Luce Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I am contemplating about buying an African Grey Parrot and would like some advice. I have an entire spare room that I am willing to give to the parrot. It will be a constant large environment for the bird and I will obviously kit it out so it is bird friendly... BIRD PARADISE, lots of toys, space, perches etc. Me and my partner will be looking after it. The time we are there varies although we should be able to spend AT LEAST 2-3 hours everyday with the parrot - let him out and fly around the house for that amount of time when we get in from work and at weekends we would be able to spend more time with him. Would this be enough time for him to remain happy? Secondly, would two African Greys keep each other even more happier or is it hit and miss to whether they would get along? Would one parrot on his own be happy? What is the ideal age to buy an African Grey? Would you recommend buying a baby African Grey? If so, do they need more care than an older Arican Grey at first? If anybody could answer these questions for me, it would be a really big help! Thnak you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 First and foremost I will ask whether you have ever had other birds before because a grey is not the ideal parrot to start off with, they can be very demanding of your time. Now if you do decide to go with a grey then it is not necessary to have an entire room for them, a large care is sufficient with time out when you are home. That cage should be where the rest of the family is the most when they are home like the living or family room. Greys like to be part of the flock with you and your partner being the other flock members. Two greys bought together will probably bond to each other and not form a close relationship with either you or your partner. Two from separate sources may or may not get along and probably won't so you would not be able to have them in the same cage or area together. The best age to get an grey is after it has been fully weaned and eating on its own and that varies from bird to bird with some being ready at 12 weeks to maybe 18-20 weeks of age, the breeder you purchase it from will be the judge of that. If this is your first parrot I would recommend you get a baby grey as an older rehomed bird usually comes with baggage meaning it has behaviors formed already that you may or may not be able to deal with. Now if you still are interested in getting a grey whydon't you introduce yourself in the welcome room and tell us a little more about you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Hi Luce, i was pretty much in the same situation in the fact that i had a room going spare & decided to use it as a bird room . I decided to buy two handreared baby greys from the same clutch,If you are considering two greys then i would suggest just that.A single grey may find a big room pretty daunting at first, if you decide on a single grey i would also have a cage in that room for him.Two greys would keep eachother company & there is no reason what so ever they will not bond with you,daily interaction with them both we maintain the human bond. When considering a bird room please bear in mind greys love to chew, you will have to look at every safety issue,electrical sockets , windows etc.. A bird room is a wonderful environment to be able to give your birds,any more help just ask Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 And i agree with Judy a single grey will need to be housed in the family room as they see you as there flock,single greys live happily in a family environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luce Posted March 22, 2008 Author Share Posted March 22, 2008 Thank you for all your quick replies. This will be my first parrot although my father and his wife had one so I have a little experience with African Greys. Concerning 'lovemygreys' - is having two african greys hard work? For example, is it hard giving them equal attention? I just thought if I got two that they would be much happier together. Although I think my partner is unsure about two so it will be most likely the case that we will get one unless you can persuade us other wise I will definately get a cage for the bird to live in within the spare room we have and will definately make it as safe as possible. Does anyone know of any particular plants african greys like that I could put in the room? Again thank you for everyones help! It is good to reasurance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Luce here is a link to a list of safe and unsafe houseplants. http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/plntsafe.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luce Posted March 22, 2008 Author Share Posted March 22, 2008 Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Well actually i have 4 :laugh: but i did start with two,everyone feels differently about having two greys,Yes they are hard work but from my own experience the benefits far outweigh the negatives.everything you would experience with one just double,double the mess,double the noise,double training,getting two is something you really need to consider,many of our members have two greys, , i know of people that start with one then want to add another one later on which can always cause problems,jealously etc.. if you know you are one of these people then i would say get two from the start.I dont find sharing your time a problem, i have time for all 4 of mine,they all have one to one time with me & the benefit of eachother,they play, preen etc..It is a very big decision & a lifetime commitment so consider what you want from your grey,if it' one to one then i say perhaps one grey but bear in mind any grey you get will choose which person in the family they want to bond with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 If you don't mind me adding something..For a new novice owner, one grey is a handful. But if you and hubby are really willing to get 2 greys, it's important that you get 2 young ones, approx the same age. If you do this then you need to make sure that you never set up any type of routine that favors one over the other. Everything you do should be random. Feeding, petting, cleaning, training etc. Both of you should should share the interactions with bothe birds equally. Both people should spend time with both birds but not the same person with the same bird all the time. The fact that birds will sometimes favor one person for certain things should be accepted by both of you. No bird hands out equal amounts of feelings towards both people. Never let either bird become the #1 bird, Normally, all of this doesn't apply if you have one established bird who has been the #1 bird in the house for a while. In situations like that, a second bird should always be treated as the #2 bird because jealouy can develop. #1 must continue to be treated as #1. Remember that a new young bird has never known what its like to be #1 so that those problems with a new bird usually don't develop as far as who is king of the mountain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Well said Dave and that is exactly the way it is here at my house, my sun conure was my first and she gets everything first before my grey. She knows she is No 1 and Josey knows she is No 2 but I love them equally:kiss: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luce Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 I really appreciate everyones help who has commented. I think me and my partner have decided on gettting one African Grey. I have one more question. Should I use a little aloe vera oil is water when the grey has a bath? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I have a better idea, use aloe vera juice straight from the container for bathing, put some in a clean spraying container and soak the bird with it, makes the feathers softer and it is soothing for the skin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 You mean aloe vera juice or gel? If it's juice, mist on the bird after bath and 2 times a week without bathing--full strength is fine. If it's gel, you're talking about, the gel completely dissapates in water making it useless. gel should be used as spot treatments for sores, abrasions, dry areas on skin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I kind of speed-read the responses and didn't see anything about 2-3 hours being enough time out and fully interacting with the household. In my experience, that's good. That's about what Klaus gets and he's a pretty happy birdie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 My Josey is out of her cage for more than 2-3 hours a day, more like 4-5 hours with more on the weekend. But actually interacting with her is less but she is around me or us for most of that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luce Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 I have one more question concerning where the cage should go in our household if anyone could advice me please. I understand that the grey should be kept in a room where it will have contact with people however - we considered putting the cage in the conservatory we have but it leads off our kitchen and someone told me that african greys can become unwell from the smell and chemicals released from cooking food. Is this true? If so I think I will not locate the cage too close to the kitchen. Again, thank you for everyones help and opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 A conservatory near to your kitchen is not the ideal place, because of the often rapidly changing temperature and humidity as a result of cooking, the lethal fumes associated with Teflon coated kitchen utensils and the obvious hazards while cooking is in progress. Greys are very social birds they will want to interact with the family, so locating the cage in the family room is a better option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I agree, greys will want to be where the action is and the room where the family congregates is the ideal place for the cage.B) BTW, I would get rid of any teflon coated pans and such, you would not want to use them with the grey in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luce Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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