Future owner (again) from Arkansas

[jlockhart29]

Good morning. Just joined the forum to learn all I can about another bird. A little back ground. 46 year old married 21 years man with no children. I have had or trained at one time just about everything from snakes to horses. I lost my buddy Jake last Feb. after 25 years. Jakes was a Nanday that I bought from Wal Mart when I was in collage back in 1985. He was in a small cage at the back of the store in Ruston La. and all the bratty kids would come by and pull the tail feathers out of him. Needless to say he was a mess when I brought him home both physical and mental. I still have scars on my hand from those early years. Over time he became the most well adjusted bird there ever was from ridding around on pole during frat toga parties in the early days to being a celebrity and going to Big Green Egg fest across the country at the end. I guess this link and the responses sum it up best: JAKE: 1985 - Feb. 20, 2011 - Big Green Egg - EGGhead Forum - The Ultimate Cooking Experience
Anyway my wife and I are starting to look for another bird. Just strange with out one. I spent a year researching blood lines and breeders before I ended up importing a German Shepherd from Czech last fall that I train in Schutzhund. Never been one to rush and jump and like to do my research. We are seriously looking at the bare eyed cockatoo for our next bird. Not having children and my wife being a stay at home wife and "mother" to our pets and farm, a bare eyed seems a good fit. She does not want one of the bigger birds as what ever we end up with will be loose in the house and on her or my shoulder most of the time. She's afraid a bigger bird will get heavy or hurt after a while and is a little intimidated by the bigger birds. Talking ability is a far secondary as personality and wanting to be in close contact and loved on is more important.
Really looking for a just weaned bird from a breeder that just like my Czech GSD breeder has exposed the bird to different sights and sounds as this bird will be going and doing things with us. Temps and West Nile under consideration. And while I do not have any first hand knowledge on birds, I do know every other animal I have ever dealt with benefited from early socialization and exposure as a youngster.
Looking forward to exploring the forum and learning more about the bigger birds. Any suggestions or thoughts are all ways welcome. Thanks

 

[oled]

Welcome to this famely forum and good luck finding the perfect bird

 

[Spiritbird]

To match the intellect of a German Shepard please think about an African Grey bird. They are fantastic and I marvel every day at how sweet my Rosie is. Glad you joined us.

 

[mtdoramike]

Welcome to the forums. I would also seriously consider looking at an African Grey and an Eclectus. Cockatoo's tend to be very needy birds and bond to one person and avoid the other family members. But this possibly can be over come by getting a very young bird and socializing them well.

I never thought of an Eclectus until I adopted one a short while back. But they are quite smart, affectionate and are on the quieter side. My Eclectus will climb down from his cage and walk through the house searching for me. Although I'm his special, he will still go to anyone who extends their arm without hesitation.

 

[Remy]

If I got a larger bird, it would be an eclectus. :-D

 

[jlockhart29]

Thanks for the suggestions! I had thought about a Gray but have all ways thought they were more neurotic and stressed by change than too's. Have not made our mind up yet and will look into both birds suggested.

 

[MikeyTN]

Why you want a Cockatoo? You need to ask yourself the reason why!

They're wonderful birds don't get me wrong, but can have issues....I own one and we love our Cockatoo dearly!!! They can be stressed just as bad as the Greys when it comes to change!!!

Sometimes it's best to visit different varieties of birds to see what you like. One major thing is LET the bird pick you, not the other way around!!!! So sometimes you may not get the type of bird you want, but you get one that will love you no matter what!

There are two of us in the household so birds choose between my partner and I. We don't force them to like one over the other, they pick who they want to go to. Sometimes you get lucky by finding the bird you want and become super sweet after being with you and after training, like your Nanday Conure! I had a Nanday Conure once, she's super smart and sneaky...lol...She's with my best friend still, she prefers him over me so I left her with him.

Certain specie can become a one person bird, so that's something else you have to consider! Even though our Ekkies have picked who they like more, but both of them tolerate either one of us picking them up and giving them love. They're more of a social colony birds.

 

[jlockhart29]

We were looking at too's more because the pet store in town has two umbrellas as store birds. Both are just wonderful and well adjusted. Really affectionate and love to cuddle. One of the most enduring qualities about Jake was wanting to be with us all the time and cuddled.He didn't like to be held in your hand but loved to snuggle under your chin or hair. From what I have read too's are very needy but affectionate bird that take a lot of time. As I said my wife is a stay at home, we have no kids and love animals and love to spend time with them. A too just seemed to fit the bill.
Are also looking at some of the smaller macaws

 

[lene1949]

I love the bare eyed cockatoo... Cory is very gentle, and a few days ago I posted a video of her playing... They love being on the ground..

Cory was a rehome... Her family was afraid of her, and asked me to take her in... She has never bitten me.. I don't know how old she is.

Here's the video:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKh_5CHzJSk&feature=player_embedded"]Cory 2 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[MikeyTN]

Cory is a cutie!!!! I love how he plays with his toys. He's so funny!!!! Thanks for sharing that video Lene!

 

[MikeyTN]

We were looking at too's more because the pet store in town has two umbrellas as store birds. Both are just wonderful and well adjusted. Really affectionate and love to cuddle. One of the most enduring qualities about Jake was wanting to be with us all the time and cuddled.He didn't like to be held in your hand but loved to snuggle under your chin or hair. From what I have read too's are very needy but affectionate bird that take a lot of time. As I said my wife is a stay at home, we have no kids and love animals and love to spend time with them. A too just seemed to fit the bill.
Are also looking at some of the smaller macaws

If you guys feel that strongly towards a Cockatoo, I would say go for it as long as you understand that issues may arise. Plus you need to make sure you guys aren't allergic to the powder dust first!!!

 

[jlockhart29]

That video doesn't help talk someone out of a Too!!LOL Mike I really appreciate the food for thought. That is why I am hear in the first place.

 

[Mare Miller]

hi J, I became 'family' to a five yr. old male cockatoo, he's now going on 9 yrs. He accepted all the rest of the family pretty well but eventually, I became his mate, his one and only, and believe me!, not because I wanted it that way!!. The friend that gave him to me was moving and couldn't keep him. She bought him as a three yr. old and he was the most loving, cuddly bird. He still is, but only to me. Cockatoos can be very territorial, not a good thing, when they've matured and have chosen their someone special. They can be very aggressive towards other family members. This is my experience with my too. I hope it's not that way with all.

 

[shanlung]

Thanks for the suggestions! I had thought about a Gray but have all ways thought they were more neurotic and stressed by change than too's. Have not made our mind up yet and will look into both birds suggested.

Greys are so intelligent that sadly, they can become neurotic and stressed more by the people who kept them and do not understand them. Trainers of great apes, killer whales and dolphins who kept CAGs as well, wrote to me to tell me they felt their CAGs to be even more intelligent than those other recognised sentients that they worked with.

So thinking that greys are neurotic is giving greys double punishment on top of what they already suffered under the hands of those who made them neurotic in the first place and then cheerfully condemned them as neurotic to make themselves innocent of what they had done.

From all I seen of what you wrote of yourself and the likely lifestyle you and your wife can provide for them, I believe you can definately do with the magic a grey can bring to you and your household.

Try to find the time to read this while you are still deciding.
shanlung: Tinkerbell Legacy - - Rant 03 (a flighted parrot mentality) & Understanding the mind of your grey

That said, I wish you pleasure and happiness with whatever birdie that you eventually decide on.

After all, if you see into my webpage in my signature, you see I live life not just with greys, but with softbills too.

 

[jlockhart29]

Shanlung I look forward to reading your story! Just scanning it quickly it looks very interesting. I do understand what you mean about people causing Grays or any animal to be neurotic. People get a German Shepherd from true working stock then blame the dog when it bites someone even though they never took the time to train the dog and left it running loose. Buy a bird, stick it in the bed room alone for a month except for tossing it food and then say bird is crazy when it pulls all it's feathers and screams all day. Jake was literary out on play pen or on our shoulder 8 hours a day with free flight in house to chose. As long as we were home he could come and go out of his cage at will. Sure get attached to one after 25a years.