Hi Apple. I have had Alex's since 1994 when I hand raised my first named Big Bird. He was the sweetest baby and at 10 years of age you could take his whole head in your hand and he would just stay there. Unfortunately I lost him to a Hawk attacking the aviary. He had been in a breeding aviary since he was 2 and even in breeding season he was as gentle as a lamb. I had gotten Baby Bird as a mate for him but Baby turned out to be a male. When I did get a hen Baby decided she was his and I only managed to get a female for Big Bird a couple of years before I lost him and at the time she was a youngster and not old enough to breed. She was going to be old enough the year he died.
I have hand raised a number of Alex's over the years and to my mind they are one of the best hand raised birds. Both sexes can talk and some make very good talkers. They go a bit feral between about 6 months and 12 months when they go through puberty but once that is over they calm down again and become very loving. Unlike the IRN who in my opinion don't make good pets the Alex does. They have an extremely gentle nature and are very regal looking birds. They are very tolerant of new birds in their aviary and I don't recall any of mine ever fighting even during breeding season. I have even had some budgies flying in the same aviary as them and the budgies bullied the Alex's. To my mind of all the Asiatics the Alex and the Derbyans are the best and for all their size and that huge beak they are very gentle easy going birds.
I have hand raised a number of Alex's over the years and to my mind they are one of the best hand raised birds. Both sexes can talk and some make very good talkers. They go a bit feral between about 6 months and 12 months when they go through puberty but once that is over they calm down again and become very loving. Unlike the IRN who in my opinion don't make good pets the Alex does. They have an extremely gentle nature and are very regal looking birds. They are very tolerant of new birds in their aviary and I don't recall any of mine ever fighting even during breeding season. I have even had some budgies flying in the same aviary as them and the budgies bullied the Alex's. To my mind of all the Asiatics the Alex and the Derbyans are the best and for all their size and that huge beak they are very gentle easy going birds.
