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Post by suzychloe on Oct 22, 2007 16:30:57 GMT 10
 Hi everyone I am hoping for some really good advice. My nine year old daughter loves birds. She would really like to have a hand raised bird of her very own. I have hand raised two peachies many years ago so I am not totally in the dark. I would like to know what you all think would be a nice bird for her. I like the Alexandrines but others say the conures are the way to go. I was steering away from the cockatiel as I was wanting something a little more unusual for her but in saying that I want her to have some fun with her pet and maybe the Alexandrine's aren't for little kids..... Help!! Suzy
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Post by gooka on Oct 22, 2007 17:14:15 GMT 10
on choosing a bird for your daughter, it would depend on how she was with birds. My 10 year old neice is ok with their cockatiel, but there is no way I would let her near my ringneck at this stage!! Vankarhi from this forum is getting her son a hand raised budgie. I think from memory her son is around 8 (she will correct me if im wrong!!!) I personally think budgies are a great place to start for kids, as they are reasonably priced and easier to handle than bigger birds.(of course I would say that though....I'm a budgie girl!!!)   Maybe start her with something smaller (Budgie or 'tiel) and then let her "graduate" to something bigger and more expensive? This is just my opinion though, and I'm sure plenty of others will share their's with you aswell!! good luck in finding something!!  |
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Post by grego on Oct 22, 2007 19:32:41 GMT 10
Welcome Suzychloe,you have asked a question l once was thinking of... My Daughter (also 9 years old) know has a Hand-reared Nanday Conure Named Pipi So my answer would be Conures.... |
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Post by petiel on Oct 22, 2007 21:10:07 GMT 10
Hi Suzy and welcome to AussieBirds, I would not get a ringneck or Alexandrine for your daughter they are more for adults or older children. Cockatiels, budgies, peachfaces all make lovely pets for kids but if you want some thing different what about the Greencheek conure they are lovely little birds and I know of young children keeping them for pets.
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 22, 2007 22:02:35 GMT 10
I agree with Katie and Pauline. A smaller bird would be best. I was 14 or maybe 13 can't rightly remember now, when I got my very first bird and it was a budgie. He was a great pet and as I got older I progressed to the bigger birds..........but that was my choice, not everyone likes the bigger birds..........I do.
My youngest son is only 5 (sorry Katie) and yes I am getting him a handraised budgie in 2 weeks from Katie (Gooka). I feel the majority of IRN's (Indian Ring Necks ) are too bitey ............ Gregs beautiful Mylo excepted here ;D
Conures from what I have read can make great pets.............but they can be extremely noisy too. Greg your daughter is very lucky to have a dad who is into birds. If I was breeding birds now........then I would probably consider an Alex for Caillean but I would be helping him with it and teaching him how to train it and feed it etc and he would never be allowed to have it out without me there. The rules will be the same with his baby budgie. The thing is the smaller birds have smaller beaks and then don't take such huge chunks out of us when they bite, they do less damage...........the bites still hurt though.
Green cheeks are lovely little birds too and very pretty. The other thing you need to consider is how much you are prepared to spend on a bird for her?? Budgies are reasonably cheap maybe around the $20 to $30 mark depending on where you get it, Alex's are around the $300 to $400, Conures or more specific the Sun conures (which is what I was actually thinking when Greg said that his daughter has one) can be around the $400 to $600. Greencheeks I have seen for $250 but I do know of a breeder who handraises and sells them for only around $150.
Hope all this info has helped ;D and good luck and when your daughter gets her bird please post pics as we just love them and I love to see kids getting involved with animals.......doesnt matter if they are birds but that is great too. ;D I am going to do a show and tell in Cailleans prep class a few weeks after he gets his baby bird and I willl take my alex boy Takoda with me also.
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Post by farseeker on Oct 23, 2007 9:34:40 GMT 10
Budgies are a great way to start for young children - I got my first when I was 7. I must say that green cheek conures are also a lovely pet if you're after something a bit more unusual. They're very cuddly birds and are very quiet for conures - in fact, my budgie is louder than my green cheek.
You should keep in mind though that conures do have larger beaks and can do a decent amount of damage if they want to. Jedi was gotten from her first home and was partially tame in that if it *suited* her she'd want to sit on your shoulder or say hello, but was rather vicious for the majority of the few weeks it took to tame her down properly. This was largely because of her treatment at her previous home, but I do still have a few scars on my hands from her. I guess I just want you and your daughter to be aware that the bites from them aren't as easy to ignore as from a budgie.
As for pricing, I'd expect around $20 up for a budgie depending on the mutation, where you get it from and so forth. I paid $80 for Jedi but she did have some behavioural issues to work through and is a bit of a feather picker.
I'd sugget watching the prices on Petlink (www.petlink.com.au) if you're after a conure, although location does change the price a great deal. I'm moving back to my home town Mackay towards the end of the year and where I'd pay a couple of hundred maybe for an untame, unsexed green cheek from a pet store in Brisbane I'd pay roughly $450 there.
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Post by grego on Oct 24, 2007 7:29:08 GMT 10
Well said everyone......... (cheques in the mail Tracey..lol.. ) |
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 24, 2007 8:13:24 GMT 10
Thanks Greg.............will keep my eye out for it.  ;D |
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Post by courtzrocks on Dec 20, 2007 12:07:53 GMT 10
Quakers? maybe or parrotlets (if you can find them) they arent big but they're different
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Post by kuruptz on Jan 23, 2008 23:08:57 GMT 10
Dont get an Alex for a child! I think Quakers are perfect for a child, they are also awesome for the family as they are quite intelligent and affectionate. (more intelligent then a budgie) Budgies can get grown out of too quickly, as there isnt much too them if you get what i mean. |
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Post by vankarhi on Jan 24, 2008 7:47:46 GMT 10
yeah but Budgies have such personality ;D Caillean is only 5 and he now takes Peppa out of his cage and plays with him with his mirror and bell and carosel toys. Peppa is such a little character and such a cutie. He is happy to sit on your shoulder but loves to play too.
Oh and Peppa is talking and jabbering stuff all the time now which gives Caillean a big thrill too.
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Hi everyone
;D
