trout
Rollerblading along the road
Life Span: 40 - 60 years, although this is commonly shortened by atherosclerosis. (Pay extra care to avoid fatty and salty foods!)
Typical size/weight & description:
Congo and Cameroon: 12-14 inches, 400-600+ grams. All black beak, light grey feathers with a bright red tail. Cameroons are on the larger size but are the same as a Congo. Eye color starts out black and turns yellow with age.
Timneh: 10 inches, 300-400 grams. Beak has a bone color upper mandible with a black edge, darker grey body feathers and a maroon tail. Eye color starts out black and turns yellow with age.
Talking: typically starts around 1 year of age.
Perch Size: 5/8" (16mm) - 1" (25.5mm)
Important Information:
African Greys are prone to low blood calcium levels. Calcium works in conjunction with other minerals in the body to maintain bone structure as well as the breakdown of Vitamin D, blood clotting, egg shell formation, and several other biological functions. In order for calcium to be used by our bird's bodies effectively it must be accompanied by phosphorus, magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D.
There are several ways to address this issue:
Avoid relying on foods that are rich in calcium but hard to absorb such as spinach, chard, kale, and almonds. This are still good but should not be used as the only source of calcium.
Crushed eggshells are one of the most easily absorbed forms of calcium, finely crushed egg shells can be mixed in with cooked vegetables or baked into birdie bread.
Dandelion, alfalfa, and chamomile are a few herbs that are rich in calcium.
I do not agree with this but I know some vets have recommended crushed Tums over their food. While Tums does contain both calcium and magnesium it also contains sugars and other inactive ingredients, check the label, ask your vet, and do your research.
To assist in the absorption of calcium make sure your bird is getting Vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced naturally by animals as a result of exposure to sunlight. Do not rely on Vitamin D from food sources as is a fat soluble vitamin. Feeding your bird high levels of Vitamin D means feeding your bird high levels of fat!
A happy and healthy African Grey also requires Vitamin A and essential fatty acids. The essential fats are building blocks for many cells including the brain. Vitamin A is found in dark green or dark yellow/orange vegetables, however the most natural source of Vitamin A for our birds is from palm oil which also contains the needed fats (Omega 3 and 6 most importantly.) My favorite source for natural palm oil are Harrison's power treats or Udo's oil blend (available at your local health store.) There are other brands out there such as AVIx Sunshine Factor and Jungle Products Red Palm Oil. If your grey has dull tail feathers this could very well help!
African Greys are extremely intelligent animals. They do need extra care to keep them entertained and stimulated. Greys typically like to shread; puzzles and foraging activities are a must.
The chicken scratching on the floor/carpet/bottom of the cage is normal. In the wild African Greys are ground foragers, you can use this to your advantage when setting up their cage and for toys ideas!
Other info:
African Greys will bread year round indoors but outside will shut down for the summer months. Keep this in mind if you have more than one.
Clutch is typically 3-4 eggs, sometimes 5. Eggs are white and about 1/2 of the size of a chicken egg. incubation is 1 month, fledge in 9-11 weeks, and weaning time using the abundance method is 16-20 weeks, 10-12 weeks through deprivation. Avoid buying from a breeder who sells babies too early or uses a weaning method you may not agree with.
If purchasing a baby grey from a breeder check their methods on fledging and clipping. Greys are very sensitive to this, there are several members here who have very uncoordinated greys as a result of not learning this skill while young.
Additional reading:
blogpamelaclarkonline.com
Grey parrot - Wikipedia
Please post corrections/additional info.
Typical size/weight & description:
Congo and Cameroon: 12-14 inches, 400-600+ grams. All black beak, light grey feathers with a bright red tail. Cameroons are on the larger size but are the same as a Congo. Eye color starts out black and turns yellow with age.
Timneh: 10 inches, 300-400 grams. Beak has a bone color upper mandible with a black edge, darker grey body feathers and a maroon tail. Eye color starts out black and turns yellow with age.
Talking: typically starts around 1 year of age.
Perch Size: 5/8" (16mm) - 1" (25.5mm)
Important Information:
African Greys are prone to low blood calcium levels. Calcium works in conjunction with other minerals in the body to maintain bone structure as well as the breakdown of Vitamin D, blood clotting, egg shell formation, and several other biological functions. In order for calcium to be used by our bird's bodies effectively it must be accompanied by phosphorus, magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D.
There are several ways to address this issue:
Avoid relying on foods that are rich in calcium but hard to absorb such as spinach, chard, kale, and almonds. This are still good but should not be used as the only source of calcium.
Crushed eggshells are one of the most easily absorbed forms of calcium, finely crushed egg shells can be mixed in with cooked vegetables or baked into birdie bread.
Dandelion, alfalfa, and chamomile are a few herbs that are rich in calcium.
I do not agree with this but I know some vets have recommended crushed Tums over their food. While Tums does contain both calcium and magnesium it also contains sugars and other inactive ingredients, check the label, ask your vet, and do your research.
To assist in the absorption of calcium make sure your bird is getting Vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced naturally by animals as a result of exposure to sunlight. Do not rely on Vitamin D from food sources as is a fat soluble vitamin. Feeding your bird high levels of Vitamin D means feeding your bird high levels of fat!
A happy and healthy African Grey also requires Vitamin A and essential fatty acids. The essential fats are building blocks for many cells including the brain. Vitamin A is found in dark green or dark yellow/orange vegetables, however the most natural source of Vitamin A for our birds is from palm oil which also contains the needed fats (Omega 3 and 6 most importantly.) My favorite source for natural palm oil are Harrison's power treats or Udo's oil blend (available at your local health store.) There are other brands out there such as AVIx Sunshine Factor and Jungle Products Red Palm Oil. If your grey has dull tail feathers this could very well help!
African Greys are extremely intelligent animals. They do need extra care to keep them entertained and stimulated. Greys typically like to shread; puzzles and foraging activities are a must.
The chicken scratching on the floor/carpet/bottom of the cage is normal. In the wild African Greys are ground foragers, you can use this to your advantage when setting up their cage and for toys ideas!
Other info:
African Greys will bread year round indoors but outside will shut down for the summer months. Keep this in mind if you have more than one.
Clutch is typically 3-4 eggs, sometimes 5. Eggs are white and about 1/2 of the size of a chicken egg. incubation is 1 month, fledge in 9-11 weeks, and weaning time using the abundance method is 16-20 weeks, 10-12 weeks through deprivation. Avoid buying from a breeder who sells babies too early or uses a weaning method you may not agree with.
If purchasing a baby grey from a breeder check their methods on fledging and clipping. Greys are very sensitive to this, there are several members here who have very uncoordinated greys as a result of not learning this skill while young.
Additional reading:
The African Grey Parrot: Data and Deliberations
It’s a daunting task to write an article about any companion parrot species without relying too heavily upon the anthropomorphic or the generalization. It’s worth the attempt, however, in the case …
blogpamelaclarkonline.com
Please post corrections/additional info.
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