I hate fucking animals......

[sarettah]

Went up to get crickets for our Lizard thing.....

I'm in the pet store and I see a Green Conure (bird for them that don't know). He's real quiet and half freaked out looking. Tag on the cage says his name is "chief", that he's a "3 year old Green Condor" and "needs a quiet home". Price tag on him is $150.00. I glance at a couple of other Conures they have in there and see that they are priced at $399.00 and $499.00.

I ask the main pet store guy what the deal is with the bird, starting with "The quiet home part, is that a species thing or just this particular bird?".. He tells me that it is this particular bird. The bird was owned by a little old lady, he had originally been purchased (as a baby) as a companion bird for a lady. The lady had passed away recently and the family wanted to get rid of the bird so they brought it to the pet store to get them to sell it. He said the bird, when he first arrived at the store was real friendly and lovey-dovey but because of the noise in the store and kids poking their fingers in saying "polly want a cracker" 5000 times a day that the bird was now only semi-tame and was freaked out some.

I knew that if Jen were with me, she would say "screw it, we're getting that bird out of there". But she wasn't with me.

We have discussed it some since I got home and going back and forth and forth and back over it. We can't rescue every animal that is in a bad spot. But, we so much want to. Tearing me up because it isn't the birds fucking fault that the lady's family are assholes.

The bird is 3 years old, he's gonna live to be 25 or 30 years old if life goes right for him. Fucking long ass time to be responsible for a fucking bird. I'm a smoker, the fucking thing would probably out live me.

But he's stuck there in the fucking cage, just freaked.....

Fuck fuck fuck...

Goddamn animals !

[Peaches]

If you don't take it, I will. Poor thing!!

[Vick]

sarettah - I have 2 parrots now (an 4 year old African Grey named Hugo with a vocabulary of about 75+ phrases plus other assorted words and sounds including phone ringing - he and my 2.5 year old son have interesting talks)

The other parrot is a Red Lored amazon named Bogart who is about 15 (and was a basket case when I got him, he now lives in my office and is fairly tame)

also have raised and trained parrots in the past (one of my other lifetimes)

Conures are a close relation of Macaws (think of them as a little cousin - they even have similar shaped bodies) some can be very noisy particularity at sun rise and sun set or any time they "call" the flock

http://www.petoftheday.com/archive/2003/May/15.html
has a pic of one

here is a Military Macaw
http://www.whozoo.org/Intro2000/melibear/M...litarymacaw.htm

Most parrots will "bond" with one person (parrots are monogamous) but some birds will tolerate others in the "flock"

The fault really lies with the pet store for allowing kids that behavior with the bird

Parrots can make great pets, some are very loving, very funny (I think parrots are one of the few animals that have a sense of humor- my grey will crack up laughing at things) but can take a lot of emotional investment and a lot of time.

Parrots really become one of the family provided you have the time for them

and the bird could well out live you, I know the African Grey Hugo will outlive me but Sebastian and Hugo get along well (Hugo asks" Where's Sebastian, where's the little boy")

Personally I wouldn't have a dog or cat

I'm forgetting a lot of stuff but if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask me and if I can I will help you

Overall that is a great price for the bird but the bird is a basket case now and will take time, love and effort to realize his fullest potential

But if he's does you'll have any amazing companion and a wonderful addition to your family

Not to be gloomy I wouldn't suggest getting the bird if you have house cats or very active dogs in your home
Too much stress, you'll want to have time with the bird out of the cage working to tame him and train him to get on your arm and spend time with you and it can be stressful with other animals (especially predatory types) in the household (yes you'll have to get his wings clipped - well really just one wing's primary feathers)

Also 2 things you can't avoid working with parrots - getting bitten and getting defecated on


edit becaue the macaw pix was screwy



Last edited by Vick at Feb 23 2004, 09:37 PM

[Peaches]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 23 2004, 10:35 PM
(Hugo asks" Where's Sebastian, where's the little boy")

LOL!! :P

[Vick]

it even gets funnier

Sebastian is at that age where occasionally he tests his limits and his mother will have to say "by the time I count to 3, one, then Hugo chimes in 2"

Sebastian calls for Daddy and I've started answering 'Whatee" so you can guess Hugo now says "Whatee"

Hugo spent some time in my office and somehow picked up the word "Bullshit" - I don't know how that happend

The funniest might be Hugo saying "Plastic Flowers Never Die" - which coomes from a song by a local band here

Of course the bird rings (just like the phone) at least 3 times a day

[Mike AI]

Just reading the thread title sounds pretty kinky....

[sarettah]

Well... For the moment at least, we are waiting to do anything...

I hate regular old pet stores to begin with.... I try to avoid them as much as possible when possible.. But this one is close by, so if we run out of crickets early, that is where I head...

We have 3 cats, 2 guinea pigs, a lizard and a weekend dog (travels with my youngest daughter)... So for right now we are not adding the bird, but if he is still there tomorrow, you never know.

[LadyMischief]

Go get the bird, Sarettah. You will kick yourself later if you don't.

[Mike AI]

Better watch out, I hear Serge eats Guinea Pigs now...

[Vick]

The Indians in South America roast Macaws

again sarettah if I can help with any questions I'd be glad to

[sarettah]

Originally posted by Mike AI@Feb 23 2004, 10:05 PM
Better watch out, I hear Serge eats Guinea Pigs now...

[sarettah]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 23 2004, 10:06 PM
The Indians in South America roast Macaws

again sarettah if I can help with any questions I'd be glad to

Thanx Vick....

I will let you know

[Joshua]

Originally posted by Mike AI@Feb 23 2004, 06:55 PM
Just reading the thread title sounds pretty kinky....

Kinky isn't the word I was thinking...

[MissEve]

A long time ago I house sat for people that had dogs, parrots, rats, fish and I forget what else The parrots creeped me out a bit because one of them could imitate things exactly! It would "answer the phone" in the mothers exact voice and yell at the kids "get up! get in the shower!" and then call for the dog.. Zoooooooooey! SO weird!

I rescued a pathetic lil kitty a few winters ago that was covered in ice and about to die. I brought her home and she was so sweet but I discovered she had a rather large belly for such a little kitty. So, I took her to the vet and I had to pay for a damn kitty abortion! lol and she got fixed. After she recovered she was a hyper maniac! I found her a great home and the people love her but I still cant believe I paid for a cat abortion!

[Lisa]

Originally posted by Mike AI@Feb 24 2004, 01:55 PM
Just reading the thread title sounds pretty kinky....

No kidding!

Very glad I decided to read the original post after all cos initially I thought Sare was complaining that Jen had stopped putting out and the dog had bitten him/donkey had kicked him/fish had exploded!

[Dianna Vesta]

I have always had a soft spot for animals. I have way too many rescue stories. Now I take in rescued farm animals. My neighbor is from Columbia and a chicken and pig farmer. He can’t understand why I have all these pigs and goats and no plans to eat them.

I have one big white farm pig someone tied a rope around. They left him tied in the yard and just threw food over to him. The rope eventually grew into his skin. When they rescued him they had to surgically remove it. He’s fine now. All my animals have a story and I’d like to take on a lot more one I get help. You believe the calls I get. Sometimes people are just evil.

If people adopted animals instead of breeding and support the exotic industry we'd have a lot less homeless and abused animals.

DV

[Dravyk]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 23 2004, 11:06 PM
The Indians in South America roast Macaws

again sarettah if I can help with any questions I'd be glad to

What wine goes best, Vick?

[Nickatilynx]

Everyone knows its White wine with Maccaw....sheeesh.



Last edited by Nickatilynx at Feb 24 2004, 10:15 AM

[Vick]

Sitting here I hear Hugo (African Grey Parrot) start singing a new song (for him
"Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh"

then he says

"I hear you're awake"
(Hugo is in the room under Sebastian's Nursery loft, when Sebastian wakes up from his afternoon nap he says "I awake")

then he says
"Birds can't talk"

[Almighty Colin]

The FCC is going to censor this thread title!

[sarettah]

Originally posted by Colin@Feb 26 2004, 03:04 PM
The FCC is going to censor this thread title!

Nah....Only if it said "I LOVE Fucking animals !!!!! "

[sarettah]

Well,

a lots been happening the past few days.

Thursday night I went back to the pet store and the bird was still there, so he/she/it ended up coming home with me...

I made a mistake earlier in that he is not a green Conure but is rather a"Quaker" parrot. A small parrot.

He has taken to life here pretty well. I brought him home in the cage that he was in at the store but quickly decided that it wasn't going to be big enough. Yesterday morning, Jen and I went and got a proper bird enclosure for him then we spent the day letting him decide which cage he liked better. He has opted for the bigger cage.

He has pretty much dominated the past 3 days of our life. More entrtaining than TV by a long shot. He seems to be adapting well but is still unhandleable. I have had him in my hands 3 times so far, he does not like it at all. He doesn't seem to mind noise or the other animals for the most part. The only thing he seems to mind thus far is a reached out hand. He dives for cover at the sight

[Forest]

S.

Your like I am...

3 cats and a dog adopted in the last 2 years. If I had more room I would save more

[Forest]

Originally posted by Nickatilynx@Feb 24 2004, 01:15 PM
Everyone knows its White wine with Maccaw....sheeesh.

acually you can do a Liite body red with it as well

[Vick]

Cool sarettah Congrats!

Quakers are less noisy that Conures

Couple of things to consider

Are the bird's wings clipped?
One wing can have the primary flight feather clipped, that way the bird can't fly away and injure it's self
Also makes working with the bird much easier

I see you posted "in your hands" - parrots look for a perch so do you mean on your hands? - like a finger?

If you're having problems getting the bird to come to your hand you can try one or both of two things

One - start with a perch from the birds cage (or a stick that is appropriate size for the birds feet)and get the bird to "step up" on the the perch (or stick) when out of the cage -
this can be accomplished by gently pushing against the birds chest almost sort of forcing/nudging he bird onto the perch/stick - later your fingers can replace the stick
(or you can do the trick of getting the bird on the perch and then having the bird walk back to it's cage on your arm)

Two - You can hold a treat (once you get the bird to take food from your hand, it may be already for all I know) and holding the food behind the hand you're trying to get the bird to step up on so the bird has to step on your hand to get the treat

Parrots can take while to work with but with all the animals you have now I'm pretty sure you're good with animals and understand animal behavior

Again Congrats to you and your new little friend

Warning - Having Parrots can be habit forming

[sarettah]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 29 2004, 12:46 PM
Are the bird's wings clipped?

I see you posted "in your hands" - parrots look for a perch so do you mean on your hands? - like a finger?

Birds wings are clipped..

In my hands or on my hands or near my hands... If you try to get a hand near, he freaks. You can't get your finger near enough to use as a perch and he attacks a wooden perch if you are connected to the end of it. Thus far, he has ventured down to the floor 3 times and each time I have scooped him up to get him back up in "protected space". The first time he bit for all he could. The second time a little less forceful. The third time, he actually calmed down and let go the bite Hopefully he will eventually allow a hand near enough but I am not gonna push it real fast.

[Peaches]

Yay!!

All my pets are rescues also. I'm sure a bird will eventually find its way here especially after reading Vick's stories.