how hard is it to raise an african parot?

Question

from 4 months on

Answer 1

Contrary to what some say, African Grey's do not have bad temperments. Just like children, it is all in how you raise them. They do however, just as children require a lot of time. Don't get a large bird if it is going to sit in a cage all day, that would be like prison. If you work all day consider a small bird like a budgie. Large parrots will pull feathers and get very distructive if left alone and bored. My Grey is named Phoebe. She like Robert S.'s bird is left out all day and only caged at night or when we leave the house. She too is a chatter bug and loves nothing more than to be on my shoulder taking a walk around the house. In fact, as I type this she has climbed off her cage and onto my desk, she loves to watch the words pop up on the screen, she even makes it happen by herself sometimes.

Answer 2

We have a two year old African Gray. He was about six months old when we got him. We previously had parakeets and a Blue Crowned Conure. I don't think the African Gray is any more difficult to raise than our previous birds.
When we got Ben (the parrot's name) we had a small cage; but we needed to get a much larger cage a year later. Ben is intelligent and African Parrots need lots of mental stimulation. They also a very social birds -- I read somewhere that the owner of a new African Gray should not plan on taking a vacation during the first year!
Ben was supposed to be a gift for my wife, but he soon made it clear that he likes me the best. He is a picky eater, we have yet to find any foods that he enjoys. And he picks his feathers when he gets stressed. Come to think of it, he may pose a few more problems than the other birds.
However, you should hear him talk --- it's like having another member of the household. He has a large vocabulary and enjoys putting words together in amusing combinations. He knows four tricks: waving, shaking hands, roll over and playing dead in the palm of my hand.

Good luck on choosing a great pet bird.

Oh - yes, be careful what you say with deep emotions, that's what they learn the best. Ben still says "Damn Bird!" on occasions.

Answer 3

African grays have the worst temperament of all parrots. They are very smart and so worth the time it takes to train them. Before you buy a parrot, please go on line and do some research so that you have a good idea of the commitment you will have to make to take care of a parrot that will live longer than you. They are expensive to take care of and should they get sick, their care can be extremely expensive. They require a great deal of time, not just the training but they are flock oriented and need company and then there is the cleaning of cages and feeding. Do not buy a bird that is mature unless he is tame and takes to you or you will bleed on a regular basis. Birds are still wild animals and while they may tolerate you, they are still capable of great damage to you. Parrots are not for the inexperienced. They are a big responsibility.

Answer 4

Well that depends. How willing are you to put in a lot of time and effort?

Getting it early is a good thing, that means that you can pretty much be sure that it hasn't picked up to many bad habits. The first 6 months or so may be kind of repetitive and difficult, but if you hang in there and teach it good habits you could possible have a life long, loyal pet!

Answer 5

if you are referring to an African Grey, it is not difficult to raise them but, you should know and understand about the breed. i have many parrots and 2 are Grey's. if you do not spend a lot of time with these birds it can lead to many problems. my youngest Grey is 11 months and he still gets 1 hand feeding a day, of course this is different for each bird. my 4 year old Grey is very independent and he will let you know when he wants time and attention. neither of my Grey's shred or pluck their feathers but i do know many Grey's that do have this problem. my parrots are out of their cages all day and night in til bedtime, the only time they are ever in their cages are when we are all gone and a sleep. the biggest problem i have with my Grey's are they do not like anyone else even my husband and kids.....

Answer 6

At four months the baby bird should be done with syringe feedings and eating fruits and nuts. Be sure to buy quality food at the feed or pet store. Baby birds are wonderful, especially teaching them to talk. It's a huge on taking though because these birds have been known to live for 100 years

Answer 7

We have had a lot of birds . Albie ( He is our African Grey ) was a lot easier to train then any other bird we have had. If you like 3 year old kids you will love the African greys. They do love to have all your attention . Albie is only caged at night to sleep, daytime he has open perch and bench where he will play with his toys and talk all day. They love the sound of their own voice.

Answer 8

It is not too difficult. If it is used to people's hands it will be easier. If not you may want to wear a leather glove for a while until it gets used to you and quits trying to bite you. You will need to give it some attention every day as well as keeping it fed and watered and the cage clean.

Answer 9

Parrots are great pets. They need alot of TLC and alot of attention. They crave you attention and with the proper handling and care they make great pets.

Answer 10

Parrots r kool birds..i never saw any of them to be a racist..so im pretty sure..they r as good and friendly as others...
Lolz.. nthe best part is that u dont even have to learn "Afrikaans" they have a universal language.. tlhough i never understood it..never had the "bird's brain "....
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Warning: No parrots harmed in making this answer as funny as possible.
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