Are there any grey owners who wouldn't do it again?

[Nikki]

YES I would do it again! I love my little gentleman Asher.

 

[Theresa]

I would also add that homes with a lot of stress, yelling etc would not make a good home for Greys, anyone really. They are very in tune with the energy in the house and the humans they live with.

I agree.

Happy chaos, they thrive. Negative, abusive chaos, they suffer.

 

[Welshanne]

No hesitation in my answer, would definately do it again! Without Leroy and Scooby I would not have been put in touch with Bonnie or Billiefaye. They have added a new dimension to living and I cannot remember life without them anymore.

 

[ortegah]

Not me! I would never say that. I love my greys and they are indeed my favorite of all my guys! Here's the perfect example. These are the sounds that I wake up to in the morning:

Who can resist that?

 

[pga7602]

Ok... I'm sure you dont' need another agreement here but I'll say it just in case you need it one more time.

Coral is by far the most loved animal I have ever met. If I ever get another parrot it would be more greys. Don't get me wrong.. it's not for everyone.... But their intelligence will amaze you. You can talk to it and know they are actually listening

 

[pga7602]

I'm not a Grey owner, but... one thing I have noticed in common among the expert Grey owners we have on the forum is that Greys really need an owner who understands and values their intelligence, and is willing to provide them with all of the stimulation, enrichment, and outlets that they need to keep their intelligent minds busy I'm not sure that all homes are able to provide so much stimulation and care for such a highly intelligent bird, which is why you see so many of them plucking and quite neurotic in rescues

This cannot be over emphasis. Greys need love, but above that they need loads of attention and recognition of their intelligence. You can't give a grey a ball and expect them to play... they need much much more stimulation.

 

[pga7602]

Not me! I would never say that. I love my greys and they are indeed my favorite of all my guys! Here's the perfect example. These are the sounds that I wake up to in the morning:

Who can resist that?

No alarms needed on the weekend right? Coral wakes me up with chirping bird noises she's learned from the window and inserts random dog barks. lol

 

[ortegah]

No alarms needed on the weekend right? Coral wakes me up with chirping bird noises she's learned from the window and inserts random dog barks. lol

Oh no! That's nothing though. When it gets bright outside and the birdroom lights up, our Blue and Gold Macaw will start wailing until someone comes in to say good morning. You can hear him mile away! Emmett at that point is a quiet boy once again

 

[jenwren59]

Oh yes. I consider myself a grey bird person first - even though I spend more of my time in Amazon avenue. My first bird EVER was a 4 month old grey. I had never seen an african grey parrot until the day I met my Fernando. I walked into a parrot store (they ONLY sold parrots). There were a few rows of big cages. I think there were a few cockatoos and some other birds that I can't remember. My husband was in the store looking. He liked birds and I liked cats.

Well, I walked up to a cage with a 4 month old CAG and it was like lightening hit my in the head. I was completely dumb-struck. I had never seen an animal look at me like that. Of course, I had no idea I was experiencing the baby bird thing on top of the awesome beauty of a CAG.

I have days where my male CAG Papa looks at me in a way where time absolutely stands still.

It is an unbelievable experience when he lights up and just watches me and my husband.

They are not for everyone - for sure. Papa is almost beyond me. I struggle desperately to give him a fraction of what he needs to stay mentally healthy. I work full time - he has to spend every day in his cage. I can barely keep the toys interesting enough. He is showing repetitive behaviors again too much. It means he is seriously bored. He is also at his peak age sexually. He has long spells of wanting to eat up my entire floorboards. He goes to the ground a lot and this is extremely hard to train away - it is in his nature. Many (but not all) grey birds have a tendency to go to the ground. So - is this for everybody? probably not. There can be an extra level of dedication needed to give them a decent life.

 

[artgeek09]

Absolutely! Don't tell the rest of my gang, but Kramer (TAG) is by far the best birdie in my house.

How does Kramer compare to your Ekkie boy? I will eventually expand my flock past my Dante (Red Sided Eclectus), and was wondering how they interact?

 

[jmfleish]

How does Kramer compare to your Ekkie boy? I will eventually expand my flock past my Dante (Red Sided Eclectus), and was wondering how they interact?

Actually, the Ekkie boys and the greys seem to get along. There are a lot of us who have both.

 

[Theresa]

I would do it again in a heartbeat

 

[Onyxena]

What a wwonderful thread! I have always liked greys, but never really considered one. No particular reason, but their sensitivity and perceived tendancy towards feather destruction kinda swayed me. Plus I was just really into macaws, and wasn't sure if that would be good ffor a grey. Wasn't really sure I would be a good companion for a grey. But I have always enjoyed talking with them. I just love how they look at you with such intelligence adn dignity. They are very interesting individuals. After reading this, if a grey needing a home came my way, I would definately see how it goes!

 

[jmfleish]

What a wwonderful thread! I have always liked greys, but never really considered one. No particular reason, but their sensitivity and perceived tendancy towards feather destruction kinda swayed me. Plus I was just really into macaws, and wasn't sure if that would be good ffor a grey. Wasn't really sure I would be a good companion for a grey. But I have always enjoyed talking with them. I just love how they look at you with such intelligence adn dignity. They are very interesting individuals. After reading this, if a grey needing a home came my way, I would definately see how it goes!

Greys are incredibly dusty, at least the nominate species, the red tailed grey (Congo). Personally, I wouldn't do a dusty bird with a Macaw but I went through the ringer with my Patagonian Conure because of the dust and almost lost her.

As for feather destructive behaviors, I don't think they're any more likely to have issues than other birds who show the issue such as Macaws, Cockatoos, or Eclectus. Actually, I'd bet they're less likely to have feather issues than the 'toos and the Eclectus. Both of my greys are fully feathered, can't say so with my D2 or either one of my Ekkies. I also don't think they are nearly as sensitive and neurotic as a lot of people make them sound. My two, at least, are very easy going, easy to care for, easy to not have to invest a ton of hours in, less needy, etc. In my house of six, they are definitely the most laid back and easy going and easiest to care for.