Narrowed it down to 3, now i have to pick

[redfeather2006]

Ok, I've been researching bird species because i want to get a pair of birds. Not necessarily a mating pair, but I want two so they can keep each other company. I have the list narrowed down to these three:

Severe Mini Macaw
Rose-Breasted (Galah) Cockatoo
Ducorps Cockatoo

So now, I want opinions! Which bird would you reccomend and Why? Also, If one bird was a ducorps and the other was a galah, would the fact that they were different species affect how they react to each other? And one more question; what's the best way to discourage screaming and biting at a young age? Thanks for any help you all can provide.

 

[TexDot33]

HAHAHAHA!!! I know someone who would ask if you were clinically insane for wanting a pair of Servers ...
"Doc, how bad is that bite?"
"It's severe!"

Anyway, before we can give you an honest answer on which species we would recommend for you we need a little more information about you ... what are your living conditions? House or Apartment or Condo? Kids, Family? What is your experience with birds on a scale of 1 to 10 (one being ... I can feed birds birdseed, right? And 10 being ... I am The Bird Whisperer and I suckle Hy Macs from my own breast ... more info will really help us understand where you are and what bird will best fit for you ....

BTW if you are trying to avoid BEAKINESS you don't necessarily have the best birds to try that with ...

 

[Lori]

More info is definately needed..
I dont know any 2's that dont screech at some point daily or almost..

 

[redfeather2006]

Okay, sorry! I guess it would make sense to provide that info...

Right now I'm a soldier deployed in Iraq, BUT, when i go back home, I will be living with another person (my fiance') in a 2-3 bedroom apartment. We are both in the military right now but I plan on getting out before 2010, and it'll be dec 08 or jan 09 before i even get a bird. No kids right now and I'm sure the family will visit but theyre all adults, and no other pets. On a scale of 1-10 I would give myself a 5, considering I bred Cockatiels at one point in my life and used to help a bird breeder feed and care for the baby birds as well as hand-feeding my own, but I won't say I have outstanding experience. I would consider myself someone with mild experience with birds and a taste for learning and doing more with them. So you say Severe's aren't the best birds, huh? Well I want a medium-sized bird...What do you reccomend? I know alot of birds need more than just a seed diet. They need pellets and fruit, also, they need tons of attention and and training. I'm open for all reccomendations. I do know that i absolutely DO NOT want a large macaw, because of a really bad run-in I had with a macaw's beak and my finger (almost lost my finger!). i don't necessarily want to avoid beakiness, but at the same time I dont want to dive into buying a bird that's notorious for biting. I'm no expert on picking a good bird, which is why I came here

 

[zarafia]

I would definately go with the severes. As parrots go they are fairly easy to breed and as long as you price the chicks reasonably you should have no trouble selling them.
Rosies are very bright birds and can have compatability problems as well as feather picking problems. Wait till you have succeeded with the severes before trying the rosies.
On the subject of ducorps. They are really best for very experienced cockatoo breeders. I think that besides red venteds they have the highest rate of male aggression. In other words the male ducorps are well known for killing their mates. There are ways to try to prevent this from applying a methylmethacrylate (sp) ball to the tip of the males beak to T-boxes for nesting. I have a friend who raises them and he has bred cockatoos for over twenty years. They are also not so much canidates for the pet market due to their rarity.
And please, please do not hybridise ducorps with anything. They are just too rare, every breeding bird should be with another ducorps.
If you have fallen in love with ducorps at least get some experience with umbrella or goffins cockatoos. It will make you more able to be successfull when you do get your ducorps.

 

[zarafia]

Oh yeah I was going to mention that yellow collared macaws are fairly easy, reliable breeders. And they make great pets too.
Good luck with your endeavor.

 

[redfeather2006]

I never thought about breeding the birds, but now that I think about it, it wouldn't be a bad idea to breed a pair of Severes (or yellow-collared), since they aren't very common in the area I live in. The bird breeder I mentioned below would probably help me sell them and give me advice on how to take care of them. I'll have to ask her which one will be easier for her to get for me, the severe or the yellow collared, and go from there. Now, another question: I know one severe would need a cage around 30x30, but what about two? I guess common sense would tell me 60x60 but does it really have to be that big? And if anyone can reccomend a good cage brand that would be awesome too.