Looking for new grey

[Drew]

I'm looking into buying a baby grey.. I came very close to getting an 8 yr old, but it had some emotional baggage I wasn't prepared to take on. That being said, there are a few breeders in my area (Connecticut) that offer abundance-weaned CAGs.

 

Here are two I was looking at:

 

http://dianesparrotplace.com/default.aspx

 

http://www.lcaviaries.com/

 

I would prefer one that has been hand-fed, and weaned to pellets/veggies.

 

Any suggestions? Is $950 a reasonable price for a baby CAG?

 

I've also looked at the Hahn's Macaw.. but leaning toward a Timneh/CAG.

 

Can anyone suggest a suitable cage?

 

Thanks much!

[Codys Mom]

http://dianesparrotplace.com/default.aspx that one I would be leary of if it is anything like Kaylee's place , it sounds like the same type of place , The lady that runs Kaylee's place does the same thing , she will find you a baby then she will hand feed it and wean it for you, only thing is she wants half the money for the baby before she will even start looking for a baby , then she weans it and you pay the rest of the money

I didn't like the fact that I give her 600.00 and all I get is a peice of paper a written agreement then I sit and wait until she notifys me that she has my baby and since I don't know her that well what if she takes the 600.00 and I never hear from her again , thoose type of contracts make me uneasy , if it was me I would go with the breeder, call her and talk to her and get some refrences at least that way you can go and pick out your own baby and put a deposit on it

[Codys Mom]

and 950.00 is average price for a baby cag, I'am going to Ohio next spring to adopt my baby male cag the breeder charges 1000.00 with dna sexing , we want a male

[Cheshire Cat]

$950 is a fair price considering that I'm from England and we paid £825 for Tui which, I think, equates out to about $1,400. I do think on the whole though that Greys are more expensive over here.

[Buffy]

I paid $950 for my first one and then got a discount due to being a repeat customer and paid $900 for my second one. Every breeder I looked at was between $900 and $1000. I definitely agree with Rudysmom and would go with the breeder. I researched breeders at length when I decided to buy a grey. It was very important for me to find a small, experienced breeder who didn't have too many babies at once and could give lots of attention and socialization to the babies she was raising. I also wanted my bird weaned to pellets. My breeder keeps a small waiting list, so I had to wait for a while, but it was worth it! There are all kinds of great cages. I went for the largest I could afford with my first bird, but soon realized it was a little overwhelming for her at first. I started my second bird in a smaller cage and moved him into a larger cage a few months later. I buy everything, especially my cages and play stands, at bird shows. Even though I have to drive a couple of hours, everything there is so much cheaper. Good luck! I continue to be amazed at just how much my two birds have enriched my life!

[FirstPenguin]

I'm from lower fairfield county CT and have done many many breeder searches for the northeast and tristate area. The timing and money haven't added up yet so I'm still looking for a grey at the moment. Anyway, CT doesn't seem to have any decent breeders that have come onto my radar. When you're buying a pet that will potentially outlive you, I would get in the car and drive the distance to find the right one. I drove to upstate NY to get a senegal for my girlfriend and the 9 total hours driving, the torrential rains, and the resulting speeding ticket were well worth it.

 

I would rather deal with a bird shop than deal with someone who just brokers finding and hand feeding a bird. At least then you get to handle visit and pick the right bird for you... which you should do anyway. I'm not a fan of buying birds from a store (or worse generic pet shops) but if I had to deal with one I would go to Parrot & Co in Stamford CT. I go here frequently for treats, toys and cage related items and have been tempted by many of their birds. I would go here just to visit with their birds but I made a rule not to visit with out buying something. In fact, there is a Timneh there right now (as of last week) that I almost fell in love with. If the money were in my pocket that bird might be helping type this (aka removing keys) very post. Keep in mind Parrot & co are a little higher than average price-wise.

 

If you'd like me to share some more of my north east breeder research feel free to message me.

Edited October 19, 2010 by FirstPenguin

[Drew]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice.. LCAviaries looks like a possibility. I'd rather not subject a baby CAG to a long distance flight (and I'd like to visit it while it's being weaned) - so something local is key..

 

I'll definitely message you about your research FirstPenguin.. Any help is most appreciated

[judygram]

Be sure to let us know what you decide and how it goes.