thinking about an african grey

[krissyg1989]

well...when i first set eyes on cockatiels, i wanted one. when i started working at the pet shop and met mr. #9 i wanted a sun conure. i now have both and they are loving, healthy birds that make every single one of my days happy and interesting .

well...now i'm thinking about adding an african grey to my large, expanding, animal family. ive worked around a few, but i want comments from you pet humans! i want to research the greys and get first hand information before i decide anything. im one of those people who research EVERYTHING forever before i buy/get stuff. i asked around and researched sun conures almost 5 months before i finally started searching around for the perfect breeder.

now...i dont want any animosity from anyone about how i shouldnt be getting an african grey if i dont know enough about them, because that's exactly why i'm here. im still in the researching phase. plus, it'll be awhile before i could save up the money for the initial purchase and setup along with getting my grandmother to agree on another bird. though, she likes kona because she was named after the hawaiian island, so maybe i'll keep that theme going and she'll be fine. j/k j/k


some info on me
age:17 (18 in april)
house/apartment: house
i'm a: female
i go to school: 2 nights a week for 2 1/2 hours
i go to work: 2-3 times a week
i work at: pet supplies plus, and love it there
i have: a cockatiel, sun conure, 2 dogs, a cat, and i bought my little cousin a lovebird which i take care of
anything else: ask


so comment/add away folks!

[NurseJimbo]

The mistake we made was spending a very substantial amount of time researching what bird was right for us. We would have been much better off researching the seller and researching the correct cage.
We now have a CAG and did it right !! They are absolutely wonderful.
Suggest you attend a bird show as we saved $$$ on the right bird and saved a whooping 50% on the right cage at the show versus all the local pet stores.
Glad to see someone working at a pet store that knows something about birds. One of the local PETCO's actually has 3 birds in the wrong cages with the wrong prices. There so called bird "expert" said they were correct as they had to be since the manager is the one who placed them there ! They want $894.95 for a common green quaker.
Good luck.

[Bonesy]

I'd suggest finding a breeder & spending the time & money visiting them & observing the birds & asking questions.

Even ask around, see if anyone has a larger parrot you might be able to "adopt" for a week or fortnight so you can get the feel of the larger parrot family.

I do bird training/sitting & I've had most species in my house, and at the end of the day I would ALWAYS go back to my budgies. Pure personal preference, as each species of parrot/keet is like each species of dog, each one has a certain trait, personality, style etc. that fits certain people.

I adored large parrots for years, got all geared up wanting one & thought to myself... wait. Why risk spending a loan-worthy amount of money on a bird like that then finding it's not suitable for me?

I had kept 'keets for years & decided to use my training knowledge on them on larger birds. My first case was a large red macaw. I stopped him biting & curbed his plucking down to a singular feather a day & realised in that 2 weeks, the larger parrots are gorgeous and have their pros but also have their cons. I then had a grey in for a month, and contrary to their smaller size they are near a dammit to macaws, and that beak can be even worse than a macaws sometimes.

As I temporarily adopted various types for training & bird-sitting for people on holiday, I slowly realised just how very very different certain types are.

So, I'd highly recommend trying a larger bird first, and definitely going to see a breeder who has licences to breed the birds and is likely to give them alot more love & care than a pet store ever would. Every biting case I've ever had in, came from a pet shop & or wasn't handled correctly as a young bird.

I also concur on the correct seller & cage, a well laid out cage & plenty of toys can really make the world of difference to your bird. Remember a good length/width should always be preferred over a high tall cage.

I keep the motto with my birds; "One Size Up, One Scream Down" ;-)

Keep your cage one size up for extra space & your bird is much less likely to ever bite, scream or make a nuance of himself, after all, birds scream for a reason, and 90% of that reason can be contributed to bad living space most of the time. You already have loads of birds though so I trust you slready know about good cage space :)

My Budgie, Mikko lives on his own currently in a big cockateil cage, with an abundance of toys to play with and a nice length to fly in. :) He's never screamed once, and that means the world to me to know he's happy & comfy :-)

One thing you may wish to consider though, will you be able to juggle all those birds easily with each other? I find it fun trying to keep my budgie away from macaws or greys when I'm sitting for someone. I try to keep flight times alternated and doors shut if both are out on flight time, though budgies being as they are will try their upmost best to get through any shut door if they think there is something worth seeing on the other side *rolls eyes* but keep in mind accidents do happen, and I have already found out what happens when a disgruntled macaw meets an inquisitive budgie for a split second.

As you might imagine it involved lightening fast reactions from me, lots of cornflour & a sore foot for my budgie. And, a tightening on observations when a door is opened into the next room.

Do you flight your birds daily?

[dancyn56]

Well, you could name the new baby Maui...I have a TAG and we are starting to get along pretty well. He was terribly mean when he first came to us but he was mistreated in his past family and was also once a wild bird so he had many issues to work through. Taking care of Ralphie has been such a joy, even on his bad days. I have had so much companionship from him and he is just a little comedian when he wants to be. The Grey's are truly intelligent and seem to be ready to learn at all times, although they only display when they want to. I imagine you would have a young bird, raised by hand and he might be very friendly towards you from the beginning. I truly love my little baby Ralphie and he is getting sweeter by the day. I have heard that a cockatiel is an excellent starter bird, so you are already aware of the needs of your charge. I think as long as you are investigating the needs of the pet before you make the commitment of getting one is very good of you and I believe you will have success with your choice. I know I have not regretted taking Ralphie into my care, ever.

[Ginger]

I'm with you girl! I've been wanting one for a long time and have finally decided I'm ready. I plan to adopt. There are so many adult birds in need of forever homes.

I'm home all day, so I have plenty of time and lots of love to give a special African Grey in need. Now I just need to find one! So good luck to you in your search & I sure hope I find mine soon too!

[Bonesy]

Adopting is a great idea, though having experience in it myself, please prepare yourself for any bad habbits or "baggage" that may come from an adoptee. ;)

Keep in mind they were given away or rescued for a reason, so be prepared to spend lots of time re-training & re-conditioning the bird again. :)

Also be aware many centres will give you a big Spanish inquisition form to fill in and if you get but one question wrong they wont let you adopt. Many also expect you to pay the birds previous vet fees too, which can easily amount to far more than a new bird alone.

I'm not trying to deter you, far from it, I adopt myself, but I just wanted to let you know if you didn't already :)

I don't know where you're from but your centres may be a bit more lax than those around here.

[raddaughter]

I have had Echo for a little over a week. He is great! Greys are so different from all other birds. I didn't expect him to be so active! He hangs from his toes, talking, being a goof! I found him on craigslist, after almost getting two other greys. Its a good place to look, because there are so many greys who need homes. There are so many adults out there, and normally, they aren't as expensive. Check on avian classifieds, there are a lot out there. Bird fairs are a great place to get cages and toys.

Having a grey is wonderful! They are so fun to be with, and fun to work with too. They have this easy going, I'm the coolest type personality. Good luck with your searches, there is a special grey out there for ya'll!

[krissyg1989]

yeah, i was looking at one on a classified for 700 with a cage..seems a little weird to me but i think the bird is a little older. no harm in checking it out, but like i said..i dont want to jump into anything just yet.