bird as pet - for kid - any suggestions?

Answer 1

It depends on the age of your children and how mature they are mentally. If you have a smaller child, I strongly suggest a cockatiel as they're among the most docile of parrots. They're also more hands on than budgies and are less likely to bite. If you want an easy to handle bird, try to buy a hand fed bird from a breeder. Hand feds, especially cockatiels, are sweet gentle birds that can go days without being handled and they remain sweet. Especially during breeding season. They may nip when they hit sexual maturity but they won't draw blood as easily - if they ever do - than other birds. All my budgies are not hand tame so I don't know what advice to give you there. I've heard budgies are awesome beginners birds that don't like being petted. They're great to watch, though, and they're one of the easiest parrots to teach speech to. They're high energy birds that will spin in circles around their perches. I find they require more toys to keep them happy

If you have older kids - say 9 to 13, I'd recommend any of the smaller conures. Green cheek conures go through a nippy stage that lasts about a year to two years but it can be controlled with handling and training. They're about as loud as cockatiels but they don't screech as often as male tiels do, especially during breeding season. They have LOTS of attitude! They also love to play and snuggle in your shirt. They require a bit more research and special handling than cockatiels and budgies but they're easy to cater to. Sun conures are larger and have a much louder screechier voice. You might want to meet a few before you bring one home as their voices have gotten people evicted. Despite that they're sweet brash birds that love to cuddle play and crawl into things. They're not shy, either!

For non parrot fun, I strongly suggest a finch or canary. They don't require handling or special training, but they're less hands on than a parrot. They're the fish of the bird world. Feed 'em, water 'em and clean their cages. Their noise is very relaxing to listen to and won't rattle windows like some parrot voices can! They also come in a wide variety of colors. My favorites are the Zebra and Bengalese (society) finches. The Bengalese doesn't exist in the wild, which is the main reason why I'm drawn towards it. The males have a sweet voice. They also come in a variety of colors such as pied, white, fawn, chocolate and I think, black.

Japanese Quail are another species of bird I enjoy! I nick named mine 'horses' because all they seem to do is eat and kick. They're not the brightest birds on the ark but what their intelligence lacks they make up in pure humor! Their eggs are edible and they're known to follow family members around the house at play time. They have a specialized diet - you have to purchase game feed or turkey crumble at a feed store. You supplement that with a low iron diet consisting of fresh fruits and veggies. They will also eat the occasional cricket and meal worm. My guys go nuts for crickets. They fight for the buggers! They may peck but the pecks don't hurt and they don't bite. Their kicks are mostly annoying, especially if it's time to trim their nails and they don't want anything to do with you >.< . Males have a wicked mating call that sounds like a whip lash. They'll do it on occasion, sometimes at 3 am. Otherwise you rarely hear more than a weak 'peep peep peep' from them. Female Japanese Quail don't crow and make awesome pets for someone who is worried about noise. Their down side is that they have very smelly turds. I cut down on their stink by washing thir bowls and other items in vinegar and water. Vinegar neutralizes the smell of ammonia.

Doves are regularly mentioned among my friends at my local parrot club. They're quiet and sweet. They love company and their diet is east to find at most pet stores. Breeders aren't the easiest to find but if you can find a good one they often have beautiful colors! The same goes for pigeons, which are basically glorified doves. Pigeons do require larger housing and they come in a larger array of feather structures and flying ability.

I hope that helps! Birds are a joy and I would never go without several again. They're a lot like potato chips - can't stop at just one!

Answer 2

It depends on the age of the kids. Most kids will not take care of a bird. Remember you will spend much more money on the cage and the toys and food then you will spend on the bird.

I have a couple of grand daughters 8 and 10 years old. They just want to carry the bird around on their shoulder but nothing more. The think they are big when the bird is on them. But they will not feed or clean up after them. They will not even try to each the bird tricks. So if you get a bird get it for you and be careful because a lot of birds don't like kids. My tiel is OK with them but the conure will scream at them and has bitten the youngest one almost bad enough to need a stitch. Kids get on a birds nerves. Kids are too fast moving and too loud for most birds.

So it depends on the kid and on the age and then depends on the bird. I do not recommend a bird for kids.. Get them a puppy or a kitten.

Remember any bird of any size at all will live 20 to 30 years easy. That is a long time.

Answer 3

not a good idea. birds need a lot of training to be people friendly. I've had birds since I was five years old... and only when i was old enough(about 14) was I able to properly hand train the birds i had. If you are set on getting one, i suggest a HAND TRAINED love bird that hasn't bonded to a mate yet. they'll bond to whoever gives them the most attention. If you are willing to put the money into it a parrot can be a very good pet, but again, you REALLY need to do your research on a good breeder who hand trains their animals. my conure is even potty trained at this point....but attacked any men until i trained it not to. they also live a really long time so you don't have to worry about your kid coming home from school and seeing the bird with it's feet up....I would suggest a parakeet(but they only live 3 years and it's heart breaking when they die)

Answer 4

Yes. When purchasing a bird as a pet for a child...make sure it is a bird YOU are willing to take care of, clean up after, feed, pay attention to, train, bond to and pay the upkeep on.
It's an awful lot of responsibility for a kid. Budgies, Cockatiels, whatever bird you choose deserve the same attention, respect and regard as the big guys.

Answer 5

Birds make great pets. But before adopting one, one should be ready for the commitment of owning a bird and taking care of it.
The following link might just come in handy. Check it out,

http://www.kidsgen.com/pets/birds.htm

Answer 6

i have two parakeets. they aren't very annoying or anything. they could be good. you just need to get a big, spacey cage for them, with food bowls, perches, and a swing, with some toys to hang on the roof of the cage for them to play with. Also i would suggest two of them so they can be friends, and if you only get one, that bird could be lonely, and not at all chirp since she doesn't have a playmate. a myna bird, so-so, because you can teach them to talk, but once you tell them something, they wont shut up. Cockatiels are just like parakeets but a little bit bigger in size and styled differently. If you live in New York, Petsmart would be a good place to buy them. that's where i bought mine. if you buy parakeets or cockatiels, you'll need to get them diet foods, well, i mean, seeds, and there is this thing, it hangs on a piece of thin wood (it wont break) with seeds on it, they REALLY LOVE THAT!!!!!!! also if you get parakeets, a something special you can do for them is grate carrots, but make them small so they can eat it. THEY ALSO REALLY LOVE THAT TOO. oh yes, if you want to get two parakeets, the best one to get are A BUDGIE PARAKEET AND A BLUE PARAKEET. an avian vet (which is a doctor ONLY for birds) told me that. my birds like it when i put them in front of the TV or put on music for them because they chirp in a way that means they like it. so, therefore, they would be great but you have to make sure you give at least half an hour of attention every day. oh yea, get a cage that is easy to clean. like when they "go" on the floor of their cage, you can just slide out the bottom to clean. always clean their water. and be alert that parakeets drop A LOT of food when they eat. sorry but i really don't know anything else about birds. you could do some researching and you might find out which would be best.

Answer 7

Parakeets are good birds for children. I would suggest two so they don't get lonely. Also get a cage over because birds are messy but love able. Enjoy

Answer 8

I suggest getting a dove...
They don't need much atention, there easy to handle, and, unlike what msot people will tell you to get a cockatiel or parakeet, they don't bite.
They can only nudge you with there beak, it dosen't hurt. If there afriad, they puff themselfves up...
I'd also suggest getting a budgie(parakeet) or a cockatiel(if so, get them at a Private brreder) but both of theese can draw blood. Make sure you resaerach on birds before you get one, and make sure you have everything before getting a bird.Also, feeding them bird seed, jsut bird seed, can kill them. Try feeding them pellets.

Answer 9

We have a cat, bunny, and guinea pig. We have had a snake, iguana, mice, and fish in the past. The cat is very simple and loving but the kitty litter is a hassle. The guinea pig is great! She interacts with us and clean up is simple. The bunny is great, too, but the pet smell in the house has been a little stronger since she came. I also have to pay for her to get spayed because she 'marks her territory' and that smell is strong! When we let her hop around I am constantly going around with the broom picking up her droppings and we are currently in the process of trying to litter train her. We do not have to worry about any spaying or neutering with the guinea pig. My recommendation would definitely be a guinea pig because there is no type of spaying or neutering involved, they are not too loud, and they are loving animals. Just a heads up though...it does take a while for them to get used to you.

Answer 10

Budgerigar baby cock bird at six weeks old will be so tame no biting easily hand tamed and a friend for his lifetime.

Jim