So ... what are they like? (handleability)

While I have absolutely no experience with nippy little milksnakes (I have happy little corns:P ), I have worked with parrots (hawkheads, amazons, and conures). A bite from one of those guys is WICKED!!! I would repeat my one experience with a nasty little butter motely cornsnake repeatedly into enternity than take another bite from a parrot with an attitude. :O ;)


(sidenote: parrots without attitudes are the most amazing birds, I still love em!). :love:

Oooo.. hawkhead parrots are super cool. I agree with you.. parrot bites are awful! I have umbrella cockatoo and timneh african grey bites to my name.

The hawkheads are cool, but SOOOOO loud. When I cleaned out the cages in the backup rooms I had to wear ear protection b/c our two adolescents hawkheads were some big time talkers! Going into their enclosure was always a treat....try pressure washing poo off the enclosure while protecting your hair and ears from inquisitive beaks!

lol.. they are very unique parrots though. I'll have to include them in my future zoo. ;)

I nearly bought a hawkhead once - they a beautiful and very different to look at (but hubby wouldn't let me have another one - probably as well!)

When I first got into parrots I had 4 cockatiels in a huge cage. Then thought I'd try a larger parrot. I was the complete imbecile - I didn't do my homework - I just thought my cute little baby parrot would forever stay the same personality (they always stay cute and handleable if they're hand-reared - right? WRONG!!!!) I had no idea that when they hit the terrible twos and later the adolescent years how completely awful they can be with their hormones. I love my parrot to bits and when he's normal he's cuddly and I can do anything with him (he loves to cuddle under my shirt and makes cutey noises there) - but when he's bad he's WICKED! I have to keep his wings trimmed because whoever he takes a dislike to he will dive-bomb them, clamp on with the beak with multiple, exceedingly painful blood-letting bites and not let go. He has to be forced off. He's only a Black Headed Caique but his attitude is that of a large Amazon.

Needless to say I've learnt my lesson - I have since bought lizards and my Ball - and made sure I read up on them first and join forums to find out the bad along with the good from the people who know.

Big bird beaks scare me. I love macaws though.. I'd love to have a scarlet or hyacinth someday.

For now I'll stick with my dove and my canary. :)

My aunt just bought a female eclectus.. boy is she GORGEOUS! She's warming up to me as well.. she'll stand on my hand now and take treats from me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shelby

Big bird beaks scare me. I love macaws though.. I'd love to have a scarlet or hyacinth someday.

For now I'll stick with my dove and my canary. :)

My aunt just bought a female eclectus.. boy is she GORGEOUS! She's warming up to me as well.. she'll stand on my hand now and take treats from me.

---

Big beaks come as standard with macaws :) Hyacinths are very beautiful but I think you'll have trouble finding one as they're very rare and I think they aren't sold. Eclectus are pretty - so funny how the males are so different (colour) from the females. I love that purple :)

Yes.. I know macaw beaks are quite big.. but I've found them to often be big babies.

I know of quite a few hyacinth breeders. You can find them for sale fairly easily, however they are not cheap. $8000-12000 is the norm.

That's good you can get them there - I've never seen any here in the UK (apart from in zoo collections and stuff). I must admit, big beaks really scare the crap outta me - I've spent too many times being savaged by my (relatively) small beaked vampire.

Give me a snake anyday - at least they don't chase you across the room to bite you LOL

Yes.. lol! Never get an iguana, Razaiel. You may be chased with teeth then.