The responsibilities of caring for a parrot

I am so happy with this batch of babies! They have been so healthy from the start and have just thrived! I remember when Java and Kiwi hatched, I was a nervous wreck. I had raised so many baby cockatiels I cannot even count them, but never had I hand fed a baby parrot. And to make it even more complicated, I was taking these on from the day of hatching! I worried so that I would do something wrong. I remember dreaming one of the first nights that one of them was sick, and I was carrying the newborn baby parrot around, and he was the size of a chimpanzee in my arms! It does not take a psychologist to see that the weight and enormity of the responsibility was getting to me! But with each batch that I have raised, I have learned so much and with each batch gained confidence so that I can enjoy them more!

What always weighs on my heart though, is the responsibility that bringing these birds into the world places on me to find them good homes. My son, Ryan, raised hamsters for a time when he was in 4-H. We carefully selected our breeding pairs using offspring of a many year breeding plan my brother had started. We put weeks into handling them, making sure they were tame and well socialized so they could become good pets. When it was time to find them homes, I agonized over each and every one of them. But there is no comparison in my mind between the responsibility of owning a hamster vs the responsibility of owning a parrot.

Parrots are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. That alone makes having one in your home a real responsibility to make sure that their minds are engaged and that they are well adjusted. Combine that with the fact that parrots are challenging pets, and definitely not a pet for just anyone, then add the fact that they can live for 65-80 years, or longer. You want them to have a life where they are loved and appreciated for the long haul! One batch a year is enough for me! I have been relieved that with this number we can give each of these babies the start in life that will help to ensure they make excellent pets and live happily ever after!