Soon to be a new CAG owner. Saying Hi and wanting to learn

[ShatterPoints]

Hi

 

 

A co worker of mine was showing off his pictures and videos of his African Grey and when I saw it I instantly wanted to know how he got him. I've always wanted a grey since I saw Alex and Einstein years ago as a kid. I've had only one bird in the past for myself and she was a cockatiel whom I got as a hatchling and she lived to be 18. So I found this place and have been lurking for about a week. I am not intimidated by large birds or the task of caring for them, friends of mine have had cockatoos and other medium sized birds that I have been around so their behavior is not new to me.

 

The first couple questions I have are about the time I should spend with my grey and the whole issue about teflon. First my work schedule is pretty rigorous right now, I work four 10hr days and then have 3 days off in a row. When I was younger with my cockatiel I had all the time in the world to devote and spend with her but now with this kind of schedule I don't want my grey developing behavioral issues. I can adjust my work week and I know everything isn't an exact science but I don't want to make a commitment that if left unfulfilled will have a negative impact on my grey.

 

Secondly I know teflon gives off a toxic gas but I also know that it only happens when the pan is over heated or if nothing is cooking in it. That being said I would not keep my bird near my kitchen while cooking and I use the vent and open the apartment up as is when doing so anyway. My question is does anyone here use non-stick cookware carefully? I know its better to be safer than sorry but my issue here is I can afford the cage and food + the bird but wont be able to quickly replace my cookware.

 

thanks !

[danmcq]

Welcome shatter points!

 

Your work schedule is fine, as long as you spend quality out of cage time with the grey when your home after work. Some people do use teflon in terms of believing they will never have an accident with it over heating. With that said, it only takes one time in a moment of forgetfulness say when a phone of door bell rings and while that pan is over heating. Then you return your attention to the pan to find a dead bird.

 

If I may, I would suggest reversing your priority order. Replace the teflon cookware first, then get a grey.

[Timbersmom]

Hello and welcome What Dan said ^^. Teflon isn't a risk any bird owner should be willing to take in my opinion. I switched to stainless steel. You can find it cheap if you look and aren't brand conscious. I plan on buying a "good" set one of these days, but the cheap ones are working for now. A lot of us struggle with hectic work schedules. As with children, quality trumps quantity I think. You will still have three days free to spend with your bird if you are on a 4-day a week schedule, which I would love to do! They are pretty adaptable to your schedule. I'd say consistency is most important. I've had to stay up past my normal bedtime several times to make sure Timber has his out of cage and "me" time. That is the kind of sacrifice you can expect to make, along with spending part of your three days off cooking for him/her to cover the days when you work. That said, I've found it to be worth it, and I think most here would agree. Good luck and God bless

[ShatterPoints]

Welcome shatter points!

 

Your work schedule is fine, as long as you spend quality out of cage time with the grey when your home after work. Some people do use teflon in terms of believing they will never have an accident with it over heating. With that said, it only takes one time in a moment of forgetfulness say when a phone of door bell rings and while that pan is over heating. Then you return your attention to the pan to find a dead bird.

 

If I may, I would suggest reversing your priority order. Replace the teflon cookware first, then get a grey.

 

I would like to change priorities but as it stands I have found only one breeder close by and they only had one pair of birds lay eggs so they have only 2 greys for sale. I hate rushing but as of now if I don't pick on up now I may not get a chance to for a year or so.

[Jayd]

Hi, I just posted this on the 15thin another room....................I'm sorry, with me it's better to be safe then sorry, I refuse to use it or Teflon, Why? I held two of a friends Macaws while they died in my arms and he held the other 2, it was all over with in thirty minutes as we stood out side in fresh air to no avail. Accidents, mistakes, whatever can happen.......Nothing brings them back................

[judygram]

Greys live long lives, if its a question of not being able to do both then what is one more year to wait for your grey, at least you will not have to worry about teflon if you replace it now then when you do bring home that bird you can rest easy at least about that.

[Spock]

Thank you Judy from both Jay and I......Maggie

[Luvparrots]

I don't know if it helps but it did for my canary that got gassed with some Dust Off spray. Cappy was out and I thought he was dead but I placed him in the direct stream of air from a rotary fan and his lungs cleared out. It took awhile and Cappy took awhile to completely come out of it. But Cappy is fine now and singing and flying around as usual. I don't know why he is fine but I'm not going to complain about his miraculous recovery. I put a thread in the Canary Room about his ordeal. Now that Cappy is fine, I wish I had thought to record the whole horrid ordeal. If placing a gassed bird in front of a rotary fan helped once, it is certainly something I would try again.

[ShatterPoints]

Greys live long lives, if its a question of not being able to do both then what is one more year to wait for your grey, at least you will not have to worry about teflon if you replace it now then when you do bring home that bird you can rest easy at least about that.

 

I completely agree about replacing cookware. I was more curious to see if it was something that was more than a common theme from the research I've done. I had one scare with my cockatiel when I was younger. Someone, I think my dad, burnt the food they were cooking and at the time my bird's cage was near the kitchen as soon as I smelled the smoke I rushed my bird outside and she ended up being ok. I was definitely lucky and I wouldn't want it to ever happen.

 

I could wait until next year to get a grey. I am just excited about the idea of getting one so I'm flip flopping between being impulsive and patient.

 

Thanks for all of your input.

[Jayd]

I don't know if it helps but it did for my canary that got gassed with some Dust Off spray. Cappy was out and I thought he was dead but I placed him in the direct stream of air from a rotary fan and his lungs cleared out. It took awhile and Cappy took awhile to completely come out of it. But Cappy is fine now and singing and flying around as usual. I don't know why he is fine but I'm not going to complain about his miraculous recovery. I put a thread in the Canary Room about his ordeal. Now that Cappy is fine, I wish I had thought to record the whole horrid ordeal. If placing a gassed bird in front of a rotary fan helped once, it is certainly something I would try again.

 

Everyone on the Forum is so proud of what you did, of how you handled the situation and responded to the emergency......Bless you.....

[aerial.2000]

All I can say is, that it definately kills my friend had 12 baby chicks in his house raising them until big enough to be put in the pens outside (chickens) was boiling water to make tea on the stove ... phone rang... was his son ... by the time he got back in ... he lost 10 out of 12.

 

Its definately a risk that I also found I was unwilling to make when you considered the money I spent just to buy the cage and the bird a few more dollars could get you a stainless steel set, or just start to buy it a piece at a time. It really just happens that fast. Course that was only 1 change that we made, there was several others that I did as well like the plug ins and scentzy warmers and candles and carpet shake lol you just learn to make different choices

[Acappella]

I with the others, I wouldn't risk it. I know you would be careful, but what about someone else. We all have occasions when others are cooking in our home and all it takes is one person who doesn't take your warnings seriously. My brother is an a** who, when over visiting my dad, refused to follow basic rules in our home regarding Dorian. I had to protect Dorian from him. He would not have hesitated to use teflon, light scented candles, spray aerosols if I had them in the house.

 

I know that the two babies available right now are calling to you, but I'd try to wait. You'd have the time to prepare, save up a birdy fund, buy the best supplies, cage, etc... and set your house up for success. You can live here vicariously in the mean time.

[FirstPenguin]

I agree. It's not worth the risk. To be honest, I wouldn't go back to teflon. The ceramic coated alternatives are great and I'm a snob when it comes to the hardware I use whether it's in the kitchen or elsewhere. Also, don't compromise on a breeder just because it's what's available in the short term. I drove breeders NUTS with my questions all up and down the eastern seaboard. Long story short, my CAG came from Texas because I wasn't happy with any of the breeders in the northeast. Some people discount it but I believe getting your bird from a good home helps set you on the right path.