Excited to be getting a Grey! :P

[jessdecutie18]

Hello, my name is Jessica and I'm currently looking for an African Grey, but want to make sure I know everything about them before I get one. I love birds, always have, had a Quaker parrot in high school and loved him so much. I bought Kiwi (the Quaker) from a breeder, hand raised, and he was such a joy. Now I am 19, in the Air Force, married, and currently living on Patrick AFB in Florida. I finally feel ready for a parrot again, and I am looking at an African Grey this time. After much looking around online and reading material I am getting very excited! I'm too afraid to buy an African Grey from a pet store, it's just not the same, and I want to know that my future companion for the next many years has had the proper upbringing from day 1. We don't have any other pets at the moment, although someday we will be getting a black lab. Looking into cages, we like the 37" X 27" play top cage, plenty of room for him/her I believe. I work 7AM till 5PM, and my husband is a full time college student, soon to be working too, so I want him/her to have a nice cage and some entertainment while we are gone. We have talked about hooking up a TV on a timer while we are gone too. As for the rest of the day and the weekend, we spend a lot of time in the house, so I think an African Grey would fit in great and would be an exciting new addition to our house. We will be going back to my hometown for Christmas, one of our few vacations, so we probably won't be purchasing the parrot until January. I have a few breeders in mind but nothing set in stone yet. It's killing me having to wait so long, but hey good things are worth waiting for right? Plus this gives me plenty of time to find as much info as I can on my future companion and acquire all the necessary items! I know this is long... but you guys seem pretty welcoming here and helpful, and I thought I'd introduce myself properly. Thanks!

[Luvparrots]

Hi Jessica, very nice introduction. You have come to the right place to learn about greys. There's oodles of posts about just about anything you need to know about greys. And, of course, if you have any questions, just ask. Hope you find the right grey for you, welcome to the Grey Family!!!

[chelseaB]

Hi Jessica, welcome to the group!! I am a new member also, you have come to the right place to learn about greys!! I know how you feel anticipating the day you will finially get your baby grey. I currently have a sun conure who is a rescue ( I am his 5th home!) poor guy , he is very sweet & a clown -but also very reserved. I started looking for a baby grey last fall ( my dream bird), and I finially should be bringing my baby home within a month! Planning ahead does give you time to prepare & gather all the necessities & information you can. I already have a nice big cage set up, tons of toys, a birdy back-pack & I have been reading everything I can about African Greys. You will find the right breeder & the right bird for your family!! Everyone here is very nice & happy to answer question! : )

[jessdecutie18]

chelseaB wrote:

Hi Jessica, welcome to the group!! I am a new member also, you have come to the right place to learn about greys!! I know how you feel anticipating the day you will finially get your baby grey. I currently have a sun conure who is a rescue ( I am his 5th home!) poor guy , he is very sweet & a clown -but also very reserved. I started looking for a baby grey last fall ( my dream bird), and I finially should be bringing my baby home within a month! Planning ahead does give you time to prepare & gather all the necessities & information you can. I already have a nice big cage set up, tons of toys, a birdy back-pack & I have been reading everything I can about African Greys. You will find the right breeder & the right bird for your family!! Everyone here is very nice & happy to answer question! : )

What kind of cage/toys did you go with? Any play stands? That's awesome that you will have yours soon!

[chelseaB]

The cage I went with is 32 x 23 x 36 with a play top. It's very nice, I have it set up in the living room already! I just got a variety of toys, things to shread, wood to chew, & various perches to play on. I am fortunate to work from home, we have a ranch in Calif., so I will be able to spend alot of time with the baby. My concern is to make sure it gets enough socialization, because we live so far out- not alot of company, so I got the back pack to be able to take the baby with me when I can. Oh, and I have a wooden playstand that I can move from room to room. I will get some pic's & try to get posted tomorrow!

[jessdecutie18]

chelseaB wrote:

The cage I went with is 32 x 23 x 36 with a play top. It's very nice, I have it set up in the living room already! I just got a variety of toys, things to shread, wood to chew, & various perches to play on. I am fortunate to work from home, we have a ranch in Calif., so I will be able to spend alot of time with the baby. My concern is to make sure it gets enough socialization, because we live so far out- not alot of company, so I got the back pack to be able to take the baby with me when I can. Oh, and I have a wooden playstand that I can move from room to room. I will get some pic's & try to get posted tomorrow!

 

Cool! This idea of people bringing their birds with them in backpacks and stuff is new to me... sounds interesting but in Florida the sun is blazing right now and in the winter it's way too cold so I don't think that's such a good option for me

[JillyBeanz]

Hi Jessica - welcome to the forum. I did loads of research too before getting Harvey - I would say 99% from the guys here - and it still didn't put me off!

 

Here you get true life views and examples and also when you ask you get great advice. You've got plenty of time to research - but you already sound like a really caring parront! Enjoy the peace until your baby arrives!! :laugh:

[Eckobird]

Hi Jessica welcome to the forum! Thats great that you are doing your research first. I hope to hear more from you and your future grey.