Do Galahs make good pets ?

[rainbowfeathers77]

Hi all

Just wanted to ask you , if h/r galahs made good pets?

Do they have any special maintenance care/needs??

What is their usual personality/character?

Are they known for any health problems or complications??

What's the average price you'd pay for a h/r galah?

Cheers for any info you might want to share
Have a great day

[pinkdevil]

Oh yes I have found handraised Galahs make great pets. ;D

Our girl was given to us 6 years ago now. She was about 6 months old when we got her.

As for the care....a nice BIG cage lol, and they eat mostly all of the seed. I have found Galahs are not big on their fruit and veg, but mine do eat corn and LOVE bottlebrush and grass/seeds from the garden. They love tearing up paper ;D and are big on chewing. Mine go through perches like its going out of fashion lol.

I find they do get quite noisy, especially when the wild Galahs are visiting in the early morning and evenings. Mine also loved toys. Her fave was a baby rattle with little ball thingies inside it lol. Not sure if it was the colors or the noise it made when she played with it but she loved it! She also loved her scratched and would bend her head for them
I find they are very happy, intelligent, playful, and can be a clown at times.
My girl has never bitten...not once! UNTIL I got her a man lol, now she is a bit defensive in the aviary:) But I think he made her that way. He is an aviary bird and very untamed and feral and tries to attack me. But for the 5.5 years before him she was very affectionate.

Healthwise, I guess it is the same as with any other bird. I am not aware of any Galah specific medical problems.

Now the price.......ummmm....... for a handraised Galah probably range from $120 - $180 depending on the availability, area in which you live, and the parents size etc. I have noticed if a lot of time has been spent raising and training the bird then the price is on the higher end.

Soooooooo....you gonna get a Galah?!!!?? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[meandem]

I have only one Galah, and "Curley" is a great pet. He can have a conversation with you and he always makes my day when he looks lovingly with those big beautiful eyes of his. We used to have him in his own cage, but my husband has since built a big aviary for recreation time for birds that aren't breeding. Here Curley will live out his days, he loves it when there is a new bird introduced to the aviary, he chatters away with them, but gives them funny looks when they don't answer back. Galahs make great pets, but I have to agree they can be quite noisy when there are other galahs around.

[rainbowfeathers77]

Thanks Meandem and Tash for your info! Much appreciated!! PS> LOOOVE the pic!!

Lol Tash....well you know me...I always say enough is enough but then start thinking up of another bird I want...I can't help myself..I promise I will seek psychiatric conselling when it gets outta hand..or is it too late already
Well currently...I really want 3 tame birds (yes I know, B4 I said I wouldn't get any tame birds: ...I really want a tame sun conure, a tame Galah and a tame albino ringneck....and then I would build a little play area similar to that of Mike's (in the 'bird nursery' pic in photos section) and then I think I would be content...and happy as pig in mud.
Ok someone slap me...I'm going mad...

[pinkdevil]

*SLAP*!!! lol

Feel better now!!??!!


I am hoping that Jasper may breed this year and if so then I have a man all picked out for her so I might be able to have my long awaited albino IRN. Fingers crossed here that I have my matchups correct lol. White is my fav color so anything white is "the beez kneez" in my books lol

Kat have you seen the creamio IRN?

They are pretty birds to.

[rainbowfeathers77]

Ahh thats better ...thanks for that
LOL LOL

Re the creaminos...are they like sort of yellowy/white colour??

I'm hopefully gonna get my albino from the same man whom I got the 4 IRNs....he breeds white plus I think his birds are really healthy...well my IRNs are so far anyway.

[meandem]

I have an Albino male - Snow. We purchased him last year, and he didn't breed last year, but maybe this year. They are a fantastic looking bird. We put him with a yellow ringneck like Jasper, they are now in the big aviary where they are on holidays with all the other birds that are having a break. I watch my birds quietly everyday to see what they are doing and who is singing to who etc, and my Snow is wooing a green indian ringneck that I hand-reared last year. He seems to be very good at sexing young birds for me. I just hope he can produce some.

I have a creamino who is a hen, and she is lovely. Yellow in colour but white-ish on the wings/tail and chest. I was given her when I bought my moustaches recently. I love my birdies.............. . It is raining here today.....(YIIIPPEEE ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D), I will take a photo of her when the sun comes out and post it for you to look at.

[rainbowfeathers77]

Oh isn't he just GEORGEOUS!!! Now you've confirmed it to me, that YES, I deffinatelly want a bird like this! It's a bit of a "cleansing for the eyes", hey...always looking at colourful/multi-coloured birds....then you look at the full clean white...aaahhh....very nice!

Just a question meandem....is there a bird, you DON'T have? .. LOL LOL

PS. I'm keen to see your creamino girl...they do sound quite nice too...but probably more pricey, no?

[Karen]

I'm getting a galah this year!
A contact I have is going to give me a chick when his breed this season. Can hardly wait!!!

[vankarhi]

I haven't read the posts.............but I will say that galahs do make lovely pets. I owned one for 15 years until her sudden and untimely death. a few years ago.

I am pretty sure she was wild caught as were my sulfers (bought from pet shops). But they did not like humans at all and back in those days I had no idea that birds were wild caught. Ithought if you bought them from a shop then it was fine.........but apparently not. I have heard though it is now illegal.

Bo was just lovely, she was quiet unless she was upset over something. She said a few words not many but a couple. She loved to be loved ...... 24/7 if possible ;D and she new I was mum.......but she knew that male humans were males and she would flirt and dance around until they picked her up.

I would let her roam around the yard daily and she just loved to strutt her stuff around the yard and digging up nut grass and stuff. My staffies were very affraid of her too. Bo was the only animal to get a bone safely from my female staffy Rana (not Summa the one I have now) and when Bo was strutting her stuff around the yard.......the dogs made way for her. lol It was funny to watch actually.

She never bite a human though......but did go through a stage of dislikeing little kids ....... I found a couple of visitors kids terrorising her one day with a stick ...... and she always remembered. But she never bit but would shy away from little kids so I just never took the chance.

So in short ......... are Galahs good pets..........you betya they are ;D

[rainbowfeathers77]

Thanks Tracey!!!

[robert]

I will have to print this off to read it properly. Hope this is of help www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah www.avianweb.com/galahcockatoos.html from Robert and Precious

[rainbowfeathers77]

Thanks for the link Robert!

Lucky you Bird Crazy...woo hoo...when are you getting it?? Will it be tame?

[Karen]

I'm getting it this breeding season. They are western galahs, apparently they are a bit brighter coloured than the ones we get here.
I don't know how old it will be - 2/3 weeks old I'd say, so will be having it handraised.

I am excited!!!

[avinet]

The western Galahs are the best - better colour, better nature, just lovely birds. We have sold quite a few the last few years, sent to us by a big WA breeder. and we still see quite a few when they come to board and they are great birds. If you can, buy a western galah!!

cheers,

Mike

PS - Galahs, Cockatoos and Corellas are still legally trapped in Victoria and sold in the pet trade - they have a distinctive wire stainless steel split ring on a leg to show they are wild caught. Avoid them like the plague - many have disease issues, especially Beak & Feather. If a baby of one of these species seems really cheap, it will probably be wild caught. We sell captive bred galahs for $300 to $400 and SC2's for $600-$700, and have a waiting list most years.

[abby-oldaccount]

The price Mike has given is what I'd expect to pay for a "captive bred" galah. A little less from a breeder given that petshops do obviously have their overheads. I can only echo what Mike has said about the wild caught from personal experience. Bargain birds can sometimes end up being hideously expensive in the long run.
I've got a creamino IRN, sex unknown at this stage. I'm not sure what the price really is as I got Ty at mates rates (frequent buyer ) from a breeder friend and finished handraising him/her. Not something I'd advise doing nor will I do again despite having a reasonable amount of hand raising experience myself. They have come down a huge amount in price. A few years ago a h/r creamino was something like $800.

[rainbowfeathers77]

Hey Mike...Yesterday we found out that we are being posted to Enoggera (Qld) in early January 2009.....save one of those western Galahs for me then, I will buy one from you, ok!

[rainbowfeathers77]

Oh and thanks everyone for all your help and info!! Much appreciated!!!!!!

I had no idea that there was more than one type of galah specie, either

[rainbowfeathers77]

!! Could I throw in one more question on here??...

If both the Galah and the SC too are "cockatoos"...how different is the Galah to the sc?? Are galahs as high maintenance/attention + demnading as sc toos or less???

[Karen]

There are around 21 species of cockatoo with galahs and cockatiels 2 of the lesser known members of the cockatoo species.
Galahs are far quieter than the sulpha's