i have a 2yr.old, a 4 yeard old and an 8 year old. my husband wants to get an amazon but i think my kids are?

Question

too young and an amazon might be too dangerous. i would prefer a sun conure and/or a quaker parrot. anybody has had any experience with young kids and birds? i know training is necessary but i heard amazons are especially temperamental. my kids are good with small birds(budgies and lovies) but they are tame. i wanted an african grey but heard they are too high maintenance. any advice, suggestions or even corrections of what i have heard will be appreciated. thank you and happy holidays.

p.s: im not crazy about cockatiels and i already have budgies and lovebirds.

hahaha, he is not high!!! we are just new to parrots. he wouldnt risk the kids, he just thinks im exagerating because a breeder told him it would be fine. the guy actually tried to sell us his but i did some research first. just thought id make sure.

Answer 1

I adopted an older amazon, from someone who decided they didn't want the responsibility anymore, and she was great with my kids! It does have a lot to do with how they are treated. if you get a baby, you will have to do the teaching, if you get an older one, you don't know for sure its past, they tend to bond to someone, sometimes they like males, sometimes they like females, all of them are different.
ALL of them are super messy, and can be very noisy! they can live to be around 80 years old, and cost a lot of money in vet care.
The males have a tendency to be active talkers, and can be trained to say a lot, and sing!
They are fun birds, be carefull if you have a swearing problem!!! mine had a bad habit of saying F*** whenever someone would yell! must have been exposed to that when she was young!!!
Amazons are fun birds, personally, the next bird i buy will be a sun conure, they are sweet birds with awesome personality's.
hope I have helped!

Answer 2

I would not get a large parrot until your youngest knows not to grab and hold an animal. If they are respectful, it might be ok. A lot of large birds do not like kids- too loud and too fast. I know of a couple instances where the large bird ended up lunging and attacking the kids because they were running around and screaming (as kids tend to do)
A conure (green cheeks are nice and relatively quiet, suns are a little louder) would probably be a good start since they are good with your smaller birds. I would not get a large bird until your kids are all over 8 or 10, just to be on the safe side.

Answer 3

Hi there- I KNOW THIS IS LONG BUT PLEASE READ. There are many factors to consider before getting a bird. Conures are typically loud, Quakers can be very territorial around the cage and playstand. All birds are high maintenance. You must have the time to put into them to get a great pet. Like children, they need to be nurtured. If ignored then you start to have problems. One question most people overlook is how will the baby bird be raised before you get it home. Buying from a pet store is never a good idea. You don't know who or how the bird is raised. Most pet stores don't employ bird experts. This is why you don't see birds larger than a cockatiel for sale in the chain stores anymore, a law was passed. Buying from a breeder doesn't guarantee a healthy or good bird. Most breeders don't have the time (they have many babies) that it takes to raise a well socialized bird - because of this, you could get a cheaper bird but may have serious problems later with behavior. My husband and I special order babies, hand feed, hand raise (there is a huge difference), wean, and socialize, socialize, socialize. We have been doing this for a number of years now. Because we only special order, we never have more than 4 babies at a time, this gives us the time necessary to raise sweet, lovable, well rounded birds. I could give you references of people that we have raised Greys for that will tell you that because of the way that their birds were raised, they aren't one person birds, they are lovable, they are very gentle. We raise our babies around dogs, cats, kids, we use our friends and family to get birds used to strangers. We get them used to car rides, harnesses, the vacuum. When we sell a bird we give a 24 hour phone number that can be called for as long as the person owns the bird for any behavioral questions that may come up and we offer a health guarantee. We have never had anyone call us with a problem.
My best advise is to get a young bird, raised by someone who cares. Someone that will ask you just as many questions as you ask them and will answer any question that you have without a song and dance routine. If you'd like to talk more about getting a bird, email me and I'll get a phone number to you. We will ship birds but only when they are young.

Answer 4

African greys have a reputation for being single person birds and I have heard lots of stories supporting that. Cockatoos make great kid birds as a rule, unless someone has mistreated them. There are different kinds and their personalities difer somewhat. Male Eclectus parrots are wonderful with kids, friendly and laid back. I've read the females can be really nasty. The males are beautiful green, like Amazons, and about the same size. The females are beautiful red/purple but generally not great pets. I have met sweet and nasty Amazons. Macaws can be great kid birds too, but they are pretty large.
I would recommend either a male Eclectus or a cockatoo.

Answer 5

Are you ready to make up to a 75 year commitment to a Parrot? I have a double yellow and he is 22 years old now. Grey's are slightly better talkers. If you want a tame bird you get them young, but keep in mind any small moving objects (kids fingers) look like treats or toys. It is not a matter of teaching the parrot (they are a wild animal) it is a matter of training your kids. Parrot beaks have the ability to crush a human finger.

Answer 6

whatever you decide, you both have to be on the same page. only you and your husband know how well your children will react to a bird. Just remeber, it will be like having another toddler for the next forty years.

Birds are awesom, but if you can't spend the time, money, and affection they desreve...well...

sometimes the best bird owners are the ones who decide not to get the bird to begin with.

Conures are just as much work as amazons. Quakers get nasty if they are teased, stressed, or ignored. Grey's are not for first time bird owners, they develop too many health and beahvior issues otherwise.

I wouldn't call amazons tempermental...they just don't like to cuddle much. they like to play and chew and scream.

Answer 7

Make sure the bird isnt wild caught and you will be ok. Its good to teach kids to respect animals. I had a wild caught African Grey and I was never seriously hurt. Im sure it will be ok.

Answer 8

I wouldn't recommend it until your youngest is old enough to understand how to act around other animals like cats, etc. BTW, Sun Conures are LOUD! Perhaps you could start with some parakeets or something?

Answer 9

have you ever requested him about it? this gained't be what it type of feels! at the same time as my son became seven, he had 'tummy sex' consisting of his best chum. actually, a chum of theirs in school stated they must have a touch one. Ella, my son's best chum, determined that they'd. at the same time as they were given living house, they went as a lot as Ella's mum's bedroom, close the door, went lower than the mattress (?) and after Ella managed to get Brody off of his gameboy, he placed his penis on her abdomen button and waited till he were given chilly. That evening, Ella were given frightened about the position the infant became going to sleep and informed her mum... this is more desirable of a kin joke than some thing undesirable, and an glaring hint to more desirable sex training!

Answer 10

i had a double yellow headed amazon when i had all 5 of my kids everything was fine...just have to teach the children to keep their tiny lil fingers away from the cage...good luck