African Greys?

[Karran]

I've kept smaller parakeets for a while now, indoors to begin with, now have a small aviary with cockatiels, kakariki, rosella and budgies.
Keep getting offered new stock from those who need rehoming but now have been offered a supposedly tame African Grey.
Obviously I couldn't keep it in my aviary as not only will it be a LOT bigger than my motley lot, but would destroy my wooden aviary.

Would look into getting it some form of outdoor play area for the summer anyway but what are they like to keep?
Its supposed to be tame but am prepared for a bit of a settling in period and nipping.
Are they particularly chewy birds? How much attention does it need? I know how intelligent they are supposed to be, so will make sure it is properly stimulated but during the day when everyone is at work, it would need to live in a cage.

Do they bond strongly with people? My OH is scared of birds and I know of some species that get "jealous" if they see other birds/people spending too much time with "their" humans, so wouldn't be fair on either if it causes friction.

Any other info and pics would be great before I say yes or no to it!

 

[Paint Me Proud]

we have a grey who is 9 years old and have had him since he was 12 weeks old.

They arent easy birds, very clever but usually quite nervous wary birds too so they easily take fright.

They bond better with the opposite sex and can be jealous birds.

Love ours to bits but to be honest if you havent kept parrots before then an Amazon would be better as a first parrot.

 

[Nicnac]

My OH had one when I met him - it absolutely hated me (and the feeling was pretty mutual) so it went to his parents.

She was quite belligerent and loved making a mess up the walls with food etc. when things didn't go her way. Beautiful bird but very much a one man bird - OH could do whatever he wanted with her and she was great with him.

 

[Alexart]

I think a parrot forum would give you more specific species advice, try this one there are lots of very knowledgable folk on there who keep greys - http://www.parrot-link.co.uk/

I don't have a grey but I have 2 rescue birds, one little goffins cockatoo and one organge winged amazon. I only took them on as I work from home so am around all day as any parrot species needs lots of people time to make up for the lack of a flock, some can cope with being left all day if they are used to amusing themselves others won't cope and will just scream the place down or pull all their feathers out which greys are very prone to doing!
All of them are similar care wise and need at least 3hrs out of their cage a day to play and fly about, otherwise they get very bored and that's when issues arise - my goffins was kept in a very small cage with a couple of token toys and then left in a garage for years as a result she screams and bites to get attention - they really are like having a toddler. But since I've had her and she's out most of the day getting upto mischeif she rarely utters a word except when she sees something she doesn't like out the window!! I do have to keep her entertained, she does have loads of toys which I rotate every other day, her food gets hidden in things and when she destroys a toy I make up new ones with any bits left - they are not cheap to keep and greys are known for chewing!! Luckily mine don't talk either which is great as I'm sure they'd swear for britain otherwise, but those that do you need to watch what you say!!!

My goffins I'd say is a hand raised bird and as such thinks she is a person and hates my amazon, she is totally bonded to me and will attack anyone else, the amazon is the same although she just blusters and flaps her wings at people whereas the cockatoo will stalk people and when they are not watching she'll attack!! So it totally depends on the bird and how much socialisation it's had with other people, how old it is - ie. has it hit sexual maturity as that's when the majority are dumped as they can turn into mosters!, and also wether the bird was hand raised as to how it reacts to you and your OH.

If you're prepared to put in the heaps of time and effort needed as well as your family then they do make great pets but they aren't for everyone!! Cage wise - get as big as you possibly can - the cages you see advertised as suitable for greys and the like are usually waaaay too small IMO, I got an aviary for my goffins which sits in my studio, it came in aluminium panels and was far cheaper than a cage so she's busy all day and can fly from one side to the other. The amazon stays out all the time as she doesn't chew but she does have a very large cage when she has to go in when the goffins is out! Kiwi the amazon is an odd little bird who I don't think has had any socialisation as a youngster at all and has no idea how to play - she's getting better though as I've had her over a year now and she will let me scratch her without taking huge chunks out of my hand and will sit on my arm too although she's not the sharpest crayon in the box and takes ages to get anything! - so do expect a settling in period as they are not daft birds and loosing their family must be very stressful and upsetting for them and make them very insecure so they need time to adjust and realise you are their new family - just remember they live a long time so make sure you remember it in your will!!!!

 

[here_i_am]

As others have said - they're a one-man bird who bond with the opposite sex. My dads bird adores him but HATES me, my mum & sisters. She'll let other men handle her, but prefers my dad.
They're very very messy birds. If they don't like the food in their bowl, they'll launch it! Toys are destroyed, as is anything else left in their reach. Ours have a playstand inside for evenings, cages for night time & a big metal aviary in the garden. They're not cheap & they take masses of commitment, especially if u want them to be tame. If they love you, they're fab. If they hate you & don't appreciate anything u do for them, it's hard!

 

[Paint Me Proud]

Thought I would elaborate that our Grey is a male and as a baby he liked everyone, then from age about 2 years he decided he HATED men (I have a dad and 4 brothers, lol!) and would attack on site, but remained lovig and gentle with me and my mum (well most of the time!)

However now he is 9 years old he is a lot better. He no longer attacks me and will ride on my dads arm etc but he still does prefer ladies.

Our grey is very nervous of new things, especially toys. New items can be in his cage for a month or more before he will even touch it. As a result we have to buy the same toys over and over again as once he likes it thats fine but he hates new things. He had a suspension ladder in his cage for 3 months and didnt stand on it once, we had to remove it in the end.

 

[Twinkley Lights]

I have a two year old grey called Zebedee who is the core of our family. Most conversations and decisions are Zebedee focussed and he takes an active part! Greys are not an easy to do bird and they do need alot of knowledge care and understanding. Having said that he is a fascinating and magical personality who makes us smile and laugh every day and laughs with us.
They need company , structure and space so it is not something to go into lightly as they are very different from smaller birds. The african grey club is a nice forum.

 

[Karran]

YES! This is the kinda stuff I need to know!

we have a grey who is 9 years old and have had him since he was 12 weeks old.

They arent easy birds, very clever but usually quite nervous wary birds too so they easily take fright.

They bond better with the opposite sex and can be jealous birds.

Love ours to bits but to be honest if you havent kept parrots before then an Amazon would be better as a first parrot.

I've kept my collection of budgies, cockatiels, kakariki and rosella for about 20 years, but this is the first BIG parrot I've been offered. I'm hoping that it'd become good company for my mum as she's a widower and if I do make the plunge into horse-ownership later this year then it'd be company for them both. My BF is rather bird-phobic so I am worried about it being fixated on me as I've read they can do, but I'm used to training and taming the parakeets, and as I live at home, she can do some of the work as well and hopefully it'd not end up crushing on one person. She's more keen on getting it than me so it'd work well I hope.....

I think a parrot forum would give you more specific species advice, try this one there are lots of very knowledgable folk on there who keep greys - http://www.parrot-link.co.uk/

I don't have a grey but I have 2 rescue birds, one little goffins cockatoo and one organge winged amazon. I only took them on as I work from home so am around all day as any parrot species needs lots of people time to make up for the lack of a flock, some can cope with being left all day if they are used to amusing themselves others won't cope and will just scream the place down or pull all their feathers out which greys are very prone to doing!
All of them are similar care wise and need at least 3hrs out of their cage a day to play and fly about, otherwise they get very bored and that's when issues arise - my goffins was kept in a very small cage with a couple of token toys and then left in a garage for years as a result she screams and bites to get attention - they really are like having a toddler. But since I've had her and she's out most of the day getting upto mischeif she rarely utters a word except when she sees something she doesn't like out the window!! I do have to keep her entertained, she does have loads of toys which I rotate every other day, her food gets hidden in things and when she destroys a toy I make up new ones with any bits left - they are not cheap to keep and greys are known for chewing!! Luckily mine don't talk either which is great as I'm sure they'd swear for britain otherwise, but those that do you need to watch what you say!!!


In as a youngster at all and has no idea how to play - she's getting better though as I've had her over a year now and she will let me scratch her without taking huge chunks out of my hand and will sit on my arm too although she's not the sharpest crayon in the box and takes ages to get anything! - so do expect a settling in period as they are not daft birds and loosing their family must be very stressful and upsetting for them and make them very insecure so they need time to adjust and realise you are their new family - just remember they live a long time so make sure you remember it in your will!!!!

Fab - thanks for the forum link! I've read that tall cages ain't the best as they tend to fall?? Even with my aviary collection, I've always invested a lot in toys and keeping them occupied ( so I think it'd just be a big step up from that. I downloaded an ebook about parrot enrichment last night and got some good ideas from that. My thought at the moment is to put it in an enclave in my kitchen/backroom which would be enclosed on three sides and maybe hang a piece of newspaper or something that I don't mind getting trashed in so it can hide behind that and feel fully secure to begin with before I start stressing it by shoving my hands in and whatever.
Again, I'm just going on my knowledge of my smaller parakeets but when they were in the house, I made sure they came out to play for an hour or so at least every day and weekends they stayed out of their cage all day (although they did just want to sit on top of their indoor pen and not really explore too much! Mother is at home from 5pm, I can keep the radio on for a little noise for it for company during the day and if we can get it friendly with us both then she can get it out to play with and chat then.

And the tortoise is already in the will, sure the bird can go in as well!

As others have said - they're a one-man bird who bond with the opposite sex. My dads bird adores him but HATES me, my mum & sisters. She'll let other men handle her, but prefers my dad.
They're very very messy birds. If they don't like the food in their bowl, they'll launch it! Toys are destroyed, as is anything else left in their reach. Ours have a playstand inside for evenings, cages for night time & a big metal aviary in the garden. They're not cheap & they take masses of commitment, especially if u want them to be tame. If they love you, they're fab. If they hate you & don't appreciate anything u do for them, it's hard!

Yes, I'd be looking into perhaps some kinda wheelable aviary/playpen for it for the summer, couldn't leave it unsupervised though, my lot collect too many cat fans as it is already!

I have a two year old grey called Zebedee who is the core of our family. Most conversations and decisions are Zebedee focussed and he takes an active part! Greys are not an easy to do bird and they do need alot of knowledge care and understanding. Having said that he is a fascinating and magical personality who makes us smile and laugh every day and laughs with us.
They need company , structure and space so it is not something to go into lightly as they are very different from smaller birds. The african grey club is a nice forum.

Will check them out as well thanks

Thank you all for your advice! I don't believe in just collecting animals without looking into it thoroughly and some of the stuff I've read/learnt does make me worry slightly. I'm prepared for noise/mess - can't be much worse than having 12 birds in one corner of one room!
Mainly worried from the perspective of my OH who doesn't like feathery things so am worried about it getting clingy with me and attacking him. I did have a cockatiel (again obviously different scale in damage beaks can do!) who was rather clingy and didn't let others touch him so I don't want to go down that route again if I can help it as ideally Mother would be doing a lot of the work alongside me in the aim that it'd be for her as much as me, as much as I am taken with the idea of having a new feathery friend I don't want it fully bonded to me to the exclusion of anyone else.

If this all makes sense!!!

 

[Paint Me Proud]

I rear Kakarikis too and have had cockatiels in the past abut Grey are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

Their intellect is that of a small child, as a result they will have bad moods, silly moments, purposeful naughtiness and as I learnt with our they know how to hold a grudge, they will wait to extract revenge.

I a concerned that as your OH is bird phobic that the grey will pick up on this and thus work out ways to intimidate your OH. They are very very clever!

 

[Karran]

Kakariki's are fab fun ain't they? Please don't think I'm assuming all birds are the same. I'm just trying to think about the ones I've got and what I do know already and scaling upwards in terms of attention, mess and expense. Just not good at expressing myself coherently after a day frying my brain at work!

That is my main, main concern. I do have visions of a little grey feathery monster chasing him about the house. I'm convinced its cos he had absolutely no exposure to animals at all until he met me and he'll get better (he has improved a lot tbf) but it wouldn't be fair on anyone/any bird to put that kinda position.

Its a lot to consider and I'm starting to think perhaps its not ideal, I am worried about it going somewhere and getting passed about.

The people that own it are moving at the end of the month so I have till then to do real research and think it all over properly, rather than getting carried away with myself!

 

[Paint Me Proud]

Kakariki's are fab fun ain't they? Please don't think I'm assuming all birds are the same. I'm just trying to think about the ones I've got and what I do know already and scaling upwards in terms of attention, mess and expense. Just not good at expressing myself coherently after a day frying my brain at work!

Firstly, sorry if I was blunt, it wasnt my intention.

Yes Kakarikis are adorable. I have a pair in my aviary and once their chicks reach 8 weeks old I bring them in the house to sell. The babies are so comical though. I have one in at the moment, an extreme pied female, and she is so cute, loves nothing more than hopping around the floor trying to make friends with the dogs! She is heading off to her new home next weekend, will miss her.

If you search my youtube username seal5low (S J James) you can browse my videos for clips of my Grey (including his really Brummie accent!)

 

[Paint Me Proud]

got over quarter of a million views for this one!

[youtube]YIvbFqkLIgA[/youtube]

 

[Karran]

Brilliant And just the sort of thing I shouldn't watch!!!

I'm sure you didn't mean to be blunt earlier, I got carried away after learning how to multi-quote and then failed to reply sensibly!

I do feel a bit like I'm being guilted into taking it in, the couple that have it need to move by the end of the month and the only person who expressed an interest in having it, have a small child and the owners are def certain they don't want it to go there and don't want to sell it as they want to be sure it goes to the right home! I'm just not 100% sure i'm that "right home".
So hard knowing what to do for the best!

I currently have three lutino Kaks, They're like bats on acid the way they whiz about the aviary! I love watching them all, although I'm currently looking out the window and feeling sorry for them all out in the cold and snow!

 

[Jax]

You need to "bond" with them early on, if they mix with other birds they get their traits, sadly to get a one on one bond they need to be solitary captive to you to get the "true" bond.

have had breeding exotic birds myself and had some fantastic "personal" birds that will be very sociable, but also (currently) have/had some right little ******s too.

But my first comment stands, your best chance is to catch them early.