Purchase adult or baby?

[Robin and Pilot]

Hello. I have purchased a baby BH Caique but not ready to come home for 3-4 weeks or so. Three days after purchasing him, a 6 yr old WB Caique came in to find a new home. (I fell for a WB I had met earlier on and that was what made me start to research Caiques.) I've spent lots of time with the WB and she is a love, very social, goes to anyone, etc. (although I'm sure some baggage will come up later--as with any adult). She enjoys being with me and she cuddles, kisses, etc. Has had the same owners for 5 years and info sheet shows no difficult behavior. The baby, on the other hand, has not been bonding well with me--in fact, will screech for 30 minutes non-stop, getting worse and backing away from me when I approach him. (This has happened three times now.) I have tried so many things, but nothing works. The store is very nice and letting me switch my deposit to the adult if I want, and are holding her for a few days until I make a decision. ...anyway, my question is not so much on which one to purchase, as it is appearing that the adult is choosing me, whereas the baby is not. So, for the past few weeks in anticipating bringing home a new bird, I have been looking forward to training the baby to do tricks n'such and wondering if anyone has had experience training an older Caique or other bird and feels that, although it may take a bit longer, that birds of any age can be trained. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and comments!

 

[Bobby34231]

Hi Robin, well I'm sure the adult started out much the same way the baby is now, trust is something that is developed over time, birds aren't born with it, I would imagine that since the adult bird has taken to you that easily, that it has come from a well socialized and non mistreaded environment which is great, the baby on the other hand has 5 less years of exposure to humans and has yet to really understand what trust is all about, in the end the desicion will have to be yours, either way you go there will be work to be done, sometimes un-training bad habits in an older bird can be harder than training good habits in a young one, I don't envy you your decision but I do wish you the best ....as a side note, my own personal experience with Caiques, the white bellies seem to be a bit more even tempered than the black headed.......

 

[greycloud]

Hmmm... difficult decision. I wouldn't be worried about the baby not accepting you yet. Babies go through stages as they grow and some are alittle bit more sensitive to things then others. Building a bond with either bird is something you will need to work at with patience, positive reinforcement and more patience.
Rehomed birds can make excellent pets. I have four rehomes now. If you work with the bird you can have a true close bond and beable to teach it many things.
Again, this is a decision you have to make. I don't want you to rush in to a rehome older bird because you will get it sooner. Both birds are going to take work and love. If you have a couple days to make the decision spend some more time with both birds. Your heart will answer your question.

 

[Robin and Pilot]

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments--I certainly appreciate it! It is, of course, a life-time decision! I appreciate what everyone said about trust and realize that it will be a huge part of our relationship, no matter which one comes home with me. I have had five visits with the little one and two with the adult and will return again tomorrow. ...we'll see how it goes, but I feel I am being emotionally drawn to the WB adult. I'll let you know! Many thanks again!!!