Lots of bhc Questions

[friendcaique]

Hello.I am knew to this forum and excited to beable to get advice from everyne. I dont have a bird yet but i am wanting to get a black headed caique i just need some advice on toys and food. i would love to know what i should give my bird like grit,vitamin c suplements etc all advice is appreciated

 

[Irishj9]

Re: bhc diet and toy advice

Congrats on doing your research first as these birds are very headstrong, and a major challenge for a first time bird owner.

The breeder will tell you what foods he has been weaned onto. They have a preference for sweet foods, fruit etc which must be managed. Mine get human grade chopped veggies in the morning mixed with fruit and some HEALTHY ( not sunflower) seeds. Restrict the nuts as perhaps treats.

Go to a pet store. Buy the moist expensive toys you can find. Come home. Open the boxes.Put the toys in the bin. Give the boxes they came in to the caique. That.s what he REALLY wants

Things to gnaw at, things to shred, things to destroy

 

[dskidd]

Re: bhc diet and toy advice

Go to a pet store. Buy the moist expensive toys you can find. Come home. Open the boxes.Put the toys in the bin. Give the boxes they came in to the caique. That.s what he REALLY wants

Yup! That's it exactly! I received a wine shipment yesterday, in a big cardboard box, with cardboard partitions inside. I took out the wine bottles, and gave Eliza and Henry the box. I've hardly seen them since then!

 

[Birdman666]

Re: bhc diet and toy advice

Supplements are generally a waste of money.

Grit is not only not something you give a parrot (that would be chickens) it could cause crop impaction.

Toys? Caiques will play with anything and everything. They are very active birds...

 

[CbusGrey]

Re: bhc diet and toy advice

And they will destroy toys like a toddler. My WBC is Dr. Destructo with toys.

 

[friendcaique]

Are Black Headed Caiques TOO Headstrong?

hello everyone i have a question. should i get a caique for a first bird. i think i need some advice on how to set boundarys because i've heard they are very nippy and think they are incontrol. i would love if i could get this as my first bird but i may need some more expierience. i am joining a bird club if that helps any.thanks in advance:red:

 

[Irishj9]

No you should NOT get a caique for a first bird.

No they are not TOO HEADSTRONG.

Birds are not puppies, or kittens.
They are wild animals, and dont give cuddles like a mammal. As babies they accept physical closeness WHICH WE HUMANS LABEL AS 'CUDDLES'
They also dont give a damn for what you want or give a fig for your approval.

They cannot be ordered to do anything, and must be persuaded instead. ALL THE TIME

A first time bird owner has no hope of persuading a very independent bird what to do. Ha ving a caique is like having a two year old human baby running round the house with pliers.

Caiques are ALL very clever and manipulative. They remain small and babyish for the blink of an eye. Then they change into adults with attitude and NO FEAR.

You ABSOLUTELY have to have built the right relationship before this point arrives.

I have 11 caiques. 'very nippy' doesnt even begin to describe an angry caique.

An angry caique will fly at your face, red eyes burning, and attempt to remove your skin. Check some other forums. Put' Caique bite'' into Bing or google.

JP

 

[friendcaique]

man i was really happy about being ble to have one of these birds. do you think that i shold get a different kind?:31::31::31:

 

[friendcaique]

Or should i just learn more and get more expierience handeling them?

 

[Christinenc2000]

No you should NOT get a caique for a first bird.

No they are not TOO HEADSTRONG.

Birds are not puppies, or kittens.
They are wild animals, and dont give cuddles like a mammal. As babies they accept physical closeness WHICH WE HUMANS LABEL AS 'CUDDLES'
They also dont give a damn for what you want or give a fig for your approval.

They cannot be ordered to do anything, and must be persuaded instead. ALL THE TIME

A first time bird owner has no hope of persuading a very independent bird what to do. Ha ving a caique is like having a two year old human baby running round the house with pliers.

Caiques are ALL very clever and manipulative. They remain small and babyish for the blink of an eye. Then they change into adults with attitude and NO FEAR.

You ABSOLUTELY have to have built the right relationship before this point arrives.

I have 11 caiques. 'very nippy' doesnt even begin to describe an angry caique.

An angry caique will fly at your face, red eyes burning, and attempt to remove your skin. Check some other forums. Put' Caique bite'' into Bing or google.

JP

WOW
Um I guess he does not think its a good idea

 

[friendcaique]

yah but i still might get one:/lol

 

[Christinenc2000]

yah but i still might get one:/lol

There is one at the pet shop in the next town over. Such a pretty sweet bird. I have to resist every time I go in lol

 

[Irishj9]

Look I have 11. Who am I to tell you not to get a caique

But this forum exists to help bird owners. KNOW what you are letting yourself in for

DO not be seduced by cute hopping babies and loads of fluffy wuffy photos. I have hundreds of both. see below link

I also have a hen who stalks me at night intent on catching ME!

http://irishj9.imgur.com/

 

[friendcaique]

hi irishj9 i am not really intent on how cute they are i just like like their little spunky nature and not their cuteness. i still think the bird should have good feathers but not i wont choose their cuteness over their playful attitude

 

[Irishj9]

Youre on the right track, keep reading and learning. make an INFORMED decision.

 

[Mallory]

My first dog was an emaciated adult Siberian husky dumped on a highway with serious behavioral and digestive issues. My first owned horse was an abused mishandled Saddlebred that constantly put me in potentially dangerous situations. My first parrot was an ex breeder Yellow Naped Amazon hen. I still have these animals and love them dearly (except my horse who is now retired at a sanctuary). None of these animals would have been "recommended" to a first time owner! But all three were quick decisions I made for the benefit of the animal and I poured myself into research every time - and I would not go back and change any of them. That said, if you want a certain species, you have done research and you know what to expect from them and have considered other species and ruled them out, why get a "starter bird"? A parakeet or cockatiel would not have taught me to better handle my amazon. No other species can teach you to be a good caique owner better than your first caique can. Honestly, if you are set on that species and can defend your reasons, have the space, time and money, and you can tolerate bites and attitudes, there is no reason you should not adopt a caique as your first parrot. Just be realistic with yourself.

And honestly, I have to point out that when you google caique bites, most of the photos that come up are from much larger birds. If the world caique and bite(s) appears on the same page with a photograph, that photograph will come up even if it is a macaw or umbrella too bite. Even the worst parrot beaks can do significantly less damage than most breeds of dog, and in both cases it is often owner error via misreading body language that lands a bite.

 

[friendcaique]

thanks everyone so much i will definentley do my reserach

 

[CbusGrey]

All great post and Irish is 100% correct. They are very strong willed and spunky to say the least. They are also hilarious and can be the most fun bird too.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I highly recommend you do a TON of research on Caiques LONG before you commit to one. As Irish already said, those bouncy, playful babies will grow up sooner or later, and getting nailed by one of those pretty guys may be quite the wake-up call. Their beak may look small, but believe me, they deliver QUITE the punch. :54:

 

[Aquila]

Any bird can be a pleasure, or a complete terror, sometimes at the same time.

They're also individuals with their own personality, within species.

You might be set on getting a caique, but go interact with different birds, get a little hand experience with them. You might be set on what you want but once you get out there you might find a different bird that you fall in love with.

I fell in LOVE with Sun Conures, they were the first birds I really interacted with, even though my family had a history of having cockatiels, I never really handled them.

My first bird ended up being a green cheek conure and I LOVED her. Plenty of personality, plenty of spunk and independence and attitude. About five or six years later I'm sitting here with Three Blue front Amazons, two Green cheeks, a Grey and a cockatiel. Not exactly where I expected to be!

At one point, I had four parakeets, a SunDay conure, my Green cheek, and my first BFA. Also not planned! I've really never met a bird I didn't like, but I stopped looking at species a long time ago, and look at the individual.

Go in with an open mind, and make an informed decision, regardless of what your intentions are.