I have two African Gray parrots. One is 1.5 yrs the other 7 yrs...?

Question

I used to have lories one died the other flew away so the girl I knew recomended African Grays. I would like to speak to African Gray owners only. What do you feed them, what are there habbits? Do they mature intellectually when they age? I have noticed that the younger one who used to be skittish is now developing a personality that is more personable. I guess you have these for life. I am 48 years old and live in Vegas. Email me if you have questions or something interesting. Thanks

Answer 1

Hello. I have been "mother" to my African Grey for 7 years. I purchased him unweaned (not reccomended) and raised him. He is the apple of my eye. He is all the world to me. Below you will find some of my favourite bookmarked articles and resources about African Grey behaviour in captivity, husbandry needs and natural habitat (including behaviour in the wild):

1. "Grey Matters…New Thoughts on African Grey Parrots"
by Pamela Clark
http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/greymatters.html

2. " African Grey Parrot conservation:
a feasibility evaluation of developing a local conservation
program in Principe"
http://www.env-impact.geo.uu.se/84Fahlman.pdf

3. "Congos and Timnehs, Is There A Difference?"
By Jane Hallander
http://www.parrothouse.com/congotimineh.html

4. "It's A Grey's World Article Selection"
http://www.itsagreysworld.com/articles/index.html#SPECIES%20SPECIFIC%20ARTICLES

5. A PhD dissertation (Dr. Veterinary Sciences)
“The influence of the breeding method on the behaviour
 of adult African grey parrots”.

*Pay special attention to the author's observations about flight feather clipping and the grey: she is BANG ON - DON'T do it.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~fonzzz/The%20influence%20of%20the%20breeding%20method%20on%20the%20behaviour%20of%20adult%20African%20grey%20parrots.pdf

“The influence of the breeding method on the
 behaviour
 of adult African grey parrots”
Inaugural-Dissertat ion zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Vetsuisse-Fakultä t der Universität Bern,
vorgelegt von Rachel Schmid
Frutigen,
2004

Answer 2

There is no way for anyone to answer everything you need to know on a forum as this. Parrots are very difficult to care for correctly- that is why so many are given up & abandoned. Did the shelter do a dna test to sex them or how do you know they are males? You can't tell by looking at them. 1st- find an Avian Vet - they must have the extra schooling 2nd- Pellets a mixture of several kinds is best- Rowdy Bush, Harrison's, Scenic are some great ones. They also need small amounts of nuts 3rd- They need fresh vegetables & fruits, along with some protein. Try to get in the darker greens & less sugary ones like corn. However if trying to get a bird not used to such things they are a good place to start. Fresh purified water daily- sometimes more 4th- Largest cage you can afford. There are many good brands. Look for stainless or powder coated NO LEAD. Strong- no more than 1/2" bars. At least 3'x2'x4' internal space for 1 bird. 5th- LOTS of toys suitable for a Grey. Different styles of perches- some rope, branches,etc. Greys can be leary of new things so it may take time to introduce 6th- Clip their wings- you don't know enough to have flighted birds! READ!!! Join a local group- find a local rescue - you hav no idea how much you need to know! Best of luck

Answer 3

Prepared mixtures are readily available at any pet shop, but I personally recommend a 50/50 mix with a good quality pelleted diet, which is much, much better for them. All breeds of parrots love good healthy people food, such as fruits vegetables, noodles, mine will eat anything I eat including hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza (on occasion). Yes your parrots are your companions for life, and the more interaction they get with you, your family, and friends, the more they will become a part of the family!!! They need a tremendous amount of human companionship, and should always have their cage door open, and be allowed to join you in all of your activities!!! African greys are EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT, as are most all of the parrot species, and will bring you many years of enjoyment if handled properly... Get some books, read this site a lot and talk to other long-term owners, because there is too much to owning a parrot of this category to ever tell you like this.. Never punish, strike, or talk meanly or angrily to your grey, or you will ruin his trust, and love for you. Greys are by nature, a little more nervous, and more high-strung, than most other species, but can easily be potty-trained, and can learn ANYTHING you take the time to teach them. But as children(which basically is how they behave), their best teacher is observing and socializing with you. Good Luck---Birdman

Answer 4

I have a gray that is about 8 years old now, I've had him for 2 years now (had lots of other birds throughout my life: mynah, parakeets, cockatiels, finches, love birds, Double Yellow Head). I took my gray in as kind of a rescue. As a baby he was teased by young boys in his family, so to this day he still dislikes males.

They tend to be one-person birds, mine is also very jealous of our other pets (a cockatiel, 3 dogs, 3 cats). They are very smart, so get bored easily which can lead to feather picking. I circulate various toys in/out of his cage to keep him amused. He also goes outdoors in his cage for sunshine & fresh air and different scenery. Mine generally has an open cage door for a few hours daily when in the house so he can climb in/out of cage and fly around for exercise.

Mine prefers to mimic sounds: perfectly imitates phones, electronics, various barking sounds (in fact learned to bark like our new puppy in 1 day!) ... I guess sounds are easier, because he does say some words, but not nearly as many as his sounds.

I feed mine ZuPreem Avian Maintenance Fruit Blend Premium Diet for birds, it's fruit shaped pellets & cheapest to buy on-line in 20 lb bags. Peanuts are a favorite treat, but I put them in a toy/feeder that hangs from the roof of his cage so he has to work to get them out. Doctors Foster & Smith (on-line) also has cooking diets that are available for some variety (there is also a new one out in another brand that you just pour boiling water over and let sit 15 minutes); my gray also enjoys Kashi GoLean Crunch (a healthy human cereal that I like too); cooked yams and various fruits, nuts ... and I occasionally give mine a treat of corn tortillas (not sure if that's good or not though).

Remeber to find a good exotic animal vet in case of health problems, they'll also trim beaks and toe nails for you.

I'd have to look up my receipts, but I think I do a lot of my on-line pet supply shopping at petsolutions.com

Answer 5

i feed my parrot seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts(shells), fresh fruit and veggies. no sweets. but for treats bake a banana bread. for parrot. no sugar in it. naturally sweet.
i hpoe this helps.