Posted by madelynn --Previous Message--
on 2/23/2005, 3:56 pm, in reply to "African Grey Parrot"
: Where can you purchase an African
: Grey Parrot? Which one do you
: suggest, the Timmeh or the Congo?
: Which is gentler and is very
: talkative? How much is the average
: cost or at least the lowest price?
: Should it be purchased at a young
: age? or an older age? Is it better
: to get it young, so it can be more
: attached to you? Whats a good cage
: size, so it does not become
: stressed? Is there a pet/bird
: store near Beverly Hills? How long
: does it take it to talk?
:
Hello, I hope I can help,,, I have learned a bit through experience, parrot people so to speak, vets,, so on, after volunteering in a parrot rescue for about 1 year and a half,, I wish to share all I know, with whoever i may be able to help,,, first of all one must ask oneself,,,, why do i want this bird, second, do i plan on having this parrot making he or she a part of my future, my entire life,,, my friend, buddy, companion, parrots are not domesticated animals, probably about a couple of generations from the jungle,,, example dogs are thousands of years or more domesticated,,,, parrots are not dogs or cats, please do not have expectations of this,,,, what is your work schedule,, do you have the time for a parrot in your life, when you vacation, can he/she go with you, or do you have a reliable buddy whom most important THE PARROT LIKES,, do you have the money for proper cage space, fruits, veggies,,, toys,,,, a fund i contribute to called the emergency vet care fund,,, i put so much aside in case of emergency vet visit weekly, or one big donation monthly for that awful thought of an emergency visit,,,, never say oh it wont happen to my bird,,,,,, you should buy a travel carrier for your bird for vacation/ or around town travel, and vet transport,,, it is so important for a at least one time a year check up,,,,, for grooming needs to from time to time, if wings/ nails are to be trimmed,,, african greys, are among the most intelligent of not just parrots, but the animal species, they even have cognitive abilities higher than chimps/ dolphins,, check out the ALEX FOUNDATION,, Dr. Irene Pepperberg has proven these birds can reason, and have the mental capacity of a toddler, for life,,,,, parrots are flock species,, not a betta, {fish} you toss in a bowl and pay attention to time to time,,, they are and expect to be part of your daily routine,, or they can suffer immensely, example, feather plucking, mental instability,,, so on, due to lack of human interaction, understanding,,, they need alot of toys to be the best they can be,,, their minds need, good mental stimulation . and human interaction to keep them happy,,,, imagine owning a rocket scientist, putting him in a room with nothing in it, and all day to do nothing,,, what would happen to his mind????? greys are little rocket scientists in grey suits,,,,, my grey is 6 years old in may, i got him at 4 months of age, i did the weaning,, i would never suggest an un weaned birds, I was not experienced and i almost lost him,, because of this,,, if you MUST have a baby a reputable breeder will or should offer to wean the bird for you..... really, age is not important unless you have a serious issue about it,,, parrots see us humans as teacher/ student,,, parent/ chick,,,, sibling/ rival,,,, and partner/ mate,,,, I read this in a bird magazine,,,, loyalties can shift, and getting my guy as a chick I saw this happen,,, as they mature,,, this can occur,,,, if you are viewed as a parent it could be after 1 yr and a hald as ok mom, give me some space,,, let me mature, i dont wanna be your cuddly chick anymore at the moment,,, I had this occur, he started to pay attention to my boyfriend who rarely gives him much attention, due to his not being able to connect with the bird world,, but, prime example,,, they go through growing phases as children do,,,, so a young bird could shift loyalties,,,, be prepared for the terrible two-s like in children it happens from about a year and a half through up to 3 years of age,, parrots are individuals, so personalities differ, like people,,, DO YOUR RESEARCH to by pass this why not adopt a parrot????? i will someday adopt a bird, or more, when I can provide for a larger flock after being a volunteer,,,,, not all parrots are mental cases at parrot rescues,, this is not true,,,,, I have seen an agressive green winged macaw show compassion after working with him,,,, Red was severly abused,,, why not get on the web and check out california adoption sites ,, e mail PEAC Parrot Education and Adoption Center www.peac.org for starters ask them any information, or even to confirm what i am telling you..... do you have a bird safe home, yes its said birds can be mixed with a household of dogs or cats,, be really really careful with cats,,,, but to a bird, guess what?? they think they are living with predators, and they are,,,,, never leave parrots for a SECOND un supervised with other pets,,,, never... do you cook with teflon???? I cant anymore, for i own a parrot,,, over heated non stick teflon cook ware will kill your bird in seconds,,,,my solution, ???? iron pans,,,,, aluminum pots, pans,,, do you smoke or your mate????? birds have a primitive respiratory system,,, keep this in mind,, othe household items contain teflon,,, irons, ironing boards,, hair dryers,,, remember hairspray and other sprays,,, cleansers can be toxic,,, ive converted to vinegar / water,, simple green,,,, organic cleaners,, do you burn candles with metal wicks??? do you know the metal wick is lead???? i use without lead wicks when i do now... dont let the bird out around any heating source, or open flame,,,, and the presence of pesticides in your home can also kill your bird, the cleanest people have issues from time to time,, explain if the problem arises to a good garden outdoor store there is non toxic stuff you can use, call a vet too... and ask quest's,,,,, always wash fruits veggies free of pesticides speaking of ,,, and do your homework about diet, some fruits are toxic to parrots, exp. avacados, and any pit, peach pit, plum pit, apple seeds,, some house plants,, remember when your grey is out and about, those 8 toes running around on the floor can get in trouble, always know what your bird is doing,, again, like a two year old running around,,, they are very curious and will check out everything,,, I find they always want to learn,,.... they came from the or around the equator,, the congo, and east , west africa,,,, there are 3 greys, timneh, smaller pinkish beak, dark tail,, then the congo,, now some people advertise big cameroons, silvers,, congo grey,, then then 1 -2 inch smaller,, ghana also the same just an inch or 2 smaller,,, both have black beaks, fire engine red tails,,, ghanas come from the west africa area,,, and are smaller than eastern, congo birds, yet bigger than timnehs,, whats it mean,,,,???? nothing,,,, all three are equally smart,,, i have heard not alot of timnehs compared to congos, but due to over breeding,,, look what happens in dogs, a lets say,, a big rotty,, popular breed, high demand = high out put,,, high demand,, = maybe not the greatest quality, temeperment,,, over breeding i heard a few years back was to blame for unstable greys mostly congos sometimes today i hear timnehs were at one time not as high in demand so did not suffer this issue,, they were lead to be calmer,, more social than the congo,,,, you be the judge,,, I allowed my bird to pick me out,,,, I went to a bird farm very reputable, clean,,, ALWAYS examine the facility,,, are birds happy, healthy, friendly???? staff, helpful??? my storm was 4 months, with 11 other chicks,,, i spent an hour ingoring the chicks to see who had interest in me,, just looked at him,,, he followed be throughout the whole width of the 16 foot area,, one chick lunged at me i thought boy, like to see you in 2 years???? I wouldnt choose a chick who shys away, or attacks,,, i didnt care about the sex,,, with the hundreds of thousands of un wanted parrots, i was not going to add to the misery/// look in back of bird talk magazine look at the 100's of breeders, then the parrot shelters, thousands of unwanted birds, purchased as a novalty, it wears off in 3-5 years , then the bird is unwanted,, cage space?? bigger the better,,, my cage is 3 ft,wide x 3f x 4 ft tall,,, with 1 inch bar spacing,, please, just call, email, around, do your homework,, I would purchase a weaned parrot, check out rescues,, e mail PEAC parrot education and adoption center , www.peac.org in san diego,, ask them info. there are other parrot rescues throughout calif. try them too,,, ask a vet for reputable breeders,,, or an organization closer to you... after doing all the homework it is all worth while to share your life with this amazing animal,, I wish you the best of luck, and if I can help further, contact info. congoparrot@hotmail.com
Message Thread:
« Back to thread