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-   -   A talking parrot (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=79069)

TanjaBelieve October 19th, 2011 03:25 AM

A talking parrot
 
1. How easy/hard is to train them (not the right word I know hehe) to talk, to cuddle, not to bite?
2. Are they open to other animals? I mean, are they ok with having other animals besides them?

Melinda October 19th, 2011 04:30 AM

I can only speak for cockatiels, budgies and myna birds, they are quite easy to train to talk, you can only keep one though, if you have two then they normally just bird talk to each other. start by just letting your hand sit in the cage (if the bird is older) if you get them young and from a good breeder then they are probably already hand tamed. we sold all ours like that. to teach them to talk you just keep repeating a word, to get their undivided attention you can drape a towel over the cage on 3 sides and talk to him in the open side. if your bird bites, just give a gentle blow in his face, he'll let go.

Goldfields October 19th, 2011 09:12 AM

I spoon reared our sulphur crested cockatoo and to stop her biting I would just gently hold her beak and move her head from side to side, telling her not to bite. She hasn't in 35 years. :thumbs up Don't know about your birds, Melinda, but our cocky usually only copies me, and the dogs. Our neighbor tried to teach her to swear but she didn't copy him . :) They make lovely effectionate pets I find.

Melinda October 19th, 2011 09:40 AM

our black crow copied anyone *LOL* and our myna ( who use to sit beside a cash register) did all the noices from it, plus imitated opening a beer bottle

renegaderuby October 19th, 2011 04:24 PM

I've had a "little" experience with cockatiels, and parakeets. Parakeets CAN talk (most people dont know that) ..but its rare. I had one that would say "no". and that was all he decided to learn. Cockatiels speaking are depending upon thier personality. If you spend A LOT of time with them, talk to them in a voice they like (they will turn thier head sideways at you)...and repeat repeat repeat...they WILL eventually talk to you. some depending on personality will only repeat one or two words, and the rest will be SOUNDS, like the sink dripping, the dog barking, the alarm clock. ect. And some will do word, after word, and rarely do SOUNDS. it just depends on the bird, and what its individual personality likes.
They also make tapes you can play while you are away to "teach" the bird those sounds. I've not found them too succesfull truthfully.
As to not biting.
All depends. If you start out with an older bird, that wasnt handled very often..your in for some work. And you will likely get bitten a few times.
I've found what "helps" is NOT to yank your hand away when they bite. Its hard..because that is our human nature to remove our hands from pain..but it "teaches" the bird very quickly how to "avoid" contact..and get the nasty humans hand away.
It dosent TEACH the bird to be friendly.
So...if bird bites...keep hand still..and usually a quick blow of air on thier face, or taking thier top beak and saying "NO BITE" and removing it from your hand is a good way to start.
My mother had a cockatiel that was a HARD biter (usually cockatiels dont bite hard)...but he would draw blood. Finally figured out that he was "cage" territorial. If you allowed him to COME OUT on his own, and then offered your hand..he'd hop right on and was sweet as pie. You reach in his cage..you were getting a bloody finger. In fact..his name was JAWS (lol)

Birds are VERY social creatures..and if you want the bird (or parrot) to bond with YOU..its best kept single. However IF your are not going to spend ALOT of time with it..and are at work most of the day. PLEASE get it a cage mate (same species)..or dont get it at all.
They either need YOU alot, or A FEATHERY FRIEND alot.
a solo bird that dosent have much interaction with its human is very very depressed bird.

ALso please know that birds in general are VERY sensative to household items, scents, ect...good rule of thumb is to RESEARCH everything you can about them . BEFORE you bring them home.

Good luck!

Goldfields October 20th, 2011 12:06 AM

[QUOTE=Melinda;1027023]our black crow copied anyone *LOL* and our myna ( who use to sit beside a cash register) did all the noices from it, plus imitated opening a beer bottle[/QUOTE]

:laughing: :laughing: That is great. Like the cockatiel I met that could fool you into thinking the phone was ringing, or the galah that purred like a cat seeing the owner's cat often slept on top of its cage in the sun.

Melinda October 20th, 2011 04:06 AM

*L* birds are wonderful.....a few at a time....not over 300 like we had (dad raised them)

Goldfields October 20th, 2011 09:18 AM

Goodness, that's a lot. What sort did he have?

Melinda October 20th, 2011 09:48 AM

myna, budgies, canaries, love birds (3 differnt kinds) cockatiels, finches, doves and a few rescue ones the spca would bring him when they had no place to place them.

hazelrunpack October 20th, 2011 10:03 AM

Oh, wow, Melinda! I would've loved growing up in your house!! :cloud9:

Melinda October 20th, 2011 10:20 AM

*L* when I was older and dad went into it seriously, my hubby and dad built a mini barn, bird room, we called it, in their back yard, its like a mini apartment, we had rows of cages and two walls of flight cages, no fun to clean I'll tell you that, when dad passed away there was close to 450 birds and many died with in two months, the aviary bird vet came back and said birds grieve for their owners, the minute my husband would enter the room and speak they went crazy, they missed hearing a mans voice, mom and I eventually sold them to a friend of dads who also raised birds, we kept about 25 of his favorites, his "pets" till they passed on of old age.

Hazel, I grew up in a home where nothing in the way of pets was denied us, except for cats, but I split my time between home and grandparents where I had plenty of cats there *L* she raised siamese before they were popular......people were scared of them way back then *L*

renegaderuby October 22nd, 2011 04:19 PM

[QUOTE=Melinda;1027174]*L* when I was older and dad went into it seriously, my hubby and dad built a mini barn, bird room, we called it, in their back yard, its like a mini apartment, we had rows of cages and two walls of flight cages, no fun to clean I'll tell you that, when dad passed away there was close to 450 birds and many died with in two months, the aviary bird vet came back and said birds grieve for their owners, the minute my husband would enter the room and speak they went crazy, they missed hearing a mans voice, mom and I eventually sold them to a friend of dads who also raised birds, we kept about 25 of his favorites, his "pets" till they passed on of old age.

Hazel, I grew up in a home where nothing in the way of pets was denied us, except for cats, but I split my time between home and grandparents where I had plenty of cats there *L* she raised siamese before they were popular......people were scared of them way back then *L*[/QUOTE]



Surprised you didnt have a pet "elephant" :p, :laughing:


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