Hi from Houston

Qtpyinnj · Jun 12, 2016

Hello everyone,

I'm Erica and I am going to soon purchase an African Grey Congo. I just wanted to hear everyone's (anyone's) thoughts, opinions, and suggestions on owning a mid sized parrot. About my family, there are 5 of us, including my husband and 3 boys ages 17, 12, and 10. Everyone is on board and is excited about the new edition. Oh, and we have a cat also. She is very stand offish and likes to keep to herself, so I honestly don't think she will be a problem.

I've located a breeder in Austin by the name of JC Aviary, and so far, he seems trustworthy and reputable. If anyone has dealt with him, kindly share your experience, be it positive or negative. I was hoping to get a bird by mid July, but I just made some travel plans for the end of September, so I've decided to delay my purchase until after I return. I don't want to leave the bird so quickly after bringing him/her home.

So, what do you veterans recommend as far as cage size, number of toys, wing clipping or no wing clipping? I'm sure there are many other things I could ask, but I am not sure where to begin. That's why I am here. Please throw some ideas at me. I want to learn from you all.

Thanks in advance,
Erica

Allee · Jun 12, 2016

Hi Erica! Welcome to the forums!

Congrats on your future addition! We have a great group of Grey enthusiasts! I'm sure they will be happy to help answer your species specific questions.

Your new family member will need a medium to large sized cage, there are lots of choices, have fun shopping. Fill it with a variety of natural perches of different textures and sizes. Greys have powerful beaks, I'd offer a couple of toys with wood blocks for chewing. Shreddable toys are great too, your bird will choose his favorites.

Have you researched diets? You have a wonderful opportunity to introduce a healthy varied diet while your bird is young and more willing to try new foods. We have a great diet section.

http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/

Wing clipping is a personal choice and highly controversial. My best advice is to do lots of research before making the decision. African greys are highly intelligent and they can be sensitive. Lots of pros and cons to consider before deciding what's best for your bird and your situation.

I think putting off the homecoming date until after your trip is very responsible thinking.

Enjoy the journey!

Scott · Jun 12, 2016

Welcome to the forums, Erica! I highly respect your approach to parrot parronthood. You are asking the right questions and have lots of time to plan and get much correct the first time.

My personal preference is for the largest quality cage you can afford. Having a separate playpen is helpful to create a secondary safe environment.

Please continue to ask questions along the way, as time gets closer.

Qtpyinnj · Jun 13, 2016

Thank you both for your words of encouragement. I know we've got a lot to learn, as we want to provide a happy, healthy, and long life for our new family member.

I will keep researching the wing clipping debate. I'm not exactly sure which side of the fence I'm on as of yet. There are pros and cons to both sides, I'm sure.

As far as cages go, should I start of with a smaller cage, since I'll be getting a very young bird, and work up to a larger cage as he/she grows?

BIRDIGIRL · Jun 13, 2016

Hi and Welcome to the forum Im not owned by an African Grey being a Quaker and Amazon mom myself but I do hope you will enjoy your new baby when he/she arrives. There are lots of African Grey parronts on the forum and they will have tons of tips and advice for you both as you prepare for your parrots arrival and afterwards

SilverLining · Jun 13, 2016

Hi and welcome, another H-towner here.

Personally, I wouldn't clip an African Grey.

But if you must, please wait until your baby has learnt to fly and land with confidence. Then when you get his wings clipped, please leave the first 2-3 flight feather on the outer most "finger" tips so the bird can still hover land safely without crashing.

Clipping too early can cause confidence issues in birds which can negatively progress to behavior problems. But these are just my own personal beliefs.

Please study the African Grey species as they are A LOT of work to keep healthy and happy but if vigilant and done with lots of love and patience, they reward you with amazing loyalty and joy for years to come.

Some tips:

-greys get dry/itchy skin easily...I know we have a lot of rain in Houston lately, but the AC/Heater take a lot of the moisture out of the air...mist/bath with aloe vera juice your grey on dry days or get a cold humidifier next to his cage to keep the humidity up.

-in my experience, greys needs a tad more good fat in their diet than other birds, so let them try some red palm or coconut oil, just drip a few drops on their food...it is really good them. Also, veggies and fruits are good, so start you birdie on it at a young age.

-never use one food source...they must have variety. Please try to get you baby weened onto pellets and never feed just a seed diet. Aim for pellets as a main diet, then some veggies as snacks, fruit slices as treats...and safflower seeds for training or treats...(seeds are a great treat to use during training)

-greys are nervous birds...things that may seem silly might petrify your grey...like for example...the stapler on my desk...its just a stapler right? no, to my grey its going to grow legs and chase it and eat him...They acclimate to new things ever so slowly...dont just shove new toys in his cage...always show him/her it is safe by hugging/kissing things you want him to interact with, then leave it in his sight for a few days then gradually put things into his cage...I can't tell you how much bird toys i have hugged or how many pellets I have ate for my grey. if you love your grey, you will do it too.

-they need 12-14 hours of uninterrupted sleep. cover his/her cage at night and let him sleep in a quiet area, close blinds as they can get scared by shadows or scraping trees..no joke.

-socialize you birdie to as many different people/things from a young age as possible. Like just walk with the bird and show him different people, things, furniture, food...point and say what it is or who it is. Greys LOVE high pitched talking...so try to sound excited about everything (think baby voice googoogaga) greys have a tendency to get "set in their ways" as they get older...so if they pick up bad habits at a tender age, they are harder to break later...

Just some things that I have learned from my own personal experiences as a grey owner and just passing it on. Good luck and welcome again!

Flboy · Jun 13, 2016

Welcome, a grey is an awesome fid!

thekarens · Jun 13, 2016

Another H-Towner here. Our grey was inherited. He had lived in a dog crate for like 7 years and previously to that he had lived in the backroom with no interaction after his owner died. he's somewhere around 15. We had a grey before that passed away from seizures.

Amazingly Corky, survived his previous life with zero plucking issues. When we first got him we clipped him since he was understandably aggressive. We've since let him grow out his wings. He's not a great flier, but he's getting better. He doesn't have any of the normal grey phobias as far as items go. He's fine with any and all new toys etc. However, he's extremely suspicious of people and food. We're still working on improving his diet and he hates me with a passion and will seek me out specifically to bite me. My wife is the love of his life and I am the intruder and he's made that perfectly clear.

As far as cages go Corky has 40x30x72 (I think 72 is correct) playtop cage and he uses every inch. I figured it was the least we could do after his living in a dog crate all his life and greys are pretty playful.

Qtpyinnj · Jun 17, 2016

BIRDIGIRL said:
Hi and Welcome to the forum Im not owned by an African Grey being a Quaker and Amazon mom myself but I do hope you will enjoy your new baby when he/she arrives. There are lots of African Grey parronts on the forum and they will have tons of tips and advice for you both as you prepare for your parrots arrival and afterwards

Thank you Birdigirl. I'm looking forward to enjoying many years with our birdy when he/she arrives.

Qtpyinnj · Jun 17, 2016

SilverLining said:
Hi and welcome, another H-towner here.

Personally, I wouldn't clip an African Grey.

But if you must, please wait until your baby has learnt to fly and land with confidence. Then when you get his wings clipped, please leave the first 2-3 flight feather on the outer most "finger" tips so the bird can still hover land safely without crashing.

Clipping too early can cause confidence issues in birds which can negatively progress to behavior problems. But these are just my own personal beliefs.

Please study the African Grey species as they are A LOT of work to keep healthy and happy but if vigilant and done with lots of love and patience, they reward you with amazing loyalty and joy for years to come.

Some tips:

-greys get dry/itchy skin easily...I know we have a lot of rain in Houston lately, but the AC/Heater take a lot of the moisture out of the air...mist/bath with aloe vera juice your grey on dry days or get a cold humidifier next to his cage to keep the humidity up.

-in my experience, greys needs a tad more good fat in their diet than other birds, so let them try some red palm or coconut oil, just drip a few drops on their food...it is really good them. Also, veggies and fruits are good, so start you birdie on it at a young age.

-never use one food source...they must have variety. Please try to get you baby weened onto pellets and never feed just a seed diet. Aim for pellets as a main diet, then some veggies as snacks, fruit slices as treats...and safflower seeds for training or treats...(seeds are a great treat to use during training)

-greys are nervous birds...things that may seem silly might petrify your grey...like for example...the stapler on my desk...its just a stapler right? no, to my grey its going to grow legs and chase it and eat him...They acclimate to new things ever so slowly...dont just shove new toys in his cage...always show him/her it is safe by hugging/kissing things you want him to interact with, then leave it in his sight for a few days then gradually put things into his cage...I can't tell you how much bird toys i have hugged or how many pellets I have ate for my grey. if you love your grey, you will do it too.

-they need 12-14 hours of uninterrupted sleep. cover his/her cage at night and let him sleep in a quiet area, close blinds as they can get scared by shadows or scraping trees..no joke.

-socialize you birdie to as many different people/things from a young age as possible. Like just walk with the bird and show him different people, things, furniture, food...point and say what it is or who it is. Greys LOVE high pitched talking...so try to sound excited about everything (think baby voice googoogaga) greys have a tendency to get "set in their ways" as they get older...so if they pick up bad habits at a tender age, they are harder to break later...

Just some things that I have learned from my own personal experiences as a grey owner and just passing it on. Good luck and welcome again!

Thank you so much! I always enjoy learning from others' experiences. You've shared a great deal of information for me to consider.

Qtpyinnj · Jun 17, 2016

thekarens said:
Another H-Towner here. Our grey was inherited. He had lived in a dog crate for like 7 years and previously to that he had lived in the backroom with no interaction after his owner died. he's somewhere around 15. We had a grey before that passed away from seizures.

Amazingly Corky, survived his previous life with zero plucking issues. When we first got him we clipped him since he was understandably aggressive. We've since let him grow out his wings. He's not a great flier, but he's getting better. He doesn't have any of the normal grey phobias as far as items go. He's fine with any and all new toys etc. However, he's extremely suspicious of people and food. We're still working on improving his diet and he hates me with a passion and will seek me out specifically to bite me. My wife is the love of his life and I am the intruder and he's made that perfectly clear.

As far as cages go Corky has 40x30x72 (I think 72 is correct) playtop cage and he uses every inch. I figured it was the least we could do after his living in a dog crate all his life and greys are pretty playful.

I'm glad Corky has found a loving home. It seem as though you have a little bit of competition as far as your wife is concerned.

Qtpyinnj · Jun 22, 2016

(Originally posted in the General forum, now I'm posting here)

Hello everyone,

I'm Erica and I am going to soon purchase an African Grey Congo. I just wanted to hear everyone's (anyone's) thoughts, opinions, and suggestions on owning a mid sized parrot. About my family, there are 5 of us, including my husband and 3 boys ages 17, 12, and 10. Everyone is on board and is excited about the new edition. Oh, and we have a cat also. She is very stand offish and likes to keep to herself, so I honestly don't think she will be a problem.

I've located a breeder in Austin by the name of JC Aviary, and so far, he seems trustworthy and reputable. If anyone has dealt with him, kindly share your experience, be it positive or negative. I was hoping to get a bird by mid July, but I just made some travel plans for the end of September, so I've decided to delay my purchase until after I return. I don't want to leave the bird so quickly after bringing him/her home.

So, what do you veterans recommend as far as cage size, number of toys, wing clipping or no wing clipping? I'm sure there are many other things I could ask, but I am not sure where to begin. That's why I am here. Please throw some ideas at me. I want to learn from you all.

NEWLY ADDED QUESTION:

What do you all do when you have to travel? Do you take your bird(s) with you, or are there place where you can take them for sitting? This is an urgent issue for me since I've only been in Houston for a year and a half, and I'll be traveling back and for to NJ perhaps twice a year. I'm actually delaying getting a Grey until after September because I'll be traveling.

Thanks in advance,
Erica

DRB · Jun 22, 2016

IMO a big cage is a plus, almost a must.

I've only owned one parrot, my current 7 month old CAG. I cannot imagine a medium size cage being enough for such a bird with such needs for things to keep her active and involved and engaged.

Terry57 · Jun 22, 2016

Here we have a reputable place that does bird sitting, I'm sure there are places where you are as well, hopefully someone here from your area can advise on that.
Will it be possible for you to take your bird with you when you go?

Qtpyinnj · Jun 22, 2016

DRB said:
IMO a big cage is a plus, almost a must.

I've only owned one parrot, my current 7 month old CAG. I cannot imagine a medium size cage being enough for such a bird with such needs for things to keep her active and involved and engaged.

I wold think a big cage would be best as well. The bird will have plenty of room ro grow and move around, and lots of toys can be added to keep him/her entertained.

Qtpyinnj · Jun 22, 2016

Terry57 said:
Here we have a reputable place that does bird sitting, I'm sure there are places where you are as well, hopefully someone here from your area can advise on that.
Will it be possible for you to take your bird with you when you go?

I was wondering if traveling with the bird is possible. Sometimes we fly, other times we drive. I'm pretty sure we'll be doing more flying as no one in my family wants to endure that 25 hour drive from Texas to NJ.

Have you ever traveled with your birds? If so, what kind of carrier do you use? :33:

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