• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Adding bird to Grey home

MnGuy

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
4/24/17
Messages
952
I have an 18-year-old CAG who is currently a lone bird in my home. I have no intentions of adding a second bird anytime soon, but am open to the possibility some day down the line if it's the right fit.

Given all the issues with CAG dust, I was wondering what you all thought about how best to add a second bird to a CAG home. I'm not sure that I could or would add a second CAG due to my own general allergies, so it would likely be a different species. I know macaws and conures are an immediate no-go because of their sensitivity, but I had other questions:

1/ Are all New World parrots off-limits?

2/ Even if it is an Old World parrot, could they live in the same room as a CAG, or, are they best left in their own room and only allowed to use the same room as a CAG on occasion? If the latter, how often can they be safely exposed to a CAG?

3/ Are some Old World species a better fit/less sensitive than others?

4/ What is your personal experience adding a second bird to a CAG home?


My CAG lives in my living room, which is basically the same space as my dining room due to a traditional open craftsman bungalow layout. I do have a spare room that can house a second parrot, although I feel like being separated might stressful. I also run two HEPA air filters in my living room and dining room.

Thanks.
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/16/13
Messages
28,800
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Michelle
I think you can house Old World birds in the same room. I don't know really, other than with macaws, how much research has been done on mixing other Old World and New World birds. Clearly, you don't want to add a macaw. I think the safest thing would be not to add any New World bird.
 

Ulis_Beast

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
11/23/19
Messages
1,922
Location
Croatia ( Originally from Slovenia)
Real Name
Doroteja Lenassi
Not to discourage you at all.. But consider this also, CAGs live in large, one species flocks. As a species they have a harder time accepting other species, unlike let's say amazons who are raised in mixed species flocks in the wild.

I'll put it this way; it's snowing all year! :roflmao:
I had the time to read the entire post only now, the above reply is pointless.
 

Peko'smom

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
8/25/20
Messages
19
Real Name
Nina Krasinski
I have a 44 year old CAG and he has happily shared his room over the years with 2 lovebirds, an orange-winged amazon (whom he loved, they slept cuddled together every night), 2 zebra finches and 6 cockatiels and there were never any issues with any of them. Maybe it was just dumb luck that they all got along together but it worked for me.
 

MnGuy

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
4/24/17
Messages
952
I have a 44 year old CAG and he has happily shared his room over the years with 2 lovebirds, an orange-winged amazon (whom he loved, they slept cuddled together every night), 2 zebra finches and 6 cockatiels and there were never any issues with any of them. Maybe it was just dumb luck that they all got along together but it worked for me.
Wow; that's great. I'm glad it's working out so well for you. In an ideal world I am looking to replicate what you've accomplished, although I know that's not always possible.
 

MnGuy

Jogging around the block
Avenue Veteran
Joined
4/24/17
Messages
952
Not to discourage you at all.. But consider this also, CAGs live in large, one species flocks. As a species they have a harder time accepting other species, unlike let's say amazons who are raised in mixed species flocks in the wild.


I had the time to read the entire post only now, the above reply is pointless.
That's a good point. I may try to foster with a local group and see if that produces any good matches.
 

Mockinbirdiva

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
11,338
Location
South Carolina
Real Name
Andrea
I have a 44 year old CAG and he has happily shared his room over the years with 2 lovebirds, an orange-winged amazon (whom he loved, they slept cuddled together every night), 2 zebra finches and 6 cockatiels and there were never any issues with any of them. Maybe it was just dumb luck that they all got along together but it worked for me.
When you say (whom he loved and cuddled together every night) is that past tense as in the orange-winged amazon is gone? How many years did they stay together?
 

Peko'smom

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
8/25/20
Messages
19
Real Name
Nina Krasinski
Mockinbirddiva, the amazon and grey were together from 1985 till 2006 when the amazon died. I don't know what killed her but we were remodeling our kitchen at the time so maybe that had something to do with it but it didn't affect the other birds, so who knows. I also lost a lovebird when a carpenter dropped a sack of shingles on the roof above the birdroom and scared him into flying into the wall and breaking his neck in 1998.:( I think I'm done with remodeling.
 

ParrotNuts

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
10/8/20
Messages
3,402
Location
India
Real Name
Atharv
Mockinbirddiva, the amazon and grey were together from 1985 till 2006 when the amazon died. I don't know what killed her but we were remodeling our kitchen at the time so maybe that had something to do with it but it didn't affect the other birds, so who knows. I also lost a lovebird when a carpenter dropped a sack of shingles on the roof above the birdroom and scared him into flying into the wall and breaking his neck in 1998.:( I think I'm done with remodeling.
:bighug:
 
Top