300 cockatiels looking for a home

[Cardinal]

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/na...0190320-zdxbvc56yndoxfnpmg4hyb77xa-story.html

This is for the birds.
Alaska Bird Club volunteer Chelsea Farner is looking to house 300 cockatiels whose owner recently died. The process began Monday when she and a colleague visited the home where the birds currently reside.
Farner was shocked when a family member of the deceased ornithophile called to ask for her help.
“The woman said, ‘There’s about 300,’ ” Farner told the Anchorage Daily News. “That was not what I was expecting. I thought she was going to say three or four.”
According to Farner, the largest number of birds her organization had been asked to find a home for was a dozen.
It’s not known who formerly owned the birds. Farner said the family has asked that she protect the identity of the deceased. But whoever it was appeared to take good care of the birds, which resided in an ornate aviary that was built into the man’s house.
“The birds’ feathers seem shiny and nice. They have nice perches, to fly around and be free,” Farner said.
While Alaska places a maximum on how many dogs or cats can live in one household, there is no rule governing birds. Farner said owning 300 birds is not something she recommends, but in this case, “It seems like the way he did it was the right way.

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

300?!? That's a lot. I agree with the article, whoever kept them took good care of them!


I hope they all find some good homes.

 

[SailBoat]

Thank you for bringing that information to the forefront.
300 cockatiels is a major undertaking in the lower 48 States. With hope they are located in Anchorage as the paper is based there and it has a sizeable population.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Holy crap! I can't even imagine that many BB's in one place!!


Jim

 

[ChristaNL]

300 in a single aviary is *not* "taking good care of the birds.

Probably a lot of inbreeding happened in there.


But I hope they find good homes for them

 

[ParrotGenie]

That a lot of cockatiels. I agree to many in one aviary inbreeding is a major issue with that many. Shock they were not re-homed a while ago, instead of hoarding them? A big undertaking to re-home all of them, hopefully they go to good homes.

 

[Kiwibird]

I assume most if not all aren’t hand tamed. Would be hard enough placing 300 hand tamed cockatiels but this many aviary birds who will be difficult/impossible to turn into pets? The owner may have fed and cleaned them but he did these birds no favors at all by keeping so many in an aviary setting.

 

[EllenD]

My God, how large was this "Indoor Aviary"??? I mean, if it was an Outdoor-Aviary it would have to be a MASSIVE Aviary to be able to house 300 Cockatiels at one time and give them enough space...But to house 300 Cockatiels in an Indoor-Aviary? Forgetting all of the In-breeding, it had to have been cramped, to say the least! I agree, while I'm glad the birds were seemingly healthy and "in good-shape", I totally disagree that this was "Doing it the right way"...My God, can you imagine the mess/smell?

 

[texsize]

I thought I had a lot at 8.
My breeding pair had 4 (on top of the 8 I already had and I knew we could not keep them.
I sold them to a local pet store (for a pittance).
It was a hard thing to do and my wife wanted me to go and get them back.

I can understand how attached you can get to the babies you raise and I realised it's not something I can do emotionally.
I think someone should have stopped this person sooner.

Wonder if all the Cockatiel "dust" contributed to the owners death.

 

[ParrotGenie]

I thought I had a lot at 8.
My breeding pair had 4 (on top of the 8 I already had and I knew we could not keep them.
I sold them to a local pet store (for a pittance).
It was a hard thing to do and my wife wanted me to go and get them back.

I can understand how attached you can get to the babies you raise and I realised it's not something I can do emotionally.
I think someone should have stopped this person sooner.

Wonder if all the Cockatiel "dust" contributed to the owners death.

It could have with that many, I could only imagine the particles in the air. The air quality had to be horrible very bad for respiratory system. Wonder if they even were using a air cleaner and needed way more then one? Someone sure have stop this person a while ago as now going to be hard to re-home them as well. As likely doubt any are tamed. I have 5 cockatiels and 3 cockatoos and use 2 IQAir health pro air purifier and have to clean the pre filter every week and shock on amount of stuff collected, it fill up the canister on vacuum and clogs the HEPA filter in vaccum. So 300 can only imagine.

If I get any babies as have a breeded pair of cockatiels will likely sell, or re-home babies once weaned. As cute as they are, it is hard to give them up, but you can only handle and have time for so many? That why they sure have re-homed them way before it was that high as they need attention as well and 300 no way they could have received the attention and care they needed and all they did was hoard them at that point.

 

[Scott]

Hope they all find good homes. Might have to transport many to the lower 48 for best response.

 

[Cardinal]

I thought I had a lot at 8.
My breeding pair had 4 (on top of the 8 I already had and I knew we could not keep them.
I sold them to a local pet store (for a pittance).
It was a hard thing to do and my wife wanted me to go and get them back.

I can understand how attached you can get to the babies you raise and I realised it's not something I can do emotionally.
I think someone should have stopped this person sooner.

Wonder if all the Cockatiel "dust" contributed to the owners death.

It could have with that many, I could only imagine the particles in the air. The air quality had to be horrible very bad for respiratory system. Wonder if they even were using a air cleaner and needed way more then one? Someone sure have stop this person a while ago as now going to be hard to re-home them as well. As likely doubt any are tamed. I have 5 cockatiels and 3 cockatoos and use 2 IQAir health pro air purifier and have to clean the pre filter every week and shock on amount of stuff collected, it fill up the canister on vacuum and clogs the HEPA filter in vaccum. So 300 can only imagine.

If I get any babies as have a breeded pair of cockatiels will likely sell, or re-home babies once weaned. As cute as they are, it is hard to give them up, but you can only handle and have time for so many? That why they sure have re-homed them way before it was that high as they need attention as well and 300 no way they could have received the attention and care they needed and all they did was hoard them at that point.

Will One bird also be a health hazard? I am concerned because it is my Mother who spends maximum time with my cockatiel.
And if so what steps can be adopted to reduce health risks.

 

[ParrotGenie]

I thought I had a lot at 8.
My breeding pair had 4 (on top of the 8 I already had and I knew we could not keep them.
I sold them to a local pet store (for a pittance).
It was a hard thing to do and my wife wanted me to go and get them back.

I can understand how attached you can get to the babies you raise and I realised it's not something I can do emotionally.
I think someone should have stopped this person sooner.

Wonder if all the Cockatiel "dust" contributed to the owners death.

It could have with that many, I could only imagine the particles in the air. The air quality had to be horrible very bad for respiratory system. Wonder if they even were using a air cleaner and needed way more then one? Someone sure have stop this person a while ago as now going to be hard to re-home them as well. As likely doubt any are tamed. I have 5 cockatiels and 3 cockatoos and use 2 IQAir health pro air purifier and have to clean the pre filter every week and shock on amount of stuff collected, it fill up the canister on vacuum and clogs the HEPA filter in vaccum. So 300 can only imagine.

If I get any babies as have a breeded pair of cockatiels will likely sell, or re-home babies once weaned. As cute as they are, it is hard to give them up, but you can only handle and have time for so many? That why they sure have re-homed them way before it was that high as they need attention as well and 300 no way they could have received the attention and care they needed and all they did was hoard them at that point.

Will One bird also be a health hazard? I am concerned because it is my Mother who spends maximum time with my cockatiel.
And if so what steps can be adopted to reduce health risks.

One won't be bad, but to reduce dust and dander, you can give the bird a bath every 2 to 3 days with shower, or spray bottle, or let them get into a bowl with water, worst case at least one every week as their skin can dry out. A HEPA air purifier without ionizer as you don't want to create ozone in small space, just get a mechanical based air purifier with HEPA filter, will work. Look at room size and pick one for that size. For smaller rooms the Honeywell True HEPA, or holmes work great for under 400 square foot, anything bigger usaully go IQ air, or Austin air, or Blue air. Rabbit Air is also good as well.

What ever you do don't don't enclose the cage with Plexiglass, or ETC, as then the bird has to breath particle in and not good for them. Yes I seen people do this as some are very sensitive to dust and dander.

 

[JesusSaves]

I'll help a few if they're being shipped. I hate animals being shipped but if you can't find homes.

 

[Grebe1570]

I live in South Florida. If I can help, I can adopt 1 or 2 into a loving forever home.