Checklist
Decide on the type of parrot you'd like. Ask yourself these questions -
Do I have young children? (hookbill parrots beaks are designed to crack open nuts, imagine that force on your childs finger)
Do I live in a flat or terraced house? (parrots are noisy. There is NO guarantee on HOW noisy. Amazons and Conures, Cockatoos and Macaws can really make some serious noise. And, they're a parrot. That is what parrots do. You will have no control over this. Some can develop screaming habits too, not fun on the ears)
Can I afford a parrot? (I'd estimate a cost of £30-50 a month in food and insurance alone, not including toys, papers, vet bills..)
Do I have the space and KNOWLEDGE for a parrot to thrive in my care? (Research everything you can! Bubbles in poop, funny coloured poop, what foods can they eat, what food is dangerous. Is my front room big enough to house a cage, and is there enough space for a bird to be allowed to be a bird, and to fly)
Are you YOUNG enough to cater for a bird? They can live for many years if cared for correctly. It isn't very fair for a 50 year old to buy a baby parrot, is it? Make sure you have a friend or family member who is willing to take over the care incase anything should happen to you.
If you can genuinely and honestly answer those questions and you feel you can offer a great home, then owning a bird can be extremely rewarding.
Do I have young children? (hookbill parrots beaks are designed to crack open nuts, imagine that force on your childs finger)
Do I live in a flat or terraced house? (parrots are noisy. There is NO guarantee on HOW noisy. Amazons and Conures, Cockatoos and Macaws can really make some serious noise. And, they're a parrot. That is what parrots do. You will have no control over this. Some can develop screaming habits too, not fun on the ears)
Can I afford a parrot? (I'd estimate a cost of £30-50 a month in food and insurance alone, not including toys, papers, vet bills..)
Do I have the space and KNOWLEDGE for a parrot to thrive in my care? (Research everything you can! Bubbles in poop, funny coloured poop, what foods can they eat, what food is dangerous. Is my front room big enough to house a cage, and is there enough space for a bird to be allowed to be a bird, and to fly)
Are you YOUNG enough to cater for a bird? They can live for many years if cared for correctly. It isn't very fair for a 50 year old to buy a baby parrot, is it? Make sure you have a friend or family member who is willing to take over the care incase anything should happen to you.
If you can genuinely and honestly answer those questions and you feel you can offer a great home, then owning a bird can be extremely rewarding.
Second Checklist
Cage - The bigger the better! A bird needs to be able to fully spread their wings once inside, and they need room to climb and have fun! Cages are expensive, don't buy from a pet shop if you can help it, you'll be able to get the same ones for a fraction of the price online. Secondhand cages are fine as long as they're in good condition with no rust/. Birds can become very ill and die from exposure to some metals. If you put a magnet to the cage and it sticks, it's going to be a potential danger to your bird.
Travel cage - absolutely needed for all types of transportation.
Toys - lots of toys are needed. Chewing toys, shredding toys, foraging toys, ropes to swing on, plastic toys, wooden toys.. You'll need more than you can fit in the cage, because you'll want to rotate the toys every fortnight so your bird doesn't get bored. Be prepared to replace toys often, some parrots are real chewers and can destroy a toy in half an hour. Scarletts Parrot Essentials sell great toys at great prices.
Food - Harrison's High Potency is highly recommended by avian vets. Pellets should be introduced as soon as possible. Seeds should be avoided where possible. By the time you get to the bottom of a bag of seed, you'll find mold spores which can make your companion bird very ill indeed. Fresh foods, warm cooked foods, I feed this twice a day on top of pellets.
Avian Lights - Did you know parrots can see 4 primary colours, but us humans can only see 3? The 4th primary colour to a bird is called UV. Without it, their world is dull, their health can suffer too. Buying a decent full spectrum light for the cage is absolutely necessary.
Travel cage - absolutely needed for all types of transportation.
Toys - lots of toys are needed. Chewing toys, shredding toys, foraging toys, ropes to swing on, plastic toys, wooden toys.. You'll need more than you can fit in the cage, because you'll want to rotate the toys every fortnight so your bird doesn't get bored. Be prepared to replace toys often, some parrots are real chewers and can destroy a toy in half an hour. Scarletts Parrot Essentials sell great toys at great prices.
Food - Harrison's High Potency is highly recommended by avian vets. Pellets should be introduced as soon as possible. Seeds should be avoided where possible. By the time you get to the bottom of a bag of seed, you'll find mold spores which can make your companion bird very ill indeed. Fresh foods, warm cooked foods, I feed this twice a day on top of pellets.
Avian Lights - Did you know parrots can see 4 primary colours, but us humans can only see 3? The 4th primary colour to a bird is called UV. Without it, their world is dull, their health can suffer too. Buying a decent full spectrum light for the cage is absolutely necessary.
Never Ever EVER Buy Unweaned!
In the UK selling an unweaned baby bird is illegal! Not only is it illegal, it is highly irresponsible and cruel!
Breeders will give the same old excuse - it will help you bond with your baby - absolute tosh! And let me tell you why. In the wild, a baby will wean from it's parents and THEN choose it's mate. By handfeeding yourself, you are playing the role of a parent, and no bird stays with their parents once they've fledged and weaned and grown up.
By taking an unweaned baby from a breeder, you're giving that breeder an easy ride, he has 1 less mouth to feed around the clock, he gave you no discount, but they're quick to warn you to not put pictures of the baby on your Facebook etc until the baby is older because they are well aware that what they're doing is wrong.
You cannot insure a baby under 12 weeks, because handfeeding can KILL, even when done by the most experienced breeder! Sour crop, burned crop, aspiration, death and more, can occur from ONE MINOR slip up! You are going to pay £500-£1200 for a baby parrot, why take the risk? Why not just wait that extra week or two until he's fully weaned?
Breeders will give the same old excuse - it will help you bond with your baby - absolute tosh! And let me tell you why. In the wild, a baby will wean from it's parents and THEN choose it's mate. By handfeeding yourself, you are playing the role of a parent, and no bird stays with their parents once they've fledged and weaned and grown up.
By taking an unweaned baby from a breeder, you're giving that breeder an easy ride, he has 1 less mouth to feed around the clock, he gave you no discount, but they're quick to warn you to not put pictures of the baby on your Facebook etc until the baby is older because they are well aware that what they're doing is wrong.
You cannot insure a baby under 12 weeks, because handfeeding can KILL, even when done by the most experienced breeder! Sour crop, burned crop, aspiration, death and more, can occur from ONE MINOR slip up! You are going to pay £500-£1200 for a baby parrot, why take the risk? Why not just wait that extra week or two until he's fully weaned?