King parrots are MUCH cheaper than Eccys. There was a bloke selling hand raised babies here for $180 recently. That was a pretty good price though. I would say around $250 or less

I really think I need to think this through and not rush into anything which would be bad for the bird and for me. There is a friend of a friend who lives in QLD who has offered me his Eccy for the cost of shipping it down here, but he will not tell me why he needs to get rid of it so I am thinking it has issues. he is 4 years old so god only knows what he is going to be like.

That's a great price for an Eccy! I have been wanting to get a pair but can't afford to so if you did it and the bird had issues I'd be happy to pay you the transport costs and he could com and live in an aviary here. Then I would only have to find a hen.

Will see what he says. I sent him an e-mail asking for him to list his bad habbits and explain why he is getting rid of him and when he gets back to me I will let you know.

 

At the moment it would be to much for me to take on, I know I need to get alot of things settled and we also need to do house renovation and I would not want the bird here for that. or for him to have to live in the Budgie room for weeks on end.

 

Lets apply the brakes and check the rear and side view mirrors....

Also someting else to keep in mind when you look at Ivan's one. The way it is behaving now will change when it matures in a few months. They hit a rebelious stage just like a teenager and they can go a little silly. If you get one that is atleast a couple of years old and which still has a great temperament then it's probably won't change much.

True I had not thought about that.

As another thought too. The bloke who sold me my galah hen is over in Melton and he has HEAPS of amazing aviaries with all sorts of parrots in them. He was happy to sell me some babies udring the breeding season this year if I was interested and also said he would do a good price if I could take them fairly early and finish raising them. If you like I can see if I can track him down and find out what he will have available. He had everything from kings and eccys to Major Mitchells and ringnecks. The place was IMMACULATE and he even grows his own organic fruit and veg for them so I know you would only get a healthy bird from him.

Lets apply the brakes and check the rear and side view mirrors....

 

*points upwards* see above quote! Let me finish my breeding room and get all my guys well and have a few chicks in the nests and then I will see if I have time!

Sorry darls I didn't mean to sound like I was rushing you. He won't be breeding until after winter so I actually meant come spring

I know us, I know how excited we can get and how little control I have!

I may get one or to off him at some stage so if I'm heading over there I will let you know and you can just come for a look. It would be a good way to just compare the larger species of birds kinda side by side and work out what you want in the future. I PROMISE I won't let you buy anything

I have been a bad bad girl!

 

So I have been visiting Ollie (what I have dubbed the King Parrots at Ivan’s) I go into the bird room and he comes over and jumps in my shoulder. He seems to like me and I find myself falling in love with him. Ivan will not part with him for under $450 which is a lot for a king parrot but Ivan wants to make sure that someone serious takes him as I spoke to Ivan yesterday and found out his back story.

 

Ollie was hand raised but then something went wrong. Ivan does not know if he had a bad experience or he was let to go feral but something went wrong and no one will tell Ivan want is was. Ollie was brought to him and at first you could not get near him. He still has a thing about being grabbed (don't do it, he really freaks out) so as long as he thinks everything is his idea then he is happy. He is into everything wants to be with you and happy to wonder around your shoulders or take stuff out of your handbag. Ivan has done a lot of work with him and he is just one of those bird who are into everything. He also can't handle it if you try and touch him around the head, he does push his head up under your hand but if you raise your hand near his head he HATES it and freaks out. Ivan and I both think he might have been hit at some stage.

 

He can say "Hello" "Pardon" does half a woof whistle and now cause of me starts the phrase "Do you mind" which is what I tell him when he try’s to eat my buttons. He has also worked out that "Do you mind" with me means stop what you are doing.

 

My other half is going to come and meet him this weekend and my sister as well but I need people to talk me out of it!

 

1) He is a lot of money

2) He may have behavioral issue due to his early life

3) He will go through a stage in the next few years and his personality may change

4) Do I have time for him

5) Where am I going to keep him?

6) I have never had one of these birds how do I look after them, I have no clue what to do

7) Do I really want to get one this large?

8) He is going to live a long time. If something happens to me who will take him on?

 

 

Oh I so should not be going in each day and bonding with him..... I think I am falling in love with him which is a bad bad bad bad bad thing but he is so cute...... :budgiedance:

 

Someone hit me over the head now please!

You fall in love, you succumb and you just deal with the rest. That's pretty much what happened with me and my sun conure and he still has issues, but I'm still in love

You fall in love, you succumb and you just deal with the rest. That's pretty much what happened with me and my sun conure and he still has issues, but I'm still in love

 

 

What part of talking me out of it did you not get? Hmmmmmmm

You need to borrow Coco for a week and see if you can handle having a big bird. That way you will know what you are gettbng yourself into, I can lend you a cage and all for him

I am starting to think that after my weekend away I might just do this. My only issue is that my sister is really scared about a galah so it's going to be stressful for her but we will see how we go.

He can say "Hello" "Pardon" does half a woof whistle and now cause of me starts the phrase "Do you mind" which is what I tell him when he try's to eat my buttons. He has also worked out that "Do you mind" with me means stop what you are doing.

 

I have my brats out now, walking all over my keyboard, landing on my head, chewing my hair, my glasses and my fingers. Every now and then, Saffy nips my fingers, and I tell her to "stop it". Not only does she repeat this (repeatedly) but like Ollie, she knows what I mean when I say it. She mimicks me and says "stop it, stop it, stop it" over and over, but she DOES stop biting me as soon as I say those words lol

Sorry AV, I know you don't want to hear this, but I think from what point's you've raised you probably shouldn't get Olly.

For a first big pet bird, you need one with no issues and you have to be sure.

If it's me I wouldn't want to hear that. I'd be like "Well. ... bah!" and then go sulk.

I agree with SW. Plus that's ALOT of money to spend on a king parrot to start with, let alone one with issues. When you get back give Coco a try before you set your heart on a big bird.

Sounds like good advice from sailorwolf and MB.I think its a great idea about having COCO to see how you go with a bigger bird.I always think they are sort of like puppies with attitude sometimes but can be as adorable and loving aswsell.Keep us posted.

I have an indian ringneck and I wish I could give him more time,he's a real character.

Anyone had a Quaker Parrot? Went to visit this guy last night and look at his Budgies and he had one as a pet, he was a really nice blue and talked up a storm! He is not anywhere near a big as a King parrot or any of the other birds that I have looked at so hopefully my sister will not be as freaked out by him.... have to go research

 

ETA - they come in green to!

Edited July 29, 200816 yr by Angelic Vampyre

I'd suggest talking to people on non-budgie Parrot forums. Second one listed people have pet ecky's - along with lots of other parrots. 1st one is also a mixture.

Handraised Quakers are fantastic pets. Along with Green Cheek Conure. African Grays are for very experienced bird owners.

http://smileysbirds.proboards26.com/index.cgi

http://aussiebirds.proboards27.com/index.cgi

Thanks for the links will do that

Quakers are beautiful. I nearly bought one earlier this year :sad:

They can have possessive issues and plucking issues - same as any intelligent parrot really.

Well i did it! No I did not buy one. I got put onto a breeder who hand rasies quakers among other things. I meet one of her birds tonight that she "adopted" out to his new family. Is very cute you shoot him and he falls backwards and makes gargling sounds.... I then spoke to the breeder she will start breeding Quakers around Dec and will put me on the waiting list. I can come down and pick a baby when they are hatched and then I have to be interviewed by the parrot before it can come home with me

 

The breeder has been great, offered me DVDs about training and showed me websites and then spent about 20 mins trying to talk me out of getting one before she would accept my name on the list. She also wants to come see my set up. She has cages for sale so if I get stuck between now and then I can get one through her and they are not bad price wise.

 

The great thing is that I have the option to remove myself from the list if I decide that it is all to much, gives me a few more months to really think about it but know that I can get one from a good source that has a name. So maybe next year my little brood will be getting a slighty bigger addition.