepared in case it comes up again. And I also decided that I'll never be asking my mother-in-law to bird sit!

I'm really glad it worked out the way it did, we were close to deciding that it just wasn't the right time for us and I was feeling awful about not helping out.

[emilyj]

I am looking for a second mcaw as a campaniopn bird for mine preferable female...If this one is still available. I might be interested, i resued my current mcaw 3 years ago with severe behavioral problems, and he is now a well trained bird that has a vocabulary of over fifty words and sentences. He has intergrated into our home well, and he and i continue to learn about each others needs and environments. He lived with another bird species, not from his coutry of origin and was very aggressive, so I would like to try him with a bird species from his own family.

[lainmai]

I am looking for a second mcaw as a campaniopn bird for mine preferable female...If this one is still available. I might be interested, i resued my current mcaw 3 years ago with severe behavioral problems, and he is now a well trained bird that has a vocabulary of over fifty words and sentences. He has intergrated into our home well, and he and i continue to learn about each others needs and environments. He lived with another bird species, not from his coutry of origin and was very aggressive, so I would like to try him with a bird species from his own family.

If you read through the post the macaw is actually a cockatiel ...

[Banksie]

If you read through the post the macaw is actually a cockatiel ...

<Scottish accent on> Aye, but it is a fearsome beastie with a big nasty pointy beak! That cockatiel will have your arm off. <Scottish accent off>