Drew

Thanks to everyone for the great advice.. LCAviaries looks like a possibility. I'd rather not subject a baby CAG to a long distance flight (and I'd like to visit it while it's being weaned) - so something local is key.. I'll definitely message you about your research FirstPenguin.. Any help is most appreciated

I'm looking into buying a baby grey.. I came very close to getting an 8 yr old, but it had some emotional baggage I wasn't prepared to take on. That being said, there are a few breeders in my area (Connecticut) that offer abundance-weaned CAGs. Here are two I was looking at: http://dianesparrotplace.com/default.aspx http://www.lcaviaries.com/ I would prefer one that has been hand-fed, and weaned to pellets/veggies. Any suggestions? Is $950 a reasonable price for a baby CAG? I've also looked at the Hahn's Macaw.. but leaning toward a Timneh/CAG. Can anyone suggest a suitable cage? Thanks much!

Note to self.. don't sass a Lorikeet.

How realistic is potty training a grey? There are a few methods for this.. I've heard people have been able to get the bird to tell them when the bird needs to go.. "go bathroom! ok, fly to perch" Or the bird flies to a designated 'pooping perch' anytime they need to go. Any thoughts?

Recently (3 weeks ago) I came across a listing on Craigslist for an 8 yr old CAG who's owners were forced to find it a new home due to lifestyle changes. The owners work long hours, the bird doesn't get out of the cage much, it's harassed by their dogs and as a result, it's started plucking and biting. On the plus side, they said prior to some of the changes in the house, the bird was loving and very gentle.. As an owner of two budgies, I have *some* experience with birds, but nothing on par with a CAG. My wife and I felt bad for the bird's situation and decided to move forward with giving him a new home. Fast-forward a week of some hard decisions and weighing various pros and cons. Here were the two biggest cons, and as it turned out, the deciding factors for ultimately not getting this particular bird: 1. We have two small children, ages 3 and 5.. a bite from a scared budgie is a surprised child and maybe a little crying.. a bite from a scared CAG is an ER visit and stitches. 2. Granted, currently, my wife is a stay-at-home mom.. In approximately 2 years, the youngest will be going to school full time, at which pt my wife will look for a full-time position, which would result in the bird being alone in the house from 8:45a until about 3:15p. As difficult as the decision was, it was in our, and the bird's best interest. As a follow up, we could mitigate #1 con by buying a baby CAG/Timneh and work with a clean slate (little emotional baggage) Which leaves us with #2. Is 6.5 hours too much for the bird to be alone? My brother lives right around the corner, and he often stops by while we're out of the house.. (he works 2nd/3rd shifts) so much of that alone time would be at least broken up with regular visits; however, there will be days the bird would be alone with only 2 budgies to keep it company. Is this asking too much of the bird? Thanks -Drew

Hello, As a new potential owner of an African Grey, I've heard so many heart-rending stories of owners with the best intentions accidentally losing their birds. Not that I would have any grand illusions of trying to free fly my bird, and of course be careful with windows/doors but accidents DO happen. Are there any tiny GPS products out there that have the capability of being attached to a bird? (the size of a band for instance?) I certainly would want to attach anything huge to the bird, but if the technology is there to have a tiny GPS transponder, that'd be awesome. Thanks, -Drew

That's adorable! What a great relationship