[zoesxmum]

Hey everyone,

My daughter Zoe and and I are the proud new owners of a baby boy parrotlet born December 14. My husband will meet him for the first time this afternoon when he comes home from work. We are still working on a name for him, he is so adorable and sweet and we are so excited. Also completely clueless as we are first time owners, any tips or advice you guys can give will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much! (also i am trying to attach a picture here but can't seem to figure it out.)

-Leah

 

[mawahr]

Hello Leah! Welcome to the group! He's just a baby! We love new little ones! You can upload a pictures using photobucket or if you click on the advanced button you should be able to attach a photo. Good luck and can't wait to see him!

 

[Dixie-1]

Hi and welcome, for posting pic's most folks here are using photobucket you can sign up for a free account here ; http://photobucket.com/ just click on the link.

 

[Malachi]

Hello Leah...welcome, it is good to see you here!

Good luck with your little sweetie...I look forward to hearing the name you pick.

 

[jeannepp]

Hi welcome to the Forum! There is a great section on Training and Bonding that will give you a lot of tips. If you have a question, feel free to ask.

 

[zoesxmum]

here is our baby!

 

[zoesxmum]

ok...that didnt work. i copied and pasted the url from photobucket but still didnt work. hmmm

 

[zoesxmum]

picture of our baby boy parrotlet!

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[jeannepp]

Awww two precious babies! What a sweet picture. Be careful when he hits about 3 -4 mos his bites will be frightening to a little one like that and very painful.

 

[zoesxmum]

one more

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does anyone have any recommendations for things that are ideal for his cage? I have a perch swing and one toy, but i would like to know anything from experienced owners in your experience what they seem to like?

 

[zoesxmum]

Awww two precious babies! What a sweet picture. Be careful when he hits about 3 -4 mos his bites will be frightening to a little one like that and very painful.

are there any tips you have to help avoid them from biting? i know this is a pretty general question and probably difficult to give a specific answer...

 

[mawahr]

He's a beauty! So is your daughter!

Probably need to make sure he's eating enough especially since he's so young. Its recommended to keep millet in the cage for the first little while. Also something to snuggle with if he's been with siblings, a fleece tent or bed and a cuttlebone too. Also recommend a gram scale to make sure he doesn't loose weight during the transition to a new home.

 

[zoesxmum]

He's a beauty! So is your daughter!

Probably need to make sure he's eating enough especially since he's so young. Its recommended to keep millet in the cage for the first little while. Also something to snuggle with if he's been with siblings, a fleece tent or bed and a cuttlebone too. Also recommend a gram scale to make sure he doesn't loose weight during the transition to a new home.

I will probably get a little tent for him...as he was cuddled up with his 3 sisters before coming home with me. I do have the millet in his cage, so i will have to get the cuttlebone as well. also, any advice on how may times to take out of the cage during the first couple days home? I want to take him out every time i look at him in his cage...but would it be better to let him get comfortable first?

 

[mawahr]

I've heard about five to ten minutes at a time but its been years since I've had a little one.

 

[ginziputzi]

Hi Leah! If another message from me posts - I did something and lost the message I was just writing to you! What I was saying was - Welcome and congratulations! Two beautiful little ones indeed! My parrotlet Kiwi is 11 years old now so I don't remember much about having a baby bird, but there is a wealth of information in this forum so have a look around. In this particular forum, there is an excellent "TIP" on bringing home your new bird. You will find a ton of information there. Smaller cages are recommended to start, then after that, the bigger the better. Parrotlets are climbers and typically love to play with toys of all sorts, so experiment and you will soon see what works for your bird. Kiwi is a big shredder so even something as simple as a paper towel tucked into the bars gives her hours of entertainment. Some create their own toys - others provide great websites on where to buy toys and supplies (a word of warning - prepare yourself to lose control of your credit card if you have a look at Drs. Foster and Smith!!).

As for taking him out of his cage, try to let him come to you. I have heard that a hand reaching for them can look like the gaping mouth of a predator and you don't want him to fear your hands.

Biting is something they will experiment with, and they will go through a puberty where they are cranky and even more bitey. And it hurts, so be careful for your little one. Patience is the key - you have to persist with the handling or else they will not learn. Look at the threads on the gentle beak technique and alternatives to gentle beak that will give you some good ideas.

Parrotlets are highly intelligent little birds, big manipulators and sheer joy! This forum is an excellent resource, a great place to express concerns, ask questions and share ideas. I have found that people are truly vested in your birds good health and happiness, so it is like you are talking about your kids (oh - and if you see the word "fids", it means feathered kids - just learned that myself).

I look forward to hearing about your experiences and watching little whats-his-name grow!

 

[zoesxmum]

Hi Leah! If another message from me posts - I did something and lost the message I was just writing to you! What I was saying was - Welcome and congratulations! Two beautiful little ones indeed! My parrotlet Kiwi is 11 years old now so I don't remember much about having a baby bird, but there is a wealth of information in this forum so have a look around. In this particular forum, there is an excellent "TIP" on bringing home your new bird. You will find a ton of information there. Smaller cages are recommended to start, then after that, the bigger the better. Parrotlets are climbers and typically love to play with toys of all sorts, so experiment and you will soon see what works for your bird. Kiwi is a big shredder so even something as simple as a paper towel tucked into the bars gives her hours of entertainment. Some create their own toys - others provide great websites on where to buy toys and supplies (a word of warning - prepare yourself to lose control of your credit card if you have a look at Drs. Foster and Smith!!).

As for taking him out of his cage, try to let him come to you. I have heard that a hand reaching for them can look like the gaping mouth of a predator and you don't want him to fear your hands.

Biting is something they will experiment with, and they will go through a puberty where they are cranky and even more bitey. And it hurts, so be careful for your little one. Patience is the key - you have to persist with the handling or else they will not learn. Look at the threads on the gentle beak technique and alternatives to gentle beak that will give you some good ideas.

Parrotlets are highly intelligent little birds, big manipulators and sheer joy! This forum is an excellent resource, a great place to express concerns, ask questions and share ideas. I have found that people are truly vested in your birds good health and happiness, so it is like you are talking about your kids (oh - and if you see the word "fids", it means feathered kids - just learned that myself).

I look forward to hearing about your experiences and watching little whats-his-name grow!

Thanks for the info!!! definitely don't want to stress the little guy out especially with our 2 dogs curiously looking into his cage every chance they get! We have decided to name him Kingsley.

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[ginziputzi]

Oh what a fantastic name!! So fitting!! Very nice! One little word of caution - and this was mentioned by another member to a new parrotlet owner a few days ago - the dogs peeking in might also make him stressed as he will see them as predators. It is recommended to have at least one side of the cage backing on a wall, or drape it will a towel or something, so he does not feel exposed. It is excellent advice and something I actually do remember from when Kiwi was little.

 

[Jinx n Noodle]

Love the name

 

[jeannepp]

Taking them out of the cage if they already know step up from the breeder is recommended in the beginning for about 10-15 minutes at a time for 2-3 times a day for the first couple of days. Then you can increase. Make sure you have millet 24/7 in the cage for the first month at least. I would get a gram scale to make sure that your baby does not start to lose weight and regress. Best time to weight is prior to eating in the morning. Same time every day. As far as biting there is a thread on gentle beak under bonding and training. Though when they molt or get hormonal they may bite. You can do gentle beak to discourage them and so they don't continue but they will still bite. THeir beak is their way of communicating. They nibble or test bite to step up to make sure that you are giving them a stable finger to step up onto. They test bite many things to see if it is safe. If they do not want something or are afraid of something they may lunge and give a warning if you ignore it they will bite. The severity of the bite depends on the threat level they perceive. They can't talk and that is their way to communicate. So you can prevent bites by understanding their body language but a child can't do that. You will need to monitor the two together.

 

[mawahr]

Terrific advice from ginziputzi and jeannepp!