I'm bringing home a baby this summer. Help me plan?

[Lullx]

For several months now, I've been seriously contemplating which species of parrot to get as my final flock member (I have a flock of 6 small birds currently). After much deliberation, I've decided that an African Grey is the perfect fit for my flock and my lifestyle. I've looked into rescuing an older grey, but ultimately decided that bringing another rescue into my home wasn't the right move, as one of my conures is a rescue ):

I found an aviary nearby that I've been contacting for the last few months, and they had congo babies hatch around Valentine's Day! I'm going to meet my little one hopefully next weekend, and put down my deposit.
I already have a cage, although I haven't set it up yet: [stock image of it]

I've done a ton of research online about them, but I love hearing first-hand anecdotes from other grey owners. And I would enjoy a little help to make sure everything is perfect for my little one when I bring him or her home this summer
(I'll know the gender in a few weeks. Suspense!)

I'm trying to pick out good starter toys, and of course figure out a good diet to start them on. My monsters (tiel and conures) get a combination of fresh food, frozen chop I painstakingly cooked and chopped up myself, Zupreem and Roudybush pellets, and a low-seed mixture that I make them forage for. What brands do your greys prefer?

Should I get a night cage to keep him/her in my bedroom at night? Or should my grey sleep in his cage in the same room as the rest of my flock at night?

Is a cargo net a good idea? I want to make one myself (I like being very hands-on and making toys for my flock), but what size rope do I use? Is 1/2" enough? I can't find thicker sisal or supreme cotton rope ):

I have an Aviator harness for my conures and was thinking of getting one for my grey. Do you take yours outside? Do you like the Aviator, or is there a better option?

I'm just so excited to open up my heart to this little dinosaur. I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed with all of the possibilities and thinking about what sort of personality mine will end up having. If it wasn't obvious by my rambling here, I'm also pretty nervous about messing up. I want to give this grey the best life I possibly can.

Here's the latest picture of the babies, from last week.

 

[Minimaker]

Awww, so cute! Congrats on your new bundle of joy. I don't have a grey so I can't weigh in, but just wanted to say congrats

 

[Lullx]

Well thank you! I can't wait to meet him (or her).
I think my current flock knows something is up, but I know this will be great for all of us
My conure Genevieve is so clever and I believe she'll benefit from living with a grey.

 

[Kiwibird]

Super cute! So fat and naked right now I don't have one, but I hear they're exceptionally smart. I'd look into some puzzle toys and get him started learning young. We used to have a poster on here who's CAG could count and have a current member who's CAG talks in context (I hope he chimes in on your thread). They are more like a really small preschool/kindergarten age child than a parrot.

 

[Lullx]

Gosh, they're so smart! I'm disabled and unable to work, so a grey will be great stimulation for me. And I, him. There are a few puzzle toys I have my eyes on already. I'm waiting until I get this contract signed stating that the bird is definitely mine before I spend more money on him though. I've heard that some human baby toys are good for them as well, so I've been looking around for hard plastic ones. The idea of wooden baby toys make me nervous only because most companies don't state what type of wood is used, and what type of paint... I'd rather not risk it.
I've been talking off the ears of anyone who will listen about how amazing greys are and how I cannot WAIT to have mine come home. Since It'll be summer, I want to have a harness here when he's home just so he can see it and get used to it. I'd like to be able to take him outside and around town before it gets cold again. That's probably the first thing I'll buy after I meet him in the aviary and get my deposit put down.

All of my friends are amazed at how smart my conure Genevieve is. I post ad nauseam on Facebook about my flock and am constantly reminding people that parrots are like small children. I think for greys, I read something about them having the emotional capacity of a two year old, but the mental capacity of a 5 or 6 year old? I'm so ready for the challenge.

 

[Kiwibird]

My amazon basically ignores bird toys in favor of baby toys. He's especially fond of rattles, plastic keys and those little "balls" and "blocks" with things inside them (he can never get out). I pick them up at garage sales and thrift stores for next to nothing. Though he does love puzzle toys to solve for treats. Once he figures one out, he never forgets, so we have almost everyone on the market and it takes him no effort on most to get the treat out now. We're now working on an actual puzzle along with using cues for color and shape in *hopes* he will eventually pick those up too- [ame=http://www.amazon.com/DUS505PM-Psitta-Puzzle-Medium-Educational/dp/B000795ZHM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1425782787&sr=8-5&keywords=parrot+puzzle+toy]Amazon.com : Zoo Max DUS505PM Psitta Puzzle Step 1 Medium Educational Toy Base 8in x 5in Bird Toy : Pet Chew Toys : Pet Supplies[/ame]. He's "getting there" and is now trying to put EVERYTHING "together" and I'm finding his "small" toys shoved in his "bigger" toys (bead and buttons in little cups and hollow large blocks. My bird is kind of stubborn even though he's really smart. He gets concepts but won't do as you say and then applies the concept in his own special ways). Parrots in general are SO smart, especially in environments that foster learning.

 

[Lullx]

That's the type of puzzle I was looking for, thank you!
I also like the idea of stacking rings or cups. Do larger birds typically play with those? I'd love her to learn colours. And those just seem fun to clank around haha
I also really like the little plastic shape blocks that you have to push through a bigger form.

I love getting down on the floor and playing with my birds. I try to foster a sense of security for them, but I've read that greys in the wild are often on the ground anyway. So foot toys and other things that can be played with on a short carpet would be amazing.

 

[rope]

we are also getting a gray male in may after weaning....as far as the sleeping cage goes i just asked about that and from what i read yes it is a good idea to have a small sleeping,going to the vet,cage....we are going to get our african around all kinds of activity when hes young...we also got a male after looking into weather or not to get a male or female...the male was said to be more outgoing...easier to hand to other people...and i do see that in our conures...we're getting a timneh because of smaller size and from what i've read a little less of a one person bird..although i'm thinking the number one way to have a nice gray is proper care ...we got a kings cage 2724 45inches high for inside for now...we are getting a sleeping cage...not sure but i'm thinking of using a carrier for that...one to sleep in as well as travel...and i want to build and out side cage..a walk in...just looking into what materials to use for the wall covering...i think stainless steel would be the best but i'm looking into the construction because stainless is so expensive...good luck with your african gray!

 

[Lullx]

I think a lot of that is a bit of a myth. From my understanding, greys are incredibly individual in their personalities and the whole male vs female thing isn't really always true. They also won't be one-person birds if you make sure to have them around a variety of people and other birds when they're young. I'm acquainted with a few grey owners on Instagram and they have males and females of both congos and timnehs. They really are so varied in their personalities!

The aviary I'm going to is very small and currently only has two babies, so I have no control over what gender baby I get. I have a small carrier already for travel and the vet, but I think I'll look into buying a roost cage for my bedroom. Sometimes my cockatiel has night frights and I bring her into a spare cage in my room. Sadly all of my spare cages are too frail for a grey.

Good luck with your baby as well! I hope you post about it so I can follow along

 

[RavensGryf]

Congratulations on getting your Grey soon! It amazes me HOW smart they are. I just started reading "Alex and Me" by Dr. Irene Pepperberg. Someone loaned it to me and insisted I had to read it. With my busy schedule I only get to read a small bit at a time, but it's interesting so far. Greys are so fascinating.

 

[Lullx]

Thank you! I've read a bit about the case study of Alex, but haven't picked up that book. I'll try to find it and give it a go

I've learned so much patience and unconditional love from my last two years since I started raising birds. I started with budgies and slowly worked up to bigger birds. I know I'm ready for this new addition now, and by June I'll definitely be more than ready haha

Sidenote: I was looking into pionus parrots for a while (I see that you have a bronze wing!). I wanted a dusky or bronze-wing sooo badly, but I just never happened. No one around here breeds them, and there weren't any in any nearby rescues either ): It kind of worked out, because I got my conures and now I'm getting my grey, but part of me still gets a little sad when I think about what could have been.

 

[Lullx]

I'm not meaning to spam or bump or anything, but I have news regarding my grey!

I just set up an appointment to meet my baby this Sunday!
I'll be going to the aviary that afternoon to meet him/her and put down my deposit
Aviary confirmed with me, so it's really happening and I'm just so excited

I hope to take a bunch of pictures and I'll probably post in this thread.

 

[jasper19]

cant wait for the pictures! Good luck!

 

[Lullx]

Thank you! I'm really jittery from excitement and am having trouble focusing on anything now.

My monsters are responding to the elevated energy by being incredibly playful and adventurous. This is really happening!

 

[Lullx]

The aviary posted an update picture!

I can't wait to meet you, little one.

 

[Birdman666]

My CAG likes cardboard boxes stuffed with toys, paper to shred, wooden blocks, etc, and treats.

He loves shredding my junk mail and the phone books.

He loves pipe bell toys on chains, particularly when he can hand upside down and attack multiple toys at once.

A boing is a good thing.

He loves those dragonwood coins on rope.

All CAGS should have at least one large preening toy.

I fed mine Harrisons (plus fresh) for the first 18 months or so of his life, when the dietary requirments of a young bird were kind of at their peak, and then switched to Zupreme (plus fresh) after the first 18 months due to the considerable expense. Mine eats just about anything you put in front of him. He isn't picky.

To me, the biggest thing about raising CAGS is to not raise them in isolation. They need to be introduced to things, and encouraged to explore new things. That to me, is a big factor in CAGS that develop neurotic/fear/plucking disorders... AND ABUNDANCE WEANING AND FLEDGING IS A CRITICAL FACTOR WITH THESE GUYS.

Did anyone tell you grays are stubborn?! Did they tell you how stubborn they are?! Yeah. Probably double that. The good ones are head strong, and they are instigators. (Which means they aren't likely to become pluckers. But they are going to be stand-offish and argumentative from time to time...

My CAG plays practical jokes on people, and tries to mess with your head, to see if he can trick you. Check the look on his face before you answer the doorbell..., or respond to a parrot in distress call (from a bird that is actually sleeping, and in no particular distress - yeah, he does that... ) or for that matter, using my angry voice to lure my daughter out of the shower... and we won't even start on all the colorful and creative uses for the "go poop!" command...

Here's a little light reading for you. Start with the first one:

http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/greymatters.html

http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/optimalenvironment.html

http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/feeding.html

http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/creativecage.html

http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/socialclimate.html

http://www.parrothouse.com/jh5.html

http://www.parrothouse.com/jh4.html

http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/featherpluck.html

 

[Lullx]

I've been hearing that congos like to shred and destroy, so that's good to get confirmation on!
Thank you so much

I was planning on getting him a java or grapewood perch to attach to the outside of the perch when he's agile enough to stay up high without falling. Are they usually able to chew through either of those woods? What are some other woods that are hard enough to withstand a chewy congo?