Looking for advice

[Joshmackow]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a congo african grey. I have had experience with my brothers Amazon and have confidence with birds and no fear of being bitten by them.

I know a lot of the ways to train a bird and the ones that have worked for him and my local store.

The research I have been doing is extensive as it can be. But I would like some questions that would be appropriate to ask the breeder when I do go to look at a handful of them. One of the things I have been told is to choose the one that comes to me on his own will.

I do believe this is the right bird for me and can't wait to get him/her home.

Having previously jumped into buying a saltwater fish tank, I know I need to be more prepared for this. Hopefully everyone here can help me!

Thanks in advance
Josh

 

[Mybestfriendisaparrot]

Greys are great birds! They arent as mean and scary as some people will seem and take them as. They are little love bugs and love to just sit along next to you. Mine loves to cuddle but each grey is different and mine is a timneh. Some arent as much of a hands on bird but most i have met are. They wont bite often but will pretend to. Ive had mine for almost a month and she has only bitten me once because it was at the bird shop. She mostly mouths me and puts her beak around my finger but never actually bites... Make sure you go to the breeder a few times before bringing it home to make sure the bird likes you and not just that you like the bird. Also make sure either it is social or is very young so it has a chance o become social. They say they are 1 person birds but I never believed that considering everyone ive met loves me and my family. They arent loud at all. Mine yells when hes chattering on with my green cheeked conure. He doesnt actually have a grey yell though. At the bird shop he caught on the sun conure yell. Its hilarious. Im only 13 but I have been handling Large parrots since age 9. They can get very very very cage dominant once they get older. The number 1 thing i stress when people are looking into getting a grey is are you gonna get it because you want a fun loving lifetime companion or do you want a talking bird to entertain people. In all honesty I dont think anyone should get one for the reason of entertaining you. Some greys just wont talk at all. So if someone that wanted one and got one because they want it to talk and it never talk like what are they gonna do with it? You seem to not want it for the purpose of entertainment. You seem to want a companion which is good. Dont feel that you are being impulsive because you cant think forever, obviously they live 60-70 years so the longer you wait the more chane it will outlive you. Haha. I would say just get the bird because no matter what you wont regret a single thing.

 

[Wulfgeist]

Greys are indeed amazing companions. You definately want to check and see how much the babies are socialized and handled. When I got Jasper I visited about once or twice a week until he came home (would have been more had they been closer). None of them seemed to like anyone for that first month or so. I got bitten so many times but to see him today was it a mistake? I don't think so. They are very intelligent birds and train a person very easily He's not snuggly but he's learned that he can be touched and not be in danger so there's no need to be defensive. When I uncover him in the morning I am greeted with a cheerful medly of whistles and sounds a person can't help but smile.

 

[Joshmackow]

thanks for the replies

Definitely not waiting too long, but don't want to walk into this blind Also the breeders are very selective on who they sell to.

So the biggest advice is to see him a few times with the breeder and find out how much he is handled.

That has given me a few ideas on what to ask the breeder. I definitely hope he will be cuddly Want to be able to play around with him a lot hehe.

 

[4theBirds]

Good Luck. I have 2 Greys. Babu, TAG male, is a character; he plays rough both with me and his toys. He's less rough with my wife. He likes his chin scratched. Bindi, our CAG female, is a cuddler and quite a Diva. She nibbles at her food where as Babu is a pig. They are just a scream to be around. I can't wait until they start talking.