Wanting a African Grey,.....I think ???

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site and large birds. I did put in some information about my wife & I in my profile and in the new members forum.


I grew up with several parakeets but no large birds. My wife and I are trying to decide on adding either a Grey or Cockatoo, to our family of two dogs and cats. We have a neighbor that owns a parrot and she brings him over to our home a lot. Our Boxer dog lets the bird ride on his back, it's very funny, and the cats pay no attention to him. I'm now disabled and spend most of my time at home, so all our pets receive a lot of attention. We have no kids, so our pet's are,.......our children.

I fell in love with a African Grey many years ago at a local garden nursery that had a African Grey as a pet. He was wonderful and for what ever reason, he and I got along very well and he would get all excited & dance when he saw me coming. I would bring him a prune every visit. The owner said I was one of a few that he really liked. I visited him often for several years, then the owners moved to another state to retire and of course, took him along. I've missed him ever since.

We like both species of birds. The white Cockatoo's are beautiful and have a very funny personality. The Grey's are very handsome, intelligent, can have more of a vocabulary. As far as both birds personality as a whole and which will make a better member of the family, we don't know, so and advice and opinion.

SORRY, I NEEDED TO LOG BACK IN TO FINISH MY THREAD, SO IT'S DONE BELOW.
Thank you !

Of course the decision is ultimately yours and your wife's but out of those two I think I would recommend a grey. Cockatoos are great and I love them very much but they can(and usually are) very loud and can be very jealous of other people and pets. And just because this will be your first large bird, greys just tend to be a little more easy going, although sometimes they aren't all too forgiving. Because of that, I would suggest getting a baby or adopting an adult that bonds with you(like the one you used to visit), there are plenty of greys and cockatoos in most rescues but rehabilitating them from an abusive past can be quite a daunting task for a new owner and I would hate to see you get discouraged. Either way, you've come to a great place! You'll get a lot of good advice and suggestions here if you stick around

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site and large birds. I did put in some information about my wife & I in my profile and in the new members forum.

I grew up with several parakeets but no large birds. My wife and I are trying to decide on adding either a Grey or Cockatoo, to our family of two dogs and cats. We have a neighbor that owns a parrot and she brings him over to our home a lot. Our Boxer dog lets the bird ride on his back, it's very funny, and the cats pay no attention to him. I'm now disabled and spend most of my time at home, so all our pets receive a lot of attention. We have no kids, so our pet's are,.......our children.

I fell in love with a African Grey many years ago at a local garden nursery that had a African Grey as a pet. He was wonderful and for what ever reason, he and I got along very well and he would get all excited & dance when he saw me coming. I would bring him a prune every visit. The owner said I was one of a few that he really liked. I visited him often for several years, then the owners moved to another state to retire and of course, took him along. I've missed him ever since.

We like both species of birds. The white Cockatoo's are beautiful and have a very funny personality. The Grey's are very handsome, intelligent, can have more of a vocabulary. As far as both birds personality as a whole and which will make a better member of the family, we don't know, so and advice and opinion's is well needed and appreciated !

I really like the idea of conversing with a bird, teaching various words and singing with us, not just some pretty or cool looking bird.

Our bird will have his cage in our large home office, which is where I spend a big portion of my day, other than that, he'll spend the rest of the time with all of us in the living room. We would also like to build a outdoor Avery on the deck and even going for walks. I hear some like car rides as well.

We're not sure on what age to strive for or where to buy or adopt from. We don't like "puppy mills", so the same for our bird !
I feel that a bird over a handful or more of years, could pose a problem with bad habits, health issues, bad breeding, and say,....not so honest,........sellers, whether from a store or private owner. I'm also concerned about buying from a distant state and the bird going through very stressful shipping, so somewhere as close to home for pick-up will be best. We live near Lincoln Nebraska.

Please ask any questions about us, our other pets and plans for our bird.

Thank you,
Kevin

I could be wrong here but I'm pretty sure Shredded Oaks Aviary(she is a forum member) is in nebraska and they breed cockatoos and greys. Her and her husband are both members and they are very good breeders and helpful people. I'm sure she could give you some advice and maybe even help you find your new baby! Hopefully she will be on soon and see this

Thanks IcyWolf.

I agree and don't want a "screaming"....bird if possible. lol
We don't have a issue with adopting a bird from a rescue program, as most of our cats & dogs are are from them as well. We thought as a first big bird, that we may not have the knowledge and experience with a problem child.

I see you're a breeder for several species. Do you also breed Grey's ?

I just checked and they are from Nebraska and in a recent post she said they are from the omaha/lincoln area!

Really,....that's great !

Do they have a website ?

Home - Shredded Oak Aviary

They're on facebook too and she is a pretty active poster on here as well.

My ears are burning... lol

Hello, First off I will let you know I got your email, and when I've had a bit more sleep I'll be emailing some other breeders info who are also local (there are quite a few good and bad bird breeders here in Nebraska, and I'll email you my humble opinion. I personally would go with a grey as a first bird (we specialize in 'toos, and I rarely recomend any 'too as a first time big bird). I currently have pneumonia, and so I am a little out of sorts lately, but if I recall correctly my breeder friend has 2 baby congo greys that are not yet weaned (I'll call her tomorrow and get permission to give you her phone number). I am only posting on the forums so that you get an answer here, but I would like to talk to you more about what you enjoy most about parrots, what kind of energy level your house has, etc. It will help me advise you on what the best bird might be, ultimately only you can be the judge, and we might be able to arrange a time for you to come meet some babies and see what you think. I will make some calls tomorrow, and hoping I start feeling better soon I should be a bit more clear headed and helpful in the comming week. Welcome to the forums, and I'll speak with you as soon as I get my voice back...lol

My ears are burning,...lol

Take care of yourself first, as sound really sick !

I would like to visit you and your birds We also appreciate and advice & help you can offer.
I see there's a breeder in Palmyra ?

Feel free to email and call me anytime.

[email protected]
402-781-2322

NOW GET TO BED !!!! lol
Thanks,
Kevin

I've never had either, but I read a lot more post on here regarding behavioral problems with 'toos than with greys. At the local parrot rescue, there were dozens of 'toos, but I didn't see a single grey. I think that definitely says something.

Interesting.

I do love it when the Too's do the, "Bobble Head".... dance. lol
Is their behavior like that while young and grow out of it, or do they have the child terrible two's, through out their life ?

I've watched several vids on youtube and their not only funny, but very loving. When I used to visit the bird at the garden center, I would scratch the back of his head, his eyes would roll backwards and almost fall asleep. Then he would get all happy.

Sounds like have already been put in touch with helpful people in your area Wow, everyone here I've been talking to is sick right now with something; sorry to hear someone else is, too.

'Toos do love to dance, but my Grey was dancing last night. My conure does as well and my amazon does a bit. I think dancing is just a bird thing in general. They all seem to like music of various kinds.

Welcome to the forum. I, too, have been home on disability for nearly 3 years now, and a bird is a wonderful companion.

Please tell me more about your Grey's personality and behavior.

What are the main differences between the Congo African Grey and the smaller Timneh. The congo seems to be more popular.

Well, I'm a new Grey mom and have only had her 2.5 weeks. She is very sweet and easy to handle. She loves head scratches, and cuddles. She's the only one of my birds that I can spend 10 minutes cleaning peanut butter off her beak and have her be patient through that (I was trying to get her to eat medicated bread with some peanut butter on it to hide the meds. She made such a mess of herself though that that was a bad plan, lol!)

She isn't much of a talker but she whistles very well. Some pretty long tunes actually. She also does video game sounds, the fire alarm (!), microwave beep, an ambulance, coos, clucks, and some sounds I can't figure out. She also seems to like doing belches and farts, lol! She seems to also like to talk sometimes in a monster sounding voice that I totally didn't expects since she is quite a little lady.

I'd put her halfway between the conure and the amazon in activity level. She likes shreddable toys the most.

She did settle into my home quite well from the beginning. The only problem we had really is that I didn't realize she is blind. So sometimes I scared her approaching suddenly or moving around the room doing other things. Now that I talk to her while I'm doing that, she isn't scared anymore.

Aw, I always wanted to see ShreddedOaksAviary... lucky you!

Just going to repeat what the others have said. cockatoo's are usually a big no no for first time bird owners. CAG/TAG's are a lot easier to handle in regards to mood swings and temperament.

CAGs and TAG's arn't that much different. Main difference are the colouring and size. A lot of people argue that TAG's are more laid back, but that's completely dependant upon the bird's individual personality. Other than that I can't really think of any differences that would impact a decision. Meet the Grey's and see which ones click if possible!

Roxy- she's blind !,,,,,what a shame, but I'm so happy you did not send her away to a blind school, or anywhere else. I commend you for loving and sticking with her. You're a great person and we need more people like you in this world !

I viewed more vids on youtube and found a company called, Bird Tricks. Parrot Training Tips To Fix Your Pet Parrots Problems | Birdtricks.com
The one lady did not,.....recommend the Cockatoo at all, for anyone. But I realize everybody has their own opinion and I'm sure many say we shouldn't have any of these birds in captivity. We are salt water aquarium hobbyists and here again, some say the same about corals and fish, but we actually breed fish and......corals. So in essence, we're doing all we can to breed and protect coral reefs around the world. Sorry, but I can talk a enciclipedia,....... about this marvelous hobby and conservation, and I'm sure that once I'm a "know it all",...about parrots, I'll do the same. lol ! :09:

I still,...can't make up my mind between the two species as both appeal to me, but still very different. The Cockatoo is funny & cute, the Grey is handsome and very intelligence.

Could you guys make a list of pro's and con's or both ? That may help a great deal !

1- Personality traits
2- Intelligence
3- orneryness,ssss (lol)
4- Trainable
5- Screaming (very important)
6- Lovable, cuddling etc.
7- Nervous (plucking, chewing)
8- Bad habits
9- Sleep well & quiet overnight
10- Good with other pets
etc..etc........

Please add more !

Read the newest threads in the cockatoo area about rescuing one and about MikeyTN's new "Too. Those will give you a lot of information. To be honest with you, I'm quite the bird lover, and I don't think I want a 'Too. I know it would be very spoiled because I'm home all day and usually with the birds.

Honestly the blindness really isn't a problem. I was clueless for the first 6 days she was here! And she was a new home and a new cage and everything. Her previous owners obviously didn't realize either. They knew she didn't see well in the dark, but certainly didn't realize she didn't see well in the day either. Now that I know, I see some things. Like how I would scare her by appearing suddenly or moving past her cage. I also noticed she would climb up to the top of the cage and be reaching for her perch and be off by a couple inches and have to keep trying. She also was kissing the cat and calling her by the name of one of the previous owner's dogs. She's actually entirely too nice to the cat; the cat appreciates that, but I don't want Merlin to be too friendly to the cat. I do leave on a little dim lamp with a blue bulb in it for her all night. And cover her cage only partway. She hasn't had a night fright since the first night now that I'm doing that. She also gets up while it's still dark, and much earlier than my other birds. Talking to her though and leaving a little lamp on are no big deal at all. She is very much worth any minor inconviences such as those.

You do have to remember that all birds are different though. You can make generalizations about the species, but nothing is written in stone. They are as individual as people.

But, as soon as we were in my house and I let her out of the carrier, she gave me a big kiss!

What a great story !
I assume she was blind at birth ? Wonder how often that happens ?
So if she has the light, she's not totally blind ?

I'll look up that thread. Why do you not particularly like the Too's ?

No, she probably wasn't blind from birth. My vet thinks she has Bornavirus and lost her vision from that. She must see some shadows at least, and the little light must help her. The vet agreed that I should leave it on. But, she adapted so well as she lost her vision that no one noticed! The vet saw her cataracts when I took her in because she caught a bacterial infection during shipping to me. If the vet hadn't noticed I may not have.

Well, 'Toos are very difficult to own. They need to learn to play independently and entertain themselves or they develop all kinds of problems. They are very good at manipulating you into holding and entertaining them all day long. And when you don't, they scream and pluck their feathers. I guess I feel I don't want to work with all that. And I probably couldn't deal with the dust either. I suppose if you educate yourself on how to train them and get one from a baby, you can do it right. But, I have always had other animals that need my attention as well, and just don't feel like putting in that much effort I guess. My other birds can play with toys and are just happy to have me around. I can play with them each for awhile and then put them on their play gyms and all is well.