Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Bird Talk classifieds are organizated by state, so you might find something
quickly in there that is near you.  I have had success with Patti Lumley
of Napa, CA, but her birds are usually medium to large, with associated
prices.  For your budget, a quality cockatiel might be the thing.  I have
the National Cockatiel Association contact list at home.  There is also
an American Cockatiel Association.  These groups can put you in touch with
breeders.  If you are interested, let me know and I'll dig out the contact
information for you.  Another way is to look up vets in the area, call to
see who specializes in exotic birds (not just the answer 'oh sure, we do
birds'), and ask them for names of breeders of the particular type of
bird you want.  There are some good lovebird breeders in CA also, if that
bird is of interest.  Again, let me know and I'll post the info here for
you and others if there is interest in cockatiel or lovebird breeders
in California. /Linda

    Thanks very much, Linda, for your answer.
    
    I'll look at in a local pet store for a Bird Talk issue because I'd
    like to subscribe.  Lovebirds sound beautiful and friendly, but they
    don't talk, do they?  Guess a cockatiel sounds more like what we're
    looking for.  So, Linda, if you would post your contact list, that
    would be very helpful.  Thanks... 
    
    Now the question is what kind of cockatiel?  I've only seen gray or
    white ones.  I used to own a pied?? tiel (gray with a yellow head and
    chest) and a "regular" gray tiel, but as I said they weren't hand fed
    and weren't very friendly.  Vicious is a closer description... (I think
    Romeo and Juliet preferred the taste of blood to bird seed  ;-)  Anyone
    have opinions on which types are friendlier/more likely to talk/have
    prettier voices/healthier?  All else being equal, we'd probably get a
    white one (do they call them albinos?) because we think they're
    prettier.
    
    Thanks for any advice...
    
                                          - LindaLeigh

Hi Linda Leigh,

My contact info is at home but will get it into this note by the end of the
week.  I just got the newest National Cockatiel Bulletin in the mail.  Nice
coincidence!  

Most folks believe the male cockatiels will show more inclination to talk and/or
whistle, some say if they talk they won't whistle, and vice-versa, but I have
exceptions to all these ideas in my aviary.  I also have had three lovebird
hens who would say their names and 'watch doin' in a very throaty voice, but
lovebirds are not known for talking ability, in answer to your other question.
In each of these cases, the hens were handfeds and talked to a lot when very
young.  I was amazed to find out they could imitate speech at all.

If you are in a place where bird noise will disturb neighbors, beware the
shrill call of a mature male cockatiel at 5:30 a.m. if the light comes 
into the room.  The males I have had tend to be more physically active,
more entertaining to watch, talk and whistle when worked with consistently,
but varied in their willingness to be handled or cuddled.  Hens, on the
other hand, may whistle a few musical notes you teach them, or the wolf-whistle,
or pick up a few words, but a generally *very* quiet in contrast to the males.
The hens also seem to like to be in physical contact and receive physical
attention more than *most* males, based on my own experience and stories 
from others.

Linda

    Hi Linda,
    
    I live in Pleasanton too....just moved there from MA 3 weeks ago.  I've
    been looking around for a good place to buy bird supplies....the places
    I've found in Pleasanton don't have much bird stuff. 
    
    I did find a neat bird store in Berkeley...called (I think) Just for
    Birds....on College Ave just off Ashby.  They might be able to give
    you some times of local breeders.
    
    diane

    Hi, Diane, welcome to Pleasanton!  
    
    I took Linda's advice and went and found a copy of Bird Talk and also
    Birds USA.  I found them at McCloud's Pet Emporium.  Diane, you might
    want to check out McCloud's for bird supplies.  It's in Dublin.  Can't 
    remember the address, but we found it from a big ad in the yellow
    pages.
    
    Most of the ads in the magazines were for larger birders, but we did
    find a cockatiel breeder in Half Moon Bay.  Her name is Darlene, and
    the name of the place is DAR's Ark.  She was extremely helpful, and her
    babies were amazing... conures, cockatoos, lots of different kinds of
    Macaws.  
    
    We bought a lutino cockatiel -- unnamed so far.  He (Darlene thinks
    it's a he because of body shape, but of course can't be entirely sure)
    is about 3 months old (hatched in April).  He's so incredibly tame...
    Loves to have his head and neck petted.  He'll sit forever cuddling up
    to your neck.   I felt guilty leaving him at home this morning.  Wanted
    to give him a mirror to play with but resisted the temptation because
    Darlene said it's probable that my other birds were bonded to their
    mirrors instead of me.  Now that I think of it, that's got to be the
    reason they were so vicious.  You should have heard Romeo scream
    whenever I removed his mirror for washing!
    
    One thing that has us a little concerned is that our new friend is
    extremely quiet.  We even wondered if he might be deaf, but he does
    look toward loud noises.  The only sounds we've heard him make have
    been cooing sounds when he's petted.  Hope he gets a little more vocal
    when he's older.  I know we should have picked a louder bird if we
    wanted one that was more likely to talk, but this little guy was too
    cute to pass up.  
    
    He loved the car ride... Preferred to ride on my finger and neck to
    check out the other cars.  We removed him from the cage because we were
    afraid he'd hurt himself... kept falling off the perch and getting his
    wings hung up.  Only a couple minor accidents to deal with.  Yuck! 
    Hope we can potty train him!  Is it too early to start?  How do we do
    this?  
    
    He tried some hand offered noodle bits last night for dinner so he
    can't be too uncomfortable with his new surroundings -- even enjoyed my
    gold loop earrings for dessert ;-)  He seems to like sitting under my
    hair.  Any reason why I should discourage this?  It's somewhat
    difficult to deal with the realization that your hair resembles a nest! 
    No more $70 hair appointments for me ;-)
    
    					- LL

If your cockatiel is not calling/whisting in a few weeks and remains very
quiet, you could have a hen.  I have found they are more cuddly, in general,
than the males.  Also, if DAR's Ark can tell you what the parents of the
bird are, you can know right away if you have even a chance of having a 
male.  If the mother was not a visual lutino herself, you have a hen.  If
the mother was a lutino, then the father was either also a lutino or 
split to lutino (carrying the lutino gene but not visually a lutino). /Linda

Sorry...see preceding note.  Forgot to add that if the mother of your bird
is a visual lutino **and** the father is a split to lutino or visual lutino
himself, then you have a 50/50 chance the chick you have is a boy.  If the
mother is NOT a visual lutino, there is NO chance you have a boy...the
chick is a female. The lutino factor in cockatiels is sexed linked.  You
need a gene from both the father and mother to make a visual male chick, 
but you only need the one gene from the father (hidden-split to..or visual
lutino father) to get a visual lutino hen.  

If the father is NOT a visual lutino or a split to lutino bird **and** you 
have a visual lutino mother, she will give the one lutino gene to her 
**sons only**--thus the term sex-linked.  From that pairing you will not 
get any visual lutinos at all, but all sons will be guaranteed to be split to 
lutino because of their mother. 

Since your chick is a visual lutino, it should be easy to find out whether
you have a chance of it being a male if DAR's Ark bred the bird themselves.
If they bought the chick from some other breedeer to raise and sell, you
might have trouble tracing the parentage.  All else fails....wait for
a few weeks and see if the chick starts calling/whistling/strutting...
then it is a boy.  

/Linda

This is in reply to the question earlier in this note for contact 
information on NCS...Here is a quote from the bylaws to give you
some context for the group:

	"The society organized in November 1983 for the purpose of 
         educating its members on the proper care, handling, maintenance,
	 and breeding of cockatiels; to support avian research as to
	 cockatiels; encourage selective breeding and developing color
	 mutations through the study of genetics; support closed banding
	 and record keeping; uniform judging; encourage ethical, thoughtful
	 and constructive interactions among its members and fellow	
 	 aviculturalists."

NCS is a registered non-profit organization.  Membership inquiries can
be directed to Cynthia Dodson, 286 Broad Street, Suite 140, 
Manchester, Connecticutt (CT), USA, ZIP 06040.  The organization provides
traceable bands for your birds with a code assigned just to you.  Their
record keeping is amazing.  I have been able to trace birds to the original
breeder in minutes, literally, with the club's help.

It publishes a magazine bi-monthly that includes information on pet
ownership, general health and welfare, and breeding of cockatiels.

Linda

    Linda, your wealth of information is TRULY AMAZING, or as my
    little one woule say "It's an unsalted mystery!"

    
    Hi there,
    
    I'll credit this notes file and pet bird owners/breeders I have met
    here and elsewhere for giving me the opportunity to gather the
    'wealth of information' you so kindly attribute to me.  I would
    certainly not know most of what I do today without the open sharing
    of information and experiences exchanged here in PET_BIRDS over the
    past several years.  Keep the stories and questions coming....somebody
    out there is sure to reply even if it takes awhile!
    
    Best regards,
    
    Linda (originally from the Bay Area, by the way, and out there
    11/5-11/8 for my father's 80th birthday celebration)