Advice on choosing a grey as my companion - I need people's input

[Luvparrots]

I have three parrots. A TAG, a CAG, and a ZON. They are not friends or friendly to each other. They do not interact. I got them for me, not each other. Frankly, they could care less about each other. They do not fight and if I split them up I doubt they would miss each other. They each like to interact with me not each other.

Edited March 29, 2014 by luvparrots

[Acappella]

One thing to consider is with two birds, if they don't care for each other you may have to have separate out of cage time, or at least very vigilant supervision. That said, we see pictures all the time of babies of different species together as virtual clutch mates, so babies would be the way to go. Maybe you could find a breeder that raises different species so that they're together from the start. Then, when they are old enough to move to adult cages, let them both have their own cages so they won't be so bonded to each other that they won't bond with you. If you have a roommate bringing in an adult bird, that changes the flock dynamics, as that bird would have to be recognized as the flock leader, wakened first, fed first etc... This is all second hand stuff for me as I only have Dorian, but lots of members here have more than one bird and I'm sure they"ll chime in if I've gotten anything wrong here. Lol

[JakeGrey]

We have a 23 mos. old CAG (Jake) and a 9 mos. old Solomon Island Eclectus (Max). Jake is very bonded to me, but will go to everyone in the family. Max is a little marshmallow personality and happily goes to anyone, family or other. I was worried about getting a second bird but the transition went extremely well for us. I thought Jake might get feisty if I was spending time with another bird, but that never happened. My husband and I are home all day, so there is plenty of attention to go around. I also have two teenage daughters who handle both birds. The eating perches are approx. 2 ft from each other and they have no problems. They walk around each other and Jake flies on and off Max's tree with without incident. Of course, if they are in their cages (next to each other), they get a bit protective. They each have their own tree, main cage, sleeping cage and playing cage. They will both go on each other's stuff, but typically only when the other isn't there. Jake is a talkaholic. Has been since about 7 mos. old. Max is just learning to talk. Jake spends a lot of time sweet talking Max. If they are in their cages next to each other, Jake will be chattering away, then stop, walk over to the side that Max is on, and start talking in a very sweet voice. "Hi Max. How are you? Are you a good boy? Do you want some breakfast? It's gooooood! There's corn. Look outside. See the trees. When the trees blow it's windy. The snow ... brrr, it's freezing! Do you want to step up? Let's go to your tree. It's fun!" He goes through his little dialogue every morning with different variations (but always including the day's weather and something about corn). Always in a very sweet voice when talking to Max. I don't know for sure, but it seems that they get along well together. Of course, they don't play with each other. Come to think of it, they are a lot like my teenage daughters: You love them and want them to get along, but you always fear that if you turn your back, one or the other will lose a body part. As for me, I stopped at two (kids and birds). I know my limitations! If you are interested in getting a dog, I've also had no problems there. We have four. Big and little. All in the house. Of course, we have no brains. Lost our minds when we started getting all the animals! We do live in a state of bliss, however. And I wouldn't trade it for the world!!!

 

Good luck on your decision. You sound like a very loving, caring, and conscientious bird owner. You will make some feathered companion very happy!

[Inara]

<snip> . . .

* I keep going to the petshop to spend time with their greenwing Rio and their greys. They have babies but I am trying to hang out with the adult, because I know we just can't compare a baby that always want to be cuddled with an adult that has its own likes and dislikes.

* I am fortunate enough that there is an aviary conference being held in my city. I have already planed to spend time with people that have parrot sitting businesses, breeders, shelters, etc.

* I will establish a bond with these people so that I can gain hand on experience with these two types of bird before I make a choice of which will come home first.

* As of the when, I'll let summer fly by, I will live my first U.S. tax season and from there I'll know what kind of time I have in my life.

 

I am happy about the way I am doing things. It's the first time in my life that I am being THAT thorough about a commitment (as I didn't do so with my quaker), and I am sure I will end up doing a good job once I am sure.

 

I like what a member said about providing a FOREVER home. Even then, I will create myself a social network of parrot lovers so that if one day, by the most unfortunate of circumstances I had to rehome my bird, I would have a network of caring people that could end up wanting to adopt it instead of having him end up on craigslist.

 

Now I got to spend time with adult greys as like I said and think, babies can't be used to make myself an idea.

 

</snip>

 

It would be lovely if more people put this kind of thought and planning into play before purchasing or rehoming any non-human companion, and especially parrots. I'm particularly appreciative that you will be spending time around adult birds of both (and perhaps other) species, as you have already become aware that purchasing a baby is no guarantee that it will turn into an adult that enjoys being handled. So many people purchase babies and then about 2-3 years later find themselves with a bird who by nature is wanting to individuate and become independent from it's "parents." This is simply nature in action. Unfortunately it often ends up with the bird being put up for sale.

 

From your posts, I've inferred that you are less likely to find "a" bird, and will no doubt find "the" bird(s) that is a good personality fit for you and you with them. When I found HRH Inara, I was looking for another CAG and had no idea that a sweet, sassy, and razor witted TAG would steal my heart.

 

I'm sincerely looking forward to peeking in on your quest for your companion(s).

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Sophie Kiki and Sunny lived together quite well for ten years, We did lose Kiki our Amazon last year. It was very hard. If you want birds of different origins, it works best if you have someone available 24/7. While we have " open cage" belief, it is very hard to maintain, unless you can supervise. We had the capability. It extended to the dogs on the birds part. I don't believe in having two greys. Just my opinion. It is too stressful for the greys. Fighting for dominace, the other one gets stressed.

Decide on what bird you want. If you want a baby and can find one at a petstore you trust...let the bird pick you.I never picked any of my birds. They picked us. Nancy

[Michellec]

Welcome! I too, came here before we brought a parrot into our lives. This site has continued to be an amazing place to continue to be a part of and I appreciate the frank advice received. I think it is wonderful that you are asking many questions. I do not have the level of experience as others here do, so I can mainly offer a warm welcome. Our Nala will be one year old this next week and our lives are so blessed by her addition to our family. I'm fortunate that I am able to take her to work with me, but I do leave her home one day a week so she learns to also be home by herself. I leave a parrot babysitter DVD on when gone. I think you are doing great with your research!

Edited March 30, 2014 by Michellec

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Michellec... Welcome to you guys! Love your plans for Nala. Nancy

[chezron]

Hi Cedric,

I have a Quaker, a Grey, and a Panama Amazon. My Grey loves the Quaker. They horse around all the time. You know the bossy Quaker personality! Even though the Amazon (Pancho) and my

Grey don't interact, Brutus, the grey, talks about Pancho, and I am sure he would miss him if he were gone. Brutus, the grey, picked me, I looked for over a year before I found him, and I knew at once when I picked him up. It is also really important to give them a good diet of fresh organic vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes with a little nut, meat, and eggs. Keep in mind to feed my guys takes a lot of time and preparation, not to mention it costs money to feed them well! I also learned from my vet about the importance of taking them, especially the grey, out into the sunlight, several times a week, for at least 20 minutes. This makes sense because they evolved at the equator with 12 hours of sunlight every day! Keep the time and effort required to have healthy parrots in mind when you think about owning parrots. I probably spend 3-5 hours a week shopping for and preparing food. At my vet's suggestion I also feed them a cooked chicken drumstick BONE once a week for the nutrients. My guys are beautiful and I think not at all neurotic, and really calm (for the most part). I believe their diet, and exposure to outdoor sun really plays an important role in how well-adjusted and calm they are. I think you need to do some soul-searching and determine if you can give them the time they need. Remember, you are single now, but girlfriends have a way of changing your priorities. I got Pancho because his former owner's new girlfriend couldn't stand birds and so he sold him to the pet store I bought him from. Poor little Pancho sat in a dingy, unlit cage for three years before I got him. Just some food for thought! Good luck with your process.

[GCedric]

I thank you guys for all the great insight you have provided me with! It turns out I will be mostly working 55-60h a week for the first few years so I guess I won't be able to materialize my dream anytime soon:( But I will try to do pro bono work for rescues /*aviaries around my area while my life stabilizes /*I pass the first few years.

 

I love all birds and hurting a bird by providing it with less than adequate living conditions is definitely not on my list. I love greys, I love macaws, I love conures, I love caiques, I love all these puffballs of feathers.

 

I hope I get to live my dream someday:)

[Luvparrots]

Hope you hang around here until you get your own grey. I was a member a few months before I got my first grey. It was worth it and I learned a lot and met some great friends.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

GCedric... Try working at some animal rescues that have birds. I am sure you would be a GREAT dad of a baby, but I think you would excel more, with a bird that is two or older. Sophie was two when we got her. "A baby", in grey terms. Within two days, she was climbing down off her cage helping us look for Teddy our missing guinea pig. She was walking around saying " Teddy!!!" She found him .Let the bird pick you. They usually do. Just put yourself where your bird can find you. It may not be a grey, but birds fall in love pretty quickly. All of my birds picked us. While they have learned to " love" all of us, each of us are very special to the one bird that picked us. It never changes. Nancy

[Muse]

Here's another question I have:

 

Should I end up working 55h+ a week and still want a parrot, what are your thoughts about getting two of them in two separate cages?

 

Would that prevent boredom while I am away (which could end up being 11h+ a day), yet preserve my relationship with each of them?

 

I am just being theoretical and looking at all the options I could end up having.

 

Thanks:)

 

I am a nurse. I worked in a busy state (psych) hospital. My shift was 3-11, which meant at a MINIMUM I was there from 2:45pm to 11:15pm - the 15 minutes being the time allotted for taking report coming on shift and giving report at shift's end. If anything unusual happened (say an assault or restraint) there were endless pages of paperwork to be done, and this often made it impossible for me to deal with patient care and paperwork ("charting") during the allotted time. There were nights I got home at 2am, 3am, once even later (that was a night I would love to forget...).

 

When we got our Greybies, we planned on one, and ended up with two. My husband travels for his job so that left me to be pretty much the full time caregiver and he was the weekend visitor. We spoke to our vet, and he affirmed what my gut instinct already told me - that having two makes them far less dependent on their humans, plus it gives them things we as humans cannot. Imagine living with as a prisoner (even a well-treated one) of someone whose language you did not know. No matter how well they supplied your needs, life would be a lot better if you had a friend of your own that spoke your language and had the same culture as you. It is much easier to get two as young babies than try to mix two adults.

 

We had *no* - repeat ABSOLUTELY *no* - issues with not having a relationship with both birds. Megan tolerates me but adores her daddy. Marden was bonded to me, but also adored his daddy. The only time he got nippy with daddy was during his hormonal bouts. As soon as the hormonal behavior (displaying, trying to regurgitate for Megan) ceased, he reverted to being mister sweetness and light again. He really was a perfect bird. Unfortunately, he contracted aspergillus, most likely from some contaminated food product. We did not let them have peanuts, so in going back after the fact, we are thinking it may have been field corn. We are now eliminating dried (field or "dent") corn from our birds' diets.

 

We are now in the process of adopting a new (to us) Grey - I will post more about him later. All we can do is hope he hits it off with Megan. She can be kind of hard to get along with at times. I personally believe having two birds is far more healthy mentally. But that's just my .02 cents.

 

Good luck in whatever you decide and I think you will be a splendid parront, either way!

 

(I play .mp3s for our flock when we go out - because the thought of what gets said on radio or TV scares me these days. I saw part of a sports program in a pub we ate at (we don't have TV) and was shocked to hear them say a word I don't use in front of our children. Eeek!)