tabbytai Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Hello all! My name is Tabby. I have not purchased a grey yet although it is in the very near future. I have a cage set up at home which I am getting ready. The baby birds that I have been able to find locally are expected to arrive on May 6th. This is not far from now! They will not be fully weaned but will be ready for purchase. The woman who runs the shop keeps the birds there until weaned (a minimum of 13 weeks) and requires a new owner to make at least weekly visits with the baby before they can go home to ensure the beginnings of a good relationship. I was pleased to hear that. My apprehension starts here: What do I really need to do to prepare my home for the new arrival? and How will I be sure to choose a healthy baby from the clutch when they aren't weaned yet? Much of the reading I have been doing seems to lean toward weaned birds but I will be choosing before the bird is perching and before it has complete feathers. Please help! I want to make the best decision that I can. Thanks! I am so happy to have found this forum. I use one routinely for my fish tank hobby and love the community there. Glad to start a new relationship here along with my anticipated bird. Tabby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Welcome Tabby!!! If your Breeder keeps the Greys until 13 weeks, they will be fully feathered and perching. Perhaps I am not reading your post correctly. When you say they are arriving May 6th, do you mean coming out of the nest box and you must chose one at that stage? If at all possible, it would be best to visit the clutch as often as you can and let the Grey chose you. Go ahead and put your money down, but do not chose one right off the bat, unless the breeder requires this for some reason. At 13 weeks, the health of the entire clutch should be very obvious and you should look to the breeder to be the expert judge in this. They will all looking pretty much the same and act like a bunch of babies :-) In fact, most the time, you can not tell "Your Grey" from the pothers just by looking, you will need to check the Tag number for absolute certainty. If you do end up bringing your grey home fully unweaned (not recommended). You must ensure your breeder shows you how to spoon feed him, how much formula to give, the correct temp and how often. This is not something to take lightly. Please check the Food Room, it has a great post on feeding baby greys. There is a ton of information here you should familiarize yourself with in preparation of bringing home a Grey and How to setup the Cage, positioning, bird-safing your house etc. Looking forward to hearing more from you and of course, do not hesitate to ask all the questions you desire. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Hello Tabby and welcome to the family, so glad you decided to join us and we look forward to hearing more about you and your new baby. We have some excellent threads in the nursery room that will answer some of these questions of yours so have a read thru and then post any questions unanswered. The breeder makes some excellent points in making sure the baby is fully weaned before you can take it home and requiring you to make visits to form a good relationship, not that she could keep you away if she wanted to, I know the feeling as I visited mine too. Take a little time and read thru the many threads for lots of useful and helpful information, ask questions and we will do our best to find some answers for you and help you in any way we can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabbytai Posted May 3, 2008 Author Share Posted May 3, 2008 Wow, thank you for the quick response... Here is how the shop works: The breeder has her pairs and baby's at home. On may 6th they will be moved from her home to the bird shop she also owns. At that point they will be about 6-7 weeks and are available to put deposits down on. She only has two available from this clutch. I feel like I do have to choose which one I want because I don't want someone else to pick first therefore choosing mine by default. I want to have first pick. Do you know what I mean? What should I look for in particular in a 6-7 week only baby? also, I will definitely NOT be bringing home an unweaned baby. I have read so many horror stories and I will not allow it to happen to my baby. I have been advised to make sure I see it eat and drink water on its own before I bring it home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I can understand that and I have some suggestions from another post I copied and pasted here for you: General things to look for: - healthy feathers and skin - clear nares w/o crusts etc - clear alert eyes - clear vent area w/o droppings stuck to feathers - general alertness and interest in environment (but remember babies may be sleepy at some times of the day!) - good beak and nail condition - check feet/toes - check wings (have them spread out) Also you might see which one maybe takes an interest in your presence, sometimes one will be more receptive of you than the other, hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabbytai Posted May 3, 2008 Author Share Posted May 3, 2008 Thanks so much. I am sure it will. Only 3 days left till the big day. I'll keep you posted! Tabby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I understand your dilemma regarding needing to chose one now, thanks for clarifying that. At 6 to 7 weeks old, the Greys will be pretty much splotched with some down, few feather and the tail will be about 1/4 inch long. You will not be able to tell much at that stage. They should both look and act pretty much the same and choosing one at this stage is basically just chose one. :-) Do check the feet, number of digits etc. to ensure there are no anomalies. See if they are both equally balanced and that their legs are straight and appropriately strong and functional relative for that young age. They will be stumbling, awkward, beaks up and opening wanting food etc. If one seems lethargic, do not pick it. I feel you excitement and it is wonderful that you can visit often and be the "Second" mommy which will help immensely in the bond that will have developed between you before you ever bring your new Grey home. At least he/she will be with a flock member they trust and have you as a crutch, safety blanket and reassurance from you that all is well in the new cage and surroundings. Looking forward to hearing more from you and don't forget to get photos and post them in our Nursery room. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Hi Tabby, Dan & Judy have covered everything between them, so good luck in selecting your baby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Tabby welcome here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MazyAK Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Tabby: Sounds like your breeder sounds responsible. Danmcq and judygram have covered the important issues, I think it boils down to which bird takes to you and which bird you take to. Good luck Bruce & Mazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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