Hi! Thinking of getting a Parrotlet

[mattz]

Hi all,

What a nice resource! I want to get a bird for my older daughter Lindsay and myself, I like the looks of these little guys. Their size and personality seem perfect.

Lindsay is 10 and has been wanting a pet, but my wife is allergic to everything but birds and fish. After doing some research, I realize I want a bird as well. I work at home a few days a week, so those days it could get out and hop around on my desk, though I think I would have to discourage it from sitting on the monitor. It would be great to have a little buddy to keep me company, and it could teach Lindsay all the lessons that pets can teach. (Lindsay is extremely gentle and surprisingly responsible for her age.)

I imagine that since this is the talk parrotlet forum that everyone would agree that a parrotlet would be ideal for this situation, but if not, please chirp up.

Also, one quick question, any suggestions for buying or visiting parrotlets in the Sierra Foothills? (I also go to the bay area often.)

Thanks in advance!

[ArtS]

Mattz,

Welcome aboard! hopefully one of the CA members will able to help you with your question.

Regards,

Art S.

[memmey]

Welcome , you can find alot of behavior information here Mattz, look around and do your homework before you decide. Personally I have mine by accident and she is one of my greatest treasures...good luck hope we all can help.( what a nice Daddy.. Lindsay is lucky)

[Pado]

I'll post this here also:

I know where Rescue CA is :) -

I live in Placer County :D

The Breeder in Santa Cruz Linda Lee mentioned is the Parrotlet Ranch – run by Sandee & Robert Molenda – I got my female there last month. They are very well known in the Parrotlet world.

Although I would inquire on the level of taming – my female although hand fed was not very tame so I had to put a lot of work into her. But she is beautiful and very healthy.

Here is the link if you are interested: http://parrotletranch.com/ (http://parrotletranch.com/)

There is also the Bird Store in Sacramento – that is top notch and usually has very good stock – if you want I can get the address for you.

[Dave]

Hey mattz! Welcome to the site :) .

[mattz]

Thanks Pado, I just got off the phone with the bird shop in Sacramento. They do have a parrotlet in stock, it would be interesting to see it, we have not yet seen one in action. (They are at http://www.thebirdshoponline.com/)

Santa Cruz is a very reasonable trip to get one, going to have it for a long time!

[Pado]

Wow - I didn't even know they had a website - COOL.

Their birds are usually pretty socialized as they all interact with them - so if its been there a while I'm sure its pretty tame.

Yes the trip to Santa Cruz I agree is worth it - plus it was a really nice ride there - I lived in the Bay Area and went to Santa Cruz a lot during high school days.

But check out the one at the shop.

Good luck.

[Linda Lee]

I have been to the Bird Shop...Got my first Budgie Cage there. Very nice people. You might want to check and compare the prices of a P'let at the Parrotlet Ranch, before you go and fall in love with the one at the Bird Shop. I'm thinking if and when I get one, I'll probably drive down to Santa Cruz...Like you said, it's not that far.:)

[Linda Lee]

Wow - I didn't even know they had a website - COOL.

Their birds are usually pretty socialized as they all interact with them - so if its been there a while I'm sure its pretty tame.

Good luck.
Yes, I believe it was there about two months ago, when I was last there. At that time I didn't know anything about P'lets, and thought it was a type of Lovebird. It was out were anyone could handle it.

Pado-
The website is rather new. You can sign up for their specials by e-mail.

[Pado]

The price for my female - Green Pacific Lucida at the Parrotlet Ranch - $125

The last time I saw a Green Pacific at the Bird store it was $199 - the mutations are much higher.

[AndreaFahy]

I think the higher price is worth it if the rearing process gives you a better socialized bird. I would definitely look into that side of things.

[Pado]

Yes, I believe it was there about two months ago, when I was last there. At that time I didn't know anything about P'lets, and thought it was a type of Lovebird. It was out were anyone could handle it.

Pado-
The website is rather new. You can sign up for their specials by e-mail.

Thanks Linda Lee - I was thinking it must be pretty new - thats great they finally have one :)

I checked them before I emailed the Parrotlet Ranch - that would have been the beginning of March - they had just sold the last one a few days before I went in - it might have been the one you saw :)

[Pado]

I think the higher price is worth it if the rearing process gives you a better socialized bird. I would definitely look into that side of things.


Yes, this is a great point -

[mattz]

Hi Pado and Linda Lee, us all being in the same area could work out well for babysitting during vacations.

[Pado]

Hi Pado and Linda Lee, us all being in the same area could work out well for babysitting during vacations.

hehe another good point :)

[mattz]

I just noticed I started the 100th thread in the introductions forum.

I'm honored.

Do I get a free bird? :cool:

[Pado]

OHHHH man – Yes you do if you don’t ask – YOU BLEW IT :D :D :D

[amber26]

welcome :)

[Jan and Dean]

Welcome to the forum:)

[Pado]

Thanks Pado, I just got off the phone with the bird shop in Sacramento. They do have a parrotlet in stock, it would be interesting to see it, we have not yet seen one in action. (They are at http://www.thebirdshoponline.com/)

Santa Cruz is a very reasonable trip to get one, going to have it for a long time!


Mattz - did you get that bird at the bird shop? - I was there on Saturday getting supplies and they had no Parrotlets left - I was hoping you were the one that picked up the last one.

well? :D

[Linda Lee]

Mattz - did you get that bird at the bird shop? - I was there on Saturday getting supplies and they had no Parrotlets left - I was hoping you were the one that picked up the last one.

well? :D



Hi Pado!
Funny, I was there at the Bird Shop on Friday, and again Saturday just before they closed. I was deciding on a Budgie, came back on Saturday to pick up my new budgie. They didn't have a P'let when I was there on Friday either.
I was hoping Mattz had gotten him as well. In fact, I came home and checked this site to see if he had "announced" he had gotten him. I was disappointed when I found he had posted with no mention of a new P'let.
Linda

[Pado]

Hi Pado!
Funny, I was there at the Bird Shop on Friday, and again Saturday just before they closed. I was deciding on a Budgie, came back on Saturday to pick up my new budgie. They didn't have a P'let when I was there on Friday either.
I was hoping Mattz had gotten him as well. In fact, I came home and checked this site to see if he had "announced" he had gotten him. I was disappointed when I found he had posted with no mention of a new P'let.
Linda


Congratulations on your new Budgie :D - when I was there, there was a bunch of people handling the budgies from the play area - The only one I noticed was the sky blue colored one because he flew to the floor from the person holding him - which one did you get?

I was surprised the only "smaller Parrots" they had available besides the budgies and tiel's was the Green Cheek conure - they must be due for more birds.

I love that bird shop its the cleanest bird store I've been in - :)

[Linda Lee]

Hi Pado!
I didn't get one of the Budgies from the play area. They were all sweet and already hand tamed, but I was set on getting a blue Budgie, that was male. The only blue one that was in that play area was a female. I got mine from the (wild) walk-in aviary. However, he looks very much like that blue female. A blue opaline. I named him "Jellybean".
Thanks for asking.....Linda :)

[Pado]

Jellybean that’s a GREAT name :)

I have a soft spot for the English Budgies – they had two green ones there but the last thing I need is another bird :eek:

[mattz]

Congrats on the new Budgie Linda! How fun.

I did not get the parrotlet that was at the store. The Parrotlet Ranch seems like one of the best places to get one and since they are so close I'm sure I'll do business with them.

But interestingly, I was as the bird shop Friday around 10 AM and the parrotlet was there at that time. The sales person said she was quite a biter. Also, I am no expert on these birds, it was the first I had seen, but it did not seem to be doing well. Again, I really have no basis on which to evaluate these birds, it's just my sense of things. I hope things worked out well for the little cutie though.

[mattz]

I agree it is a nice store, the green cheeks there was a very good looking bird.

[Pado]

Wow – it must have just sold then – They work with the birds there a lot so if it had have been there a while I’m sure it would have been more tame.

In all the years going there I’ve never seen a sick bird at the store – they have a hospital room and my Old Vet is their vet –

With the Parrotlet Ranch be sure to ask the level of tame in the bird you get – like I said I didn’t ask and my female wasn’t very tame – Sandee answers if you email her – her email is on the Webpage.

When I picked her up Sandee had her cupped in her hands and said they were working on ‘set ups’ and she stepped onto my finger but looking back I believe she did so because she was freaked out – because since I’ve had her she is scared to death of hands and I’ve never given her any reason to be so. But she’s a healthy, sweet bird and she’s really coming around. And her price was great - $125.

Let us know what you end up doing – Good luck.

[AndreaFahy]

I have found that the breeders that raise a high quantity of parrotlets seem to have babies that have hand phobias - whether mild or major. Parrotlets need a ridiculous amount of handling outside of being "hand fed" When they are simply hand fed and not HANDLED they develop a feeling of abandonment and resentment and fear of those hands that fed, but did not nurture them.

I am not saying this relates to any of the breeders mentioned here, but I have seen it in some breeders I know that have more than about five pairs breeding at one time. And, even breeders that may have only one clutch to raise may wind up having one that has hand issues.

On stepping up, a parrot should be comfortably doing this before they are even weaned. And for those that may develop issues despite how they are raised, it just takes extra training efforts. I have one right now that is not well behaved, he is one out of six - the other five were perfect!

[Pado]

Andrea - That makes sense - I've read similar to what you have said - the babies needing a lot of interaction besides the feedings. That they can associate the hand feeding them with being grabbed.

But overall I'm very happy with her - she is coming around. I was gearing myself up that with her bonding with Rupert that she would just gravitate toward him and not want anything to do with humans. But she is showing that she has interest in us and runs to get on my legs when I sit on the floor, she loves biting on clothing [as I think they all do :D ]. She will also climb on my hand now when it is placed flat on the floor. :cool:

[mattz]

I was at the bird shop twice this weekend and the female green pacific female is still there. I'm not sure where she was when Linda was there, but she is there now. She looked great, preening, flapping around, very active. I was very pleased to see this, I had been concerned before, but she is a real cutie.

My daughter really liked the cockatiels, the clerks told her that the parrotlet bit so now she is afraid of all of them. Oh well.

She said the cockatiels hurt her hand with its claws. Anyone else have a child say this? She's 10, she does not have a tough hide like me yet. Any suggestions?

[AndreaFahy]

Some kids are just whiny :) And as they get to know the bird, all of a sudden the nails aren't an issue anymore.

Parrotlets respond wonderfully to training and can get a parrotlet to stop biting. They get bored easy.

[AndreaFahy]

Check this thread:

http://www.talkparrotlets.com/showthread.php?p=3998#post3998

[AndreaFahy]

Quote from me:

I actually had a three year old clicker train one yesterday. She did all the motions: got the bird accepting treats by hand, conditioned her to a clicker, conditioned her to the target stick, and then had him go through obstacle courses that she made. A ten year old girl was ecstatic at our shop to have taught on of the Parrotlets to fly to her on the "Come" command.

Quote from another behaviorist / trainer:

Actually, I had the coolest consultation over Christmas - a family with an aggressive (don't know what it is called in English but it is a type of conure) male and a terribly shy female - pair of little parrots, came over in the christmas holidays with their 6 yr old daughter who kept getting bitten. It was the coolest thing. We spend one day training at my place with my birds (i.e. novice trainer and expereinced pupils) and the next day i went over to their holiday place and trained with their birds and the now experience child trainer.

By the end of the second day we were up to doing flying retrieves with the birds. The change was remarkable and lasting.
The child's mother just wrote me an email again the other day - biting and aggression is totally resolved and the girl is now handling the birds much more sovereignly. Isn't that cool? I am soooo pleased with the whole family - feathered and unfeathered members.

[Linda Lee]

I was at the bird shop twice this weekend and the female green pacific female is still there. I'm not sure where she was when Linda was there, but she is there now.

Wow Mattz, that's weird....When I couldn't find the one that was supposed to be there, I even asked. The girl told me they had sold their parrotlets! :confused: ????
Linda

[Pado]

I didn't see him either - maybe they got another - or we're going to different stores :D :p

Are you going to get her?

[Pado]

Andrea - the clicker training is intriguing - I'd just need to find a treat they love - they eat everything but I can't find anything they go nuts over :(

[mattz]

trying to delete post

[mattz]

I didn't see him either - maybe they got another - or we're going to different stores :D :p

It's the bird shop on Garfield and Auburn, right? (next to the body shop) Maybe it was a different bird I saw.

I fell in love with one cockatiel there, but my daughter did not want it at the time because of the claw issue described above. Now today she wants it, but of course it's been sold, so many tears here.

I'm really sad it did get sold, but happy it has a good home. I think I'm done with birds for a while after all this.

[mattz]

Pado, you had a cockatiel before, right? In your experience, which was smarter?

I addressed this to Pado, but anyone else with experience, please chime in.

Thanks in advance.

[Linda Lee]

It's the bird shop on Garfield and Auburn, right? (next to the body shop)
That's the one.........
Linda

[mattz]

Linda, how are you and your new budgie getting along? Pics?

[Pado]

Mattz - Yep, it’s the one on Auburn and Garfield - I was just joshing :p

I haven’t had a cockatiel for many years – I had two when I was a teenager and gave them up when I was in my early twenties to a friend’s mother who had two others. I’ve always regretted giving them up although she took better care of them than I was at the time – they were the last birds I ever gave away.

IMO cockatiels are sweeter. I don’t recall ever getting bitten my either of them. They are louder than the Parrotlets but much calmer. If I had to pick which one was smarter – I have to give that to the Parrotlet.

If you go with the Parrotlet I understand the Green Rumps are less likely to bite than the Pacific’s but they are less bold and more skittish than the Pacifics – I don’t have any first hand experience with this but have heard.

Maybe someone with a Green Rump can comment.

[AndreaFahy]

Andrea - the clicker training is intriguing - I'd just need to find a treat they love - they eat everything but I can't find anything they go nuts over :(


That can be tricky with some birds. Millet and safflower have been the super treats with my parrotlets. My bigger birds like peanut butter from a spoon. Some of the medium birds, conures and poicephalus really like papaya. Our moluccan works for sweeties (sweet potato chunks)

[Pado]

Hummm - Peanut butter !! - I'll have to try that, used to let my male eat some when I was eating it and he liked it but I haven't eaten it a while -and have never let my female try it. I'll have to give that a try.

My male does go ape over warm oatmeal - he gobbles if off a spoon - but that might be too messy as a training treat - plus keeping it warm :D

[exoticparrotlets]

Hi, we have babies that will be ready soon! We are in Sacramento!
http://exoticparrotlets.com/