African Greys with kids?

[chief5feathers]

How many African grey owners also have kids? I posted this week about Bruiser, an African Grey that I'm seriously considering adopting. I was talking to a breeder last night and she said she would definitely not recommend a Grey for a home with kids. I have 4 kids, ages 4, 7, 15 and 20, and I just wanted to ask how real African Grey families felt about what this breeder said?

Anyone here have a Grey and kids as young as 4?

 

[ortegah]

My youngest is 9 but she was 7 when we got my first Grey. Greys can be very jumpy so if your children are super active or impulsive a Grey may not be a good fit for you. Even if you do have children that are unusually calm, don't expect that a Grey is going to like your children. You never know as each one is an individual but at least in my experience they don't really like a lot of jumping and abrupt noises and actions.

 

[marian]

I agree with everything Ortega said.

 

[Dana64]

I have 4 daughters, ages 4 through 12. I have 2 African Greys (as well as other parrots).

In MY experience, the Greys are fine. Merlin, my Timneh, is super-sweet and loves the kids and lets them handle him, no problem. Mackie, my Congo, only allows ME to handle him but he chatters with the kids all the time. In fact a few weeks ago, my oldest daughter tripped going up the stairs. Mackie (Congo), saw it happen and quickly asked, "are you ok?!?!" My daughter replied, "yeah" and Mackie replied back, "whew!"

We all STARED at Mackie in amazement.

Mackie is a rescue, he came from an abusive home. While he won't let the girls touch him, he DOES interact with them and talks to them all the time.

My advice? Play it by ear. Let the grey decide if, when and how he wants to deal with the kids. If the kids are overly loud or rambunctious (sp?) then maybe this particular grey isn't the one for you... but that doesn't mean ALL grey's are bad with kids. They aren't.... as with any parrot, they just need to be well-socialized around children.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Danita]

If it is a nervous Grey, I would say maybe not. But if it is a relatively normal Grey, he might be fine. As long as the kids know to respect the grey and watch his body language it is okay.

 

[Theresa]

I have 4 daughters, ages 4 through 12. I have 2 African Greys (as well as other parrots).

In MY experience, the Greys are fine. Merlin, my Timneh, is super-sweet and loves the kids and lets them handle him, no problem. Mackie, my Congo, only allows ME to handle him but he chatters with the kids all the time. In fact a few weeks ago, my oldest daughter tripped going up the stairs. Mackie (Congo), saw it happen and quickly asked, "are you ok?!?!" My daughter replied, "yeah" and Mackie replied back, "whew!"

We all STARED at Mackie in amazement.

Mackie is a rescue, he came from an abusive home. While he won't let the girls touch him, he DOES interact with them and talks to them all the time.

My advice? Play it by ear. Let the grey decide if, when and how he wants to deal with the kids. If the kids are overly loud or rambunctious (sp?) then maybe this particular grey isn't the one for you... but that doesn't mean ALL grey's are bad with kids. They aren't.... as with any parrot, they just need to be well-socialized around children.

Just my 2 cents.

I agree 100% and I have 3 older rescues/rehomes and kids here all the time.

 

[Marie-France]

I think a Timneh would be a better choice with kids. But of course a not too jumpy CAG would be OK too.

 

[prettyinpink]

It all depends on the Grey and the child. My baby sister is 7 and she is well behaved around the birds. Tia loves everyone and lets her hold her, doesn't bite or anything.

I would say if your child is well behaved along with the grey no problems 'should' arise. Along with supervision, meaning don't leave the child with the grey.

I'm sure you'd be able to handle them both

Personally I don't agree with the breeder, unless she knows the bird and he/she isn't well behaved.

 

[zoomama]

Check out www.pamperedpeeps.com for some pictures and videos with kids and African greys. Like all have said, it all depends on the bird, the kids, and socialization.

 

[akijoy]

We all raised Gertie (timneh) from 6 weeks of age, but when she turned 2, she really became a one-person bird, and it has been a cause of stress for the family. She likes (tolerates) my 10 year old, but despises my 12 year old. She will attack her (fly and pull her hair) and sometimes she will strike and bite her. It's very sad and terrible for me to see how she changed like this, and my girls have done nothing to deserve this change in attitude. I'm sure not all of them are like this, but I would be cautious since you have young ones. However, I do think if I were to clip her wings, she would not be so aggressive. I don't have the heart to do that though, as she enjoys flying so much. My girls are pretty good natured about the whole thing, thank goodness.

 

[yvette]

I have small kids in my home every day. I run an in home daycare. Right now I have 2 14 month old children all day in my home and a 3 year old. Ozzie is on his play gym all day. He is used to kids, noises, music and toys that make noise. I have owned him for about 3 months. He is almost a year old. I think he loves all the activity. I NEVER leave them unattended. Ozzie is clipped and he will not fly of the play gyms.

My own kids are 6 and 8. They know how to behave around birds and never touch them unless I say its ok.
I think that a lot of parrots are nervous around kids not only greys. I say "Go for it"
I had a cockatiel that hated kids too Bonded to me and would hiss at kids.
Hope this helps!
Yvette

 

[Welshanne]

No matter how much interaction with family life a grey will always have one person in the household it bonds with and they are allowed to go that much further than anyone else with the up close and personal things!
Our Timneh bonded with our son and he is the only one who makes contact with him.
Our two African Greys bonded with me and I belong to them. The remaining family members are part of my flock, but they get different treatment although can be handled by them.
None of them are happy around children and the Greys never stop growling.
I put this down to the hyper activity of a little child and the Grey not happy as to what was going to be happening next.
Then I think they are like people, they come in all kinds of sizes, and personalities. So really it is how lucky you are in the personality of the bird you end up with. By and large most are not sociable with children only if they have been brought up from babies with them, and even then once grown the children take on another roll in their eyes and can become public enemy no one.

 

[lovemybirds]

I have a grey, 2 conures and 2 cockatiels and I have 5 children ages 3,10,11,12,14. All is well here, the grey likes two of the kids and he will bite the other three with no hesitation so the kids know either do not pet him or get bit, they just dont pet him but they talk to him all the time. It can work I think

 

[Izzy_Bird]

Out of the six birds in my house my three kids (teenagers) are only afraid of my grey. I find my grey to be the sweetest bird in the house lol. It's because she is bonded to me and will bite at the kids if they are close enough. Now that she is flighted she terrorizes my one son every chance she gets. I think she just likes to see his reaction.

 

[birdlady]

We rehomed Chopper when he was ten and I do not think he would do well in a house with young children...too much running and jumping and sporadic behavior for his taste, I think.

Around normal everyday events he is ok, though. He loves to see visitors but is not hands on and prefers to just observe. lol

 

[Lotsa Birds]

It depends on the bird itself and the kids too, as everyone seems to say. Two of my CAGs are rescues, and neither of them have a problem with kids. My TAG I raised from 6 weeks, and she is also good around them (though no kids handle them). My TAG was also good with my youngest daughter, until she hit two or so. My youngest CAG, is only 4 months, and fine with my girls (ages 11 and 16) but they probably won't handle her much longer but that is because she is handicapped and will pinch and hold on very tight when she looses her balance. We have kids in and out of here all the time, so for my birds they are used to the activity and seem to like it. But, not all greys are, so it really depends on the bird itself and how they do around alot of activity. I would discuss this more with the breeder and see if she has a more laid back one that could thrive in your family. I would also guess that one that is raised in a active family will get used to the activity and be okay with it.
Sandy

 

[dsmo]

How many African grey owners also have kids? I posted this week about Bruiser, an African Grey that I'm seriously considering adopting. I was talking to a breeder last night and she said she would definitely not recommend a Grey for a home with kids. I have 4 kids, ages 4, 7, 15 and 20, and I just wanted to ask how real African Grey families felt about what this breeder said?

Anyone here have a Grey and kids as young as 4?

I think that you would be ok as long as you watch the children around the grey as you would with any bird/animal

 

[Quiverful]

I have 5 kids. The oldest is 14 and the youngest is 4. We have a CAG that we rehomed. She came from a home that had small kids and has no problem with mine. My kids know how to respect all the animals we have. She seems to really enjoy all the activity in my house.

Kenya is not a nervous Grey. I read about people that have to introduce new toys slowly and all that but kenya cannot wait to get her beak on new things..no fear at all. Loud noises don't bother her..she's pretty laid back about an active household.

 

[Stacy_b]

In this house, and this is Kira only <tag> not ethel<cag> it depends on the day of the week. She is always fine with my teen, usually fine with my 4 year old. Used to be good with my 7 year old...but more often then not lately she has been wanting him to stay away from her.