Has anyone here had a bird/parrot as a pet?

Question

I have wanted to own a handfed baby african grey for quite a few years now. But I am reluctant to get one because I have never owned birds before and I also currently have a dog (unpredictable how those two will get along). Any first time owners of birds or African Greys with some advice about your experience?

Thank you. Your answers were very helpful. I plan to continue learning more about African Greys and the responsibility before making a decision. I'm waiting until the time is right!

Answer 1

My advice to you is to go to the library or purchase books. Read and absorb all you can about the life and behaviors of the African Grey and what it means to own one. Talk to avian veterinarians in your area. Get their opinions of owning one of these birds.

If you are not willing to dedicate the rest of your life to this pet, and at least 2 to 4 hours a day to it, then don't get it. These birds are sensitive and are very smart. You want to raise it in the best possible environment with proper nutrition and maintenance. African Greys are one of the highest maintenance parrots because they are so smart. They can get stressed and bored easily. But you can learn all of this in your research before you decide to buy one, right?

Remember too, not all pet stores or breeders are created equal. I'd get to know my breeder first. Or if you buy from a pet store, I'd ask all essential questions about where this bird came from, whose handled it, how long was it hand-fed... etc., etc.

Basically all birds sold in the US are hand fed by a breeder. So that's not really an issue. How much you give for the bird is. More is not always better and cheap is also not better.

Educate yourself to the fullest extent before taking on one of these darlings. If taken proper care of, they will give you a life time of love, entertainment and companionship.

Here's one more thing:

A PARROT'S BILL OF RIGHTS
by Stewart A. Metz, M.D.


GET TO KNOW ABOUT PARROTS BEFORE YOU BRING ME HOME - I am not a domesticated pet like a dog or cat. I still have the spirit of the jungle in me. I have special needs which you may find it hard to fill. Please don't learn these too late for my well-being. And please don't acquire one of my cousins wild from the jungle—it will jeopardize his survival and well-being, and that won't be a party for you either!

GIVE ME THE LARGEST HOME POSSIBLE - I am used to flying through rainforests or savannas. I have given up this great gift for your pleasure. At the very least, give me enough room to flap my wings and exercise. And I need toys for my amusement and wood to chew—otherwise, I might confuse your Home with the forest and its trees.

GIVE ME A NUTRITIOUS DIET - I need a wide variety of fresh and nutritious foods, even if they take time to prepare. I cannot survive on seeds alone. Take time to learn what my needs, and preferences, are.

LET ME HAVE A 'SOCIAL LIFE' - I am a gregarious flock animal—but I am not one of you. I need lots of socialization to learn how to act with you, and with my siblings. I also need to have adequate quality time with you every day—no matter what your schedule or other needs are. I am a living,feeling creature. Above all, I need to be able to have complete trust in you, and count on your predictability in looking after me—every day.

LET ME BE CLEAN - I may like to drop food or even throw it, but I need meticulous cleanliness to be healthy. My skin itches without frequent showers, the barbs of my feathers won't seal if they become oily and, worst of all, I may become ill if my food or water is not always sanitary.

I NEED MY OWN DOCTOR - You may not understand my physiology and therefore you may not recognize it early on when I get sick. And it may be too late when you do, because I hide my illnesses (remember what I said about my being an animal of the jungle, where there are lots of predators). And I need an avian vet—a specialist (no HMOs for me please). If you can't afford one, perhaps you shouldn't have taken me home.

PLEASE DON'T PUNISH ME - Just as I don't always understand your peculiarities, you may not understand mine. I don't TRY to get in trouble—remember, a house is not the jungle. If I do screw up, don't yell at me and never hit me. I have sensitive ears and I may never trust you again if you strike me. Hands are sometimes scary things to us (why in the world would you not be zygodactylous like us?). Even more importantly, we don't learn by punishment. We are gentle creatures who only strike back to protect ourselves; we learn through patience and love.

SPEAK MY " LANGUAGE" - I know you get upset with me when I knock over my water bowl, throw food, scream or pluck my feathers. I don't do these to annoy you—I am probably trying to tell you something ( perhaps that I am hurting, lonely , or sad.). Learn to speak MY (body) language. Remember that I , alone of all creatures on this planet, learn to speak yours!

SEE ME AS AN INDIVIDUAL - I am a unique and feeling being.. No two of us are alike. Please don't be disappointed in me if I don't talk like you wanted, or can't do the tricks that your friend's parrot can do. But if you pay close attention to me (and I always empathize with you, whether you know it or not), I will show you a unique being who will give you so much more than talking and playing.. Give me a chance to show you who I am; I think you'll find the effort worth it. And remember—I am not an ornament;. I do not enhance ANY living room décor. And I am not a status symbol—if you use me as such, I might nip at your up-turned nose!

SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME - Above all, please remember that you are my Special Person. I put all my trust and faith in you.. We parrots are used to being monogamous.(no bar-hopping for us!).So please don't go away for long periods or give me away—that would be a sadness from which I may never recover. If that seems to be asking a lot, remember—you could have learned about my needs before bringing me home. Even having a baby or taking a new job isn't a fair reason—you made a commitment to me FIRST. And if you think that you must leave me because you might die, provide for me forever after you leave. I may live to a ripe old age but I can't provide for myself. Remember I'm in a small cage amongst people who are not of my blood.

YOUR RIGHTS - You have lots of rights, but I can only assure one. And that is, if you treat me the way I described above, I will reward you with unwavering love, humor, knowledge, beauty, dedication-- and a sense of wonder and awe you haven't felt since you were a child. When you took me home, you became my Flock Leader, indeed, my entire universe –for life. I would hang the moon and stars for you if I could. We are one in Heart and Soul.

Answer 2

African Greys are wonderful birds, a bit nervous though and prone to feather plucking if they are unhappy in their home.
However, a hand fed baby would be much more adaptable to a more hectic home. Birds are very social and need companionship so be prepared to be 'bff' lol. The dog should be OK if it isn't aggressive. Make sure you are always there when the bird is out of it's cage & the dog is around. I have an Umbrella Cockatoo and 2 dogs they get along fine, the bird does feel the need to harrass the dogs. If the baby Grey is well socialized by the hand feeder you should be ok. Just ask a lot of questions about the birds habits etc that the hand feeder should know. Make sure you know as much as you can about Greys and their specific needs, all parrots have such different pesonality traits you can't say something about one that would necisarilly apply to another. Bird Talk magazine is an excellent resourse, and the breeder and the person hand feeding the bird will also be good information sourses.
Good luck :o)

Answer 3

You've been given a lot of good advice by the others and I congratulate you for taking time to consider your purchase of a Grey. So many first time owners don't look at all the ins and outs of owning a bird before bringing home their prize on a whim and then suddenly discover what a lot of work, time and money is involved with owning a parrot, especially a Grey.

I would suggest that for a first-time bird, think about getting something smaller and more bird-novice friendly than a Grey. A cockatiel is a wonderful little bird that will provide you with hours of companionship without the heartache of finding you suddenly have a neurotic bird on your hands. After awhile, if you find that you really enjoy (like the rest of us feathered brains) working with and handling birds, then once again entertain the idea of purchasing a Grey.

I have more than 15 years experience of being owned by birds (Conures and Senegals) and as much as I've wanted a Grey, I've held off getting one because my lifestyle doesn't permit me the time and energy the Greys really deserve. Additionally, because of my age, when I do get a Grey it won't be a young bird but instead will adopt an older bird that needs a home.

Good luck and thank-you for taking the time to consider and research what it means to be owned by a bird.

Silver2sea

Answer 4

African Grays are wonderful birds and by-far the VERY best talkers--that is, if they are going to talk. If you are truly serious about this, first of all, try to find a hand-fed baby who is already saying anything as simple as "Hi". For no known reason, some of these birds will not talk, and that would be heart-breaking for you. Next, they are quite a commitment, and ALL parrots are VERY messy. So, be sure you have the space needed to house this bird as they need quite a large cage.The bird & the dog will do fine together. I had a red-headed Amazon Parrot & a German shepard at the same time. The bird could even bark like the dog! This bird was the absolute joy of my life. Unfortunately, he was stolen!

Answer 5

Hi there !!!! I have an african grey congo that I purchased when he was just a baby with no feathers.

It is a wonderful experience, but I must tell you that it is a responsability just like if you had a child, plus you must realize this creature is going to be in a cage and that you are his world.

You must be sure you have the commitment to this baby, not just for now, but forever. This bird lives for many years and it is not fair to get one if you know that you will not give him or her the love and attention they need.

Food and water is not enough. You have to talk to them, bond with them. Hand feeding them makes the bond even stronger. You will be able to hold him, bathe him and enjoy unconditional love, but remember this is not a dog or cat. They have unique needs. Please find the time to do some research on the subject,, some good bird books on african greys so you can learn about them.

Your dog will be just fine, as long as you are. You are the boss anyway, go to Cesar millans website for dogs and you can get some pointers there.

I wish you the best of luck in this new adventure, but please make sure this is the best choice for you and the bird.

love light and peace

Answer 6

a million. A fowl which you will take out of the website and cuddle with: Take out of the cage skill you will desire to tame the fowl or undertake an already tame fowl. purely like with human beings, some birds will cuddle and a few won't. returned, i'd undertake a fowl already standard as a cuddler, considering the fact which you probably did no longer point out which you have been an experienced fowl person who's acquainted with the thank you to tame and prepare your fowl. 2. A fowl that talks: 2 birds that are great talkers are the budgie and the African gray. The budgie, which individuals call parakeets -- all budgies are parakeets, yet no longer all parakeets are budgies -- suits the the remainder of your standards way better than an African gray. 3. A budgie would be much less costly than different puppy birds. i desire to advise which you get an already tame budgie from a reliable fowl breeder/keep or get the budgie from somebody who's fostering them for a preserve. then you definately understand the budgie is getting daily interest and the foster ensure can inform you all with regard to the budgie's character. 4. All birds make noise. Budgies consistently "chatter," yet their quantity point isn't as intense as a number of the different parrots. 5. All birds are unfavourable. Their function in the wild is to scatter seeds. in case you supply your budgie loads of toys to chews on and play with then that's what he will concentration on destroying. returned, all animals injury issues. My guinea pigs and canines have accomplished as lots injury, if not extra, than any of my parrots. 6. A budgie is small, makes a staggering companion and is purely as lots a parrot because of the fact the better ones. 7. Budgies have huge personalities. My budgie ruled the roost over my better birds. She grew to become into the Queen. 8. Budgies, like all parrots are long lived. I have been given certainly one of my cockatiels at age 23 and that i nonetheless have him better than 2 a protracted time later.

Answer 7

I had a budgie (parakeet) for 1.5yrs. He was the first bird I ever had, and was my best friend, too. He was the cutest, and quite easy to take care of. I, too, would suggest borrowing some books from the library about the type of bird you want to own, and seeing if you can do all the things they say. I'm not sure how it would cope with a dog around the place, though.

Answer 8

When I was a kid, I always wanted a parrot. As a grown up, my wife wanted to get a cockatoo, and I was reluctant. But, being the wife, she won, and we now have our bird, an umbrella cockatoo. I must say, he is a wonderful pet. But, he does require a lot of attention. Overall, if you can handle the responsibility, I highly recommend having a bird. It is very rewarding. Also, we have two neighbors with African Greys, which we have cared for. They are not nearly as animated as cockatoos, and they are a bit nippy, but they are great talkers. One had full conversations with herself. Very cute. Here is a good website for you to check out: www.pet-parrots.com

Good luck.

Answer 9

1st. f all, do you know that the average life expectancy of an African grey parrot is 80 years???? do you realize that you will need to "make arrangements" to leave your bird w/ someonewho will take care of the bird after you pass away???? I love "the dinky bird"we havehere,but the 82yr.old lady I provide in-home care for, decided she was lonely and got this bird, who is 8 yrs. old, demanding, loud, messy, and will not have anything to do w/ the lady. although, the bird and i have fallen in-lovew/ eachother.....

Answer 10

i have a parrot and he is 10 years old, he talks so much his name is baby i dont know why they guy who use to have it named it baby it always yells out baby baby he loves to climb on the shoulder when it alone it talks to anything sometimes it even talks to my plants its very strange maybe its time for me to get another bird he is yellow and has orange cheaks, i cant remmember what these parrots are called but there really expensive i have had him for 4 months now .

Answer 11

I had too many birds...abut 6....a million fish 2 bunnies and a guinea pig
birds are pretty easy to take care of...just make sure they have fresh water and food...and clean the cage... I don't know how your dog will react....if it's really laid back..then i don't expect anything...but if it's really aggressive...there might be a problem