Are There Any Bird People Here?

[Tinytoez]

This is following on from The Pet Thread really. I thought it would be interesting to find out if anyone on here keeps birds, and if so, what type.
I have got 3 adult Indian Ring Neck Parrots, 3 5 week old babies, 1 Barraband, 1 Kakariki and about 20 Chinese Painted Quail. I love all of our birds and Im excited about taming the babies as they are our first bunch, except the Quail babies, they all live outside as we would never have room for them all inside.
I used to have a Blue Quaker Parrot called Indy, he was the love of my life and my little blue fluff ball, he could talk in context and would constantly make me laugh, he got me through some really tough times with depression and things, but he escaped last year, we lost my nan the same week so I took my eye off the ball and just like that he was gone, and I was heartbroken, but didnt have enough energy to grieve for him and my nan.
Then a few months later I got a little green Parrotlet called Evie, we were making good progress, when at 5 months old she died out of the blue, and I havent been able to get another bird since, but recently I have been thinking about it, and today at the vets picking up bird food, I saw 2 Hahns Macaws and an African Grey Parrot, and it really hit me how much I miss my Indy and Evie, but I will have to make do with taming the Troublesome Triplets - for now.

 

[SweetHeart]

We've got 14 hens, 13 four week old chicks, three Kakarikis, and a Harris Hawk - The Kaks & hawk belong to the daughter really. We had quail last year but they were bred for hawk food.

I know what you mean about lost birds. My daughter had a Kestrel raised from hatch by hand, lovely bird, but she was free-lofting and managed to escape. We searched for months, DD was on local radio and tv, but nothing. Lots of people reported seeing her, and eventually we found her, but never caught her. However, we know she's made through two winters (all that snow) and had a mate. DD thinks she saw her this Spring too but couldn't be sure. As I said to DD, she was a native BoP, so DD did a good job in raising her if she made it in the wild and mated.

Ju

 

[borofergie]

I have 3 turtledoves, 2 french hens and a partridge in a pear tree.

Not really.

 

[Tinytoez]

I would love to know how to get a partridge in a pear tree, do you tie their feets together??

 

[borofergie]

It's a frozen one. I used a catapult.

 

[Tinytoez]

Lol just dont stand under that tree incase it falls out and gives you a donk on the head

 

[Sid Bonkers]

I would love to know how to get a partridge in a pear tree, do you tie their feets together??

Here you are Tinytoez...

I feed Parakeets, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Robins, Sparrows, Starlings, Collared Doves, Blue ****, Great ****, Coal ****, Long Tailed **** and many other birds in my garden, I personally wouldnt keep any bird caged apart from maybe chickens for there own safety but each to there own.



Heres a pic of one of many Goldfinch that sing to me each day, who could cage such a lovely bird?

 

[Tinytoez]

Lol Thanks Sid, thats erm lovely, but at least I know how its done, but Partridges seem like pretty daft beings to me, I had to toot at one to get out the road recently and it just stood there looking at me so I had to stop.

The reason my Indy escaped was because he wasnt caged, he had a cage, but the cage was in a room that is adjoined to my bedroom, and the door blew open and he got out my bedroom window I stupidly left open. Our Parrots all came from a gent who was getting to old to look after them himself, we got 6 for £100, I dont believe in buying babies, I will take pets that other people have had and for some reason cant keep, thats how I got my Indy, the way I see it is, that the ones that know no different would die in the wild, and if I can give them as best a life I can in captivity I will do my best to do so. Suprisingly we dont have many wild birds in our garden.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Theres absolutely no need to defend yourself to me TT, as I said each to there own.

I have been a lifelong angler a sport some people would like banned. Thousands of people keep birds from Canaries to Raptors I'm not going to tell anyone what to do, but I personally wouldnt want to keep a caged bird, just as I wouldnt want to keep fish in a tank although I have in the past and have many friends who keep Koi carp, like I said each to their own

I do keep a cat and a dog, but I dont view them in quite the same way, double standards? Possibly but my cat is a free agent and wouldnt hang around if he didnt want to as he is free to come and go as he likes and my Jack Russell doesnt like to be parted from me and never goes far from my side so I do view domestic pets differently.

To attract wild birds put up a couple of feeders with niger seeds in one, goldfinches love them and sunflower hearts in the other and I guarantee withing a few months you will have lots of wild birds that are relying on you for food. The other seed mixes that are sold by many pet shops and super markets will only attract sparrows, pigeons, starlings etc so unless you want these birds in your garden your best off not wasting your money on 'wild bird Mix' type bags.

 

[Tinytoez]

Yep different strokes for different folkes and all that.

My dear old nan when she was around used to throw the remnants of her uncut loaf on her grass, she used to scoop out the middle soak it and put it back and her grass would be covered with birds in minutes, I used to love sitting watching them through her patio window, and so did she when her dementia really kicked in because every time was like the first time she saw them. I miss my nan.

I will get some feeders I think, thanks Sid