hello all. few questions to ask

[stevelaura1]

Hi

 

We are looking at buing our first african grey and would like to know a few things before we take the commitment on.

 

1. On average how much do you think it costs to keep the bird, food, toys?

 

2. We both work full time, would we be able to leave the grey alone during the day or is this not fair on the bird, is there anything you could advise we use to keep it company, cds?

 

3. What else is essential to know about the grey?

 

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

Thanks

[judygram]

Hello Stevelaura1 and welcome to the family, so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing more about you.

 

First a few questions from me, have you ever had parrots as pets before? Why or what made you pick the african grey?

 

Is not cheap to keep an african grey in food, toys and occasional visits to an avian vet, but you are looking at much more than a dog or cat would cost you. Of course the first expense is the bird itself and a good quality cage.

 

I work full time also and my grey is alone during the day except for another parrot in a cage close by, they are ok with that as long as you have provided plenty of toys and rotate them from time to time to keep them stimulated and occupied. Some of us leave a TV or radio on for company while we are out.

 

You will find what is essential to know about having a grey as a pet by reading thru the many threads and do ask questions and our many memberswill chime in with their opinions and suggestions.

 

That 3rd question implies that you do not know too much about the african grey and I implore you to be sure this is what you really want for it is a lifetime committment, greys have very long lifespans.

[she]

Hi and welcome. You are right to research all you can before getting a grey.They are fantastic birds but as you appreciate are a big commitment. read through some threads hear and get an idea of the problems some people have and also the fun and companionship greys can offer. It is a possible life time comitment . Imagine a 2 year old who does not grow up. As for cost, think expensive.Possible vet fees, and bird vets dont come cheap, toys,yes you can make some of your own, some people on hear do a lot of that.Quality food. Harrisons pellets whic I feed cost £30 for a 5lb bag, this lasts about 7 weeks, then fruit and veg. It all adds up. On saying that I would not be without my grey Charlie. Good luck with the research

[Lyric]

Hi Stevelaura1 and welcome here. I'm really glad to hear you are doing your research prior to making the leap to owning a grey.

As the others have said it isn't a cheap pet- the price of the bird, the cage, the avian vet check-ups, food, toys, more toys, more toys... it all adds up. Of course, they are definitely worth it or there wouldn't be so many fanatic grey owners on this site!

A lot of us also work and your bird can learn to adapt to your schedule as long as it has one-on-one time with you every day. I leave the tv on for mine when he is home alone, but I also get to check on him during my lunch hour and so he gets a little break mid-day. Toys are essential in this situation.

As far as what else should you know before getting one? It is a big commitment, birds are messy, self-centered and can be emotional... It takes a lot of time every day to spend time with the bird, clean up after it and offer it fresh foods. I am not trying to discourage you from getting a grey, please just inform yourself fully before you make the decision. I wouldn't want to be without a grey in my life- they can become your best friend and a part of the family. Good luck in your decision and let us know if you end up with one!

[AshleyKay]

This is going to be a little long, but only because as a first time Grey owner myself, I want to fill you in on what I have learned about keeping a grey

As for cost of food, It all depends on what you buy for your bird. I buy Ace a bag of zupreem pellets, Im not sure on the weight of it, but its about 15 dollars a bag, I think. I dont know my husband buys it half the time, and with two dogs and three cats, I get confused when I think about what I spent on what. But anyhow, I probably go thru a bag a month. Ace is very wasteful, as a lot of birds are! Then there are seeds. I think I paid almost 30 dollars for a bag of mixed seeds and nuts with dried fruit, but that bag lasts Ace a long time, as I dont feed him very much of it. Ace eats a lot of table/fresh food. So, he eats what I eat throughout the day, as well as other people in the house. Oatmeal, fruit, maybe some toast in the morning. PB&J sandwich, egg, cheese mid day, and chicken, veggies, pasta etc., at dinner. His diet varies greatly, as should any bird IMO. I really dont think it costs too much to feed them.

Toys add up though. Thats what will cost you on a regular basis. 20 bucks, give or take for a toy, (and they need several) that they can shred in a matter of a couple days, or even hours You can make your toys too, but I find it hard because I get confused on what I can use, and then Im not very creative either.

And then there is vet bills.

Oh, and also something to consider, birds chew- and you can spend a bit of money replacing things. I almost had to replace my blackberry curve. That would have been a few hundred bucks. I put my phone down, and Ace thought it looked like fun, and thankfully my daughter saw him with it, and I got it just as he was prying the side of it off. It looks a bit, um, beatup now, but thankfully still works He has also chewed on part of my dining room chair. I am just going to put some stain on it, and hope no one notices, because I dont want to replace it with another 250 dollar chair! He has gotten to my blinds too

Something else to consider- They are messy! I have come to realize the thing I dislike most about having Ace, is bird poop! As for working, I dont work, but I do leave my house. I have four kids, so I am active with them. I think Ace would be fine if I ever went to work. Just be sure you give them plenty of toys, and spent a lot of time with them in the evenings and weekends when you are home.

There really is, A LOT of "essentials" you should know before getting a grey, or any bird, or animal, IMO. I would research, and talk to a lot of people for at least a few months, just to give you time to learn, and to make sure the idea, or feeling of wanting an African Grey doesnt wear off. The bird will live a long time,and he will be your responsibility, so I think its only fair to any animal, you give it a few months to think long and hard before committing. This forum is an excellent place to start

[LindaMary]

Hey SteveLaura1, welcome to the forum! I give you credit for joining here before you've even adopted a bird, and asking such sensible questions. You've had some great advice in this thread already. I just thought I'd add a couple of things.

 

I have recently gone thru the process of trying to estimate the monthly cost of keeping my Timneh African Grey (who admittedly is pretty spoiled), because I was trying to decide if I could afford another bird. (I keep track of my money in an accounting program, but my category divisions need some work.) Averaging 14 months of data, I ended up guesstimating my TAG's monthly maintenance expenses at about $90: that includes vet visits, food, toys and fresh food. (I'm trying to work with the fact that I didn't really adequately separate my accounts between my TAG and two cats and a rabbit - so I think the average range could realistically be anywhere from $60 to $120...).

 

Just one more issue: I don't know how old you are, and I don't mean to be morbid, but please think about making some backup plans for the care of your (possible) grey, in case it ends up outliving you! (I am an older adopter, so this is a fact of life for me - my best-case scenario is that my bird will outlive me!) Just because it has feathers, weighs a pound or so, and has an axe on its face for life doesn't mean it's not really your child. The same advance planning needs to take place: for child or bird.

 

Good luck to you! I hope we are not discouraging you, but only contributing to your thought process!

[danmcq]

Welcome Stevelaura1!!

 

The others have given you very good feedback on cost per month. As you can see it can vary depending on what you buy for your Grey.

 

Looking forward to hearing more from you as you research the possibility of getting a Grey. :-)

[stevelaura1]

Great thanks for all the responses. We are current;y doing up our house ready to move into so were looking at getting an African Grey to move in with us we are both early to mid 20's and have both liked the grey from a very young age.

 

Cost wise it isn't any more than i was expecting so thats ok.

 

You say vet bills, is this a regular thing with the grey?

 

We would be looking at keeping it in our living room, as we will be in there evenings and also have the tele on and was advised it shouldn't be near the kitchen in case of the fumes harming the bird?

 

Also how easy is it to clean bird mess off the furniture?

 

Thanks again for the replies. We think the house will be finished in February so would be looking at getting one then so doing plenty of research.<br><br>Post edited by: stevelaura1, at: 2008/11/07 15:39

[kittykittykitty]

Hi! Hope you've had lots of time to read, read and READ about Greys. Yes, a Grey is work, and costs more than a cat or dog. The vet bills can add up even for a routine exam. But there is no other creature that can ever take the place of a wonderful companion Grey!