# African grey parrots



## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

Hi, i am looking to get an african grey parrot sometime soon.

I have a few questons if someone can help me.

1. are the pelleted foods better than the seed foods?

dont worry i know that fruit and veg are the main however i just dont know which one to aim to get the bird onto.

2. what types of african grey can you get, i know of the congo and timneh however are there any more? and any colour morphs? and what price differences am i looking at?

I have a cage, toys etc so just fine tuning the things i have left to think about, i have read books however i have found they contradict one another when it comes to food


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

there are a lot of contradictions when it comes to food. personally i think seed is better than pellets as long as it's a good quality, low sunflower, not cheap crap from a pet shop seed. in the wild parrots will spend their time cracking open nuts & seeds so a seed mix is more natural for them. on the other hand some parrots will only pick out the bits they like, usually the sunflower seeds, and leave the rest which isn't good for them. 

just judging by your OP, i think you need to do a lot more research before getting your parrot.


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

why do you think that?

I know that there are issues regarding iron intake when giving pelleted foods and citrus fruits and I also know when it comes to seeds you have the issues with regards to selective feeding.

I have a huge parrot cage with toys, different perch types to help with keeping the feet healthy, i have disability which means i am at home majority of the time as im unable to walk far so i can spend an immense amount of time with the bird and have him out majority of the time.

I have a cage top with perchs and toys there aswell.

I have in my parrot books of which i have been reading up about them contradictions regarding foods.

Most of the american based books really rate the whole pelleted diet however after looked into those i see that there are issues with overdosing on the vitamin c and iron if eaten with citrus fruits and therefore is something i worry about.

I want to be able to give the bird a lot of fruits and veg especially if i can give those foods in interesting ways for the bird to work for it as i know what my birds are like at the moment.

With regards to the breeds etc the books i have regarding my research only mention the congo grey and the timneh grey and i therefore out of curiosity ould like to know if there are other sub species or morphs of these birds.

so please confirm why it is you seem to think that i need more research into this matter when i am merely looking for clarification of a couple of issues which i am unsure about


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

*shrugs* because there's a lot more to parrot keeping than having a big cage filled with toys & feeding them fruit & veg. sorry if i've got it wrong.

in answer to your questions, no there aren't morphs or sup species. african greys are the congo greys which are more common & the timneh grey which has a maroon(ish) rather than bright red tail and a lighter coloured beak. they're generally cheaper as well. for a congo you're looking at around £500 for a baby from a breeder. 
there's loads of interesting ways to feed a parrot. have a look on ebay for foraging toys.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

I use pellets for my parrots as their main part of their diet, alongside fruit, veg, seed, nuts, & human foods (pasta, egg, cake, cooked chicken, etc).

The Grey Parrot _(Psittacus erithacus_) is the nominate race. Then there is a subspecies of the Grey Parrot called the Timneh Grey Parrot (_Psittacus erithacus timneh_). The nominate race is the bigger bird, with black upper & lower mandible of the beak, bright red tail feathers, & a more silvery grey colour to the body feathers. The Timneh Grey is smaller, has a horn coloured upper mandible, a maroon coloured tail, & a darker grey colour to teh body feathers. The Timneh is generally a sturdier parrot than the Grey, with a lower tendancy to develop mental problems such as feather plucking.


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

I use seed with fruit & veg for the main diet but also include a dish with pellets in for those that will actually eat them!! The whole pellet versus seed diet is one that can rarely be answered..........but a friend of mine recently spent some time in the USA as a trainee vet working in a practice that only work with birds..........she told me there is evidence coming through that pellet diets can be more nutritious than even fresh food as the vitamins/minerals can be fed in more regulated & balanced amounts. BUT, as I said, not all of them will eat pellets & they also have the habit of biting them & loosing over 50% of the pellet each crunch :gasp::lol2:

There are "different colour" greys out there - but you wont find them available as they are pretty rare. You might see advertised King greys - they are simply a grey with more red feathers on the body than normal & it is not yet known if this is a colour morph or something caused by nutritional imbalance or underlying health issues!! There have been some birds bred that were completely red!! Again it was questioned as to how legit these birds were & if they had been fed certain foods to affect the colours - much like certain canaries. There has also been a white Grey bred many years ago..........but as I said, these colour morphs are few & far between & will certainly NOT be available to Joe Public........plus they would cost a fortune :whistling2: Any new colour morph of any parrot species always command very high prices.........I know because I used to breed colour morphs, still do in a lesser degree :whistling2:

I see you say you have a disability.......I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you live alone? if you do, will you be able to catch the bird when its flying around & get it back in the cage? Something to consider as they rarely just come to you when you need them back in their cage - they are pretty wilful creatures & will have you chasing them around the house...........usually as you are due to go out within the next 5 minutes :devil::devil::lol2::lol2::lol2:


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

carlycharlie said:


> I use seed with fruit & veg for the main diet but also include a dish with pellets in for those that will actually eat them!! The whole pellet versus seed diet is one that can rarely be answered..........but a friend of mine recently spent some time in the USA as a trainee vet working in a practice that only work with birds..........she told me there is evidence coming through that pellet diets can be more nutritious than even fresh food as the vitamins/minerals can be fed in more regulated & balanced amounts. BUT, as I said, not all of them will eat pellets & they also have the habit of biting them & loosing over 50% of the pellet each crunch :gasp::lol2:
> 
> There are "different colour" greys out there - but you wont find them available as they are pretty rare. You might see advertised King greys - they are simply a grey with more red feathers on the body than normal & it is not yet known if this is a colour morph or something caused by nutritional imbalance or underlying health issues!! There have been some birds bred that were completely red!! Again it was questioned as to how legit these birds were & if they had been fed certain foods to affect the colours - much like certain canaries. There has also been a white Grey bred many years ago..........but as I said, these colour morphs are few & far between & will certainly NOT be available to Joe Public........plus they would cost a fortune :whistling2: Any new colour morph of any parrot species always command very high prices.........I know because I used to breed colour morphs, still do in a lesser degree :whistling2:
> 
> I see you say you have a disability.......I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you live alone? if you do, will you be able to catch the bird when its flying around & get it back in the cage? Something to consider as they rarely just come to you when you need them back in their cage - they are pretty wilful creatures & will have you chasing them around the house...........usually as you are due to go out within the next 5 minutes :devil::devil::lol2::lol2::lol2:



Thankyou for your reply

no i don't live alone, my hubby works from home so we are both at home majority of the time, which is good for us, we are going to try and socialise the bird with both of us that way if i have bad days it wont be like he would miss out on anything as he can just go with hubby.

I think im going to go with a good quality seed diet and the veg and fruit. to be honest i think i prefer the idea of giving the fruit and veg to give more variety to their lifestyle.

How rare are these ones with the extra red on the body? just out of curiosity


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## catastrophyrat (Jul 8, 2009)

Be aware Greys do give off a lot of feather dust and as said can be quite stressy birds prone to plucking and sometimes aggression although Cockatoos are also like this.


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

Well we have gone with a super dooper parrot mix with low sunflower and high dried fruit content

brought my congo home today from the breeder, hes 16 weeks old


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## rach666 (Dec 12, 2006)

Snoopy84 said:


> Well we have gone with a super dooper parrot mix with low sunflower and high dried fruit content
> 
> brought my congo home today from the breeder, hes 16 weeks old
> 
> ...


 
awww hes lovely! good luck with your birdy!:2thumb:


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

He's handsome! Good luck with him, we have a 20ish year old male. Never a dull moment here and a great source of entertainment. He used to live with an elderly couple, who sadly both passed away, and has some lovely phrases he comes out with! A truly fascinating bird.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Snoopy84 said:


> Well we have gone with a super dooper parrot mix with low sunflower and high dried fruit content
> 
> brought my congo home today from the breeder, hes 16 weeks old
> 
> ...


Do you have a hatch certificate for your parrot?


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

Zoo-Man said:


> Do you have a hatch certificate for your parrot?



yes however i stupidly forgotten it, so have to go back during the week. why?


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Snoopy84 said:


> yes however i stupidly forgotten it, so have to go back during the week. why?


Does the parrot have a closed (no breaks) ring on one of it's leg with numbers & letters on it?


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

Zoo-Man said:


> Does the parrot have a closed (no breaks) ring on one of it's leg with numbers & letters on it?



no he doesnt have a closed ring, however they have a certificate with his hatching details and parent details on


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## rach666 (Dec 12, 2006)

Snoopy84 said:


> yes however i stupidly forgotten it, so have to go back during the week. why?


 
hes not having a dig hun,its just all captive bred greys should have a hatch certificate and should be ringed.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Snoopy84 said:


> no he doesnt have a closed ring, however they have a certificate with his hatching details and parent details on


Mmm....

Your Grey looks quite a bit older that 16 weeks to me, due to it's eye colour. Young Greys have black eyes, older Greys (a year +) have yellowish eyes.


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

rach666 said:


> hes not having a dig hun,its just all captive bred greys should have a hatch certificate and should be ringed.



ahhh, well i know he has a certificate however didnt know about the ring, il speak to them when i see them during the week

regardless of anything he has a home here for life.


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## Shadowz (Aug 6, 2008)

I guess like anything those certificates are easy to fake.


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## rach666 (Dec 12, 2006)

Snoopy84 said:


> ahhh, well i know he has a certificate however didnt know about the ring, il speak to them when i see them during the week


 
yes just ask them when you speak to them


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Also, be wary of Greys with extra red feathering. This could be a sign of deficiencies, & could also be connected to the dreaded & incurable Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease (PBFD).


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

rach666 said:


> hes not having a dig hun,its just all captive bred greys should have a hatch certificate and should be ringed.


Why? there is no law stating this has to be the case...........many captive bred parrots dont have leg rings & a hatch certificate means nothing.......anyone (as someone has already said) can make one on a computer & make the data up that one it. IF the bird is rung & the ID on it is correct then its possible it will indicate the age or at least the year the bird hatched.........

As of yet there is no set standards for ringing non native species of bird in the UK or Europe.........but they have been discussing it in the european parliament. Sadly though, some parent birds will abandon the chicks if leg rings are applied, or they can kill them by trying to remove the foreign body now attached to their baby.........thus, many breeders wont or cant ring theese chicks.

As for the bird the OP has bought - the eyes do indicate an older bird than a 16 week old baby - they would have very dark eyes with a feint grey eye ring showing........


The red colour could be cause by many things; pellet diets, poor diet, underlying health issues & areas once plucked that have grown back and of course.......selective breeding (which could include breeding birds with health issues that have been undiagnosed!)

Either way, I hope he has a happy home with you & that you all get along just fine & have a great life together..........but just you wait for the terrible 2's :whistling2::whistling2::lol2::lol2:


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## Satans Little Helper (Sep 11, 2008)

Hatch Certificates prove absolutely nothing. And I would agree that the bird on that pic looks an awful lot older than 16 weeks to me..!!!

To the OP...I know you want to socilaise your Grey with both you and your Hubby but please be aware that Greys are well known for being more one person birds. I know of very few who are truly socialble with multiple people.
It sounds as though you have done your research well. As for the diet I think alot of the time it comes down to personal preference. I have 2 Senegals, 2 Cockatiels, a Hahns Macaw, 4 Yellow Crowned Amazons and a Greenwing Macaw and they are all fed on TidyMix seed twice weekly with lots of varying fresh food in between.
A good air filter can help keep the dust levels down. Try not to overwhelm your new bird with lots and lots of toys to start with, they need room in their cages to move lol. Try a few different ones and rotate them every few days to keep things interesting, if you do this from young the bird should be less worried about cage changes as it gets older.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

sorry but yesterday you were hoping to buy an african grey sometime soon & today you've bought a '16 week' old grey? 
my first post to you was correct, you haven't done enough research, if you had you'd know that bird is older than 16 weeks.


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## Shadowz (Aug 6, 2008)

I have to say it cant have come from a very good breeder either as most good breeders will have a buyer lined up in advance and will have talked it all thru with them ect.
And as u have found and bought this bird in what 1 day it do lead me to believe that its maybe not the best breeder.
Being totally honest I think they saw you coming ( not a dig at u by the way ) 
they lied about his age as they knew u wanted a baby and knew u were not experienced enough to know it was an older bird. 
Despite all that I hope u stick by him and get along with him fine , there is no telling what he will turn out like until he is settled with you.
Who know maybe he is older then 2 and already been thru the terrible 2's LOL


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

Shadowz said:


> I have to say it cant have come from a very good breeder either as most good breeders will have a buyer lined up in advance and will have talked it all thru with them ect.


this is true. it's how i got my grey. he's 6 now. 

it seems like too much of a coincidence that yesterday the OP was asking about morphs & how much are greys with more red in them & how rare they were & today she has one with more red in. from a breeder? i don't think so. i hope not anyway because a breeder shouldn't a) lie about a bird's age and b) shouldn't sell to someone that can be lied to so easily.


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

teshu said:


> this is true. it's how i got my grey. he's 6 now.
> 
> it seems like too much of a coincidence that yesterday the OP was asking about morphs & how much are greys with more red in them & how rare they were & today she has one with more red in. from a breeder? i don't think so. i hope not anyway because a breeder shouldn't a) lie about a bird's age and b) shouldn't sell to someone that can be lied to so easily.


Interestign point - I wonder how much the OP did pay - I hope it was no more than the cost of a normal baby grey :gasp:


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## georgieabc123 (Jul 17, 2008)

catastrophyrat said:


> Be aware Greys do give off a lot of feather dust and as said can be quite stressy birds prone to plucking and sometimes aggression although Cockatoos are also like this.


 yep mine only likes me and attacks everyone else :lol2:


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

a. i said sometime soon, i had not had the confirmation of when i was able to get the bird due to needing transport.

b. I asked regarding the morphs etc as i had met my little man before and noticed the increased redness.

so anyone else have any more issues with a person simply coming onto a forum to get fine tuning advice following research.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

no. no issues just questioning what research you've done when you believe that bird you've bought is only 16 weeks old. and if you were so close to picking up your bird, you should already have decided how you were going to feed it & have a supply in already.


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## kellystewart (May 11, 2010)

Sorry but you are wrong there are colour morphs although these are not readily available. Albino's and Grey's with over 60% red plummage have been bred these are known as King's

I think you have given the OP a hard time. He/she has clearly down his/her research and is asking questions...this is a sign of a good owner. I don't get why people in forums think its ok to jump on people like that you should ask before you judge.



teshu said:


> *shrugs* because there's a lot more to parrot keeping than having a big cage filled with toys & feeding them fruit & veg. sorry if i've got it wrong.
> 
> in answer to your questions, no there aren't morphs or sup species. african greys are the congo greys which are more common & the timneh grey which has a maroon(ish) rather than bright red tail and a lighter coloured beak. they're generally cheaper as well. for a congo you're looking at around £500 for a baby from a breeder.
> there's loads of interesting ways to feed a parrot. have a look on ebay for foraging toys.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

kellystewart said:


> He/she has clearly down his/her research and is asking questions...this is a sign of a good owner. I don't get why people in forums think its ok to jump on people like that you should ask before you judge.


if she's clearly done her research then why has she let herself be lied to about the age of the bird she's bought? 

yes you can get greys with more red in them but this sometimes is sign of ill health. as has been mentioned.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

teshu said:


> if she's clearly done her research then why has she let herself be lied to about the age of the bird she's bought?
> 
> yes you can get greys with more red in them but this sometimes is sign of ill health. as has been mentioned.


Tis true! If someone has done lots of research on Greys, then that person would know that a Grey's eye colour is dark & starts to lighten at about 12 month sonwards. I noticed the eye colour straight away when I saw the photos.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

Zoo-Man said:


> I noticed the eye colour straight away when I saw the photos.


so did i


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## georgieabc123 (Jul 17, 2008)

Zoo-Man said:


> Also, be wary of Greys with extra red feathering. This could be a sign of deficiencies, & could also be connected to the dreaded & incurable Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease (PBFD).


 i was just going to say this it really looks like PBFD try
perfectparrots.co.uk theres alot of professionals on there that can give you more info but is does not look good those red feathers


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

georgieabc123 said:


> i was just going to say this it really looks like PBFD


 
What makes you say this? From 2 photos alone it would be very difficult to make a diagnosis..........the only way of knowing would be having blood tests done.

the red colouring can be caused by many things..........including liver issues, coloured pellets........Oh OK, I am repeating myself :whistling2:

I am sure the new owner will take the grey to an avian vet & have him checked over to make sure they have not bought a dud bird from the breeder - especially as it looks like the bird appears not to be 16 weeks old


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

he was hatched october last year.


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## cloggers (Mar 13, 2010)

wow, been reading on african greys for a while, after reading some of this i think i'll hit the books again :lol2:



teshu said:


> he was hatched october last year.


not being rude, how do you know? : victory:


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

cloggers said:


> wow, been reading on african greys for a while, after reading some of this i think i'll hit the books again :lol2:


Yes, Greys are much more complicated than people realise. This is one of the things that makes me cringe at how commonly kept they are (by even people who know nothing about parrots!).


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## Joolz1975 (Jul 23, 2009)

Zoo-Man said:


> Yes, Greys are much more complicated than people realise. This is one of the things that makes me cringe at how commonly kept they are (by even people who know nothing about parrots!).


we were put off getting one once I researched properly, I'm going to get one someday just not for a long while!

The main thing that concerned me was the bonding with one member of famil, we want a pet the whole family can enjoy hence we are getting a dog! We have plenty if time to offer and a dig will be something we can all get involved in!

I will get an African grey when kids are older and I've retired!


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

cloggers said:


> wow, been reading on african greys for a while, after reading some of this i think i'll hit the books again :lol2:
> 
> 
> 
> not being rude, how do you know? : victory:


don't think you're rude at all. the OP is on a parrot forum that i belong to. posted the same question & the same photos. then said it was oct '09 that he was hatched.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

Zoo-Man said:


> Yes, Greys are much more complicated than people realise. This is one of the things that makes me cringe at how commonly kept they are (by even people who know nothing about parrots!).


don't get me started lol. i kept finches & budgies as a child but it was still 4 years from thinking about getting a 'larger parrot' to actually getting one.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

teshu said:


> don't think you're rude at all. the OP is on a parrot forum that i belong to. posted the same question & the same photos. then said it was oct '09 that he was hatched.


Mmm,............curiouser & curiouser! :whistling2:


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## cloggers (Mar 13, 2010)

teshu said:


> don't think you're rude at all. the OP is on a parrot forum that i belong to. posted the same question & the same photos. then said it was oct '09 that he was hatched.


oh, well that was a bit foolish


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

the attitude of you people stinks.

I came on here merely to ask for opinions and i get slated.

you should be ashamed of yourselves.

And to be honest i dont care what you lot now think, my bird is happy, healthy and well loved.

He is disease free and passed his vet exam and blood tests, and he is microchipped and has a wonderful cage with lots of things to keep him occupied and busy. He is allowed out the cage as and when he feels like it in his own dedicated room.

He loves his food, and enjoys his fruit and veg.

So tell me where im going wrong aye?


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## 9Red (May 30, 2008)

I don't think people here are criticising the way you keep you're parrot - as you say he is well looked after etc then there's no problem. What people are confused about is that you don't seem to be concerned that the person you have bought this bird from appears to have lied to you, saying the bird is younger than he actually is. Does this not worry you?


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

not really tbh, mistakes are easily made


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## LiveYourLife (Jun 11, 2009)

Snoopy84 said:


> not really tbh, mistakes are easily made


 
Pretty big mistake if they cant keep track on when each parrot was hatched... if the dates are wrong, parentage could also be wrong.


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

Glad to hear he is healthy & happy :2thumb:

Out of interest, what blood test did the vets do for you?


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Snoopy84 said:


> not really tbh, mistakes are easily made


:gasp: Its a pretty big mistake when the breeder can't tell the difference between a 16 week old baby Grey & one that is over a year old!!!


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## eubankclare (Jul 23, 2007)

Hello
Can I ask which forum you are on and if there is any good gray forums? Plus do any of you know any good breeders in the lancashire area.
Im reading into grays and would like to gain more knowledge
Thanks


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

eubankclare said:


> Hello
> Can I ask which forum you are on and if there is any good gray forums? Plus do any of you know any good breeders in the lancashire area.
> Im reading into grays and would like to gain more knowledge
> Thanks


Hey, I used to know of one breeder who was just outside Preston, she used to sell her baby Greys for £500. I don't have her contact details anymore, but she is called Ann Church. Not sure if you will find anything by googling her name, but might be worth a try.


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## eubankclare (Jul 23, 2007)

Thanks


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

eubankclare said:


> Hello
> Can I ask which forum you are on and if there is any good gray forums? Plus do any of you know any good breeders in the lancashire area.
> Im reading into grays and would like to gain more knowledge
> Thanks


 
You could try www.parrotlinks.com :whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

carlycharlie said:


> You could try www.parrotlinks.com :whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


A shameless plug there Ken :lol2:


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

i belong to parrot-link.co.uk.

so the breeder made a simple mistake? well that's not a breeder i'd be going to if i wanted another baby grey. if a breeder showed me that bird & told me he was 16 weeks, i wouldn't be buying.


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

well i dont care what you think, i love my bird and i think u should actually get back on subject on this thread.


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## 9Red (May 30, 2008)

Snoopy84 said:


> well i dont care what you think, i love my bird and i think u should actually get back on subject on this thread.


I think you're missing the point a bit - nobody's disputing that you love your parrot, but if the breeder has lied to you about the birds' age then one has to wonder what else they may have lied about and how this may impact on the bird itself? The fact that you were unable to identify the age of the parrot from a clear visual indicator (baby greys have black/dark eyes while adults have light/yellow coloured eyes) when you first met the bird means you have had the 'wool pulled over your eyes' by an irresponsible breeder who targetted you as a new parrot keeper and may have thought to charge you more money by telling you the bird was a baby when its not. Doesn't this make you feel worried or angry that you have been lied to? Have you raised this issue with the breeder themselves? Without knowing the birds' true history you have no real way of knowing it's origins or age - you're 'baby' bird could actually be a parrot OAP. If I was in your situation I would be furious that I had been fibbed to! Not knowing his age may also make it harder for you to find a company willing to insure him for vets' fees etc. 

It is not entirely you're fault as you're a new parrot owner so may not have been fully aware of what to look for in a good breeder - but this is something you could have sought advice about on here on on one of the parrot forums. For example, when I got my first parrot Willow I asked around to make sure I was buying from a well respected breeder with a good reputation, and Willow came with a supply of food, carry box, leg ring and hatch certificate with details of his parents' lineage and full contact details for the breeder should I ever need help with Willow in the future. In the months before I went to collect Willow, I also recieved weekly updates and photographs showing his development from a tiny chick to a fully fledged youngster, and plenty of good advice about selecting the best cage, toys, diet etc in preperation for his arrival. 

With regards to your original questions regarding seed vs. pelleted diets, I would recommend checking out the parrot-links forum where you can find heaps of information, especially under the General Parrot Information section (http://www.parrotlinks.com/modules.php name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=2). Personally I tried several different diets with Willow while he was a baby and he is now kept on a mix of Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health (Buy Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health - Parrot 5lb from Northern Parrots) and Harrisons' Adult Lifetime Pellets (Buy Harrisons Adult Lifetime Coarse - 3 Sizes from Northern Parrots) with Nutriberries (Buy Lafeber Nutri-Berries Tropical Fruit Complete Parrot Food from Northern Parrots) and Palm Oil Nuts (Buy Palm Nuts - Nutritious Parrot Treat- 2 Sizes from Northern Parrots) as complimentary foods. He gets a bowl of seed/pellet mix in the morning which he has for 2 hours. This is then taken out and he spends the rest of the day with a mix of fruit and veg which he eats quite a bit of but also enjoys throwing around and making a mess! He then gets another small bowl of mix plus a nutriberry, palm nut, bit of toast or other treats in the evening.


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

Hi,

I did have a very lengthy discussion regarding the bird with the breeder.

Basically when i initially contacted them i spoke to the daughter who actually helps her with the hand rearing and it was the daughter who got it wrong and who I had dealt with.

Once the issues were brought up on here I then went to see the actual breeder herself and spent a long time chatting to her, and who had offered to take back the bird if i was not happy and swap him for a chick who she would arrange to hand rear for myself however I chose to keep opie.

Basically the story behind my bird is that he was half paid for by a couple and therefore pre ordered and the breeder then hand reared the chick to order from the red factor parentage due to the order from the couple. However when he was available to go to his new home they tried contacting the couple who were not possible to be contacted and phone lines didnt work and mobiles switched off and emails bouncing back. Half of the money had been paid already for him.

The breeder herself had to then sought legal advice as to where she stands with regards to the bird taking into account a contract was initially taken place between her and this couple. As the couple were unavailable to contact, they had also moved residence she had to await the court approval to have the bird officially made hers to protect her position and the bird as the bird had been with her some time and she was unable to give him the time required she wanted to find him a home.

Once all this had taken place she was then able to offer him up for adoption, and I had contacted her just prior to this decision regarding a baby and she offered me this bird at a very low price taking into account that he was reverting to a wild and scared bird due to the fact she didnt have the time to spend with him.

She has offered to take him back if i wanted to or if i have difficulties and if i wanted to she would replace him with a chick for no additional price. She is also very good with any advice of which i have asked regarding him and is only at the end of the phone.

He is not ringed as the parent birds have a history of attacking babys who have rings on their feet once returned to the nest as she leaves the chicks with the parents for a few weeks prior to removal for finishing by hand rearing.

I was given a supply of his food which he was on a good seed mix, and i have continued with the seed mix and have also brought agood african grey pelleted mix and he seems to eat majority of it.

He also gets a varied mixture of fruit and veg and today hes also had soaked chick peas on top of his usual.

He has tamed down very well however he seems to have issues with regards to men which we are working on.

Thankyou for the links. I tend to prefer doing the research through books as i found a lot of online sources tend to contradict one another, however i also have found a lot of the books i have brought they dont have a full guide to looking after them and some are out of date a fair bit, so am still carrying on with the researching.

He does the step up command now too and enjoys coming out of his cage and spends a lot of the day on his play area with all his toys.

I also have a much larger cage on order as the one i have even though recommended for an african grey just doesnt seem to be big enough i dont think.


He has fixed bowls now for his food and water and veg as originally i had coop cups but he would pick up and throw so as he can have a good rummage at the bottom later on, though he still throws seed and fresh foods out of the bowls i dont think that will ever stop! He gets his treats from me if hes been good ie when he does step up he gets his favorite which is a bit of wallnut and he also has them in his treat mazes so as he has to work to get them daily!


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## 9Red (May 30, 2008)

Ah, see now that makes a lot more sense. Good on you for taking on this bird even though he was starting to become untame, a lot of first-time parrot keepers would probably have shied away from the challenge for fear of ending up with a 'problem' parrot, myself included if I'm perfectly honest! He sounds like he has a great life with you - I've not tried Willow with walnuts yet, maybe I'll pick some up for him next time I'm shopping for animal supplies and see what he thinks of them. Although it can sometimes feel like you're being 'flamed' by people on these forums, I would say not to take it too personally - I used to find it quite irritating if I felt like strangers were criticising the way I keep my animals, but after a while you realise that it's only because eveyone on here are such dedicated animal lovers and can be pretty quick to jump on someone's back if things don't add up. Don't be put off by it though - the majority of people on here (even the ones that seem to enjoy picking fights) are actually very helpful and knowledgeable once you get round the defensiveness! : victory:


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

9Red said:


> Ah, see now that makes a lot more sense. Good on you for taking on this bird even though he was starting to become untame, a lot of first-time parrot keepers would probably have shied away from the challenge for fear of ending up with a 'problem' parrot, myself included if I'm perfectly honest! He sounds like he has a great life with you - I've not tried Willow with walnuts yet, maybe I'll pick some up for him next time I'm shopping for animal supplies and see what he thinks of them. Although it can sometimes feel like you're being 'flamed' by people on these forums, I would say not to take it too personally - I used to find it quite irritating if I felt like strangers were criticising the way I keep my animals, but after a while you realise that it's only because eveyone on here are such dedicated animal lovers and can be pretty quick to jump on someone's back if things don't add up. Don't be put off by it though - the majority of people on here (even the ones that seem to enjoy picking fights) are actually very helpful and knowledgeable once you get round the defensiveness! : victory:



Yeah it just seems to me people want to flame me for simply going from small birds straight onto an african grey.

African grey is what i really wanted, and had wanted for a long time and as im in a position to give the bird all the care and love it needs to make it into a nice all rounded bird then its the right time to take one on.

Im making my husband spend lots of time fussing him and giving him attention though as it appears he has a dislike for men, i assume from spending so much time solely around women.

He loves pecans and wallnuts, cashews are ok but hes not overly keen on them but he does like almonds.

As i wanted a bird who will more than likely be with me for the rest of my lifetime i wanted to give him the best start i could which is why he has his own room and so much to play with and fiddle with and destroy of his own! Keeps his mind occupied, though am still in 2 minds to get his wings clipped or not. He is micro chipped now so if he does escape and is found then hopefully they will scan him.

He is also coming on holiday with me next week as we are away for 9 days so hes coming with us as too long for him to be with strangers, i am considering getting him a harness though so as when we are in the car he does not have to be in his travel cage, i can just have him sitting on me.


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

Snoopy84 said:


> As i wanted a bird who will more than likely be with me for the rest of my lifetime i wanted to give him the best start i could which is why he has his own room and so much to play with and fiddle with and destroy of his own! Keeps his mind occupied, though am still in 2 minds to get his wings clipped or not. .


 
What would the clipping be for? To prevent him escaping/flying away?

If so then think again, unless they are severely clipped they still have some flight & if outdoors can & DO disappear into the blue yonder when clipped.

Harness training as mentioned is one option but as your bird is a bit older you might have fun doing it..........if you succeed, keep it up & use the harness all the time or you could well end up having to retrain him again.

As for having him in the car on a harness - not a good idea as he could panic & end up flapping around the car causing an accident.......he will be fine in a carry case & many greys/parrots prefer it as they feel more secure.

Oh & watch the amount of nuts your feeding..........they are very fattening, especially if your using a shop bought parrot seed mix that's full of sunflower seed :whistling2:


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

carlycharlie said:


> What would the clipping be for? To prevent him escaping/flying away?
> 
> If so then think again, unless they are severely clipped they still have some flight & if outdoors can & DO disappear into the blue yonder when clipped.
> 
> ...


Thanks for that.

He gets his nuts as the training tips when he does good things. He adores his fruit more than the veg but he gets a varied mixture!

I have a low sunflower seed mix as i have seen some 'parrot mix' which is simply sunflower seeds and monkey nuts which is rediculous!

The wing clipping was simply to try and add a tad more safety just incase the inevitable ever happens, which god forbid never will


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