Information on African Greys?

Question

1.) Where would one purchase such a bird? A standard pet store?
2.) What are they usually fed for optimal health?
3.) How "messy" are they with their business?
4.) What are your general experiences with them?

Answer 1

I am attaching a link to a wonderful Bird Adoption group, who can educate you on EVERYTHING you want to know about African Grey Parrots.

These are fabulous birds, very intellegent, and will need very specific care to thrive. Lots of one on one contact is required, since they have the mental accuity of a 4-5 year old child.

Just PLEASE, don't go to a standard pet store to get any animal. Most of the animals that are available there have been purchased from "mills", breeding facilities that care very little for the health and welfare of the animals.......just the money that they generate.

Answer 2

Agreed, don't get one from a pet store. They're overpriced, and look at the poor birds in the pet store, usually they're out in the open for people to touch/play with(not good in my opinion, promotes negative behavior), not to mention they interact with all the other birds-could have disease problems. Look for a good breeder, a recommendation like the previous answer is best. A good breeder will question you about them, to see how much you know about them, and will want to make sure it's going to a good home. Also, you never want to buy an unweaned bird, and try to find one that's been weaned awhile. I got mine fairly young, she was just weaned, but the stress from moving caused her to revert back-I didn't have a clue how to feed a baby bird. I had a good vet that showed me how to spoon feed her. They need a varied diet, standard good pellet food (I use Zu-Preem brand), mix a little bit of seeds, lots of veggies, some fruits, and usually whatever I'm having for dinner she gets some as well. She loves chicken & eggs lol. They're just as messy as any bird is, between the poop and dropped food. I love mine, she's the best. They have wonderful personalities, but they're usually a one person bird(mine is anyway). Mine will bite everybody else's fingers (or the dogs nose) that end up in the cage, but she won't bite me. And I'm the only one that can handle her. Good luck, and be sure to do a lot of research before hand. They're quite a bit of work, expensive, but very rewarding.

Answer 3

I spend time with a couple dozen of these guys every day so maybe I can help out a bit…

I would never go to a pet store in order to buy a bird. Breeders are an alright choice but, that’s just adding to the overpopulation problem many pets already suffer from, even parrots. Adoption and rescue organizations are often looking to place birds they have and will often network people across the country to match them with birds they would like to adopt. Often a small fee in required (mostly for administrative and medical expenses) but this is still a small fraction of the price the bird would normally sell for.

Greys are intelligent and moody which means there are things they will like and things they won’t like… and they’ll be sure to let you know if they don’t like something. This also causes them to appear a bit aloof at times, making you think they don’t have any interest in you or what you’re doing… until you least expect it. It’s difficult to tell what’s going on inside of their head, which makes them a difficult pet to predict. So be sure to pay close attention to your (future) Grey and make note of his likes and dislikes.

Many people who don’t take the time to understand and appreciate a Grey will often try to get rid of them which is a common reason they end up for adoption. A Grey that’s been cared for by a previous owner might be a bit more elusive than a baby would, but this doesn’t make them any less loving or lovable. This just means you have to try harder and pay them more attention.

As far as messes go…. well… this depends. Every bird poops. I wouldn’t say they have the 5 foot projectile style of Lories but they are about the same as any other bird of their size. The biggest mess would probably come from their chewing and exploring. Furniture, molding, carpeting, flooring; nothing is safe if they get their mind set on going after something. To help avoid this, be sure to keep them well occupied with toys, attention and even puzzles to solve and new places to explore.

Greys like to eat anything but develop their own tastes. A good combination of fruits and vegetables is a start (I’ve known birds who love frozen mixed vegetables). Avoid onions and avocados though as they are toxic for birds. Nuts tend to work well; Almonds seem to be a favorite. Cooked rice and bean mixtures are also a healthy choice. Try to balance any of these with as little seed as possible. Seed is good as a staple but shouldn’t be the only food in their bowl.

One more thing to note would be a “wild caught” Grey. These birds will never really warm up to a person and will generally injure themselves trying to escape if they’re approached. If all it does is grip onto its cage and yell and scream when a person approaches it, then chances are it’s a wild bird. It’s best to let rescues and sanctuaries take care of these birds as they have the resources and usually aren’t as interested in the “pet friendly” features as potential owners are.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I loved tikitiki's answers. but a grey like any parrot is like any 5 year old child. Can you ask #2,#3, or #4 of any child with any accuracy?? It's called personality. My current parrot acts different from my last parrot. lol, my last parrot would eat over his open perch bowl of food, but tick him off and he's flinging it against the wall and throwing food like any child throwing a tantrum. NO store. And how much time spent with the parrot is what you get back... just like any child. I try to spend as much time as I can with mine, no matter how annoyed she gets, it's good for her and a learning experience and she does not bite me either. If it's your first larger parrot. Don't a rescue bird. You probably won't know how to deal with it's phobias and issues, like screaming. Get a tame/nice one or young one. Assuming you teach it to talk... you will always have a smile on your face. :D

Answer 5

asasasa

Answer 6

http://www.wingscc.com/aps/grey.htm
http://www.wingscc.com/aps/ag3.htm
http://www.africangreys.com/
http://www.upatsix.com/faq/greyfaq.htm

Hope that helps