Does anybody here have a MATURE caique?

[cateyes221981]

does not act like a bird more a reptile a predator the big boss

 

[cateyes221981]

mine does not like seek me out he does his own thing goes on the ground, my other birds wlil fly to mee but he will go under my bed and just creep around, i dont bother him he is in his own world, but he did take over the biggest macaw sized cage in the house and no way he will ever leave it


mine likes to climb around the floor and then go over stuff and climb up strange objects like a reptile thats all he does when hes out of his cage

hes not that big on leaving his cage tho

mine bites his cage bars like a rodent?

if somemone grabbed him he would really hurt them

 

[Misty15]

When you google serch "the good bad and ugly about caiques" an article from another forum will show up. Does that article reprosent the true nature of caiques well? It seems to lean very heavily on their bad side. Are they really that difficult? I know all birds are chalenging I am just wondering if that post reprosentd the chalenge of a caique acuratly.

 

[RavensGryf]

I've never had a Caique let alone a sexually mature one, but I do hear about those traits enough that there must be some truth behind it. I've seen those posts from that forum too. In fact read the first and second pages here. Enough people on this thread alone have pretty much said it. Also I'm sure many people only hear the good before getting their baby and they find out once it's mature that they're one of the more challenging species. To many people that's fine. The good side of Caiques obviously outweigh the challenge for many people.

 

[Jowelbg]

I've been frowning at this post for about a week now trying to figure out if I'm just being defensive or not. For the most part, our little Caique section of the forum is a fairly positive group. The focus being on support and reinforcement rather than negativity.

My bird history is not that vast. I had a Quaker when I was younger. I married a 'Tiel girl. That being said, my mom has a Macaw, my dad has an Amazon, and my little sister is the owner of a Pionus that, as of last month will fly circles around her head and land on her shoulder (she's very proud of that).

A couple of things:

- Parrots are hard. Before you buy one, please do your research. Also, whatever parrot you buy, read a lot more than just the bad stories. I have yet to come across a breed that didn't have horror stories linked to it. Actually, LOTS of horror stories.

- Caiques don't like other animals. I know there are exceptions, but it is difficult to raise them around other pets. For whatever reason, it has the tendency to bring out their aggressive side. Pinkbirdy & punkindave are obviously rockstars.

- Caiques have mood swings. Yes, you said this before. To anyone looking at buying a Caique, they have 2 gears: happy & grumpy.... oh yeah, and asleep. We're getting better at recognizing those moments. Our biggest is bedtime. Bad things happen if they don't go to bed on time, much like gremlins.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Ours are about a year old. Puberty will hit soon. It's always an "adventurous" time for a bird owner. :-D

 

[RavensGryf]

I've been frowning at this post for about a week now trying to figure out if I'm just being defensive or not. For the most part, our little Caique section of the forum is a fairly positive group. The focus being on support and reinforcement rather than negativity.

My bird history is not that vast. I had a Quaker when I was younger. I married a 'Tiel girl. That being said, my mom has a Macaw, my dad has an Amazon, and my little sister is the owner of a Pionus that, as of last month will fly circles around her head and land on her shoulder (she's very proud of that).

A couple of things:

- Parrots are hard. Before you buy one, please do your research. Also, whatever parrot you buy, read a lot more than just the bad stories. I have yet to come across a breed that didn't have horror stories linked to it. Actually, LOTS of horror stories.

- Caiques don't like other animals. I know there are exceptions, but it is difficult to raise them around other pets. For whatever reason, it has the tendency to bring out their aggressive side. Pinkbirdy & punkindave are obviously rockstars.

- Caiques have mood swings. Yes, you said this before. To anyone looking at buying a Caique, they have 2 gears: happy & grumpy.... oh yeah, and asleep. We're getting better at recognizing those moments. Our biggest is bedtime. Bad things happen if they don't go to bed on time, much like gremlins.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Ours are about a year old. Puberty will hit soon. It's always an "adventurous" time for a bird owner. :-D

I think that we as a bird group do focus on support to each other and positive reinforcement techniques, as you say... but sometimes someone has a question or issue that does bring up the reality of the less pleasant side of our birds, or idiosyncrasies of a certain species that can be perceived as negative when discussed. That's okay! Discussing ALL aspects of birds is what a bird forum is for, isn't it? You yourself even mentioned a few ways in which they're challenging little creatures. I don't think anyone here is slamming or insulting Caiques, and we don't want to offend their owners either. We're all bird lovers here after all!

 

[shawn]

i was set on getting a caique next month. this thread isnt helping at all lol. now im not sure. as i want a friendly parrot. hope more people with caique's come in this thread and tells us how their caiques are really are

 

[aether-drifter]

I've been frowning at this post for about a week now trying to figure out if I'm just being defensive or not. For the most part, our little Caique section of the forum is a fairly positive group. The focus being on support and reinforcement rather than negativity.

My bird history is not that vast. I had a Quaker when I was younger. I married a 'Tiel girl. That being said, my mom has a Macaw, my dad has an Amazon, and my little sister is the owner of a Pionus that, as of last month will fly circles around her head and land on her shoulder (she's very proud of that).

A couple of things:

- Parrots are hard. Before you buy one, please do your research. Also, whatever parrot you buy, read a lot more than just the bad stories. I have yet to come across a breed that didn't have horror stories linked to it. Actually, LOTS of horror stories.

- Caiques don't like other animals. I know there are exceptions, but it is difficult to raise them around other pets. For whatever reason, it has the tendency to bring out their aggressive side. Pinkbirdy & punkindave are obviously rockstars.

- Caiques have mood swings. Yes, you said this before. To anyone looking at buying a Caique, they have 2 gears: happy & grumpy.... oh yeah, and asleep. We're getting better at recognizing those moments. Our biggest is bedtime. Bad things happen if they don't go to bed on time, much like gremlins.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Ours are about a year old. Puberty will hit soon. It's always an "adventurous" time for a bird owner. :-D

What's to "frown at"? I'm simply bringing up something I've noticed. I see a lot of people here enthusiastically recommending caiques, but I've read many cautionary tales elsewhere and heard first-hand accounts of how much of a challenge they can be. I was asking for input from members of this particular forum who have been through maturity with their caiques, to satisfy my own curiosity about the species and also as an informative discussion for others.

If caiques can be challenging and have aggression issues, I am in no way saying every individual will be like this, nor am I in any way blaming the birds. The opportunity for "problem behavior" only exists because we have inflicted an unnatural state of being (captivity) on these insanely intelligent and psychologically complex beings.

But yes, I believe in knowing and discussing the "good, bad, and the ugly" about bird ownership. People should be prepared before they decide to buy/adopt a certain species. I love cockatoos, and they are possibly the most negatively talked about parrots. While I'm very drawn to them and believe that they can be wonderful companions with the right owners, I'm not going to tell anybody that MyToos is full of lies or that they aren't something to be taken seriously. Again, NOT the cockatoos' fault at all!

 

[RavensGryf]

Lol Shawn, another guy earlier in the thread said the same thing

Just learn the species tendencies and characteristics both good and bad as thoroughly as possible - hear first hand from owners (and keep reading what you can find on the species). Gather as much information as you can, and when you feel that you know what to expect, and you still want one, then go and get your baby!!

Just remember ANY species of parrot is going to be sweeter as a baby and will take on some different traits as a sexually mature adult. If you're prepared, you'll do just fine

 

[aether-drifter]

I've never had a Caique let alone a sexually mature one, but I do hear about those traits enough that there must be some truth behind it. I've seen those posts from that forum too. In fact read the first and second pages here. Enough people on this thread alone have pretty much said it. Also I'm sure many people only hear the good before getting their baby and they find out once it's mature that they're one of the more challenging species. To many people that's fine. The good side of Caiques obviously outweigh the challenge for many people.

Yes, that's exactly why I wanted to bring this up! And I agree...if you are REALLY a caique person, and are willing to potentially take the worst along with the best, then in the end it can work.

A friend of mine has had her caique for about eleven years now. She went through a very, very trying time with him...she says he was sweet as a baby, then turned into a complete Jekyll & Hyde monster for a few years. He is just now starting to settle down, but he's still a challenge. And let me say that my friend takes AMAZING care of her birds, so she definitely did not "mess him up"...nor was his behavior due to lack of handling or attention.

 

[thekarens]

As many horror stories and challenges I've read here I've heard and read just as many about amazons and toos . Like others have said, you need to be aware of what "might" happen and be prepared to accept it and deal with it. I personally would have no problem taking on a caique, but you couldn't pay me to take on a too. I know I'm not equipped to take on those potential challenges.

 

[DanR]

I'm about to get a Caique and it will be my first bird ever, and while this thread seems scary, there is a trend you typically see on forums for any kind of animals... I'm on forums for dogs, rats and chinchillas and it's all the same. Most people come to the forums to do research, but most actually post and participate only when they have issues and need help. So looking at a forum at face value, it seems like the animal in question is a nightmare or has major health issues in the breed, but in reality what you are not seeing is the vast majority of owners that are having no issues whatsoever.

Just my 2 cents to keep things in perspective My first month of reading about Chinchillas on a large chin forum, I thought mine would drop dead at any second. lol!

 

[cateyes221981]

chiinchillas are very easy clean and quiet pets

Get prepared they are just as loud as my conure mine actually loves to hollar I find them more noise than the larger conures I dont know if this is rare or not lol He is my fave parrot but if i had him as my first bird ever i would not be happy lol

if it is your first bird but you have held and had experience with parrots?

if it is your first bird and you love birds think about getting a green cheeck I can understand how people would find caiques a lot of bird

llike a caique would be padderdale terrier in the dog world

green cheeks come in such cool colors and are smart like the big parrots and much more easy to manage

next step up i would say the sun and nandy conures and sengal parrots

i am going to clicker train my conure, he is wiling and up for anything all the time, i dont think my caique would enjoy it though.

 

[cateyes221981]

my conure is 16 months old my jenday is sthis why hes so sweet all the time

 

[DanR]

chiinchillas are very easy clean and quiet pets

Get prepared they are just as loud as my conure mine actually loves to hollar I find them more noise than the larger conures I dont know if this is rare or not lol He is my fave parrot but if i had him as my first bird ever i would not be happy lol

if it is your first bird but you have held and had experience with parrots?

if it is your first bird and you love birds think about getting a green cheeck I can understand how people would find caiques a lot of bird

llike a caique would be padderdale terrier in the dog world

green cheeks come in such cool colors and are smart like the big parrots and much more easy to manage

next step up i would say the sun and nandy conures and sengal parrots

i am going to clicker train my conure, he is wiling and up for anything all the time, i dont think my caique would enjoy it though.

I personally do not like Chins at all... they're actually not all that clean, there's about a 5 foot radius or more around the cage where there are droppings, bedding all hay all over the place, I had to vacuum daily my daughter's entire room as the pellets would get everywhere. And they're definitely not an animal that wants to play with you or get that much affection. They come to you when you come to the cage and hop in your arms, but then 10 minutes later they're fighting to get out of your arms to run around and chew your baseboards and furniture and want little to do with you. Extremely skittish, wants nothing to do with strangers and just overall not the kind of animal I can appreciate. They also poop constantly... as in like every 30 seconds or so. You can't actually handle your chin without droppings coming out at a steady pace because they have no bowel control, it just pops out when there's a volley ready to go. So anywhere you put your chin, you can bet there will be little brown presents everywhere. For anyone that thinks birds poop often, try a chin lol!

Actually everyone I spoke to told me without question that sun conures are MUCH louder than Caiques, in fact there is a decibel chart someone posted that shows Caiques are fairly low-medium in terms of volume and the conues were on the higher end. I also found that at the breeders I visited, the Caiques were fairly quiet compared to the rest and tended to chatter and whistle more than scream. The suns were screeching extremely loudly, I discounted them right away. I initially was looking at getting a Quaker, but quickly didn't like the territorial nature they generally develop with their cage. Out of all the birds I visited, the Caique was really my favorite, and I actually had no intention or had even heard of them until I really started looking. The green cheek was fine, but I saw nothing that made me swing to that breed.

This will be my first bird... I had a girlfriend years and years ago that had a tiel and a too that I played with, but that's about it.

I've raised a pair of huskies (you don't get much more stubborn and energetic than a pair of huskies) and currently have a wolf hybrid sweetie (She used to play with my rat) and had to deal with about 2 years of behavioral issues as she suffered from extreme separation anxiety. So I am OK with dealing with hard heads when necessary

I did ask at a couple of stores and a breeder if Conures were easier to manage than Caiques and I was told no, but that Caiques have higher energy and play harder, that's about it.

I'll start finding out in about 4 weeks lol!

Dan

 

[RavensGryf]

@DanR - I had to laugh about the Chin Poops!! 5 foot radius hahaha! They're rodents right? Though I've never had a rodent, I'm well aware that they ALL are little poop machines constantly dropping them. Nothing against rodents or their owners , but personally no thanks to little brown presents everywhere!!

 

[cateyes221981]

i found rabbits and guinea pigs so much more messay than chins tho, they are my fave rodents i have ever owned

the dust bath was the only pain

 

[DanR]

@DanR - I had to laugh about the Chin Poops!! 5 foot radius hahaha! They're rodents right? Though I've never had a rodent, I'm well aware that they ALL are little poop machines constantly dropping them. Nothing against rodents or their owners , but personally no thanks to little brown presents everywhere!!

LOL yep, they're rodents and they dish out little brown rice gifts constantly. Other small rodents aren't as bad, these guys are just a steady stream of poop.. it's like a handgun VS a tommy gun. My rat NEVER pooped in my hand and rarely anywhere but in his cage where he was potty trained. You can't really train a Chin, they can't hold it.

Rats are amazing pets, super intelligent and trainable... they're basically like a small dog to be honest. Only issue I have with rats is their very short lifespan Otherwise they are perfect pets.

Dan

 

[RavensGryf]

Dan, LOL!!! LOL!!!!