Experience with Pet Bird in Daycare?

Never knew of a pet bird in a class, but have been through mice, rats, snakes and others as a substitute teacher. Kids are outside with birds all the time, unless it is proven to be truly vicious it might be an interesting learning tool. The only thing is who cleans the cage? And who pays for the food and upkeep?

The preschool (had a parakeet, hamster and guinea pigs all in different rooms) and private school (through 2nd grade - zebra finches) all kept classroom pets. The kids took turns in getting water for the pets and the teachers cleaned the cages very well and made sure the animals were well fed and cared for). We had no problems with it and we even brought the guinea pigs home for Christmas vacation which my son loved. If the bird captured was an escaped exotic bird, it needed to be caught anyway or it would have died come winter. If it was just a wild bird, they probably should have left it alone (and they need to be careful as many birds are protected and or you need a special license to handle/rehabilitate wild animals).
Classroom pets can work out very well if the animals are really well looked after. Kids need to learn to keep fingers out from where they don't belong (there's one in every class who seems to take longer than others to learn this).

I think you are right about this. This is by your description a feral exotic bird and we all know that wild/feral birds transmit disease. This is NOT a pet bird! If it has lived outside for a while it may not be suitable to be kept as a pet - AND some exotic birds are very valuable, it is possible that, if it has escaped from somewhere, the rightful owner might be looking for it (it might be ringed and/or microchipped). It should be brought to a shelter where it can receive shots and vet care and adopted out to someone with experience in keeping exotic birds, if the original owner cannot be found.

That said, if they want to get a pet, I think it is possible to keep one in a classroom in a responsible way - I just wouldn't go plucking one off the street.
Good luck!

In MN, at least for home childcare..ANY bird..even a little parakeet..has to have more vet testing and certification than a dog or cat does. I think its a clamidia (sp) test?? But I know birds carry more concerning transmitable diseases....I would check with your county/state licensing dept for such centers/preschools. And as you said..aside formt he fact that its either wild..or perhaps somones pet that strayed??? Some birds can outlive people??? Thats gotta be an incredible contingency plan.....

Are you serious? What kind of nutjobs run your school? You can't legally catch and keep a wild bird. (It isn't a pet, it's a wild animal.) I seriously doubt a veterinarian will see it because it is actually illegal for veterinarians to treat wild animals. My ex is a vet. He would never treat a wild animal for fear of losing his license). It is ILLEGAL for them to keep this bird, and it presents potential health hazards, let alone how inhumane it is for the poor bird. Report them to a veterinarian or a local humane society or the Cook County Health Department or USDA office.

I agree that this is probably an illegal thing they are doing. It's illegal to move a bird's nest, so I would think it would be illegal to capture a wild bird and try and keep it. I can't believe they wouldn't let it go after it nipped a child. What do they expect a wild, untrained bird to do?!? If they won't get rid of it, you should report them. If they're allowed to keep it, I would remove my child from that school. As several of the previous posters stated, wild birds carry lots and lots of diseases that can be passed to humans, especially respiratory diseases.

I know that there can be pets but I do not know the boundries of what is allowed or not. Fish great, hamster/gerbil, maybe a hermet crab or turtle, or grow butterflies and release... but beyound that I would not be comfortable with it because if it is not ina fully inclosed (like glass/plastic cage) then it is too easy for a child or even adult to stick their finger in.

Also I thought that any animal that someone could be allergic to it has to be OK'ed by EVERYONE (child/adult) that is in that room to make sure that they are not being harmed in any way. The animal also has to be up to date on vet checks as well as rehibilated (which a perfessonial has to do).

A bird usually is not the best because the do "bite" or peck and it can draw blood easily and with an "open" cage I would fight to make sure it was either in a office, NOT a CLASSROOM or out of the building all together. Birds can be nosiey and find the irrating and would NEVER want one to be in a classroom where kids are easily distracted because of the noise.

Yes, it's possible, but they should buy one from a pet store, not catch a wild one.

i agree that they should have first consulted a vet before bringing the animal they caught into the classroom. after that though i cant imagine a bird is any filthier than a cat that stands in a litter box and then crawls into bed with you or a dog that never takes its shoes off at the door like us humans so i see no need to worry

Call a local vet or zoo and get verification for your case that a wild bird should not be caught and caged! I can't imagine this situation will be good for anyone involved. A bird that is used to being wild now in a little cage, indoors, with a bunch of people milling around at close range?! And then there are all the possilbe health and safety issues. Not to mention I think this is a terrible lesson to teach kids, to catch wild things that are causing no harm and deny them their flock and lifestyle, etc.... Good luck freeing the bird and keeping the kids safe!

Interesting. What kind of exotic bird? Is it one of Chicago's naturalized quaker parakeets? In any case, it's an injustice to the poor bird to be separated from it's flock and caged. If the school wants a pet bird they should get a hand-raised bird from a pet store or breeder. Even hand raised birds (parakeets and parrots) can bite and so shouldn't be allowed to be handled by small children in a school situation where there is not time to develop a relationship with the bird. Plus, birds are very, very messy. Their food, poop, and molting feathers get everywhere, requiring daily rigorous clean-up. I have a beloved hand-raised pet parrot who brings me and my family daily joy and a big mess! I just can't see a bird in a school atmosphere since they are flock animals and need that bond for their health and happiness. So, pet birds just aren't a good idea for schools, especially wild caught birds.