J5sense Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hi all... I just purchased my first african gray.. His name is fred and he is a congo gray hatched in october. I brought him home yesterday and I have a few questions... 1. He is sleeping/eating/playing on the bottom of his cage.. is this normal? he is going tomarrow to the vet for his first checkup... at the pet store he was with some macaws and another gray with only one perch that the 2 macaws where on.. so i think he is not used to perching 2. he just started eating today... i was a little worried... but i think he is getting used to his new home 3. He has been sleeping on one foot every now and then.. i read that that can be a bad thing.. ill ask the vet tomarrow... 4. what temp. should i have the thermostat on? its like 15* outside i normally have it set at 68* should i have it warmer? Fred has his own room and a huge cage and a humidifier. other than that he is very loving... always wants to cuddle and be near me he makes a little chirping noise too when he wants your attention. what is a good air purifier? my wife is a little sensitive to allerigans.. i dont know if the bird will affect her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hello J5sense and welcome to the family, so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing more about you and Fred. Congrats on getting your first grey, now is this your first parrot? Do you have any other birds or pets? He may not be used to being on a perch if he was sharing a cage with some larger birds but give him some time to settle in and find his perches and he will be fine. He needs some time to feel comfortable in his new home so be patient with him. It is normal for a grey to perch or sleep on one foot, they will pull up one leg close to the body and clench the talons, they are resting that foot. Whatever temperature you have it set for you and your family to feel comfortable in Fred will be just fine. You say that Fred has his own room, do you mean his cage is not where the rest of the family spends most of their time? We usually like to put their cage in the room where the family spends the most time and that is usually the family room, you want to keep them where they can be with the rest of their flock as they don't like being by themselves if others are at home. Enjoy Fred's cuddliness for most of them grow out of that stage as they get older and more independent. Please read thru the many threads for lots of useful information and do not hesitate to ask any and all questions you may have and we will help you in any way we can. If you have some pictures of Fred you would like to share with us we would love to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrettyPax Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 1.) Yes, babies sometimes tend to feel safer towards the bottom of the cage. I put a towel at the bottom of Pax's cage so she'd be more comfortable. 2.)If he started to eat at the end of your first 24 hours together, that's fine. You're right that he's getting used to his new home. Be worried if he doesn't eat. 3.) It's totally normal for birds to sleep on one foot. It's sleeping on two feet that usually indicates a problem. 4,) You probably don' t want to let your house get any colder than 68 degrees. My breeder said as much to me when I got Pax. Sounds like you've got a great set-up for your bird. The humidifier is definitely a good idea as Greys are prone to dry, itchy skin. G If your wife has allergies an air purifier is also a good idea. A Grey's feathers collect dust easily. Showering/misting your bird regularly will keep the dust /dander factor down. The first days of of grey ownership are pretty exciting. Let us know how everything goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5sense Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 thanks~ he is my first parrot. Growing up my neighboor had a bunch of birds and I was always over there and always wanted one. Now that im married and have a stable life my wife and i decided on getting one. we dont have any other birds. we do have a mini daschund... thats why the bird cage is in our office ( i spend 6 hours a day in the office) this way i can keep the dog out for the first few weeks untill Fred gets used to his new home. Fred was in the tv room/dining room/ kitchen with me this morning when i was eating breakfest. Should i move the cage into the living room? With my wife working nights and me days i think the bird wont get any sleep. thanks again for the help! ill post some pics in a sec, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5sense Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Seconds before Fred flew to my sholder (wings are clipped too) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrettyPax Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 During the day it's good to keep your Grey in the room that will be the the most stimulating. Whether it's the room with the tv or radio or with the bright colors, you want your grey to be entertained. If the grey had a choice, it would probably want to accompany you everywhere you go. Greys always want to be part of a flock. When it's time for him to go to bed you want to give Fred the quietest room possible. I bought a Pax a rather cheap, but functional "sleep cage" and I keep it in our spare study area/ computer room. I've learned that a Grey's good night sleep is very important. When she's been sleep deprived my bird acts really bitchy. Can't wait to see the pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrettyPax Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 What a cutie!! I love his big, black eyes!! Congrats on your baby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaM Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I think it's fine to keep the cage in your office as you spend a lot of time in there and it may be the best place for him to sleep at night. If I were you I would get a playstand for the living room and then he can be in there with you when you guys are in there, going back to his cage to sleep in the office. One thing to note however. In your pictures you have a container of nuts (It looks like Archer Farms from Target?). If they are the nuts that came in the container, they are likely roasted/salted. I would provide "raw" nuts to him to cut back on the salt. They also sometimes like the nuts in the shell as they have to work at it to get the food out (natural foraging opportunity). You may have to teach him that there's a goodie inside by chiping away part of the shells at first. Almonds are great for this. Also, I would use nuts as a treat or as a small part of his overall diet, not "free feeding", as he may choose to eat them before anything else and though they have protein and healthy fats, they don't need that many. I would keep pellets or at least a mixture that is heavy in pellet % as his "free feeding" mix. He is ADORABLE!!! :kiss: :kiss: :kiss: Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Yes Fred is adorable and he looks very healthy, thanks for sharing some pictures of him with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Fred is a very handsome grey. I believe you should keep Fred's cage in the room with the most daytime activity and where at night he can sleep comfortably. That sounds like your office. I have perches in the living room, dining and kitchen areas so that Ana Grey can be with me. I keep her travel cage in the living room so if for some reason I need to quickly pop her in for safety (knock on the door, strangers visiting) she or I are not inconvenienced. I keep the temperature in my house at a level which is comfortable for me. Congratulations on your new baby he will add great joy to your life. Welcome to the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5sense Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks everybody! I do spend the majority of the day in my office. He just sits on my sholder and nibbles on my ear. He is making new sounds too. every day now he is creating different noises. I did purchase a rollaround perch for the tv room and a shower perch for the bathroom. the nuts are from target. they are not salted. I am unsure if they are roasted. but he had a few the first day i had him. He wouldent eat anything else. now he loves green beans. I got some fresh beans from the market he likes that they are crunchy. ill take some more pictures. i got him some toys too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrettyPax Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Fred seems like a really interesting bird who has found a great home. How did the vet visit go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5sense Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 i have the vet visit first thing monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5sense Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 It sounds like you are doing a great job of bringing Fred the baby grey home and interacting with him. He is a fine looking Grey and seems to be truly enjoying his new cage, home and flock. :-) Thanks for sharing all these photos!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrettyPax Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 You should introduce yourself and Fred in the "welcome" section of the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Thanks for sharing some more pictures of Fred, he looks like he is enjoying that toy very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Fred is a nice looking grey.I hope all goes well at the vets.I think having the cage in the office is a good idea,perhaps have a stand in your living room so he can join you their and return to the cage for the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5sense Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 All went well at the vet... Fred is very healthy! She did notice a small cut on his left foot She said to keep a eye on it for infection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Love all of Fred's pictures. He is so handsome. So very happy his vet check up was A-OK. Thanks for the pictures and update! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyric Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Welcome to the forum. Fred is a beautiful bird, it sounds like you are doing a great job in caring for him. I'm glad the vet visit went okay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5sense Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 Fred started making "clicking" noises today! My wife make the clicking noise when she sees him and now everytime i let him out he does it. He also perfected out dogs whine and barks. ill post a video later! pretty pax- i also visited "bird is the word" and got fred some toys and started buying my seeds/treats there. That place is really cool! Thanks for the tip! i would rather support a local store than a petstore chain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Congrats on Fred doing some noises now, they do very good imitations don't they, probably will talk soon, thanks for letting us know he is doing fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notsu Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Fred is an gorgeous baby grey! Congrats to you! You also have some very nice pictures of him thank you for sharing them! Glad the visit with the vet was good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Glad to hear Fred is settling in so nicely. Would love to see and hear your video. congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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