new member + question!

[creative]

Hey,

new member but dont actually own a bird Im looking in to lots but need to make sure i get the right one. I know i can give them a lot of training and affection but my biggest question is about time.

I am moving flat shortly and will be living alone and i work from 9am to 5pm. I initially wanted this african grey in the local petshop (10 months old, hand tamed , reallly awesome bird!!) even though hes pricey (950 pounds!). However on an average day i will be home at 5.30pm and awake till about half past midnight. Some nights i am out for maybe 2 hours. Weekends i will be in most of the day and out some nights.

I read from a few different places that you should aim for about 2-3 hours interaction a day which i could easily manage, however after reading some forums etc it seems they need more than that.

My question is, what would be the best bird species for my situation? I dont want to get one and not supply it with enough personal time

thanks for any info you could give!
mike

 

[apatrimo94]

Welcome to the forum. Personally, I don't own an African Grey, a lot of people here do though. I would say for your time frame, owning an African Grey shouldn't be a problem. But if it doesn't work out, you can always stick with maybe an Amazon or Conure. Best of luck

 

[apatrimo94]

Oh, and wait until after you move to get a bird. It would be less stressful for the both of you.

 

[HRH Di]

Welcome to the forum! I agree that you should wait until after you move. Can you leave a deposit and "reserve" the Grey?

Remember, it's not only quantity, but quality. We spend about 3-5 hours with our birds on work days and about 8 or so on the weekends. But we have 2 sons who spend time with them during the day while we're at work but only during the summer. So, it sounds about the same as you would have. I like to think that our birds are well adjusted and bonded. They're both very young -Max is about 16 months old and Jade is 11 months - so they're used to this schedule. I'll be getting a CAG in about 6 weeks and our breeder says that we'll be spending plenty of time with her.

 

[Aussie Ben]

G'day, welcome to the forum.

There are times when I am out of the house 9-5 a few weeks in a row. The most important thing is that you give your bird a large enough cage so that he has space to move around and play while your out, and make sure he is given lots of enrichment activities to do while your out as well. I try to spend time with my birds first thing when I wake up and make their breakfast and make sure i let them out asap once I arrive home. My birds are both happy and healthy so I think your new situation could definitely work with the right routine (and the right bird).

Have you considered noise level? Many birds can often be noisy (really noisy) and living in a flat, this may be an issue (I'm not sure how loud AG's are). Have you considered some of the smaller species? Many can be just as loud but there are a few that are quieter. Have you owned a bird before?

 

[Beilana]

Hey there Welcome to the forum, its a great place to learn with tons of awesome people!!! good luck with your decision!