NewMamma Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Hi everyone! First of all, thank you for this group….i definitely need some advice! I recently adopted a beautiful African grey parrot because the owner was moving and not able to take her with. She is about 18 years old and I have known her since she was a hatchling but I never owned a bird or handled one and I’m worried I won’t know what she’s trying to tell me sometimes. I attached a video of her here…what concerns me is the noise she is making and the way she is just sitting on the top of the cage all crouched down. I have in the past seen eggs in her cage and was told by a local bird shop owner that this would mean she needs more calcium in her diet. First, is that what she looks like she’s doing? Second, what is best for calcium? Also, is there anything more serious I may need to be concerned about/have her seen at a vet for?? I appreciate any advice more than you all know! Thank you!! IMG_1536.mov 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNCAG Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Welcome to the forum! I didn't see anything that made me think she was preparing to immediately lay an egg -- she just seemed flirtatious and perhaps playful -- might have even wanted to regurgitate for you. It is Springtime, when they can act this way, or even become moody and aggressive. Mine always laid eggs on the bottom of her cage, usually with some shredded up paper she created/gathered for the purpose. Not to sound negative, but mine (esp my macaw) acted as if egg laying was uncomfortable, if not painful. She didn't act all playful or flirty immediately before she laid an egg. But in general all my parrots could act bit amorous with me during Springtime (longer daylight), so I was careful to only rub their heads so as not to encourage them believing that I was their mate. Hope that made sense. Extra calcium is a good idea for egg layers. I am sure others will chime in to welcome you also! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewMamma Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 Thank you so much! I feel so much better now….like I said, my experience handling birds is limited and I just want to make sure I am taking the best care of her! We have had a bond over her 18 years but since she came to live with me, it has become something I honestly never believed could happen with a bird(sorry everyone!!!)….but I’ve been converted! Oh and she always is trying to regurgitate for me, then she bows her head so I pet her….falls asleep while I’m doing it….so precious!! Not sure if I’m supposed to make a new post for this but I need to buy her a new cage and was wondering what brands you would recommend? There’s really only one decent bird store in my area and I know they are pricey….but I also don’t want to go online and just get anything. Hoping there’s some quality ones out there that are more reasonably priced! Thank you so much again! 💜 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNCAG Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 I'm really only familiar with Kings Cages -- last purchased cage was 1997 -- so no idea if they're still considered good cages or not these days. I put my last cage outside on the open back porch (been meaning to get someone to take it to the dump) but honestly, it still looks good after 26 years of use and nearly a year outside in the elements). Excellent powder coated finish. From 1996 or '97. But I'm sure others will have newer recommendations! lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewMamma Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 I still appreciate you answering!!! Thank you!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 I don't have any experience with egg laying I'm afraid but hopefully others can help you out with that question. With the body language- that's a slightly odd pose for sure, especially holding the tail down against the cage like that... but I couldn't tell you if it means anything as such. I too would read it as more amorous behaviour- especially with the head bobbing. That usually leads to regurgitation for Alfie. Sounds like you're doing a good job with her though. Welcome to parront-hood! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewMamma Posted March 27 Author Share Posted March 27 Thank you for the encouraging words!! It means a lot!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 Welcome! It's wonderful you are here & asking questions. As for a cage, I always say the biggest you can find. I have 3 parrots, they are all in Macaw Size dome cages. Once you fill it with toys & perches, they become quite small. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNCAG Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 I haven't bought a cage in so long, but I know I made sure to get the proper bar spacing for a smaller grey. My macaw cages had wider bar spacing and (this was the 90s) I was told otherwise my grey could get his head stuck between the wider macaw bar spacing. Who knows, maybe all cages these days have the safer smaller spacing (is it 3/4 inch? -- I can't remember now). I was also warned about those sunburst/starburst designs where the bar spacing goes from wide to narrow and heads/wings could get stuck. I didn't have the starburst design, but my grey did get his wing caught once between the vertical bars where they intersected with a horizontal cross bar on his cage and my grey panicked -- luckily I was able to reach in between the vertical bars and support his feet, lift him up and work his wing back inside. He was literally hanging by his wing/underarm joint. He was fine. But I am so thankful I was home and heard him scream. But just something to know can happen. I had my grey 26 years so this was a one-time freak accident, I suppose. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 Hello and welcome! I have no experience with egg laying either, but agree on what the others have said about her behavior in the video. I've always gone with King's cages also, but haven't purchased one in 4 or 5 years. Also, good point about the bar spacing. Your bird is a sweetheart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 The newer macaw size have much closer bar spacing, more of 1/4-1/2 " 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNCAG Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Wow, at 1/4" spacing I'd be worried about feet and legs getting stuck! Even 1/2" really. Sounds like it would be difficult to climb around in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 On 4/4/2024 at 1:03 AM, LNCAG said: Wow, at 1/4" spacing I'd be worried about feet and legs getting stuck! Even 1/2" really. Sounds like it would be difficult to climb around in. Well that was an uneducated guess on my part. My parrots have no problem climbing & taking treats thru the bars. I will have to measure them when I get home I guess. Macaw size bar spacing on my 3 cages works well for me 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 I have used various Liberta and more recently Rainforest cages over the years and Alfie has been fine in all of them. Kings cages look good but they are definitely out of budget for me. I have a kings travel cage which I mentioned in another post a short while ago and I have had it for about 10 years now and I've been really impressed with it. Just can't afford the larger counterparts! You need to make sure the bar spacing is right, as others have mentioned. But also allow enough space so the bird can fully open their wings to stretch out and so that they have space to move around, climb about and have space for lots of toys. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryspear Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 Hi NewMamma, I had to replace our Grey's cage at the beginning of 2022 because Corey was starting to bite the paint off her cage. I was very concerned that this paint could be toxic to her and it seemed she immediately recognized my reaction to this new development which made her more prone to bite the cage bars. I didn't want this to be a way for her to get attention. This meant I had to look for a stainless steel [SS] cage. As others have pointed out, SS cages can be very expensive. Kings Cage has very nice SS cages but they were more expensive than what we could afford. Here is a link to a SS cage I found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N94VTHF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This cage was called: Prevue Pet Products Large Stainless Steel Play Top Bird Cage This cage is made in China but since it was made from SS, I wasn't too worried about the metal or paint it was made from. It has held up well for the last 2 years. The only thing I don't like about the cage is that the bars are a very small diameter but Corey has learned to navigate the bars just fine. My husband modified this cage with a few parts from her old cage so Corey wouldn't freak out when we got her the new cage [and fortunately she wasn't interested in eating paint from these parts]. The old cage and the new SS cage were exactly the same dimensions. Our bird doesn't really like change and the last thing I wanted was to spend $800.00 and have her reject the new cage. After my husband assembled the new cage [including adding a few parts from the old cage], we were able to switch the old cage with the new cage. Corey knew something was different but it wasn't THAT different and it all worked out. Good luck with your Grey, they are wonderful creatures. Corey's Mom 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNCAG Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 Stainless steel cages sound amazing. I believe my grey/amazon cages had 3/4" spacing between bars (identical King's cages); the macaw's cage I think was 1 1/4 inches. I even think Kodak's (my cockatiel) also had the 3/4" bar spacing but honestly, it may have been just half an inch. Glad to hear someone else here (TimbersMom) tried the Kings cages. They really impressed me, but again, I only had the powder coated ones. Stainless steel remained a dream for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 I've seen some prevue cages recently on various sites but in person. Glad to hear you've had a good experience with one because they're a bit of an unknown for me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now