KyleA Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 What do I do in preparation for a baby african grey prior to bringing it home? obviously I would need to get food, a cage, toys, other play stands, etc. What else do I need? Do I need to go and talk to a vet about anything? ANYTHING that ANYONE thinks I need to do or any personal stories on what you do/did when you got your first grey would be great! I just want to be fully prepared. I haven't quite reserved one yet, but I'm talking to a breeder right now and I will be visiting them when the birds have hatched and then I can decide if I want to reserve mine! All help on what I should do to prepare would be awesome! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 You definatly have some time but you do need to line up a Avian vet. because when your baby comes home you'll want to take her/him in for a checkup to make sure everything is perfect with it. You'l also want to put the cage somewhere that your bird will be comfortable while it checks out its new surrondings you'll want a spot where it can watch what everybody is doing but not in a heavy traffic area where it going to get over whelmed because of all the activity. A nice corner where it has the security of 2 sides of the cage blocked is perfect to make him feel secure. you also may want to prepare some comfort foods for him Greys love warm mashes such as brown rice and 12bean mash or sweet potatos with some carrots and peas mashed in My Grey just love that. squash is another favorite. you can prepare these in advance and put it in Ice cube trays and thaw out one cube at a time. just a few suggestions.<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2009/02/17 09:17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Char Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Stock up on newspapers!:laugh: also vacuum cleaner bags!:laugh: You will be using a lot of them. Go through the house and get rid of poisonous plants, candles, non-stick cookware. Go shopping for stainless steel and cast iron. throw away all the things a family member might use when you are not there such as air freshners and sprays. Educate the other family members about cleaners such as bleach and ammonia. Make a list of non-safe stuff and post it on the refrigerator. Make sure everyone reads it and understands. It only takes one use of teflon by someone who thinks it really does not matter that much to KILL your bird. Oh and don't forget to get a pet carrier for taking the bird to the vet. You can put a hole in each side and insert a perch in it and your bird will be grateful.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/17 15:08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 KyleA wrote: What else do I need? Well, the others gave you the additional things in regards preparation for the bird. Now what YOU need to do, is get some Red Ruby Slippers, put them on and then click the heels together while chanting "I want my Grey Home, I want my Grey Home....". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I would go see a psychiatrist to find out why you would want to tie yourself to a demanding feathered egomaniac for the rest of your life:woohoo: Once you understand that you have a Grey Parrot sized hole in your psyche you are ready to commit or be commited:laugh: That said, the rewards can be quite profound and like every one else on this forum I have no regrets. Steve n Misty<br><br>Post edited by: Mistyparrot, at: 2009/02/17 17:10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleA Posted February 18, 2009 Author Share Posted February 18, 2009 Alright thanks everyone! I just want to be fully prepared! I'm already ordering the cage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarbeth Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I've been getting ready for a grey for a long time, so I can tell you what I've done. I stalk craigslist and every time I see a bird stand on there for cheap, I grab it. My plan is to have a place for my bird to hang out in every room. Got rid of all my teflon and learned to appreciate cast iron cookware. I am a total cast iron junkie right now. My latest purchase is a cast iron waffle iron so that I could get rid of the teflon one. All it takes is one instance of forgetfulness and leaving a teflon pan on the stove to instantly kill your bird. This point was hammered home for me when I recently left a pan on and forgot about it when someone came to the door. Thank goodness it was cast iron, or else my budgies would have been dead. Teflon is also found in irons, hair dryers and self cleaning ovens. Look around your house and find it all and get rid of it. Got a bizillion toys, most of which are conducive to foraging. Have you read this about parrot enrichment? I think it is required reading for new parrot owners: http://www.phoenixlanding.org/PEAB_V2.pdf I am having a humidifier installed in our furnace here soon. Our house air is hellishly dry and it makes ME itchy - I'm sure a grey would hate it. I want to do everything I can to make sure he won't start plucking. I've asked my friends from my mom group to set aside any branches when they prune their bird-safe trees. So now I've got a source of wood for toys and chewies. I've also got a stash of toy-making parts. One thing that I haven't done yet is I was going to write up a meal plan until I got into the routine of feeding my grey. I want him to have as natural and fresh of a diet as possible, and I want him to forage for a lot of it, and I need to figure that all out. Those are the major things. Mostly I've just read every day. It really helps to hear about problems people have, so hopefully I can arm myself enough to prevent things. Good luck with your new bird child!<br><br>Post edited by: sugarbeth, at: 2009/02/18 17:23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleA Posted February 19, 2009 Author Share Posted February 19, 2009 Yeah, I've been wanting a grey for 7 years now and have always been researching diets, toys, cages, diseases, behavioral means. I just want to get insider info from the pros on what I need to do. thanks! those are good ideas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrettyPax Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 LOL! 7 years, huh? It's good to be prepared that's for sure. Another good recommendation is to make sure you have a decent vacuum. Parrots have the tendency to fling their food. My mom gifted me with a 20 year old electrolux and it's become my best friend after Pax's meal times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleA Posted February 19, 2009 Author Share Posted February 19, 2009 haha yeah, they do get messy! i have the in-home vacuuming system installed into my house, plus I am getting a portable vacuum for quick jobs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetFX Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Kinda weird but I wash down the new cage and the new playstand and toys. They put the new things in it and even the newspaper down. This way everything smelled liked us when he came home. It worked well, he was not afraid of anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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