Why/How did you get your first grey

[Tari]

I thought this might be an interesting topic.

Ill start by telling you my story.

I never thought I would be a grey person. The few people in my local bird club that had them were cage bound and one was a plucker. And they were just grey. They just did not appeal to me.

Around 7 years ago I killed my quaker, a blue crown conure and 11 breeder/baby budgies with teflon.

One of the club members about 2 weeks later gave me one of her breeder quakers that just was not working out as a breeder. (Not a great pet either he still bites bare hands or anyone that gets to close but I promised him this is his forever home)

A month later I get a call from anouther club member about a grey whose buyer backed out and needed a home very soon. She was 6 months old and was not going to get the attention she needed to stay tame cause that years babies were starting to come in. So I was offered a deal if I wanted the baby.

Well I told her to bring it to the next meeting and I got on the internet to find all I could about TAG's. I read they did not have as many phobias as the CAG's.

I get to the meeting and met the bird. First thing she did was scream at me for asking her to step up and I'm thinking "No Way will this work"

But I hold her the entire meeting and after about 15 min she is very calm.

Then she made that cooing sound. That was it she melted my heart and I had to have her despite all my fears of having a grey.

Now over 7 years later I still have a calm, sweet grey that has been a joy to have around.

So whats your story?<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2007/07/28 14:00

[danmcq]

This question really made me perform a search of my time-line in deciding to get a Grey.

 

You know, the first Parrot I purchased was a Wild Peach Front Conure and I cannot for the life of me, remember what lead to that. :ohmy:

 

For some unknown reason, I just started reading about Parrots, then became more interested and more....Then Internet searches for them available in my area and one Day BANG, there was the ad for my Conure....

 

During the year of working with and taming "Jake" and reading articles on the like. I also started becoming more interested in all Parrots and their peculiar characteristics.

 

After time, the Grey won my Mind and my Heart, due to the challenge and reward of owning one.

 

So I started watching for baby Grey's available in my area. It took a few Months for this search to come to fruition, but it did 5 Weeks ago with the first visit to the Breeders and purchase of "One" of them.

 

After 2 weeks, it became obvious that one of them was seemingly choosing us as his parents. The 3rd week it was with Iron Clad certainty that we said, "This is the One".

 

Now at 13 weeks old today, Dayo is already in our Hearts and visiting here at out home for 5 - 6 hour stints, which today is happening again!

 

The Breeder states Dayo should be weaned and ready to come home next weekend! We can't wait :-) to have him here forever.......

 

So, my reason may seem a little ambiguous, but I honestly cannot claim that I had an epiphany or a finite point in time that I can say "Why"....Destiny???? :huh:

[judygram]

I have always been a cat person, I have had them all my life, from day one, I still have two. I have always liked birds and had a couple of parakeets when I was a child and I love to watch the wild birds come to my bird feeder and especially the hummingbirds, I feed them every year.

 

But a few years ago I decided I wanted something else besides another cat, so I searched on the internet for information on different parrots and decided to get me a sun conure. A nice first bird and a real joy to have around. She loves to ride around all day on my shoulder and gets into whatever I am doing, sometimes a real clown.

 

Then one is not enough and I searched the net again and came up with a grey, not as colorful as a sun conure but a beauty in its own right. I made a wise choice and the breeder I got my sun from could get her hands on a baby grey for me so I was committed and I haven't looked back since. She is a joy to have and I don't regret for a minute that I made a good choice.

 

My two kids are grown and long gone and I guess parrots are like having children around again, someone to need you to feed them and play with them. There is noise in the house again and they need me as much as I need them, they can be a real comfort when you are down and need a lift. I really love the little guys now and would love to have more but I would not want to risk the quality time I spend with the two I have. Besides I only have two shoulders so there is nowhere for another one to sit.:laugh:

 

That is my story and I am sticking to it. :)

[Tricky]

I was always asking my parents for different pets when I was younger, got shot down by my dad every time (except for hermit crabs and fish) and one day when he happened to be in a good mood, we were all talking about parrots in general and he said something about the fact that I would be able to have a parrot since I'm young enough to be with it for a very long time. I don't know if he was serious about it at that moment but now he was stuck. :evil: I researched a ton of different kinds of parrots and my favorites were b/g macaws, sulfur-crested cockatoos, hawk-headed (I think that's what they're called) parrots and the greys. My dad sort of decided for me, saying he wanted to get the smartest one. :huh: I'm sure he regrets that decision now seeing as Jacques doesn't really tolerate my dad at all.

 

The thing about Jacques is he wasn't our first choice, I'd picked one that seemed to like me, he let me cuddle him against my chest and he was really sweet, my mom didn't want to put the deposit down on him because she wanted my dad to meet him first, so they said they'd hold him until 6 pm the next day. My dad never went, and they sold him to a couple that arrived right after 6 and was ready to purchase him right then and there. I think Jacques was the only, or one of maybe two left that weren't on hold already, so I chose him, not thinking that it was so strange that he screamed at me when I tried to take him out of his cage... This was all moot anyway seeing as Jacques doesn't like my dad either, the other one probably would have liked him more :pinch: and it was supposed to be my bird anyway. I always wonder if the other grey would have bonded to me more easily, and been less... er... high strung.

[Guest briansmum]

well i didn't start looking into greys for myself, i started looking for my mum, she had wanted one for years, it was her that sparked my interest. during the reasearch i was doing while looking for breeders for my mum, i completely fell in love with greys, i read everything i could, and couldn't wait for my mum to get one so i could visit it. unfortunately when i found a breeder due to work etc my mum just didn't have the time for a grey. i was really dissapointed.

 

then it hit me, why didn't i get one myself. at first i thought against it as greys aren't reccomended as a first bird, but since my accident i have been out of work and i got to a point where i needed something in my life that needed me, i needed a purpose and given that i knew i'd have all the time in world i decided to go for it. i found a breeder, he had some babies about 4 weeks old, i couldn't visit them as i was too far away and i don't drive, so i waited patiently for 2 months until my baby could come to me. no i wasn't the most experienced bird owner, but hes a happy, healthy bird and he's certainly done me the world of good. he makes me feel like i have a reason to get up every morning

[judygram]

And that Beccy is the real reason we have our pets, to get us out of bed in the mornings. :laugh: B)

[loviechick]

Tari I was sort of like you too! I had no desire for a Grey. I thought they were gorgeous, but I heard that they had such tempermental personalities that it mgiht not work at my house. Well one of my best friends called me and told me about her mother in laws friend that had a grey that was plucking, in a really small cage, and was cage bound in a house with 7 Maine Coon cats. YIKES So the ransom was a price I could afford and still get her a much larger cage, and I fell in love with Ted(now Red after finding out she's a female) and I've been hooked ever since!

[miltie]

Since I was young I always wanted a talking bird. With all the animals we had we never had a bird. When I had my daughter we got a cockatiel, which sadly drown in our aquarium. Took me a few years and we got another. That one flew out the door as the kids were running in and out. Now like Judy said kids grown and gone, and a very quiet husband I am ready for my grey. I also wanted the smartest bird. I know he/she may never talk, part of it was the personality. I have one child and she was a real challenge, I want that again. Unlike Beckys post I definately am not waiting patiently. I am driving my husband and probable my breeder crazy. I havent even gotten the bird yet and I am considering a Quaker. Tell me no my friends tell me no

[judygram]

No, Miltie, you don't want a quaker, you want a grey, I think quakers are cute but I don't really want one. And if you can drive your hubby crazy, well go for it, I like doing that, keeps them in line if you know what I mean.

[Tari]

I think a quaker is a great parrot. If that is what you want you wont be disappointed. Be sure you do your reasearch as with any parrot quakers have their own problems and rewards. You need to be armed with the info as to how to handle them.

[Christina]

I know I'm new to the forum, but I would like to weigh in on this one. I love the intelligence and the understated colors of a grey. They are like the brilliant nerdy people at college. Often overlooked for the vibrant colors of other birds. I have wanted a grey ever since we got our first bird years ago. This was a little caique we bought from PetCo. Yes, I know now, that you don't buy your birds from a chain petstore. But, she did somersaults and hopped around and although we looked at breeders, we went back to Petco, paid top dollar and brought her home. She was sickly from the time we brought her home and probably in the end, we paid 3x's her actual cost in vet bills, and she only lasted a year. It was a fabulous year...but she was bonded to my husband who had always wanted a B&G. We waited almost a year, then looked for and found a B&G and brought him home. What a joy! Although, truthfully, our avian vet, finally told us, that we needed to stop bringing him in, after Kiwi died, if Loki (B&G) sneezed, we had him at the vet. :lol: At any rate, two great birds...what were the chances of getting a third great bird? Would it change the personality of our B&G if we brought another one in? I really wanted a grey, but both the caique and the b&g bonded solidly and immedialtey with my husband, would a grey do the same? I refused to purchase one thinking that it wouldn't work out. Besides, for some reason, TAG's aren't as easy to come by as CAG's and I wanted the TAG, no one sold them locally. We went to a bird show to pick up some supplies for Loki and as soon as we walked in, there they were, the only two TAGs there....and Finnigan came right up to me, wasn't shy at all....we still had the cage that we had for Kiwi (big cage, caiques are high energy little birds) and this little TAG would make a nice home in it. My husband looked at me, and said, just do it. He obviously likes you, take him home and love him. He will be fine. So, I did, and he is such a joy! He loves his cuddle time, but is soo independent as well. I love the diversity he has. Loki is a velcro bird, so this "let me love you for 10 minutes and then I'll play independently" is a joy! Sorry so long...but I'm just excited.:blush:

[loviechick]

That's so sad Christina! Wonder what happened...I've head that a lot of the Kaytee breeding programs birds that get sent to petco and petsmart usually have some sickness, its sad really...

[judygram]

The excitement shows so don't apoligize for that, I am so glad you got your grey and he chose you, that is the grandest thing.

[Snow]

We have wanted a grey in our house for years and years. While we were raising white eye conures we never managed to enlarge the aviary or build another one to accomadate a grey. After selling the conures and relocating we just couldn't justify the expense of a grey.

 

Then this friend of mine had a friend that had to give up her grey - Mr.Boo. She wasn't trying to sell him, she just wanted him to have a good home. She was his first mom and she had him for 7 years. I immediately said we were interested. My friend told her about us and what kind of people we are (animal and creature people) and she said she'd like for us to have him.

 

And so now we do. Boo bonded with my sister so she has a new best friend that loves her to distraction.

 

And I have puncture wounds everywhere.

[miltie]

LOL Thanks for the comments but I am getting the grey I wanted to get a quaker too.

[Guest Monique]

I honestly don't know what hooked us on parrots, but Greys I fell in love with from the get-go of starting to learn about the different species. I was intrigued by their sensitivity, intelligience and their ability to mimic speech. I never cared they weren't as colorful as the Central American birds because what really mattered to me was personality not looks at all. We looked in the newspaper, found someone selling babies about 6 hours away, drove up there and brought home a 3-week old baby. She later died in a horrible accident where she became overheated when we were not home and an air conditioner malfunctioned. That was over 13 years ago she came home. We now have a 3-month old TAG.

[JulieinVA]

Hi! I have posted a few messages already, but today I am happy to say we actually brought home "my first grey", most likely to be named Jeffrey (will be DNA sexing though...)!

 

Jeffrey was brought to our home because, when I initially wanted to begin keeping birds again, I went to a parrot-specific store nearby, and paid for a Senegal that was not yet weaned. While he was still being fed over the next month, I visited him every day, and meanwhile, I saw this Timneh Grey in a cage next to him that was always making noises but nobody ever really paid much attention to him.

 

At the time, I thought he may have belonged to someone and was being boarded at the store, because he had no price on him. Anyway, after bringing my bird home, I stopped back in there to get some paperwork and saw him in another area with a price now. I asked about him, and was told he had been there for about a year, and was not sold as a baby because he had injured himself on a toy (a metal staple cut into his belly). It took a long time for the wound to heal, and they had had to put a collar on him, so for a long time he was off the market. At that point, he was pretty raggedy looking, missing a lot of primary feathers, and was not so friendly anymore.

 

I felt bad for such an intelligent, sensitive bird like a grey to be alone in a little cage at a store, and started visiting with him out of curiosity, with no intention of buying another bird from a store. However, I couldn't seem to help going back, and eventually I thought, "if he's still there in a month I'll think about bringing him home".

 

Well it didn't seem like aybody really had any interest in him. There were already 4-5 new Congo babies in the store, and nobody ever looked at him anymore. Of course, that was about 2 weeks ago and I finally couldn't stand it any longer. I brought him home tonight, and he ate some food and made some noise, and had some nice treats put in with his pellets. He has a humongous cage compared to his last one, bunches of toys, and will have lots of attention & love. He was much less shy coming to a new place than I expected, as he has been stuck on the front of the cage or near it, and already seems to enjoy the attention. I am so excited to have him here; did I mention that???

 

Julie

[judygram]

Yes you did, Julie, the excitement is obvious in your post. I am so happy for you and that Tag that nobody noticed but you and am so glad you found it in your heart to take him home with you. You have essentially saved his life, and I am proud of you for giving him a home. It's people like you that we need more of in this world.

 

That being said, keep us informed to his progress and post us a photo of him if possible, I don't care if he does look a little ragged, he is a beauty and we want to admire him too. :)

[Christina]

Julie that is sooo great! Congratulations!

[Guest briansmum]

judy is right, you have saved his life, or at the very least saved him from a sad one. you're a star! can't wait to see pictures.

[judygram]

Another happy rescue, thank you Julie for what you have done.{Feel-good-00020114}

[kiwibarb12]

Julie your story made me cry. How sad that the TAG was overlooked for cute babies - and how wonderful that you could get him.

 

I started with budgies - which became fast food for my cats. so I swore no more birds for me - I already had 4 cats and 3 dogs and 2 kids (human). Then my youngest daughter begged for a parrot for her birthday. I was very reluctant, but there was a pet store/breeder that had lots of different parrots, all in good condition. She begged and I bought her a quaker. She was afraid of being bitten, so (of course) I ended up feeding and cleaning up after him. I also played with him so he bonded with me, rode around on my head and one day rode outside and flew away. Then I got a CAG. I had his wings clipped so the previous incident wouldn't be repeated - until one day we went outside and off he flew - apparently the clip wasn't as good as thought.

I was devistated, and one of the men at work who had a TAG gave him to me, he couldn't spend enough time with him, and his mother objected to the noise.

Beckett has been with me a year and a half, and is the quietest bird I have owned. I think his noisiness was a call for attention, and since he gets plenty, he doesn't need to vocalise. Interestingly enough,his former owner said he was was a great talker, and now does very little talking. Love that bird!!!

Am thinking of getting an aviator harness so I can take her outside without worrying.

[lovemyGreys]

wow guys such wonderful stories

I started out feeling sorry for a little budgie i saw in a pet shop.I brought him home, then after a few days thought he looked lonely so i got him a friend.One friend led to 2 then 3 , you get the picture

Then the budgies moved to my outdoor aviary & i added some cockatiels.

My hours at work reduced & i was able to consider the grey i had yearned for,I had already spent a good year researching so i found a breeder who only had two breeding pairs,so i knew she wasn't a prolific breeder it was more her love of the grey,(she has 10 rescue greys )I was fortunate to follow 4 eggs from the days they were laid.Two hatched & i followed them week by week,i had decided i wanted a boy, why i cant really explain, both birds were dna sexed & they were both boys Gosh which one did i choose, i just couldnt, these boys had been born 2 days apart, they were weaned together,they played together,cuddled up to eachother & shared a special bond.I felt in my heart i couldn't separate them,thats how i come to be mum to Alfie & Freddie.

Coco is another story, i became very good friends with my breeder & she also runs a rescue, about 8 weeks ago she contacted me & asked if i would consider a rescue grey,she had people waiting for a grey but thought i was that special person for this bird.So Coco has recently joined me,she is a bit of a madam with attitude but has settled well & i love her dearly as i do my boys

[judygram]

Yes, I would suggest you get the harness so you don't lose any more birds, I would have been devastated as you were.

 

Beckett was noisy for a reason, he needed more attention than he was getting, but better his being noisy than plucking himself as some do.

 

Thanks for sharing a little more about yourself, it helps us understand each other better.

[Guest briansmum]

lovely story lovemygreys thanks for sharing. i dont know how you cope with 3 though, i take my hat off to you.