new and need to know al ot of things

[raleej337]

Hi just joined the forum today. I don't own a grey yet but planning on having one. Currently I owned a cockatiel. I always wanted to have a pet parrot but can't decide which one.

 

Lately I have been searching the net and trying to look for a companion parrot. I am being torn between a Rose Breasted and the African Grey. I have discussed things with two local breeders, one breeder prefer the Rose but asked me to decide and the other breeder suggests the Grey. Both give their thoughts about the two species. They asked me the same question: what do you want from this bird? Told them that I want a bird that talk a lot, tamed, can be pet, will sit with us, active and not loud all the time. I have a 3.5 y.o. girl and she loves birds, actually she always play with our cockatiel. I do work in the house so I can vouch for a long quality time with the bird.

 

I am leaning more on the Grey (obviously thats why I came here...lol). So I wanted to know a lot about their behaviors. I don't know exactly what to ask but if you could give me bits of general ideas about the greys based on your experiences I would appreciate it. How safe are they with kids? Will a lot of interactions help them to be more tamed and not bite a lot? How can I socialize my bird with other people since there are only 3 people in the house (me, my wife and daughter)?

 

Oh by the way I might go to the breeder next week to see the chick. It is a 2 week old chick and I have to wait maybe 5 months before I can get it, so I have plenty of time to read the posts here. But of course I have to decide by next week if I am going to get the bird or not.

 

Thank you in advance.

[pearllyn]

Hi there and welcome to the forum, I have only been on here for little over a year and the help I have had from these people has been invaluable. It follows then, that there are many members on here who have had birds longer than me and who could offer very helpful advice, but I have certainly learned quite a lot from my grey in the past 18 months or so!

Well done for putting so much thought into getting a bird - too many buy on a whim. As to which species, when you say red breasted, I assume you mean cockatoo? I don't know so much about them, but certainly an African grey can do/be all you mentioned you were looking for, but, as with any pet, the time and effort you put in with which ever bird you choose, will determine what kind of pet you will eventually end up with.

Working from home is a good place to start from, and certainly socializing is very important - perhaps you could invite trusted friends/family round for regular visits while your bird is still young?

As for safety with children - if your bird is brought up to realise your child is part of the flock, I see no reason why you shouldn't have a happy family, but never forget, little fingers are curious and vulnerable, while your bird is essentially a wild animal with a seriously sharp beak!

I found the following link on another thread in the forum, it is an excellent video and a must for anyone thinking of getting a parrot.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5101167n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

 

Good luck with your choice making - I'm sure the info you find on this site will help you come to the right decision!

 

Let us know how you come on.

 

Lyn & Alfie

x

[judygram]

Hello Raleej and welcome to our family, we are so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing more about you and your desire to own a grey.

 

I am so happy to hear you are doing the research to find out if this is the right fit for you, personally I would pick the grey over the cockatoo even though the rose breasted is one of my favorites too but it is a too and they tend to be more clingy.

 

Lyn has offered some excellent advice and greys can be good around children if handled properly and of course it depends on the individual grey as some are more tolerant of children and some aren't. My grey is not good around children but then she is not exposed to them on a daily basis.

 

You will find lots of useful information in our many threads so do read thru them at your leisure and ask questions you may have and we will help you in any way we can.

[JillyBeanz]

Well done for researching - I too owned a cockatiel and I can tell you that the transition from your tiel to a grey is absolutely mind numbing! There is so much you need to take into consideration - but you've made the first step by joining the forum.

 

My nieces are 20 months and four years old and have been around Harvey since he was 16 weeks old. He'll tolerate them - but isn't overly friendly - put it this way, I certainly wouldn't leave them in a room together unsupervised.

 

Keep researching though - there's so much you wouldn't even dream you would need to know (about harmful foods, smells, toxins etc) which you just take for granted in your day to day lives. Good luck!

[she]

I have had cockatiels for around 15 years and nothing about them compairs to a grey. Tiels are fantastic and I would not be without one but a grey is far more demanding of your time,though not as much as a cockatoo,they are not as noisey as a too though no two are the same.Feeding is more complex that tiels and the cleaning will increase no end.My grey is fantastic and I love him to bits and they make very good companions. I have young nieces and nephews come round but I dont let them handle my grey,that beak can do some damage if he wishes.He tolerates them quite well though concidering he does not see children all the time.Its your decision and I hope you find some usefull threads hear that may help you decide.

[Joolesgreyuk]

The best way to decide is to list the two birds and what you require from your bird, the one which ticks the most boxes wins.

 

"Told them that I want a bird that talk a lot, tamed, can be pet, will sit with us, active and not loud all the time." This describes a grey perfectly but you will have to teach your little girl not to touch the parrot and my guess is that the same applies to most large birds. If you are buying specifically for your little girl the a tiel or a budgerigar would be a better choice and these will take up much less of your time. I may be bias but to me a grey is the best companion bird and great talkers too.

[raleej337]

Thank you for the help, I really appreciate the word of advice and for the experiences you've shared. Well I still have 4 months to research and learn.