Let me elaborate. I have heard that African Greys need a set routine and if you deter from it they do not like it. I would love to own one some day but not right now as I know I am not ready. Any information is appreciated. Thanks!
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Do African Greys need a routine?
- Thread starter JCarpentier
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Ive had Tyrion for almost a year now and we really have no set routine except for when he wakes up and when he goes to bed ...the rest of his day is kind of up in the air ...I work 2 days a week so those days he doesn't get out until late and the others depends if I have appointments or not ..he is very easy going and doesn't not get upset about his day as long has we have our time together 
jmfleish
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Greys are what you make of them. If you set a strict routine up for them and they get used to that, they will demand that. If you go with the flow and one day is different from the next, they will get used to not having a routine. Some say that greys are afraid of everything and you have to go slow with them. I say that if you go into a relationship with a grey expecting that, that's exactly what you will get, a scared grey who doesn't like change. I've had greys now for 11 years, one who was purchased as a baby and is loving but is his own bird, the other two came to me as teens and have some issues. There is absolutely no routine at all in my house and they do fine.
We have some what of a good routine going, but if for some reason we don't do the same thing, my grey does just fine. The only thing that gets my boy really upset is if it gets to late and he's tired. Then he starts making all his annoying sounds, super loud, until I put him to bed.
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I do have to admit that all three of my greys kind of get snotty about bed time too. Right around 9pm all I hear from all three of them is, "It's time to go to bed!" or "I gotta go to bed!" or "Night Night!" and it's absolutely non-stop until you turn the lights out! It's funny unless you're watching something and don't want to go to bed. Clancy, the oldest at 21, is the worst...nothing will appease him except actually going to bed! The other two will kind of drop off after a bit.
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Yup!
No routine here either. My work scheduled is ever changing and they are fine with it
By the way, all of my birds came to me as adults, so it's not like I raised them to be that way from babyhood.
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Actually, I think the one that I raised as a baby, Tuchis TAG, is the snottiest one in the house!Yup!
No routine here either. My work scheduled is ever changing and they are fine with it
Of course, I swear, if he could open the front door and usher every bird in the house out so he could be an only bird, he would! LOL!
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Actually, I think the one that I raised as a baby, Tuchis TAG, is the snottiest one in the house!
Send him here
I have less competition for him Bed time here is similar, but it's Lucy beeping, Corkey hollering "Moooooooooom Moooooooooom Moooooooom!" Olivia sounding like an Amazon
and Rocky *itching his little heart out!
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Oh, so Olivia has finally found her Amazon voice? Nibbles has always known where hers was and she uses it frequently! She's louder than all the other Amazons in the house combined on a daily basis but she's also a much better talker than everyone else and loves to hold conversations with me to tell me all about her day!Send him here
Bed time here is similar, but it's Lucy beeping, Corkey hollering "Moooooooooom Moooooooooom Moooooooom!" Olivia sounding like an Amazon
Tuchis would have a fit if he were separated from me! Besides, get in line, everyone seems to want his sorry butt! His breeder wants him back if anything should ever happen to me and Shyra wants him and who knows who else has dibs on him. I'm trying to figure out why because he's such a crab bucket and does nothing but pick on the other birds in the house!
He's the resident bully!
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We have a routine because I've found it to be necessary with 9 fids. With that being said, I also believe that Maalik would be fine even without one.
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ONLY at dinner time and bed time! The rest of the time she's still my RAG
For me it's because he reminds me of my Mojo the TerroristI'm trying to figure out why because he's such a crab bucket and does nothing but pick on the other birds in the house!
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Thanks for the replies! Like I said on another post, I am learning so much on this forum!
Our routine was no routine. That included flock members coming and going. Didn't bother him. But, he was the first of the large guys and other birds just did not bother him
I am a night person, it's 1am now My Yellow Nape has been with me for 29 years so she is used to morning being around 9am or so and not going to bed until 1 or 2am. The first of Jan, we adopted an 18month old African Grey. He quickly settled into how we roll. I was incredibly lucky with him as the people that had him traveled extensively with work and took him with them. So he accepts new things very easily. I feel that during the day when we are at work, they are napping like the dogs do. They have many interactive toys and things to keep them busy. I think that it's probably best not to stick to a strict routine. What about vacations? Both of mine have sleep huts inside of their cages and sometimes the CAG will put himself to bed.
My Yellow Nape has been with me for 29 years so she is used to morning being around 9am or so and not going to bed until 1 or 2am. The first of Jan, we adopted an 18month old African Grey. He quickly settled into how we roll. I was incredibly lucky with him as the people that had him traveled extensively with work and took him with them. So he accepts new things very easily. I feel that during the day when we are at work, they are napping like the dogs do. They have many interactive toys and things to keep them busy. I think that it's probably best not to stick to a strict routine. What about vacations? Both of mine have sleep huts inside of their cages and sometimes the CAG will put himself to bed. 
greystheway
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We have a set wake up and bedtime. Aside from that, our routine is all over. With 11 people in the house with varying schedules every day is different. Gracen does incredibly well with this, and has adapted remarkably well. He will tell us when he's ready to sleep, and we do try to have some quiet time in the afternoon for him. But he does really well with comings and goings and no real expectation of how his day will be. Of course, if I'm late with breakfast he lets me know asap
There are certain routines that are expected by them, like bed time in night cages and wake up times. Other than that, I change it up for them and make sure they are situated in different parts of my home throughout the day.
Here is what one breeder says about CAG's
Congos
My Grey grew up with a severe macaw who could be bold. He was bold but if she got out of line he would get her set back on the right track. I rehabed birds and he could care less who came and went. Also at my house, if it was time to go to bed you went to bed in whatever cage you were in (they did visit). He did prefer his cage set back a little but he was all out for visiting other cages in case they missed some good food which he took great joy in eating.
I remember a friend visiting Wendy. He talked about one her grey's watching him and he was unsure what that was about. Casually she mentioned..."oh, he wants your gum" The darn CAG wanted his gum he was chewing! I don't think he was bashful. Mine would go to Santa for Christmas pictures, others could hold him. I did have one rule. Their cage is theirs so I do not make my birds come up from inside their cage. Get on the door perch or come out otherwise you can stay home....I feel that way myself at times.
Congos
My Grey grew up with a severe macaw who could be bold. He was bold but if she got out of line he would get her set back on the right track. I rehabed birds and he could care less who came and went. Also at my house, if it was time to go to bed you went to bed in whatever cage you were in (they did visit). He did prefer his cage set back a little but he was all out for visiting other cages in case they missed some good food which he took great joy in eating.
I remember a friend visiting Wendy. He talked about one her grey's watching him and he was unsure what that was about. Casually she mentioned..."oh, he wants your gum" The darn CAG wanted his gum he was chewing! I don't think he was bashful. Mine would go to Santa for Christmas pictures, others could hold him. I did have one rule. Their cage is theirs so I do not make my birds come up from inside their cage. Get on the door perch or come out otherwise you can stay home....I feel that way myself at times.
