Hi! I'm Nancy. Which type of breeder/shop would you buy from? Choices are:

[nancybird]

OK, HI! Been reading as much as I can on here for a few days. CAGS are so captivating! I do have two little boys, ages 2 & 3. Any one think I may be biting off more than I can chew at this time? I know you don't know me, but you know what it's like to have a baby CAG and I don't, and some of you may know what it's like to have to have little boys. Also have 2 dogs. I've heard CAGs don't make great first birds, but I think if you love them and have patience, what's the difference?

 

So on to my question... there's a bird shop 1 hour from me that gets babies at 3 weeks, keeps them in a nursery and hand feeds them, and I can go visit and bond with the baby. Honestly, I'd probably only get there once or twice a week. Then there's a breeder about 2 hours away, who doesn't let any one in their nursery. Then there's a bird shop ("farm") with a good reputation about 3 hours away, which has babies all the time, where I could go and let the baby "pick me".

I like the idea of holding a little baby and watching it grow from 3 weeks, but I don't think I get a choice of birds. It's just "next on the list".

 

I'll have probably a hundred more questions right off the bat, so nice to meet you all!

Thanks,

Nancy

[Pixburgh29]

Welcome nancy!

 

I'm new to CAG care myself, ours is still currently being hand fed at our breeders nursery. So unfortunately I can't offer much advice. We have two adult Dalmatians but no children. We chose a breeder that had dogs so our baby would be used to the chaos they can create. We also take a blanket that our baby spends his time on when we visit and one we practice "toweling" with. We then let the dogs smell it when we get home so that they will be accustomed to the baby a bit more for when he does come home with us.

[MoonRock]

Hi Nancy! I wouldn't typically recommend an African Grey as a first bird, but some folks do just fine. Before I got my first Grey, my largest and only other bird had been a budgie (American parakeet). However, while my Calypso was a feather plucker before I got her, she was well-socialized and willing to be handled. I would not recommend a rescued Grey as a first bird (though I am big into bird rescue, don't get me wrong). Rescued birds almost always come with more issues than your standard, hand-fed baby CAG.

 

What are your 2 and 3 year old children like? I have opted not to adopt a child at this time, partly because I worried my Grey might bite him, or he could hurt the bird. The boy I was matched with is 11 years old and autistic, though a child of any age could accidentally hurt an animal, whether they are autistic or not. I love children so this was a hard choice for me to make, but that's how serious I am about caring for Oscar to the best of my abilities.

 

Please think long and hard about how your children would behave around a fragile animal like a baby CAG. Even when older, Greys could get hurt easily. It may prove too tempting for your boys not to stick their fingers in the bird's cage, which could be a huge problem. Supposedly Greys' beaks can clamp down with 500 pounds of pressure (or so I've heard).

[aerial.2000]

I can tell you on a positive note, I bought my baby at 3weeks of age from a great little mom & pop pet shop that specializes in only parrots. They cared sooo well for Marco, and I went on Sat/Sun to visit her for 4 months I didnt miss a chance to visit. They weened her and socialized her the best they could. They all loved her there. The transition from there to the house was easy peezy. (I was lucky)

However I will say this much on your young children, Marco was not cool at all with the children that would come into the pet shop. They liked to run and yell and she got very fearful. Also, Marco has completely bonded with me and will not allow my kids (much older) to hold her at all w/out biting them severly.

Marco is a TON of fun, but a ton of work as well. Read up on all the things offered here for sure before making your final decision. Greys are awesome and just like people everyone is different! I can only tell you the experiences I have had with my own baby!

Good luck to you!