Which species of parrot

[SunConure1]

Hi everyone i know every parrot is consered high maintaince but i'm reading up on both the eclectus parrot and the african grey. I live in australia the eclectus parrot goes for $800 australian dollars and the african grey goes for around $4,000 to $6,000 australian dollars. I'm wandering which of these species is higher to maintain eg feed,vet,toys and other expenses. Right now i own 1 h/r male sun conure, 1 h/r female sun conure which i'm planing on breeding, 1 h/r male gcc, 1 h/r female gcc which i plan to breed, 1 h/r cockatiel and 1 h/r rainbow lorikeet. These are all my pets some are pets plus for breeding. I have time to spend for 1 more bird and i either want an eclectus parrot or an african grey. My birds get fruit and veggies everyday to every second day, They have seed in there cages all day and also get pellets. They also eat mealworms as a treat. My guys get let out of there cages for 4 to 5 hours sometimes more, They get plenty of human interaction within this time. I want to get a bigger bird i love intelligent birds which is why i'm looking into the eclectus parrot and african grey. I know both species are known to pluck when bored so i will change there toys around every week or 2, They also need alot of human interaction which i can do, My boyfriend and I do go travling once every 6 months but plan on taking the grey or eclectus with us. My mum said she will look after the rest of my birds while we are gone. I want to make sure that i give the right home and enviroment to the bird, How much the perrot costs doesn't matter to me. I just want to make sure i do right towards the bird and myself. I'm looking to get one of these in the next 5 or more years, I want to do plenty of research before deciding which one, I also have to save up the money too. So any advice would be greatful, Thanks in advance.

[jimpierce7]

Both breeds of birds are very intelligent and need a lot of love, patience and attention. Making sure they have lots to keep their minds busy and occupied. As far as "maintenance" goes the difference I can think of from what I have gathered around here would be feeding requirements. The Eclectus has a longer digestive tract then other parrots so caution is needed in feeding them supplemented foods such as pellets.

[Irish]

I am not owned by either, but I have heard opinions by some people that Greys are as high-maintenance as U2s and M2s, and perhaps just as unsuitable as pets for most people. I don't know how true this is, though--like I said, I am not owned, nor have I ever been owned, but either a Grey or an Ekkie. I do know a disproportionate number of plucked Greys, it seems, and I've never seen a plucked Ekkie--but I've only met a few Ekkies and maybe only a couple of dozen Greys....

[sammythegreyt]

I have 2 Congo African Greys. Sammy I have raised and weaned and he is wonderful. He does not like things to be too loud. The other birds you have are much louder than greys are and that could lead to distructive behavior such as feather plucking. Greys are 2nd on the Birdtalk Magazines list of most demanding birds. I not sure what rated number 1?
As a grey owner I have to say Sammy is very intelligent and knows my moods and requires one on one time with me. I am a lucky owner that does not have a grey that picks his feathers. I have been disabled for about 3 years and have made sure he is well socialized. He gets outdoor time almost everyday and he goes on car rides from time to time. He has his own room he shares with another CAG 10 months old and a Blue Headed Pionus.
Pionus are very quiet and they seem to pair well with Greys.
Greys do not really like cold weather too much. And it may take awhile to like taking baths. I had a yellow head amazon from next door to model enjoying baths to help. I am not sure how demanding the other breeds you have are but, I really could not reccomend a Grey unless you can cage the bird separately and spend alone time with the bird.
Also, Greys must not be on a regular schedule. They will act out if the regular schedule is not met all the time. You can vary play sleep and out of cage times by 45 mins and still be okay.

Hope this helps you some

Cheers Sammy

[raddaughter]

I own a grey and have owned an ekkie. Both are fairly high mantinence in their own ways.

Eclectus have a need for fresh foods daily. They need a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. Not only can this be expensive, but also time consuming to provide this daily. Eclectus also tend to do better with no seeds and definatly no peanuts, so pellets are probably what I would go with. Contrary to what you will be told, these birds are active and need a lot of room to play. They do need things to chew, although mine wasn't much of a toy chewer (though he did get a hold of the new door molding ) They are very smart and I would get them lots of foraging and puzzle toys to interact with. Boings are a favorite along with pretty much rope anything IME. One hting that eclectus seem to be known for is their hormonalness (don't know if that's a word or not ) They can get pretty hormonal, but I think all birds will be; ekkies just a bit more than others.

Greys are great; I have one and he's a trip. Always into everything, figuring things out, and mimicing every new noise or phrase. He is always intertaining and a sweet heart. They do need lots of mental stimulation; puzzle toys and foraging toys seem to be a favorite. They need things to chew; leather, wood, etc... Swings of all sorts give Echo hours of enjoyment! He will 'hop' from one to another making them go back and fourth quickly, showing off his 'skills'

Again, lots of room to move around. The real high mantinence thing with them is their need for mental stimulation. I think RPO is also a great addition to their diet, so if you do decide to get a grey, that is a must. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Although I feed Echo seed, I am going to make the switch to pellets. Pellets just tend to be better for them, although they prefer seed..

More to add later, but I'm sure you'll get much more advice!

[sammythegreyt]

I have heard that Red Palm Oil is really great for Greys. My problems is the only place I have seen to order it was from Dr. Foster and Smith and they do not have any or have discontinued it! I have 2 CAGS and would really love to have some for them. Where did you find your RPO??

Thanks

[Monica]

Here's some red palm oil info/sellers...

Virgin Palm Oil - Tropical Traditions
CERTIFIED ORGANIC RED PALM OIL --- PURCHASE NOW

http://www.trustedpartner.com/docs/l...ultsAugust.pdf

I'm sure there are other places to buy it at...

Red Palm Oil - BirdBoard.Com
Red Palm Oil