Birds

AFRICAN GREY PARROTS

African Greys are often thought to be one of the preeminent talking parrots, rivaled only by a few species of Amazons. Domestic Greys' natural calls are in general reasonably quiet. They are basically whistles and soft "jungle" noises. However, imported Greys can growl and make some very unpleasant and unfriendly noises, and are not easily tamed, so you would be better off getting a domestic, handfed baby Grey for a pet. Their ability to speak, often in different voices of different people, can be quite amazing at times, although many Greys have very soft voices that people with hearing problems might not be able to hear or understand. They also have an uncanny ability to mimic other sounds - telephones, doorbells, barking dogs, and alarms, with amazing accuracy.

One thing to remember about young Greys though, is that they don't usually learn to speak as early as some other birds. You often will not hear them speak their first word until they're ten months to a year old. However, once they begin to talk, they will pick up things very quickly, and will spout off long phrases or sentences right away. Most other types of parrots learn one word at a time.

If you acquire them as babies, they are generally very affectionate and enjoy having their head scratched, and they very much enjoy being around their favorite people. However, it seems that most handfed Greys tend to bond more with one person. They can be extremely lovable to that one person, and show definite aggression towards anyone else, often to the point that no one else can handle them. More often than not, they can be handled by most other people, but will not tolerate petting or affection from them.

Many greys tend to be easily frightened, or phobic of new things in their environment (a new toy, new drapes behind their cage - anything can set them off into a panic or a feather-plucking rage), so any new objects should be introduced to them gradually. If your Grey seems afraid of a new toy, place it across the room but within his sight and gradually move it closer to his cage until it will accept it just outside of his cage. Then you can safely place the object in the cage, and they will accept it without a problem. You should be aware of when your bird is suspicious of something and allow them time to get used to it. You can probably lessen the severity of this phobia if you try to introduce your bird to all kinds of new objects, people and situations while they are still very young, but it's hard to correct once they have become phobic. This will also help them to allow being handled by all members of the family.

You should resist the temptation to take your new baby Grey home, take vacation time off work, or otherwise spend every waking moment with your new bird. Your bird will become confused and feel abandoned when the time comes for you to get back to a normal schedule. This confusion can frequently lead to feather-plucking, which is very hard to break once it's become a habit (kind of like biting your fingernails!) Try to establish a schedule, or semi-schedule at least, that you know you'll be able to continue from now on. Greys will do fine with working families, but they need to learn early on how to entertain themselves in their cages while you're away. Also Greys do have a small amount feather dust - not a lot if you just have one, but they could pose problems for people with severe allergies or asthma. If you follow these guidelines and don't spoil your bird too much, the Grey just may be the "perfect" parrot for you!

BASIC DIET

The diet for your parrot should be composed of approximately 2/3 to 3/4 fruits and vegetables, with the balance consisting of a dry pellet feed, and an occasional nut, hard-boiled eggs, cooked chicken, pasta and breads as treats. Most parrots eating only a basic parrot seed mix will not eat the other items that are vital for their good health. Many parrots become "addicted" to seed mixes that contain a great deal of sunflower seeds, and if allowed, will eat that to the exclusion of all other foods.

Example of a balanced diet:

	In the morning I dice up six or seven of the following vegetables and fruits - sweet potatoes, yellow squash or zucchini, turnips, beets, celery, kale, cabbage, green beans, asparagus, carrots, snow peas, applies, oranges, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, grapes, bananas, grapefruit, lemon, limes, cantaloupe or honeydew melons, kiwi, etc.
	Try to include at least one orange vegetable, apples or pears, a squash and a citrus fruit, along with whatever else is in season. These items are all diced into small bite size pieces. Don't be afraid to give your bird new things.
	(You should not give your bird avocados, cherry pits, peach, nectarine and plum pits, apple seeds, rhubarb, chocolate, coffee or liquor.) To the above diced mixture I add frozen or canned mixed vegetables and corn or hominy, and beans (if canned, rinse thoroughly under cool running water to rinse away excess salt and thoroughly drain).
	If you don't add canned beans (pinto, northern, kidney, black eyed peas, etc.), add a thawed container of my corn, bean and pasta mix which is cooked in advance in large quantities and frozen in individual servings.
	You might add a powdered calcium supplement (D-Ca-Fos) and mix it all together well.
	Put this mixture directly on top of the pellets they have left from the night before, and early evening we dump whatever is left and add fresh clean pellets.
	If you only have one or two birds, you may want to have separate bowls for pellets (or seed) and separate bowls for your fresh foods.
	Remove the seed or pellets during the day if your bird seems reluctant to eat the fresh foods (all my birds relish their fresh foods, but it wasn't always that way when we fed seed).
	The most important thing is that the soft, fresh food is not left in the cage long enough to spoil, causing harmful bacteria to grow.
	Keep in mind that food spoils much faster if its hot and humid where you keep your bird, and that some foods (hard boiled eggs or chicken) spoil much more quickly.

The basic care involved for one or two pets shouldn't take more than ten or fifteen minutes. You can buy frozen mixed vegetables and add an occasional slice of apple or a few grapes when time is a problem, or cook up a large pot of beans and legumes with rice and pasta, add nuts and dried fruits, mixed vegetables and freeze in individual servings. Thaw them in your microwave, and you have an instant healthy dinner your birds will love. Or if you eat a healthy diet yourself with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, let your bird share your dinner. Spaghetti and other pasta dishes, casseroles (and even pizza!) are all very good for your birds in moderation, and some pet birds insist on eating dinner with their owners.

*Good care also includes play and time with you on a regular basis.

If you don't think you have the time to provide your bird with a healthy diet, perhaps you should look for a different pet, because the care involved in feeding the bird is only the beginning of what it takes to have a happy and well-adjusted "perfect pet parrot". It is important to have a set schedule or routine - when your bird eats, when he is allowed time out of his cage to play, and time to interact with his owner. This is not to say that because you have a full time job, you do not have enough time for a bird. Most birds are perfectly happy getting their breakfast of fresh foods in the morning (or evening if that fits your schedule), playing and napping during the day, with a couple of hours out each evening to spend with you. And an occasional evening out (for you) won't upset your bird too much. Remember, though, that if you lavish a great deal of attention on your bird when you first get him, and them become bored and ignore your bird all the time, rarely letting him out of the cage, you will have problems. These are things to consider if you must travel frequently and your bird will have no one to give him the attention he is used to. A hand-fed pet bird that is constantly confined with no human interaction may become a screaming, feather-plucking maniac, causing you (and the bird) nothing but grief. So be certain that the amount of time you spend with your new bird is the amount you will be able to spend after the newness has worn off. However, if you are sure you have the time to devote, let me assure you that you will never have a pet quite like a well-adjusted, healthy, happy parrot - one that will greet you when you get up and come home, tell you good night and that he loves you, and keep you entertained for hours with his amusing antics.