Question by ♥Domino♥ Death to IGNORANCE: I want an African Grey Parrot?
There are a few at my local Petsmart and I really want one. This will be my 1st bird but I have read up on bird needs for months. I just want to hear from owners of African Greys or other Parrots.
1.Have you trained your parrot to speak or do tricks? How long did it take?
2.What is a good food for them?
3.How do they fair with other pets? I have 4 dogs a cat and a rabbit. The bird will probably not come in contact with them.
4.What is a good sized cage for them?
5. Anything else I need to know about parrot care that the books and internet may have missed? Please tell me about your experiences living with your parrot.
Best answer:
Answer by BirdLover
I have a Congo African Grey named, “Eli”.
Let me first start by saying this- Greys are NOT first time birds. You can read every book on this earth and still be unprepared if you’ve never owned a bird. I would suggest starting with a cockatiel or parrotlet. Now, I will answer your questions…
1. Yes, he has been trained to speak and has an ever-growing vocabulary. It took him a year to speak his first word. He has been trained to poop on command and will flex his wings on command.
2. Food should be primarily fresh foods (veggies, fruits, etc) supplemented with a good quality pellet food. Avoid fatty nuts and toxic foods(avianweb.com has a list).
3. Pets- it will depend on the bird and the pet. My grey LOVES our jack russell and the dog avoids the bird like the plague. Half of Eli’s vocabulary revolves around the dog. It sounds like you have a full house, it could go either way.
4. The larger the cage, the better. Eli has a 6′ tall, 3′ deep, 5′ wide cage but he also has a wheeled playstand that he is on whenever we’re home. I highly recommend these playstands! They’re about $ 100-$ 200 but worth every penney.
5. Having a grey is rewarding but LOTS of work. Eli literally gets into everything and needs constant supervision. It equates to having a toddler living in your home. Eli is trained to stay on his wheeled playstand but makes sure everyone in the house knows when he wants to get off the stand. Be prepared to have just about everything repeated. Eli has learned to mimic the phone, the microwave, the oven timer, and can speak so clearly that he sounds just like us. Greys need lots of out-of-cage time and will become destructive, aggressive, and depressed if they’re stuck in their cage too long.
Be prepared to spend lots of money- fresh foods, pellets, new toys, vet care, supplies and the actual bird…add up very quickly and will cost you well over $ 2000 in the first month.
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Tags:African, Grey, Parrot, want
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