lindasagiuchi Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Don't even know the gender yet, but I'm calling it Zephyr and the breeder is hand-feeding it for me until it is weaned onto pellets, and some fruits and veggies. My question is: I have bought a cage appropriate for an adult Grey. Should I be using a smaller cage until the bird is big enough and has had some perching and fledging experience? Also, should I let the bird fly for awhile before having its wings clipped? I have read it increases their confidence if they have fledged. This is my first real parrot; in the past I have had budgies and cockatiels only. Any advice from experienced AG owners is most appreciated! BTW, I live in Windsor, Ontario in Canada and am a retired English teacher. Cheers, and Happy New Year to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Oh dear Linda, an English teacher, now we're are going to have a grey among us speaking correct English and correcting us all. Oh my! (heh, heh) welcome to the Grey family Zephyr and Linda. As for the size of the cage, if the breeder is weaning the grey, Zephyr should also be pretty good at perching. A good breeder usually keeps a young grey until they are fully weaned and perching without a problem. I have had both my greys since weaned and they have always lived in their present cages. I know many have sleeping cages for their greys for many different reasons. Looking forward to getting to know both you and Zephyr, welcome to the Grey family! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Hello Linda and welcome to our family. Congrats on your new addition to your family and you are correct in asking questions before you bring Zephyr home. About the cage, use it but put the perches lower and pad the bottom of the cage to begin with to soften any falls, young baby greys tend to be a little clumsy until they master the art of climbing and perching. About the clipping, why not allow your grey to remain flighted, it does increase confidence but to allow a bird to do what it was meant to do is only fair, I know there are situations where it may be necesary but the majority of us love our flighted birds so keep that in mind as the weeks and months go by. Do read thru the many threads here for lots of useful information and most questions people ask have already been answered in former threads but we are here to help if you need us so ask any question you like. If you get the chance to take pictures of Zephyr please consider sharing them with us, we love those babies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasagiuchi Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 My Grey was hatched on November 19th last year. The breeder is starting to wean it this week and says it should be ready to go in early February. Is 10-12 weeks long enough for this baby to be fully weaned on pellets, and able to perch without falling? If not, I'd like the breeder to keep it longer, erring on the side of caution! One quickie question: what types of parrot toys would you suggest for a baby of this age? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasagiuchi Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Thanks for your post! I will do as much reading as I can before my new arrival! Can you suggest a good, comprehensive AG handbook? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Anything for medium sized parrots, just try an assortment of different things as some love wood to chew, some go for acrylic type but include things that can be chewed, destroyed or dismantled, foraging toys are good too as you can hide treats inside for them to figure out how to get to them. Above all things do include a big heavy duty stainless steel bell, you can find them on the internet, most greys love them and they like to play fight with them, my grey loves her bell and it is the one thing I do not rotate out. Be sure to take a good look thru the toys and playstands room for lots of ideas of toys especially ones you can make yourself from common items found in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 "For the Love of Greys" by Bobbi Brinker is the best one I have found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoe Danielle Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Hello and welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Hi and welcome. As for weaning, it is generally believed that it should not be rushed and that the baby grey will let you know when it is time. Twelve weeks is a good starting point, but many greys take longer. Ten weeks seems rather short to me. With regard to clipping, I have chosen to let my CAG Gracie remain flighted. I think she is more confident this way. I also get great pleasure to see her joy when she flies. There is a thread here that discusses the pros and cons of clipping. Perhaps you could read through it while considering the issue. Whatever you decide, it is suggested that your bird fully fledge and gets confident flying and landing before any trimming takes place. We look forward to hearing more about you and Zephyr. BTW I am an English teacher as well. I teach English to international students who need English as a second language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasagiuchi Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 Thanks Jeff, so a minimum of 12 weeks is about average, depending on both the bird and the trainer. So, I can expect a call in mid-February so I can take it home. Will make sure it is on pellets, eating a bit of solid fruit and veg, and it is comfortable on a low perch with some towels for cushioning just in case it falls? I also bought one of those "bird tents" and will place it low enough in the cage so it can snuggle inside it when it sleeps. I'll also cover the cage at night, and if it's a little scared of the dark,I can place a low-level night light near the cage. Can't wait until Zepher comes home! BTW, I taught ESL in both Korea and Japan, until I landed a teaching job in Ontario, where I currently live. I am mostly retired now, but do get some supply jobs occasionally. It was nice to receive your post today. I guess it'll be a month or more until I receive my baby. Today, I bought it some toys, a ladder and a swing, but still have to assemble the cage (arrrrg!). Cheers, and Happy New Year to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Hi lindasagiuchi and welcome to the grey forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasagiuchi Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 Thanks, Ray. I have about 6 more weeks to wait before I get my Grey baby, but I've been learning a lot just from coming to this site and asking a few questions. Yesterday, I bought a swing, a therapeutic perch and a few toys. Picking up the cage tomorrow, so I can start getting everything ready for Zephyr. After I get my new baby home, I'm sure I'll be visiting this site a lot more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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