Possibly soon to be new grey owner

[harmar]

Been thinking about it for a while, and decided that I am going to get an African Grey parrot. I have never been a bird owner before (unless you count 2 chicken pets a bird owner heh) so going to be interesting.

I bought 2 books (For the love of greys and African Grey Parrot Handbook) that I am reading through now, finding out a ton of good info.

also been lurking this forum for a while for info.

 

I am extremely nervous of getting one though, just for the fact that I think I might screw up raising it. Not knowing everything, etc.

 

I went to a local bird place, and they have some TAGs (which is what I wanted anyways) that are 12 weeks old. He said they will be fully weaned in 2 or 3 weeks.

He said wings are already clipped. He said he doesn't like selling them unclipped because he heard too many stories of birds flying into walls breaking their wings, or flying out a door. I was looking at both sides of the argument on clipped vs non clipped, not exactly sure which I would prefer, but guess now I don't have a choice so...

 

Now he also said CAGS are better for people who are already settled into their life (i.e not going to be changing such as getting married, moving, having kids etc) and TAGs can cope easier with that sort of thing.. I was trying to look it up, but couldn't find any info if that is true or not. Is there any truth in that?

 

I am going back there next week to meet with a few of the birds and see if any stick out that bond with me.

 

Anyways if anyone has any good pointers let me know, new world to me looking after a house pet but I am excited

[judygram]

Hello Harmar and welcome to our family, we are so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing more about you and your new grey.

 

I hope you have researched enough to know whether a grey is a good fit for you for you should be sure before you make that committment for a grey can live to 50 - 60 years or more. We abhor people who get one and then decide that it wasn't what they thought it would be and then find it a new home. Too many birds wind up in that situation so we like for people to avoid putting themselves in that position.

 

Please read thru the many threads here for lots of useful information and do not hesitate to ask questions you may have and we will help you in any way we can.

 

Thats too bad that the breeder has already clipped the wings, they really shouldn't assume that every bird owner would want them clipped, a lot of members here are passionate about leaving the flight feathers uncut so the bird may fly like it was intended to.

 

Don't worry about not knowing everything, I have had my grey for 3 years now and I freely admit I don't know everything but I have received a lot of advice from the members here that helped me out tremendously.

[Luvparrots]

Hi harmar, which african grey, CAG or TAG, is debatable. I prefer TAGs but we have members who have both and this debate has yet to be decided. If you ask me why I chose the TAG it's because they are smaller than a CAG and I love small things. They are both beautiful creatures. Please do read all about what a takes to care for a parrot. They are intelligent creatures and need much more care than a parakeet or canary. They need more space and much more cleaning up after along with loads of out of the cage time. So please do your reading before you make up your mind. They are a commitment, just like a child.

[Joolesgreyuk]

Welcome to the forum harmar. Yes I've also heard it said that TAGs are less highly strung than CAGs, I wouldn't know myself as I've never owned a TAG but my CAG is certainly easily spooked.

 

May I suggest the book "Parrots For Dummies", apparently this book is the best book on the market for beginners and one member on here said "it's like all the parrot books rolled into one" it is inexpensive too and can be found on the Amazon site.

 

Don't forget to read "foods that can be dangerous to your grey" and also "teflon poisoning" on this site. There are many hidden dangers in your home which can potentially be lethal to a parrot ie. air fresheners, hairsprays, self-cleaning ovens (when the cleaning option is being used) many cleaning products and so on. I don't mean to scare you and if you know what things to avoid it does become second nature after a while.

 

Look forward to your postings

[danmcq]

Welcome Harmar!!

 

It's GreYt having you here.

 

The others have given good comments.

 

Looking forward to hearing more from you as this decision is made. :-)

[katana600]

Welcome Harmar. It is good to see someone researching and looking into the aspects of living with a grey before holding the adorable little black-eyed baby. This forum is a lot to take in all at once, but it is invaluable to get experienced advice and lots of ideas for housing, feeding, socializing and keeping your companion safe and happy. It does take a deep commitment and dedication through the good times and bad as our lives take unexpected turns, but it is well worth it. Thanks for joining us for the adventure.