African grey personality

[mattwang1990]

The desire of having an African gery for company is growing stronger and stronger and I have been doing some research on Youtube and the forums. I have couple more questions that I'd like to get some input and thank you in advance.

I know that every bird has its own personality and one should not generalize based on their species, but to my understanding grey appears to be independent and relatively quiet compared to parrots in similar size. Would this be accurate? Birds are chirpy for sure but I just hope to have some species that will be calm most of the time. As to the level of quietness, what else would come to your mind?

Is there a difference as to the impact that gender has on their personalities after reaching sexual maturity? I know amazon male can be more aggressive than females after puberty and I am wondering if this is the case for african grey.

When would be a good time to pick an African grey home? I know it takes 3 months for them to wean so maybe when 5-6 months? Would that be too old to bond?

What's the monthly average spend you estimate to make a grey happy besides hours of company?

What's the average price for an African grey? I checked my local store, it costs 6000, in Cleveland Ohio. I would appreciate if anyone knows any bird owners who have a grey in the radius of 40 miles from Cleveland so we can get to know each other, or any reliable breeders or pet stores I should go explore before making a decision.

Thank you

 

[SailBoat]

Great questions, but with highly intelligent Parrots it is best to allow them to choose you!!
Likely you did not see that on any of the sources you have been searching?

 

[texsize]

I do think CAG’s are on the quiet side for parrots.
My Grey was very quiet until…….
She started imitating our cockatiels at 3 times a cockatiel volume.

can’t give you an estimate on cost, my cost for 9 birds can’t be separated

Cost for parrots across the board have gone through the roof.
That’s why so many scammers.
But a shop local to me has a 26 year old male for $4,500
If the bird was a little bit friendly I would seriously consider buying him but he doesn’t like me and I don’t want to buy a challeng.

I bought Bella in 2016 and she was in bad shape.
I thought $2,000 for a plucking African Grey was just to too.
But I haven’t regretted it for a second.

 

[mattwang1990]

I think I saw this somewhere. Better to have the bird pick you than the other way around!

Great questions, but with highly intelligent Parrots it is best to allow them to choose you!!
Likely you did not see that on any of the sources you have been searching?

 

[mattwang1990]

I do think CAG’s are on the quiet side for parrots.
My Grey was very quiet until…….
She started imitating our cockatiels at 3 times a cockatiel volume.

can’t give you an estimate on cost, my cost for 9 birds can’t be separated

Cost for parrots across the board have gone through the roof.
That’s why so many scammers.
But a shop local to me has a 26 year old male for $4,500
If the bird was a little bit friendly I would seriously consider buying him but he doesn’t like me and I don’t want to buy a challeng.

I bought Bella in 2016 and she was in bad shape.
I thought $2,000 for a plucking African Grey was just to too.
But I haven’t regretted it for a second.

Haha, it cracked me up thinking grey minicking other birds. Glad you don't have an amazon.. or love bird. LOL

I am glad to hear greys are on the quieter side though I know every bird can be different.

 

[texsize]

Haha, it cracked me up thinking grey minicking other birds. Glad you don't have an amazon.. or love bird. LOL

I am glad to hear greys are on the quieter side though I know every bird can be different.

I have 3 Amazon’s .
So far she has never imitated them.
When the twins start screaming to excess us humans tell them NO(not that it does any good).
Bella does the same thing, says “NO”.

If Bingo my YNA starts getting noisy we say his name in a tone of voice that indicates dissapointment.

Bella does exactly the same thing in the same tone of voice.

 

[wrench13]

You ask a lot of questions.

In the NYC area $6K is not unheard of, less if you can find a legit add for a private sales. That is VERY hard to find.

Yes Greys can be thought of as quieter, UNTIL they learn to do the microwave, smoke alarm or other supper annoying beep, and repeat it louder and endlessly for hours. Watch what you wish for!

Parrots often switch their allegiance to a different parson once they are thru with puberty. Not every time and much has to do with how well they were socialized prior.

My little amazon, Salty, goes thru $100 a month in toys and food. Easily.

 

[mattwang1990]

You ask a lot of questions.

In the NYC area $6K is not unheard of, less if you can find a legit add for a private sales. That is VERY hard to find.

Yes Greys can be thought of as quieter, UNTIL they learn to do the microwave, smoke alarm or other supper annoying beep, and repeat it louder and endlessly for hours. Watch what you wish for!

Parrots often switch their allegiance to a different parson once they are thru with puberty. Not every time and much has to do with how well they were socialized prior.

My little amazon, Salty, goes thru $100 a month in toys and food. Easily.

Oooo, what a name! Amazons are much louder than grey right? Do they mimic microwaves and smoke alarms?

 

[mattwang1990]

I have 3 Amazon’s .
So far she has never imitated them.
When the twins start screaming to excess us humans tell them NO(not that it does any good).
Bella does the same thing, says “NO”.

If Bingo my YNA starts getting noisy we say his name in a tone of voice that indicates dissapointment.

Bella does exactly the same thing in the same tone of voice.

What's a typical day like for greys? Do they just chill out in the cage, playing with toys and waiting to get out when humans come back home? I know the smaller parrots would keep chattering and chipping all day long, but not so much for greys?

 

[mattwang1990]

Great questions, but with highly intelligent Parrots it is best to allow them to choose you!!
Likely you did not see that on any of the sources you have been searching?

Do you have a good thread you would recommend? Thank you in advance!!

 

[mattwang1990]

How's the feather dust situation for you guys?

 

[texsize]

What's a typical day like for greys? Do they just chill out in the cage, playing with toys and waiting to get out when humans come back home? I know the smaller parrots would keep chattering and chipping all day long, but not so much for greys?

Well, my typical day is probably not like anyone else.
Because of the number of birds and different species and personalities care must be taken to avoid dynamic combinations.

The short version is that I try to give Bella as much out of cage time as possible. For me that usually means letting her out of the cage late-late morning 10:30- 11:00 am till maybe 5:00 pm.
She spends most of her time in the kitchen or guest bathroom.
She follows my wife (her chosen person) around the house, flying here and there.

Bella likes to talk when in the bathroom. I guess she likes the acoustics in there. She also talks in her hiding place in her cage. She sort of pokes at her toys while talking . She is very camera shy and does not like to be recorded talking.

I let my Amazon's out early morning and late evening.
I like to think I am simulating their natural rhythms in the jungle.
In the morning they are going to be noisy no matter what so why not let them get their morning (and evening) exercise in at the same time.
It's like flying out to forage for food in the morning and flying back to roost in the evening.

Because Bingo doesn't fly he is a special case and comes out .....
I don't know how to put it, when the circumstances are right and he wants to come out.

 

[Brent S]

We had a Female CAG for 21 years until last June. Our vet had a substitute and being an idiot I did not question him. After that visit she would have a seizure anytime we came close to the vets office. She ended up dying in my hands of one of these seizures. Be very careful who you take them too and never let them take them into another room without you being there. I miss her allot. CAGs are a great gift from God.
CAGs are very intelligent and loving birds. Ours attached herself to me and would call me by my name. She was pretty quiet for the most part but they do require allot of attention.
We bought her when she was 2 months old and had to feed here every 2 to 3 hours. We also had to wean her off of the formula and on to pellets. As for the cost, a CAG can tear through wood like nothing. I think we spent about $150.00 each month on toys and about $200.00 each month on pellets, fruits and vegetables. Treats will run about another $100.00 each month. We had a large cage upstairs where she slept and a playpen downstairs where she would spend the day.
The cost, we have been looking for one since October and find the cost in pet stores seems to be between $6500 to $10,000. We are having a bird show the first week in December in our area and will attend to see what they are asking. From what I have read it should be between $3000 to $5000.
Both males and females are loving but the females seem to require a little bit more attention. Not surprised. We had her for 21 years so if there is any other question you have please feel free to ask me. CAGs are a commitment for life since they will most likely out live us. We have a trust setup so if something happens to my wife and I our birds will be very well taken care of for the rest of there lives. Make sure they get plenty of Calcium.

 

[mattwang1990]

We had a Female CAG for 21 years until last June. Our vet had a substitute and being an idiot I did not question him. After that visit she would have a seizure anytime we came close to the vets office. She ended up dying in my hands of one of these seizures. Be very careful who you take them too and never let them take them into another room without you being there. I miss her allot. CAGs are a great gift from God.
CAGs are very intelligent and loving birds. Ours attached herself to me and would call me by my name. She was pretty quiet for the most part but they do require allot of attention.
We bought her when she was 2 months old and had to feed here every 2 to 3 hours. We also had to wean her off of the formula and on to pellets. As for the cost, a CAG can tear through wood like nothing. I think we spent about $150.00 each month on toys and about $200.00 each month on pellets, fruits and vegetables. Treats will run about another $100.00 each month. We had a large cage upstairs where she slept and a playpen downstairs where she would spend the day.
The cost, we have been looking for one since October and find the cost in pet stores seems to be between $6500 to $10,000. We are having a bird show the first week in December in our area and will attend to see what they are asking. From what I have read it should be between $3000 to $5000.
Both males and females are loving but the females seem to require a little bit more attention. Not surprised. We had her for 21 years so if there is any other question you have please feel free to ask me. CAGs are a commitment for life since they will most likely out live us. We have a trust setup so if something happens to my wife and I our birds will be very well taken care of for the rest of there lives. Make sure they get plenty of Calcium.

Thank you Brent, for your response! I am so sorry for your loss. It sounded traumatizing and I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you and your family!

If you don't mind, would you please update me on the price after the affair?

I think having a room for the bird to itself is a great idea!

 

[mattwang1990]

Well, my typical day is probably not like anyone else.
Because of the number of birds and different species and personalities care must be taken to avoid dynamic combinations.

The short version is that I try to give Bella as much out of cage time as possible. For me that usually means letting her out of the cage late-late morning 10:30- 11:00 am till maybe 5:00 pm.
She spends most of her time in the kitchen or guest bathroom.
She follows my wife (her chosen person) around the house, flying here and there.

Bella likes to talk when in the bathroom. I guess she likes the acoustics in there. She also talks in her hiding place in her cage. She sort of pokes at her toys while talking . She is very camera shy and does not like to be recorded talking.

I let my Amazon's out early morning and late evening.
I like to think I am simulating their natural rhythms in the jungle.
In the morning they are going to be noisy no matter what so why not let them get their morning (and evening) exercise in at the same time.
It's like flying out to forage for food in the morning and flying back to roost in the evening.

Because Bingo doesn't fly he is a special case and comes out .....
I don't know how to put it, when the circumstances are right and he wants to come out.

Sounds so much fun for birds, you and your wife! That's quite some coordination with all the birds!

 

[Brent S]

Will do. Thanks for understanding. The fair is December 2 at the fairgrounds. We went there last year and I believe they were asking $2800 for a 6 month CAG. I will let you know. CAG's are flock creatures and like company. We have a Senegal who shared the room with her. Now the Senegal needs a friend.

 

[jdbcfoshee]

Did you end up getting a grey? If so, I'm curious about the sound level. I adopted a CAG 4 yrs ago and she incessantly pings & calls after me. She is VERY noisy. However, my DYH Amazon (male) is super chill and rarely makes a sound. When he does they are soft coos. My CAG (female) is probably one of the sweetest birds but she is so noisy and has NO CHILL.