A mate for my parrot? Oblivious owner.

[TippiBird]

Hi guys! I'm in need of some help.
I've had my female 14 y/o Congo for 13 years, but I think she could be happier if she were not in an indoor cage and got more attention (I live in a coop so she lives with my parents). Someone coming over to do house repairs saw her and said he has been looking for a mate for his 20 y/o male Grey, who lives in a large outdoor area that I am welcome to examine. They would have chicks and he plans to keep them all and basically have a parrot family. I have zero knowledge on this subject.

a) Would they keep reproducing until they weren't mating age anymore, meaning there would be an endless stream of babies?
b) Is there a possibility the babies would reproduce with each other?
c) What are the chances that my Grey and his will actually like each other, and how will I know? I know some birds just don't get along well, is there a chance my Grey could get hurt?
d) Anything else I should know?

 

[jmfleish]

The chances that your parrot and his parrot got along are marginal at best. If your bird has been an only bird all her life, she's probably used to being an only bird and likes being an only bird, but it's hard to tell. If his bird is a domestically raised, handfed bird, chances are not likely that he will be a good candidate for ever knowing how to mate with a female, but this is not a bad thing because, ulitmately, does he have any clue as to what he is doing? I'ts a nostalgic thought to want to have a male and a female bird living together in harmony and to have a little parrot family but it's not reality. It would be great if they have a bird they can form a mated bond with but having babies is a whole different ball of wax. Babies are hard to raise if the parents aren't willing or don't know what to do with them and what do you do with the babies once they become adults?

Ultimately, it's not bad to question if your grey is happy or not but I do think that they can be happy as single birds. If you truly don't think your bird is happy with you, it doesn't mean giving her to a stranger who has a male is the right thing to do. I think this person has too many romantic ideas.

 

[melissasparrots]

Older african greys that have been single pets for a long time are notorious for not breeding very well. Personally, I would not be looking into getting this bird a mate. I do think birds benefit from having other birds around, but long time pets often don't want to be paired up or they will be unsuccessful breeders. The problem I see is if this guy wants a breeding pair and your bird does not breed for him, will he sell her or exchange her for another female? If that happens, then your pet will enter the rehoming cycle. Breeders often swap mates and exchange birds that aren't working out for their goals.