Your African Grey Routines

[Matt]

I want to get an idea of what i will have to change in my morning routine when theres a Grey in my life.

 

From the time you wake up, to the Time you go to bed, whats your daily routine with the greys?

 

And also, what do you feed yours in the morning, and in the afternoon? Do you have to supply them with fresh fruits and veggies everyday? or can they just have the block and seed mix for a day or so?<br><br>Post edited by: Matt, at: 2008/05/14 20:46

[judygram]

Matt you won't have to change your routine when you get your grey, you just continue on with your life as it is now and the grey will fit in nicely. There are no major changes that have to be made other than providing food, cleaning out the cage and including your bird in your daily life.

 

During the week I work away from home so I feed Josey a warm meal and give fresh water, mabye changing the papers on the tray under the cage floor before heading out the door. She is in her cage while I am gone but usually when I return she is out, I just open her top door and if she wants out she comes out.

 

She either plays on the playtop or I put her on a playstand while I fix dinner and do some other things around the house. She joins me for dinner and then pretty much keeps me company for the remainder of the evening until she goes into her cage for sleep.

 

On the weekends she usually stays in her cage part of the day while I am about the house doing stuff and maybe outside for a while, then she is allowed out to do the same as during the week after I get home from work.

 

She gets some oatmeal with some baby food in it for breakfast, I fill up one of her bowls with pellets, another with a seed, nut and legume mixture and another bowl with some fresh veggies and fruits. She also gets more veggies with the evening meal usually warm ones.

 

Please take a cruise thru the bird food room for lots of ideas and suggestions as to what to feed and even some recipes if you can cook:lol: B)

[siobha9]

I am at home during the day, so my routine is slightly different. I let them out at 9.30 once I am back from my school runs. They usually play on the gym on top of their cages while I do bits and pieces. If I am upstairs I bring them with me and put them on top of a door or on the bannisters. About noon I put them back in, with a fresh meal of some sort. It varies depending on time etc... but it is usually scrambled egg, porridge or fruit. Again at 4 I let them out when I get home from school runs. Then in the evening when we have our main meal they get some of that in their cages. I had to stop them being out at meal times because Liath in particular would run from plate to plate and drive us nuts:S .

 

If I am studying I usually sit at the table in the dining room where they are, but they are in their cages. (They love to eat books and pens) but I talk to them when I am studying.

 

After dinner if I am home they get out at about 7, later if I have a meeting or whatever. And they stay out till about 11pm.

 

I try not to have too rigid a routine in case I need to go somewhere or I have company over. I think if the routine is like clockwork they would get upset if it changed. So I keep them guessing!

[Matt]

ok, I can handle that lol

I was kinda thinking I would have to expect a newborn baby(human) coming or something lol

[judygram]

No Matt but do expect to have a perpetual 5-year old child for a lifetime committment.:laugh: :whistle:

[Matt]

Haha, thats funny...

[Tycos_mom]

I get my birds up around 9amto 930am istay home most days I work 5pm to 11pm monday fri and sat so when they get up I open their cages and they stay open until bed time unless its a day that I work then right after a early dinner they go into their cages. I either make them eggs which can be an omlette with cheese and veggies or scrambled or french toast on multgrain bread if they get eggs they always have multi grain toast with it. that 3 times a week the other days they get fresh fruits and vegetables they always have a bowl of pellets and a bowl of their seed and nut mix at dinner time they eat what I'm haveing if what I;m haveing isn't sutible I boil up some sweet potatos, turnips, and carrots. or I make a rice and bean mash or something like that. I put them to bed around 8pm to 830pm except when I work then their full spectrum lighting is on a timer and it goes off at 830pm but they don't get covered until I get home at 11:30pm so They have learned to deal with it pretty well. Its quite amazing how well they can adjust to things I just went back to work a couple months ago before that they where used to being out from early morning til bedtime when I went to work all that changed now their in their cages by 430pm when I work they have very large cages and lots of toys so I don't think it bothers them at all to all of a sudden have a change in schedule Pat

[bettyboop]

LOL....IT'S kinda like a newborn baby at first , till you get all settled .

It will be fun .

Mary

[Matt]

HAHA...

I adjust to new things fast, I should be fine.

 

 

Ok, you all say you feed your greys oatmeal.

What kind? Can you give them the Flavored Packets that are sweetened with Splenda? or just stick to the regular flavor with no sugar or sugar substitutes?

[siobha9]

No sugar or milk! I make the oatmeal on a little water and add some juiced fruits like apple or orange to cool it down and make it a bit runny.

[Matt]

Ok thanks.

[Jane08]

The biggest change I found when I got ours was getting up earlier in the morning, 6am (I'm not a morning person) to feed them (fruit, seeds, veg) and give them some exercise, clean the cage before I head off to work. At the moment it is even worse because the sun comes up about 4am and they wake up straight away and start talking. I find it very hard to sleep through it, so usually get up. Just the thought of the 24 hour day light in a few weeks makes me wonder how they are ever going to sleep.

 

The other biggest change I found was the cleaning that I had to do everyday. For a small animal they can make a BIG mess. No more coming home from work at 5pm and relaxing on the sofa. I also found they wanted a lot of attention when I got home, which is natural for a baby grey. Now they are getting older it is getting better. I also found that I have to keep my eye on them wherever they are to make sure they are not up to mischievous, just like a child I guess.

 

At night we feed them veggies and whatever we are having. During the day I leave pellets and seeds (if I leave fruit and veg it smells quite bad by the time I get home in the afternoon if it has been a hot day).

 

I have a sigh of relief at about 2000 as they start to settle down for the night, although lately their body clocks have been out of sinc because of the sun not going down.

[bettyboop]

Very Good post , Jane . It really describes what it is all about .They do require a lot of time in the mornings.

BettyBoop

[Matt]

...mornings?...

 

omg. I am Nocternal. I wake up normally around 10:40am When I go to bed at about 1am. I am "training" myself to not stay up so late and get up earlier though.

[bettyboop]

Matt , Perhaps he will adjust to the schedule that you have .

My Grey Sammy , I could set time by his first beep in the morning at 7 AM ...My Alexandrine never makes a peep till I open her door .

Bettyboop

[Matt]

Ehh...My parents want me to start getting up sooner anyways, So I guess I will just have a new alarm Clock HaHa

[Nychsa]

Hi Matt,

 

My routine did change when I brought Bella home, but in a very good way.

 

During the week, I do get up before the birds do (5:30 am). I wake them up around 7 am. I start by opening their cages, and then opening the shades. Since the bird cages are located in a section of the kitchen that is like a sun room, Bella can jump on to my shoulder while I'm opening the shades.

 

She's usually very hyper first thing in the morning and I have to be careful that she doesn't nip my ear or my cheek as she's really into rough play first thing. So, I tumble around with her a bit - she likes to be rolled around, I dangle her upside down, and she likes to swing back and forth upside down, I then roll her into my arm onto her back and tickle her belly and she play fights my fingers when I do that.

 

After we have our morning tumble, I'll make their breakfast. I usually put little whole shredded wheat checks into a bowl, mix it with some Mueslix and fresh flax seeds, pour a bit or orange juice on it, and then a bit of lactose free milk and soak that mixture. She likes to drink the remainder of the milk. Once the mixture is nice and soft I put it into her bowl and add fruits and some veggies.

 

My conure, Jiggy, eats a mixture of fresh fruits and his pellets and some seeds.

 

 

While they are eating, I get ready for the office. Of course they stay in their cages while I'm gone. When I get home I let them out immediately and they both forage on their playtops. Bella joins me for dinner usually - meaning she sits with me and eats off my plate

 

She pretty much hangs out with me the rest of the evening, sitting on her table top perch (which is actually on the floor because it's too big to put on the table), watching TV with me, or meditating (yes she meditates with me :laugh: ).

 

Before she goes to bed she loves to snuggle. She'll climb around on me until she finds the perfect resting spot, which is usually right under my chin. She'll snuggle really tightly, and will nibble gently on my fingers while I scratch her head. Eventually she falls asleep, and that's when I put her to bed. Jiggy puts himself to bed usually right at 8:30 pm. Bella goes to bed around 10 pm.

 

Cheers!

Terri