Can a Meyers Parrot Live Outside?

[kristinacm]

Hi All,

We are really interested in adding a meyers parrot to our family. However. My dad is really REALLY allergic so having one in our home (due to when he visits) is not feasible.

Can a meyers parrot live outside? We live in San Diego, California. I am really sensitive about pet needs. We have a dog, cat, bearded dragon and some fish, and we treat them with love and like family. We would do the same for the parrot, if it can live outside, we would visit, play, and love it often. But I would like you to be honest about whether or not it would be okay outside.

If the winter cold might be too much (getting down occasionally to 50 degrees F, but right now its been mostly 70 through Dec and January), could we put a heater (non-light transmitting)?

A local small bird store told us that absolutely it can live outside, if taken out during spring, in order to slowly acclimate as the seasons progress. They didn't even recommend a heater, although I felt they should have? I was excited to hear they could live in an aviary/cage outdoors, but also hoping they didn't say this just to make an eventual sale. Thus, why I'm here.

Any advice would be great. We are happy to get a big cage for it and all the good toys

Thanks!
Kristina

[Michael]

I doubt a little bird like that could make enough dust even for an allergic to be bothered. I have many allergies and am definitely allergic to cats. I have no problem with my Senegal Parrot. I run a few air purifiers near the cage just in case.

[kristinacm]

Thank you for your response. Does this mean you would NOT recommend a meyer parrot staying outside in a large cage/aviary? It's a personal issue, but if we got a bird INSIDE my dad might take it as us not caring. That's my dad, personally, he's not so open minded on the allergy front. He's said numerous times that he's terribly allergic to birds (we never had them when I was a kid). I will take it into consideration to discuss with him, but I'm not sure how it will work out.

That said, just in case, even if it's a negative on the bird outside, I'd like to hear it. Or if we have to run electricity to a lamp or whatever warming needs and spend the money, we'll do that as well. I want to do the right thing on all accounts.

Thanks! Again, I really appreciate your response!
Kristi

[Michael]

How does he know he's allergic to birds? May also depend on the kind of bird. Cockatoos, Cockatiels, and African Greys give off a lot of powder which I can imagine an allergic having problems with. However, a small bird like a Meyer's, I really can't see even someone with allergies having a problem. Whether or not the bird can survive outside is not so much the issue. The issue is more that these animals need much social interaction and attention. I don't see much value in having one as a pet outdoors.

Lastly, not only is weather a concern for an outdoor living parrot but mainly other animals. Rodents and cats can break in and kill the bird. Ignorant people can traumatize or free it. For many reasons, keeping a parrot living outside full time is not a good idea.

[kristinacm]

Thank you, again, for the response! Frankly, I'm not sure how allergic my dad is to birds. But he claims a very severe one. He has many, and he stresses about them. That said, you gave me some good points to discuss with him. So thank you!

And thank you for the honesty about having a bird outside. We really would love to get one, but we want to do it the right way.

Much appreciative!
Kristina

[MissLady9902]

If you're serious about have an outside bird you can get plans to build an outside aviary. It's A LOT of work though. There a measures you can take to be sure you're aviary is animal proof. It could cost a lot of money also.
Here's a nice article from TheBirdChannel.com

http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-housing/bird-aviaries/build-outdoor-aviary.aspx

These are kind of vague instructions but it gives you a good idea on what kind of work in needed for a nice aviary.

[pchela]

If your dad is allergic to birds it's most likely the birds that have powder... you can tell them because they have very soft feathers. These include African Greys, Cockatiels, Cockatoos and many others. Some birds, like Macaws and Amazons, Caiques and the Senegal do not produce this powder to keep their feathers in shape. These birds have more of a glossy feather. My Meyers has very soft feathers, not like my Senegals at all. I'd have to double check but I'd say she's a powder producer. Anyway, most people with bird allergies are not allergic to the birds without powder.

[Natacha]

I'm actually allergic to my mom's African Greys and Cockatoos, because of the powder they produce. Once she got an air purifier things were definitively better for me, no itchy nose or running eyes.

I have four Poicephlalus, including two Meyer's. Never ever had the same reaction to them than I did with my parents' birds.