Merlin

I use moth traps too. They are fantastic and you just chuckem in the bin and replace when they fill up!!!

Nawww, what a rough lady fancy treating a Grey so forcefully and impatiently. Gracie sounds like such a sweet, confident little baby you must be super excited. Winging It is an awesome book. It has certainly helped to settle my 'me and everything needs to be 100% perfect' nerves. I will probably read it every time I start to wonder if I'm doing the right thing (deep down I know what's best )

Thank you jeffNOK And Brianlinkless I will definately check out their site! If I lived in the USA I would probably very quickly find a breeder through you guys here, but alas I'm in Australia, and not even one Timneh breeder to be found yet!!! In a way I like that AG breeders are so hard to come by here. There certainly is no excess surplus of these special animals struggling to find homes.

Wow!! That's the sort of breeder I would love to meet!! I'm just young and enthusiastic no harm in wanting someone like-minded to buy from, and you just proved they are out there hehehe!!

Thanks for the advice guys Especially since I have no idea from a breeding perspective! I suppose it is a business and as long as a breeder has cash flowing in the future of their babies is irrelevant to them kinda makes me think the ones that don't care so much should be in puppy mills instead where there is a little less at stake hahahaha. Ah well, who am I to comment, I've only raised magpies and owls. Guess my love and devotion to Greys is a little starry eyed and innocent lol.

Just wondering if there are any questions I haven’t covered that are important to ask my prospective breeders (also if some questions are odd or you don’t like pleeeeeeeease let me know) ~ Do you breed Congos and/or Timnehs? ~ Is it possible for us to visit a group of babies, and have our baby select us? ~ Can we please visit our baby often? ~ Can choose that our baby be weaned onto Roudybush pellets (and the normal fruit and veg selection)? Could please let me know the size pellet they use? ~ Can you please make a note of what fruit and veg our baby has enjoyed- and what their favourites are? ~ I would like to buy a non-clipped baby who has learned how to fly. (Not negotiable) ~ Would like our baby socialized with kids and dogs please if possible. ~ What sort of environment will our baby be raised in? ~ We would love to buy a few toys for our baby to learn to play with please, so that it can come home to us with some familiar belongings. Is this ok? ~ We would very much like our baby to be introduced to a harness (aviator preferred), progressively from a very young age, to the point where it is comfortable wearing it with no stress or reaction when it is close to weaning. It is important for Adam and I to be able to take our Grey out with us in public, to relative’s houses and on holidays- and harness training can be extremely difficult if it has not been introduced from the start. We will compensate/buy any equiptment required. ~ I will not buy a baby who is not at least 15 weeks old. Especially for a Congo as they mature and develop so much slower than the smaller Timneh. (Not Negotiable) ~ I would like to know the birthdate of our baby. (Not negotiable)

That's so cute I love stories like this. I pour over them at work (cough) imagining if my baby will do funny little quirky things like that. I love the picture too!! That really helps my imagination hehehehehe. She is very, very sweet <3

<quote>but eventually i got him on my lap, all bundled up in the towel and we just sat there. then he was on my arm (a first) and we sat there like that for a while. </quote> Nawwwws, that sounds so sweet -isallgoey-

Bahahahaha, well after reading that I feel entirely normal, at home here too- but its glad to know that i'm not the only nutbag parrot obsessed, RIO LOVIN, shoulda-been-born-a-bird, Grey-a-holic around Its not so much that Greys are hard to come across here, but being me, I am being super selective about my breeder, and their understanding of Greys. No license required where I am thank goodness. I figure, if they want the best for the baby they have invested so much love into and time to raise, they wont mind me bombarding them with crazy excited questions and things hehehe. Hopefully I will start getting some replies soon!!!!!!!

Thanks guys and relieved to hear I'm not the only person who is overly eager in advance. Preparation is the key I have to find the right breeder still though unfortunately, and in Australia they seem to be as common as hens teeth.

Just wondering what views and recommendations you might have on 'For the Love of Greys' by Bobbi Brinker. I have 'Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot' by Mattie Sue Athan which I love as a general handbook, but I was looking for something African Grey inclined. I have various articles and enrichment books already for the boys, but I think I need something deeper as I look forward to Merlin's arrival. I'm also reading the book 'winging it' for a laugh. It's quite a good read if your interested

Hey there everyone I've been stalking the forum for a few months now in my journey to find out whether my husband and I are quality enough to become Grey caretakers. We have come to the conclusion after a year of research and learning, that YES we meet the complex array of requirements and we both hope that we can welcome into our little family a young Grey parrot next year!!!! That will give us ample time to import a cage, and set up the new bird space. His or her name will be Merlin At the moment we are owned by Yoshi the Quaker, Yoda the Sun Conure, Sophie and Piper the Border Collies and a lizard called Chuckie. Anyway, still more reading to do in preparation and I must say, I have become completely obsessed with African Greys, and learning, reading, talking and breathing them. I'm fascinated and deeply in love. See you all around!