HELP me to get my first CONGO

[Naved777]

hello. i am new here but seems to be a great place for new Congo owners..
today i went to some near by pet shops to see some congos
but the prob is the pet shop owners are not sure abt the congo's age like they are kinda hesitant....i took some pics of few congos

1)

this is said to be 1.5 years old....though i think pet shop owners r not sure of its age.The bird is aggressive like they said,it tends to bite and it was like groaning when i tried to bring my fingers close to him

2)

This one seemed more friendlier...as was moving around in the cage more freely..
3)

This one is said to be 7 months old....but um kinda confused cuz his eyes r yellowish which r signs of a mature congo also his tail is kinda not looking right may be due to cage? but he's also very friendly...he was like trying to interact with me...i can see by seeing eye movement

so what do u guys say?
some help would be great..thanx

 

[greycloud]

That is a very mature older grey. Please do not buy from a petstore. There are wonderful rescues available that you can adopt from. Where are you located?

 

[Naved777]

That is a very mature older grey. Please do not buy from a petstore. There are wonderful rescues available that you can adopt from. Where are you located?

Thanx for ur fast response...well i am in India currently and its hard to find congos in here...abt the age dats what i was thinking...they seemed mature

 

[greycloud]

Oh OK. Yes, I have several friends in India, Iran etc. Not only is it difficult to find babies but they are usually illegally TAKEN FROM THE WILD.

 

[4theBirds]

Grey's often growl, especially when approached by a stranger. As adults, your new Congo will need a lot of gentle, patient handling. LOL
P.S. Watch his eyes -- if they dilate and constricted, he 's most likely excited.

 

[weidjd]

I dont like the pics from a cage stand point. Please find your local grey/bird rescue group and adopt one. They are amazing birds.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

aww his cage looks possibly rusty and the food in that bowel is pathetic, poor guy I wonder if he was wild caught.

 

[oled]

Welcome to this forum. I have nothing to ad, just read above

 

[Naved777]

yeah i kinda felt bad after their conditions in cage they seemed depressed even in dat conditions they were soo lively nd interactive,just wonderful creatures!...wish i could get all of them nd give them a good home....but alas i cant since they r very xpensive in here....also there r no local breeders of congos or timenehs...only way to get one is like this......the pet shop said they r imported from thailand nd africa since in india they r not available in the wild...also there was one giant macaw nd 2 cockatoos nd asking price was 9K USD !! but u guys have xperience with african greys...what would u say would they be able to adopt to its new surroundings if i take one? cuz i am worried abt their age

 

[Spiritbird]

He has most likely had many homes. Poor guy is on the worst food you could imagine. It would be a rescue for sure. If the pet shop is good at all they would let you base the sale on a passing grade from an avian vet if there are any there. He needs blook work and droppings checked at the very least. He is a sad looking grey with no toys, in a very dirty cage with poor diet. Shame on that store.

Here is a good site to read on the care and feeding of greys. http://www.africangreys.com/

 

[RescueMe]

Regardless of age, parrots need lots of time to become comfortable in new surroundings. If you get one, A new cage and a gradual change of diet is in order. Parrots often respond to gentle quiet trust building. Good luck, and thank you for opening your heart to one of these guys.

 

[bruce]

could you give me a link to those pics please,
i dont know how to view them, thanks.

 

[Spiritbird]

The photos are imbedded in the thread. You should be able to view them. Otherwise go to the authors albums.

 

[KrazyBirdBoy]

Pure filthiness a rusted out cage and my at all those fattening and unhealthy little sunflower seeds. The parrot is 4 at the least but im guessing a little older my 4 yr old CAG' s eyes are just now starting to turn colors from dark to yellow. That pet shop should be ashamed.

 

[SunConureboy]

That pet shop is absolutely Disgusting!! Those birds look like there in mental pain... :'(

 

[lizardsmells]

Heartbreaking pictures Those poor birds.

 

[suncon97]

I wouldn't buy anything from that pet store.I'm really surprised the things are still alive due to the rust on the cages.A bird as young as its supposed to be will have a light to dark grey color ring on the outer part of the eye.Those birds are a lot older than described.Poor birds I would keep looking

 

[Conito4Ever]

It's a shame what people do for the freaking money, at least the "petshop" could have given these greys some toys and more importantly, decent food. I wish you luck in your search, it relieves me to know that when you get your grey, he/she will be in good hands and properly taken care of. They are truly magnificent creatures.

 

[ConureCrazy]

It's a shame what people do for the freaking money, at least the "petshop" could have given these greys some toys and more importantly, decent food. I wish you luck in your search, it relieves me to know that when you get your grey, he/she will be in good hands and properly taken care of. They are truly magnificent creatures.

I agree!! What kind of people would do this to these poor birds?! 7 months? Hmph. I'm angry now. Grrrrr!

 

[Casey]

Zinc poisoning from the cage?
I would be careful