Do any of you have pet birds?

I don't have any no, don't have the space for them lol.  I'd like to give a home to ex-battery chickens one day but need a bigger garden that doesn't slope so steeply!

I'd like some quails but I have a lot of foxes near me and don't have room in the garden for a shed. I don't think a normal coop/run housing would be suitable with foxes around.

Birdmum - some more pictures of your pets would be lovely!!!

We used to have chickens at our previous house where we had more land. It was lovely going down the garden to "pick" an egg for breakfast. The fresh eggs also made the most delicious Yorkshire puds. The hens were very tame and friendly, and even came in the kitchen if the door was left open. They had the run of the garden and a paddock area where we had the dog boarding kennels. I have missed them since we retired and moved.

Hi Sparrow,

That's why I'd like quails for the eggs, ideal for salads, pastas etc. When I lived in Surrey I used to buy the eggs at the farmers markets. But now I'm near the city, there are no such thing as farmers markets/shops. I really miss the eggs. Don't seem to get them in the supermarkets here.

Hi Birdmum, When I was a little kid we had a pet budgie and a few years later my parents had a huge aviary in the garden with a considerable number of budgies. I don't have any pet birds now but about 20 years back I had a Lutino budgie. I spent its entire life explaining to visitors that it was not a canary!

Hi Squirrel, I had a budgie when I was a kid, she was white with a turquoise lustre called Snowy. I loved hit to bits. I'd like budgies again but will have to wait until Kiwi & Mango have gone to conure heaven.

Hi Sparrow: Love your story about Cheekie - what a character he must have been. My sister when we were young had a yellow canary with a black cap - she called him Ringo - he's was an absolute cutie and often sat on our shoulders or on our heads eating the seed we put on there! LOL

Hi Birdmum:  Many years ago my parents took on a pub and as the garden was big and already had pens in, we took in injured animals or animals that people couldn't look after anymore.  Our collection, amongst others, consisted of 3 ducks, Jemima, Cedric and Celia plus a goose called Charlie who was completely psychopathic.   Best guard dog we ever had!

I had a cockatiel who died a few years ago aged 21 and like Cheeky he was quite a character. He spoke a little and used to suddenly start laughing...and laughing and whoever was in the house would end up hysterical as it was so funny. He also had a fetish for material, be it his cage cover, a tea towel....and you could guarantee he would start talking if you waved fabric near him! My Mum used to knit for Lady Aberdeen's shop and Tufty used to sit on the antenna thing of her knitting machine wobbling back an for as she knitted. He also used to sit on her hand as she hand sewed the pieces together and pull the needle out as she pushed it through. I loved that bird, he was a great companion.  I did get him a girlfriend but they didn't like each other and sat at opposite ends of the perch. Daisy was beautiful, pale yellow, but she contracted e-coli twice (the vet reckoned her breeder had bred her too much) and on the third time it killed her almost instantly.

I had a gorgeous canary (not yellow!) 3 or 4 years ago which I was looking forward to spending many years with but he died after one year and I cannot bear to have another without knowing why he died (was it me?). He had such a wonderful song too! Anyway, being at work all day it'd better not to have any pets and just enjoy my wild birds when home! My parents have a little budgie which comes on holiday with me when they go away! He's great fun too!