Monthly cost of an African Grey Parrot?

[Billdore]

What would my monthly expenses for and African Grey range between?
What should I look for in a breeder? I've notice the price can vary quite a bit.
Is there a large difference between the two subspecies congo and Timneh?
Thank you soo much for all the help and support the community here is great. I have so many questions and I'm so excited. Not 100% set on the the African Greys but I really would like a Smart talking bird over a sweet cuddly bird. I've seen some videos of Greys being handled a lot but I've heard this is more the exception than the rule? I know that African Greys need a lot of attention, but I wondered how much time do you need to spend training, and how much can you just hang out together? I want to make sure my bird is as happy as possible. Thank you soo much again sorry for going on and on.:30:
I'm in Vermont

 

[Puck]

Hi and welcome to the forum!!! I don't know a lot about the specifics of African Greys, but I do know a couple things that can be counted on for all birds and double for midsize parrots like greys: they need A LOT of attention to be happy and healthy (tons of attention is the baseline and it just goes up from there) and they cost A LOT of money every month in food, veggies, toys, vet visits, and tons of other stuff (everything made for birds is pricey) so if budget is a really big factor then think carefully on how you will manage the cost, always assuming the worst and budgeting for emergencies. I adore African Greys but don't have enough personal experience to tell you much about living with them; however, I would definitely recommend joining a bird club or finding an African Grey locally to spend time with before making up your mind on species, especially if you don't have much previous bird experience.

 

[texsize]

an

What would my monthly expenses for and African Grey range between?
What should I look for in a breeder? I've notice the price can vary quite a bit.
Is there a large difference between the two subspecies congo and Timneh?
Thank you soo much for all the help and support the community here is great. I have so many questions and I'm so excited. Not 100% set on the the African Greys but I really would like a Smart talking bird over a sweet cuddly bird. I've seen some videos of Greys being handled a lot but I've heard this is more the exception than the rule? I know that African Greys need a lot of attention, but I wondered how much time do you need to spend training, and how much can you just hang out together? I want to make sure my bird is as happy as possible. Thank you soo much again sorry for going on and on.:30:

My experience with an African grey is to new to give you an answer to your questions.
It would help to know where you are located to give an answer about cost.
There are people from all over the world on the forum You could be in Australia or Southern California. It makes a difference.

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed.
1. Where are you located? It will help us give you better answers to yout questions

2. All parrots are pretty smart. Greys are very smart and as such need a lot of mental and emotional stimulation in order to reach their full potentialand be happy. If you think a precocious 2 year old, with a can opener on its face, you will not be far off..

3. They need your time to play with them , time to train with them, and your time to keep everything clean and hygenic. Depending on the individual bird that could be 1-2 hours a day to more. If your bird is a flinger ( like to throw his food) clean up time can be a lot more.

4. If your bird is a real chewerwho can reduce a wood toy to toothpicks in a matter of hours, cost for toys is pretty high. 4 or 5 toys a month could run 40 or more, plus food, again depends on the bird. If he is eating freash veggie and fruits and pellets, thats another 40 so a month. Thats what I spend with Salty, he is a bit smaller then a African grey.

5. Breeders. Clean. Birds should be socalized daily. Good breeding records Are babys parent reared or pulled early and people reared? Over crowded tanks?

6. Read, read and read some more. This board and others are a great place to start.

 

[Billdore]

Thank you soo much for all the help. I'm from Vermont. We have a Petco, a Petsmart, and a couple nice local pet stores. I will probably ordering as much as I can from amazon as they tend to be cheaper than my loacal stores. I was also wondering I have two 55 gallon saltwater fish tanks will these be a problem? 150 dollars a month is my expected budget at this point in time. I've found a couple of friends of friends that are local owners of parrots to help me but unfortunately nobody with and African Grey yet. Hoping to find and meet as many Fids as possible in the upcoming weeks.. I'll keep you guys posted. I've already read soo much great information on here. Thank you everybody!

 

[LeaKP]

I wanted to interject heref depending on how creative you are, you can make plenty of toys. The key is finding clean acceptable wood for toys that is nonpoisonous (easy to search out). I live in Africa and rarely am able to get anything store bought so my grey gets lots of homemade stuff to destroy.

I also only feed him homemade stuff (healthy birdie bread recipes) and fresh foods. Even stateside being creative would bring costs down greatly.

 

[Flboy]

Howdy and welcome! Cost?

 

[SailBoat]

Web search you area for the nearest Avian Vet. If you find none, they search for an Avian Qualified Vet.

Welcome to the Parrot Forum!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Hello, and welcome!
Good for you, for researching and reaching out.
Great advice above...
Glad you found us!

 

[Billdore]

So excited just spent almost 2 hours with an african grey parrot. I was in love instantly but he didnt feel the same way. I now know what it feels like to be bitten a few times. With some treats we made a lot of progress in a short time. He is an amazing deal also 1700 bucks for the bird the cage and toys. I dont think i will be able to resist putting a down payment on this little fellow. Hes 1 and 1/2 years old. Going to go back and hang out for a bit tomorrow. Hopefully post a picture hes even the Timneh which is what i was looking for. So very excited. How long did it take for your birds to warm up to you? One of teh girls working was very friendly with him and it took her about a month she said. She could scratch his head freely and do as she pleased with him. This maybe the first day i have met him but I couldnt help having a twing of jealousy. Lol I had to call her over to see her interact with the bird becasue she didnt want me to feel bad. I know a bond takes time and i will have many happy years to do so.

 

[LeaKP]

They're so enchanting. Birds pick their people, once you are around a bird that chooses you, you're done!

 

[Billdore]

Thats kind of what i'm a little bummed out about. This bird did not seem to choose me. The only person he likes is an employee that said it took about a month for him to like her. Should I be looking for another bird? This african grey doesn't seem to like anybody. His previous owners that had him for 1 year clearly didnt socialize or train this poor guy.

 

[Puck]

Thats kind of what i'm a little bummed out about. This bird did not seem to choose me. The only person he likes is an employee that said it took about a month for him to like her. Should I be looking for another bird? This african grey doesn't seem to like anybody. His previous owners that had him for 1 year clearly didnt socialize or train this poor guy.

That's up to you and how you feel about birds. Some people enjoy the challenge of socializing a bird, others want the bird to love them right away. It is not uncommon for a bird to not immediately fall in love with you--parrots just aren't lovey dovey the way that dogs are. My bird now comes to the front of the top of the cage so I can pick her up instead of making me climb on a stool to reach her after six weeks together, and I consider that a big win showing she's bonding with me. I don't think Greys are known for being super cuddly birds to begin with, so it will likely take awhile to bond closely with any of them, certainly more than one meeting. It doesn't seem odd to me that it took the employee a month to bond with him--that's not uncommon for parrots--and the fact that he bonded at all shows he's open to socialization. So really, it just depends what you want! If you want one that's immediately open to being your BFF, I would probably go for a different species. Though I am sure there are AGs out there who will instantly adore you, you will probably have a better chance of that with a Lovebird or a Cockatiel/too or even a GCC or another species that is known for its buddiness.

 

[Puck]

They're so enchanting. Birds pick their people, once you are around a bird that chooses you, you're done!

The only reason I don't agree with this idea is the fact that when you really love birds, it can feel like EVERY bird chooses you, and you can end up taking home way more birds than you need! I personally don't trust the feelings I have around birds, because I know I am not a good decision maker when it comes to whether or not to take a bird home--I want them all! Some people are much better at this than me and can follow their gut, but I just follow my plans when it comes to buying birds. That's why buying from breeders without having met the bird doesn't bother me. So the idea of the bird choosing you works great for some people and not so well for others. You have to decide what kind of bird lover you are! Also, lots of people make slow bonds with their birds rather than instant ones, so don't feel bad if you don't seem to find a soul mate of a bird! Every bird I have owned I bonded with slowly, and I have become super close to them all! That's just how it's always been for me, though it's different for every person.

 

[LeaKP]

Its not wrong to get this bird if you are prepared to be the non picked one. Some greys are just that way and those who have them. must accept them as they are. They are extremely intelligent and respond to love but can be very set in their ways.

 

[Billdore]

Thats actually great news i was afraid that a lot of people get the bird that seems to adore them. I wen tback today spent two hours with him and I can say he got sick of me way before I had had my fill. LOL he let me know in no uncertain terms that he had enough for the day. We got step up and step down for a little while. he also let me scratch his head. I did walk away bleeding but with a big smile.

 

[Flboy]

Thats kind of what i'm a little bummed out about. This bird did not seem to choose me. The only person he likes is an employee that said it took about a month for him to like her. Should I be looking for another bird? This african grey doesn't seem to like anybody. His previous owners that had him for 1 year clearly didnt socialize or train this poor guy.

That's up to you and how you feel about birds. Some people enjoy the challenge of socializing a bird, others want the bird to love them right away. It is not uncommon for a bird to not immediately fall in love with you--parrots just aren't lovey dovey the way that dogs are. My bird now comes to the front of the top of the cage so I can pick her up instead of making me climb on a stool to reach her after six weeks together, and I consider that a big win showing she's bonding with me. I don't think Greys are known for being super cuddly birds to begin with, so it will likely take awhile to bond closely with any of them, certainly more than one meeting. It doesn't seem odd to me that it took the employee a month to bond with him--that's not uncommon for parrots--and the fact that he bonded at all shows he's open to socialization. So really, it just depends what you want! If you want one that's immediately open to being your BFF, I would probably go for a different species. Though I am sure there are AGs out there who will instantly adore you, you will probably have a better chance of that with a Lovebird or a Cockatiel/too or even a GCC or another species that is known for its buddiness.

A love worth having is a love worth working for!

 

[LeaKP]

Yes. And remember this, greys are the snobs of the parrot world. Some of their standoffishness is normal. They are sometimes content to allow human servants to interact and others they want their humans to simple adore them as they show off their wonderfulness.

 

[Billdore]

getting better day 2

 

[Billdore]

What a Beauty worked on our step step down today. Went well till he got sick of me. Then it was nap time and feeding times. So he lost interest.