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Hello everyone, my dad who is an absolute plonker has decided he can no longer look after Bailey (African grey) as he wants to come out of retirement and look for work again. After going down to have a look he has decided that Lincolnshire wildlife park is the best place for Bailey. I know every parrot is different so I will tell you a bit about Bailey; he is 11 years old and spent his whole life with an elderly couple before my dad bought him from a pet shop 3 years ago. He is okay with strangers but will back away if they get too near, when up 8 family members have visited he has been fine and even tries to get in on the chatter. He flew onto my nephews shoulder for a minute or 2 the first time they'd met. It did take him 6 months for him to step up but he would normally accept treats. He is going to Lincolnshire Wildlife park on Thursday. Do you guys have any advice for transporting him etc? I've posted some photos and videos of him. One is of Lincolnshire wildlife park just over a month ago. 20180405_173344.mp4 LWP.mp4 Use1.mp4

Hello Jayd, thank you for your opinion. We can take Bailey with much more confidence now. The staff there are extremely knowledgeable and often take their own bird there for the day but I still had slight doubts about him going there. I also agree that Bailey won't be too worried about other birds in close proximity as long as he knows they are safe. My dad said he was flying around the pet shop like a goodun interacting with the other animals. We are also in contact with the staff so we can keep tabs to make sure everything is going well. I have a few more videos I tried to post earlier but I got an error message, I'll try to re-post them

I'm not in a situation where I can keep Bailey all day. If it was up to me I'd do as you say and wait but it's out of hands as my dads keeping him. There were quite a few parrots paired up with each other grooming at Lincolnshire wildlife park, Caroline said that they pair up a lot. I thought this would be better for some parrots than forming that same bond with a human.

Well, be careful. I would not have let those birds get into that situation in the first place. Too many in too close quarters. It's an indication to me they are not really taking care of those Greys the way they should. They may have the best intentions but they may also be over-loaded with other things since it's a wildlife park. If you do go the FB route, do not indicate you are giving the bird away. You will not be able to sort through the riff-raff that will come out of the woodwork. If you have time, I think it would be best to seek out a home for Bailey. They deserve the best since being captive was not their choice. I have to ask, are you interested in keeping Bailey or just not in a situation where you can? I also hope your Dad doesn't decide to get another bird in the future. These creatures are not throwaway animals when the situation isn't convenient any longer. They are way too intelligent and function at the level of a small child.

Okay, Bailey lives in Manchester with my dad. My dad wants to give him to a good home/place for free rather than selling him to someone who may not have the best intentons for Bailey. Caroline who works at Lincolnshire wildlife park and is a parrot owner herself said they are planning to move the African Greys to another enclosure currently occupied by the macaws.

That video of the Greys in the enclosure looks like way too many in one enclosure of that size to me.. Looks more like an animal hoarding/zoo to me than a sanctuary. Sure you can't find Bailey a nice home? I know there are a lot of Grey owners in the U.K. on the African Grey facebook groups.

That's a really nice setup. He's going to love that the more he gets to use it. I love to see them out getting their sun.

Hi, Maggie here....After a long night, I was not ready to get up and start the day as early as Joe was🙄😝....so I was trying to ignore him when he went into his cage-rattling, "let's start the day" mode. After 15 minutes, he won and I got up to set up his breakfast before getting him out.... BOY! Was I surprised to pass his cage and find that he had rattled his dish door open and was trying to squeeze out between his food dish and the opening 😁🙄....Once he saw me and realized he was caught, he snuck back in and waited for me to open the door...hahahahaha! By the way, he has also developed manners. When he is done eating, he requires a napkin so he can beak it and clean his beaker and mouth...He will take the paper into his mouth, gum it a few times, and drops it. The napkin will not be torn or shredded at all. He just likes to keep a clean mouth and beaker.😍

Thank you! My preference is to keep a Grey in a forever home but we can't always do that. Obviously, you investigated this park and felt comfortable...I feel, in your case, this is the best move for you and your Fid. We have worked, over a number of years, with many sanctuaries to our satisfaction. The one you picked is outstanding. When it comes to selling a parrot or giving one away, it is extremely hard because, in this instance, the book's cover does not necessarily reflect what is in the book. I think you made a good choice out of a difficult situation. Please keep us informed.

Greetings Thank you for your info...I researched Lincolnshire wildlife park, It's quite a setup, nothing but good, it has everything to properly take care of greys and other parrots, including avian medical staff. It does not appear to be overcrowded considering the group environment that Greys live in the wild. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnnOx178Z64

Well today has been an adventure for Alfie! We have had some glorious weather this weekend so I decided to get Alfie out into the aviary for the first time. (The cats have had their fun earlier this weekend) It might have taken me two and half hours to coax him into the travel cage.... (he was being a stubborn thing today and didn't want to play ball!) but it was totally worth it. After two hours of sitting on top of the travel cage inside the aviary and taking everything in, Alfie is now happily exploring the aviary and his new toys. He is now even making the odd vocalisation - mostly directed at the neighbours' noisy dog. He barked back at it and then whistled to it. 😂 I am so grateful that Alfie takes to changes so well. I'm sure other birds would have taken ages to come out and explore. I think 2 hours is pretty damn good.

Corky is on her forth cage in 17 years. She has been able to open every cage she has ever had including this one. We are down to twist ties and clothespins. We may have to weld her doors shut.

Also... the cats definitely love going out there, even though we haven't finished sorting toys/enrichment for them yet. They were very jealous of Alfie being out there and were very vocal about it!! 😂 I might have to set up a rota for who goes out when at this rate!

He seemed to be enjoying himself today. I'm hoping that will continue the more he gets to go out there. He was out there for nearly 7 hours in the end. I made sure to provide plenty of shade as it was a particularly hot day (for us, anyway) and he doesn't spend much time outside. He investigated three toys- the bridge, one of the boings and a swing. He also discovered the bark edging on the front of one of the shelves and started shredding that. All in all, I think it has been a success and I think he liked it.

Wow, looks great! Alfie seems to be taking right to it. Loved the pics

He is on antibiotics again... I do feel he is somewhat of a miracle...Jay has a few more conditions than what has been mentioned. He has MS, he has been having a number or small TIAs, sleep apnea, CHF, Asbestosis, enlarged heart, liver, kidneys, multitude of lung issues, diabetes, AFIB, undiagnosable tongue cancer, etc.