Fell in Love!!!

I have been talking to a breeder in Texas about getting a CAG that I would not have for about another year. I figured this year would give me time to make the decision as to whether I really wanted to the CAG with my life style. It is something I still intend on doing in taking my time with this because I would never want to buy a bird having to give it away shortly after due to my life style. But today I went down to our local pet store for the first time (just found out it was there) and they have a TAG as a "Mascot" and I absolutely fell in love with Willey. He is three years old and is an absolutely beautiful bird. I still want a CAG because I personally love the brilliance in the tail feathers of the CAG better but this bird grabbed my heart and I was incredibly saddened when I found out he was not for sale. I had a Macaw as a child, and I have three Parakeets now, but this was my first actual encounter with a Grey aside from all my research and studying birds. I know now that I am not going to need that entire year to make that decision. I am going to to probably still take the same amount of time roughly because it is a huge commitment but I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am going to make a Grey a very important part of my life.

Chris Winkler said:

May I suggest you do some research on the difference in the TAG and CAG. Since you had the pleasure of meeting a TAG. The characteristics of one species may work better for you then the other. Choosing a parrot by coloring only is not advisable..

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Actually I love that advice, and I completely agree with you. I have just had my heart set on a CAG that I didn't even think about a TAG until today. And I have been talking to the breeder about a CAG the entire time. But I will definitely look in to the difference. I didn't just all in love with a type of bird today, I fell in love with a specific bird today. So I am definitely willing to look at a Timneh as well. And prior to today I was wanting my very own, never been owned before CAG. But I would even be excited to find an African Grey that I can adopt. Very excited about it. Definitely still taking my time because I want this bird to have its last/only home depending on adoption or breeder, but I am so excited about it.

I agree with SB - research! A good resource is the breeder. I got my CAG from a breeder here in the Dallas area and she gave me great information about both Timmys and Congos...as she bred both. There are several reasons I decided on a CAG - partly due to availability and Ruby was just destined to be my fid. But after being around my friend's TAG, I don't know that a TAG would have fit into our family as well.

May I ask which breeder you're working with? I know there are several in Texas, but I was just wondering if it may be our breeder.

I would love to know who breeds greys in Texas for Echo is from a breeder there and I have never been able to find out exactly where he came from. Is ther a listing of breeders? I know the codes on his band would help me in finding whom he came from.

The website that I found the breeder at was Old World Aviaries - Hand-fed baby parrots com... However, I am a little skeptical on the whole thing as I have sent him long letters at a time only to receive one sentence e-mails back. He doesn't seem too specifically ecstatic as a bird breeder. So I am still looking. But this was one of the few that I found that had a decent website that I could actually look at his birds and it was a good website. If anyone knows of a good breeder please let me know. But

This is the Grey I fell in love with today.

Do they know if it's a male or female? I am only guessing but the face looks so much like my Echo so I would guess it's a male. So very hard to tell by looking at them though.

Chris Winkler said:

Do they know if it's a male or female? I am only guessing but the face looks so much like my Echo so I would guess it's a male. So very hard to tell by looking at them though.

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That was a good call. His name is Walley. The lady at the store at the time told me she is not a bird lady but that she knows he is three years old and that he is a male. I want him so badly!!

I thought so because from what I have seen in time the male faces are just so slightly wider then the hens. It's a real suttle difference but in reality the only way to know for sure is to do a DNA test.

The breeder we got Ruby and Jade from is Wendy Craig. She's actually friends with Barbara Heidenreich and has raised macaws for her to train and use in her classes.

She has always gotten back to us quickly when we had questions. I think she's reduced her breeding to only CAGs and red-front macaws. I really can't recommend her enough. If you contact her, mention Ruby and Jade and she'll know that we refered you.

According to her website, CAGs Manley and Jessup are on eggs - they are Ruby's parents and she's very sweet and trying to talk already at only 9 months old. If you want to go with my 2nd favorite kind of parrot, a red-front macaw, Baldy and Godiva have a couple of babies that are available. They're Jade's parents and Jade is almost as cool as Ruby. The first RFM we met was one of their babies and that's when my husband fell in love with RFMs.

I just contacted your breeder. Hoping to hear back from her soon. Very excited about this. And I will definitely still have time to prepare for everything being that you said you think she has two on eggs right? We will see!?!