African Grey Parrots?

[Breakin Newz]

I've been looking and researching African Grey Parrots, does anyone here own one? Any advice? How long can you leave them in the cage if you go on vacation, if I had someone come and give water and food only? Is that even recommend?

Any advice would be appreciated, just trying to soak up as much info before even trying to go purchasing one..

 

[cdness]

I do not own one but I really want to get one some day... I used to go to the local pet store when I was in college and pull the birds out of the cages and walk around with them in the store to help keep them tame. The African Greys were always the gentlest and smartest of the birds they had and I got attached quickly. However my apartment would never allow a bird so I ended up never getting one.

To be honest if you go on a very long vacation, I would recommend having someone familiar with your bird checking on him or her during that time and letting the bird out for a bit. If they get stressed they can start pulling feathers which in the end can make them sick. They are also like little children and will hold grudges. It's kinda like the reef tank where it is always best if possible to have someone familiar with them look after the tank on longer vacations.

The only thing I would make sure you have in place is who will take on this bird when you are no longer able to take care of it? They can outlive their original owner so they almost need to be added as a line item in your will ;).

 

[zemuss]

I would recommend reading about this bird and doing a lot of research.

African Grey Parrot used to have a Cockatoo which required a lot of attention. African Grey's are worse than Cockatoo in their attention requirements.

For instance, my Dad had a Macaw which started to pluck his feathers because he wasn't getting the attention from my father any more.

African Grey's if I recall have a intelligence level of either a 3 years old or 5 Year old and are considered one of the smartest birds in the world.

"Z"

 

[mnat]

My wife has worked with birds and generally do not recommend Greys. They are highly intelligent for birds, live really long, and require hours upon hours a day of attention. If you don't work from home you probably don't want one. They can also take a finger off and have been known to bite people just to hear them scream Hit me up on pm if you want to talk more about it or talk to my wife. Also I am hosting the njrc meeting as well if you want to talk in person.

 

[larangcon]

I had one years ago, raised it from a chick hardly had feathers, need to be fed every 3 hours until it is weened. Good Bird, did not even need to teach it to talk. Picks up words just like that. One time I heard my car alarm go off at night, ran outside to check and everything looks normal, then went off again. Finally, I found out it was the Grey. The sounds it mimics is uncanny, it sounds like the real thing. I usually have the cage outside in the garden during the day and he was happy, until one day someone climbed the fence and stole the bird...:sad:

 

[RobbReef]

I have one what would you like to know about them?

 

[Breakin Newz]

Thank you everyone for the advice!!

@larangcon I am so sorry to hear that someone stole your Grey! That is terrible!

@RobbReef, I've been searching and I've learned a ton so far but I can't get a real good answer on what I would have to do if I go on vacation for say a week or 2...

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[MelissaKathryn]

We have one. We used to have two, both were rescues. We thought one was in his 20s, but it turned out he was in his 40s! =O he never acted like it until he died :( He was such a stinker! They pick up on the things very easily and if you talk out loud during your morning routine, they will start repeating what you say and almost asking for things. Our male and female were both rescues from separate places and had separate cages right next to each other. I could go on about the pranks the male would play on the female lol but she would always sing and he and i would go back and forth whistling to each other like the game SIMON. He would also pay attention to HOW sounds were made and everyones reactions and HOW they reacted. It would be completey silent and he would make a fart sound and then laugh at himself. They both could mimic the phone and microwave sounds nearly perfectly and liked to play tricks on us.

They DO need a lot of stimulation and are very social birds. Before I moved my office into my boyfriends house, they were alone nearly 12 hours a day. However, this was better than the hoarding situation they used to be in. Being left alone so much, they can GET pretty destructive. They like toys they can shred and puzzles. They like to show off and like attention. When I was working, I would just open their cages and they would play on the play stands with different toys than what was in their cages. Our female sings a lot and likes just being pet or scritched. The male liked to talk and play tug of war with his toys and chew up any shoe strings he could find and just go exploring, etc. If they don't get enough attention or have enough to play with/destroy, they will start plucking sometimes. There is a lot of other things I could tell you but I have to agree with RobbReef and ask what you would like to know about them.

Someone coming to just "check in" on it probably wouldn't be sufficient. It IS 100% worth it to have one, however. It is like having a constant toddler.. demanding but full of joy. If you had a friend that liked interacting with your grey, it would probably be best to just bring the grey to your friends house and let it hang out with your friend for a week or two if you are going to be gone that long. Boarding with your vet is another good idea, but you gotta make sure you find a good avian vet where you are.

 

[PaulKreider]

They live upwards of 80+ years.... So its a life commitment.

 

[gooch Verified Sponsor]

I have had tyson, my grey for about 13 years now I think.....maybe 14. I love him but he is a demanding SOB that will make you deaf if you do not cater to him. THey need lots and lots of attention and toys to destroy.

If my wife had her way she would let him out the back door never to see him again. He also draws more blood than a nurse at a blood bank. He is named tyson after the fighter......not the chicken.


I would tell you stay away from birds unless you have a lot of time to spend with them. If you go on a vacation they need to be boarded with someone that will interact with them. I had my vet board him one year and now it meows in four different voices. They kept it with kittens for one week. We thought for weeks someone let kittens in our house or garage until we figured it out.

 

[PaulKreider]

+1 We had one at our pet store for nearly a year before it sold, It will destroy $10 toys in a matter of hours.... and it eather needs a toy, or to be being handled.... Or else the thing sounds like a chalk board scratch non stop.

 

[o2manyfish]

My Macaw has been with me for over 24 years now. He has outlived all my fish and corals many times over.

They demand attention. The smarter they are the more attention they demand. The Greys in particular can become very neurotic if they are not getting the attention they want.

And they don't understand when there are other priorities - Wife, Kids, Fish

However, if you have the ability to give them the attention they can make wonderful pets. As for vacations, my local bird store let's me board him when I am going out of town for more than 2-3 days. The rates are reasonable. He gets plenty of attention, not the affection while he is there. And he gets ****** being there. He comes home locked in a box, and stays in his cage for a few days after coming home till he simmers down.

I raised mine in a fraternity house and he was oversocialized. Now he has a custom cage in my office (9' Tx 6'w x 5' D) And only interacts with me and on occasion my girlfriend. And he is very defensive of anyone coming in his office.

 

[Breakin Newz]

Wow thanks everyone some great information!

Now I have another question. Comparing time and work involved how does the care of a parrot compare to having a full blown reef? Basically is it more work to own a parrot, or easier? Just trying to get an "idea"....

Sent using Razr Maxx, excuse any typo's!

 

[o2manyfish]

A well designed full blown reef can take care of itself for awhile. You can leave it untouched for weeks or more.

A parrot will let you leave it alone for maybe 2 days before you have to feed and water it.

And the more developed the bird's personality is the more time you have to give it on a daily basis.

Dave B

 

[mnat]

Birds are way tougher than reefs. We have had both and not even a question.

Just a quick story from when my wife rescued birds. (Hi I am Nikki, Mike's Wife). Several years ago, I worked for an avian vet. A hoarder situation took place, and a number of birds came to the animal hospital as rescues. One of them was a Moluccan cockatoo, his name was Teddy Bear. Long story short, I took Teddy home. He lived with me for 3 years.

Cockatoos are not as bright as Grey's are. If you are considering a Grey, and you have not already, read Alex and Me. Grey's are considered by most to be the smartest parrot. Would I love one? Yes. Can I have one? No way in ****. I say that because I know I do not have the time for one.
When I had Teddy, he needed 3-4 hours of interaction every day, day in and day out. He was happiest when I was home ALL DAY. If I went out for even a few hours, this resulted in screaming and destruction. The first time this happened, the police came. They got a call from a neighbor who thought that someone was being seriously injured.

His cage had to be padlocked, otherwise he opened it at will. Even with the padlock, he had a tendency to distract me (by spilling or breaking something), and steal one of the keys. He would then hide it inside of his cage VERY quickly. I would put in away for the night, or so I could go to school, and as soon as I either (a) went to sleep or (b) left for school, he would let himself out. To say that was a problem is putting it lightly.
One time, I went away for the night. When I came home, he had torn a photo frame with 4 photos off of the wall, and shredded the photos of me. No one else, and no other parts of the photos in the frame. Just my pictures.
He would also get upset for no apparent reason (although I am sure there was one, again, he was a rescue), and he would bite. He left scars. He also would get scared from time to time, and when that happened, I ended up with puncture wounds on my arm, where he was standing.
You cannot plan on having a Grey and going on vacation. Can you leave for a night or two? Yes. Not several days.
Not ever.
I hesitate to say this, but it is true; a very many of the intelligent birds that are kept in the home become so bored and depressed that they self-mutilate. There is nothing worse than watching a bird bleed from pulling its feathers out from boredom and unhappiness, or even worse, watching the bird go insane. The parrots are capable of it.

P.S Don't plan on having kids if you buy a Grey. They do not like competition for your affection.

 

[EpicWin]

This is advice for all potential parrot owners. Don't do it. I have 2 that I adore but they are soooo annoying. They scream when u are on the phone, they scream just all the time for no reason. After 10 years its no longer funny and people get rid of them. This is what is so sad. People get them and think they can make the commitment for 50 years. U must understand they are literally like a child. One that will outlive u. I beg u guys. Don't be that person that gets one and then 10 years from now justifies getting rid if it by " it was making me crazy". Parrots do not do well with new owners. Just sayin.


And a huge +1 to the post above. My parrots are small and that's the only reason it works.

 

[Squishie89]

Yay parrot people! I have 2 cockatoos and macaw and have owned cockatoos, macaws, amazons, senegals, finches, parakeets, parrotlets. Feel free to private message me for any reason.

For the vacation question: Best; board at the vet. Second best; Have an experienced parrot pet sitter come in. Not so great: have a friend/relative come by. Visits/care needs to be at least once a day, if not more than that. When we would have a pet sitter she would come in the morning and the evening.

 

[larangcon]

Before I bought the African Grey, we had a Yellow Naped Parrot, a very good talker and also a biter. No one can touch this bird without getting a nip on the fingers. We had him for a very long time, I would say at least 30 years and still alive as of today. Having a parrot is a life time committment, they are noisy, and demand a lot of attention. Vacations are hard to come by with a parrot, boarding is a must but can be very expensive. I would think twice of getting one.

 

[Zack420]

One of those things prolly best left in the wild .

 

[Breakin Newz]

Thank you ALL very much! Comparing the reef to the parrot and saying parrots need tons more attention/work really puts the care they really need more into perspective.. I think I am going to pass on getting one just from hearing that...

Again thank you all, I learned some good things from this thread!