African Greys --please give me advice !!!?

Question

I am seriously thinking about getting an African Grey, a Congo one with the red tail feathers. I have searched the net and read a lot but need owners advice. Am I making the right decision considering that:
(1) I have a wife and two kids, 19 and 10. We are a very calm family leading a calm life and are all excited about an African Grey. My 10 year old boy is a calm child. Our evenings tend to be around the TV or at our 4 PCs.
(2) We live in a fairly large apartment and the parrot would be literally one of the family with lots of space and lots of attention too.
(3) Please tell me what you think of this site on African Greys
http://www.parrotcare.com/parrots/index.html
(4) They are 5 hours away by car. Could the 12-week bird take this long journey !?
(5) Would we need to put some net on every window so the bird does not escape ?
(6) are they prone to any illness.
(7) Are they easy to keep or troublesome ?
I love parrots in particular A Greys. Thanks

Sorry forgot a important detail:
(8) Do African Greys need another A Grey or can they bond with humans without the need for anoher A Grey ?

Thanks

" Buzzer4 "
That is one of my fears... HEARTACHE !
I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I just know what it feels like. Years ago I had to put down my LOVING Alsatian. I swore I would not have another pet again but African Greys are such wonderful loving creatures myself and family just want one.

ALL YOUR ADVICE WAS TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL. SO IT IS TO THE VOTE FOR ME. Thank you all again.

Answer 1

It sounds like you have done your homework, and are at least a bit aware of what you are getting into.
Greys are wonderful birds. Yes, they can be a bit noisy, a bit messy, a bit demanding and a bit expensive. But you have kids, so you should be used to all of this!! :-)

I think that the biggest bit of advice might be to make sure that the bird spends time with all of your family, so that he does not bond to just one member. If he starts to show a preference for one member, then let that member take a back seat for a few days while the bird associates with the other members.
A bird that bonds to just one member of a family can get aggressive toward the other members because the bird thinks that just he and the preferred member are a PAIR. You need to teach him that he and all of the members of your family are a FLOCK! That way he will feel friendly to all of you , instead of just one.

If you would like, I can point you to a Yahoo group of Parrot owners who are very helpful. The group also has a large library of files that might help you. Just E-mail me if you would like to be steered to this group.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

I only ever kept Amazon parrots which were great. The orange winged Amazon is probably your best/least expensive purchase of the Amazons. However you were asking about African Greys. These birds give off an awful lot of dust which can give one a bad chest. Also-any parrot regards one person basically as its friend/mate. There are parrots which get on well with all members of the family so this will be your goal-to find that amenable/sociable bird. I would advise not to buy from a pet shop but a reputable breeder as then you will know what diet they have had and its age. Parrots cannot be aged after a certain period of time-so you could end up buying an old bird.African Greys are highly intelligent and so need a lot of attention otherwise they will get bored and pluck their feathers out. I used to leave my TV on when I went out-they need lots of stimulation.
I would advise visiting a parrot show one of which occurs at The NEC in Birmingham. Also at Stafford.You will find details of shows and dealers in The Parrot Society magazine-information and application form online. They do make wonderful pets and the bird would be ok to travel for 5 hours if you cover his/her cage with a cloth to minimise stress. Try and find details of what your birds diet has been-an all seed diet can be fatal giving them fatty livers. Good luck.

Answer 3

Yes, African greys are beautiful birds. Remember a few important factors, though.
1) All birds can be very messy. You'll need to have at least one person commited to keeping their area clean!
2) Yes, birds can be loud and noisy. Don't put it in a room, because they're likely to wake you up very early. Put a blanket over the cage until you wake up- that should keep it quiet.
3) I don't think that they're prone to illness any more than a rabbit or cat. A long car trip would be very stressful, however. You might want to check with a vet concerning this.
4) Birds in general tend to live for a very long time. It's a big commitment, buying a bird. Be sure that you'll be willing to keep it for a very long time.
Keep those things in mind, ask a professional on anything you aren't sure of, and I think that you'll be fine. You're obviously serious about getting this bird. Good luck! :)

Answer 4

Parrots are as much a responsibility as dogs, and more sensitive. You do appear to have done your home work so I think that you would make good owners. Bear in mind that it might bond to one family member in particular. I have 2 parrots and the windows remain shut at all times when they are out of their cages. There are also a lot of dangers in the home that you must be aware of. Certain pot plants. fumes from cooking using non stick pans. open gold fish bowls. the list is end less. 5 hours is a very long time in a car for a baby.(one of my parrots gets car sick after 20Min's) You will need to feed plenty of fresh fruit an veg.(organic) and you will need to decide weather or not you want him flighted . But i think you should go for it, everything considered.

Answer 5

An important consideration when thinking about taking on a bird of any kind, is that they can live for many years, and quite often outlive their owners. A bird needs as much attention as a young child, without attention and affection they will become bored and develop anti social behaviour. I would advise that you read up as much as possible and talk to bird keepers before finalising your decision.

Answer 6

Hi, my african grey got out about 3 weeks ago and it feels as if I have lost a limb. She was such a huge part of our lives and such a character. You simply cannot compare a parrot to any other pet. They get jealous, happy, shy, moody, angry, playfull and sometimes they are just little babies. I would give anything to get our baby back home safely.

Answer 7

i have an african grey a noisy little boy!! they are exellent talkers and if its a baby when you get it then you should be able to get it to talk rather well.mine can talk exellently dont let them sit on your shoulder they get horemones and if you show afection while its on your shoulder they become jelous and rather aggressive.he isnt really aggressive but he can be if you bother them to much.if a baby when u first get it handle a much as possible get it used to you.

congratulations they are stunning birds!!

Answer 8

on what im me