Young Grey Parrot ?

Question

I am going to adopt a young african grey parrot but one of my friend had made a try before and the parrot died because he can not give him a proper food . i heard that young grey need food every two hours ? is that right please suggest me if i can take care of parrot . And how can i take care of him

Answer 1

DO NOT GET A PARROT BEFORE IT IS WEANED
this means, make sure it is eating on its own before you bring it home. If you feel the need to bond with this baby before that time, ask the breeder if you can. If you have already paid for the parrot, most will agree. There are too many things that can go wrong if you don't know what you're doing. For instance, you can aspirate the bird, you can burn it's esophagus, if the crop is not completely empty and you add more food; bacteria can grow and one or all can cause premature death. For what? because you want to bring a parrot home early? NO.

Answer 2

You did not say how young the parrot is, so no one can give you proper advise. Since you have Internet capabilities, do some research. I have raised parrots from about right out of the egg with an eye dropper and turkey baster with baby food, etc in it and the bird grew up to be fine. Do not take anything into your home and be the cause of its death because you are not able or well informed enough to care for it. Please do your homework and decide if you can give this bird a good home and care.

Answer 3

All parrots can die from a number of things - diet, improper cage, teflon pans, self cleaning ovens, candles, apple seeds, a fall, not enough clean water, aerosol sprays, etc.... Vet bills for these birds are very expensive. As a African Gray Owner for over 7 years I beg you to do some self education before doing this. An African Gray has the intelligence of a 4 year old child with the emotions of a 2 year old child.

Answer 4

First off, before taking in any parrot, you really want to do some research in their care and temperment, according to the breed. Each different breed of parrot is VERY different. Parrots have very expensive needs, a large cage, complete and balanced diet, and you want to go ahead and identify an avian vet or two, contacting local breeders is a great way to ask them to recommend someone they use.

I think others have expressed concern that the parrot you are intending to adopt may not be weaned. That should be the first question that you ask. If the parrot is not weaned, he needs to be weaned before you adopt him. There are plenty of people who will tell you, just look up how to do it online, they've done it before, etc. By taking an unweaned parrot you are taking a great risk with their life, and a parrot's early care, whether it is provided by an expert, or a novice, will affect the parrots social behavior for the rest of its life.

I have an African grey myself, so, should you choose to adopt one, I have a few suggestions for you:


- If you are a neat freak - a parrot is not for you. Parrots are VERY messy.

- If you want a bird that stays in its cage, a parrot is not for you. Parrots need a LOT of outside time, and human interaction to be happy.

- Go slow - when you bring the parrot home, allow him to stay in his cage, undisturbed for the rest of the day. Quietly provide him with fresh food and water, and leave him alone. If there's a lot going on in your home, and its scaring him, you may way to cover the cage with a light throw or sheet.

- The next day, you can open the door, but don't attempt to handle him, let him come out on his own. Talk to him quietly throughout the day, let him know what you are doing, and don't make any sudden moves or loud noises. Allow him to get used to his environment. Once he gradually becomes used to you, he'll allow you to get closer, and he may even 'step up' on command.

-You WILL get bit. . . when it happens, look him in this eyes and tell him 'No, don't bite' sternly. Don't yell or scream, jump around, jerk your hand away, etc., or you will encourage him to be a biter.

- Just remember an African grey has the intelligence of a 4-6 year old, with the emotional maturity of a 2-3 year old human child. They are VERY intelligent, they can be cuddly, sweet, and amusing, but like a toddler, they can throw some dramatic tantrums. They also have a VERY long memory.

Feeding and care:

- Fresh water must be available at ALL times.

- Parrots require a variety of fruits and vegetables, proteins, as well as seed. Don't fall for the idea that any pellet is going to be all they need. Even when feeding pellets, they need fresh fruits and veggies that have been washed well, to remove an insecticides. They also enjoy small amounts of meat and cheeses. Do NOT feed them: Avocado, mushrooms, chocolate, caffeine, alchohol

- Parrots are HIGHLY sensitive to fumes - overheated teflon pans produce toxic fumes. Candles, and incense also need to be avoided. If you get your home painted or carpet replaced, you'll need to house him elsewhere for at least a week afterwards.

- Parrots need toys - especially the most intelligent parrots - invest in bird toys, or learn to make your own, this isn't optional, this is a must have to keep them sane, and to prevent them from plucking.


Here's one site to start with, but you want to do a LOT of reading:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/africangreys/a/africangreys_3.htm?terms=bird+e+toys

I'd also recommend this book:
Care and Feeding of African Greys

Ideally, find a good, highly recommended breeder in your area, and ask if you can volunteer to help him/her out for a day or two, to learn about African greys. You'll work hard, but you'll learn a lot.

Answer 5

Hi there.I'm assuming this bird is weened. Birds have high metabolisms and should have continuous access to food. All seed diets are known to lead to malnutrition. Feed you little guy a good parrot pellet food, add 10% seed and 10-20 % fruits and veggies. Avoid avocado and chocolate because they are toxic to birds. Your bird will enjoy some table food. Try to limit the fat,sugar, and salt content. Whole wheat pastas and whole grains and beans are good. Many love all kinds of peppers.I give mine chopped egg with crumbled egg shell for the protein and calcium twice a week. Talk to him enthusiastically like he is a small child. Eat his new food in front of him and act like it's delicious. You are flock leader and he will follow you. Train him 10-15 minutes a day. Put African Grey Parrot Care in your search engine and you will find a lot of free sites to join for great information. Have a tweet year.

Answer 6

A good breeder won't sell you a baby if they don't think you can take care of it or if it's too early to separate from the parents. Talk to the breeder, do a little research. Those little birds do take a good amount of care.

The upside is that the bird you raise by hand (if you do it well) will be more bonded to you and better socialized with humans. Make sure as the bird starts getting beyond the hand-feeding stage you expose it to plenty of other humans and any other pets you may have.

Answer 7

you should not bring your grey home intil he is completely hand fed. if you do not know how to hand fed a parrot, dont do it!!! you can very easliy kill the baby grey if you do not know what or how to do the feeding. i have a grey that i did not hand feed, i have a grey that i finished hand feeding and both of my greys are bonded to me. if the breeder is pushing you to finish the feeding yourself, you should ran as fast as you can from that breeder. there great breeders out there that would never let therir greys go intill they are completely eating on their own. if you are not going to hand fed just make sure you provide fresh fruits and veggies everyday. take the fresh food away after about 2 hours. keep pellets and very little seed for the grey out during the day so he can eat it. you should put all his food up at night. everything should be fresh for the next day.

Answer 8

Yeah, if it's a baby... the owner will be able to tell you the care needs of the pet bird...you may want to wait till he's a little older & doesn't need to eat as often...
When you were a baby, your mother (or caregiver) fed you every 4 hours or so around the clock !
Good question & good luck...

Answer 9

Who ever you get the bird from can show you how to hand feed the bird. It's easy, i've hand fed many baby birds. That's the best way to bond with the bird.

Answer 10

Please do not take on the responsibility of hand-feeding a parrot if you do not know how to do so.