Shiver me timbers! Me boss has gotten herself an African Congo Grey Parrot. It’s about four weeks old and looks remarkably like a plucked chicken. Very cute, but floppy.
We’re wondering if there’s anything to know about the young stages of the parrot’s life, most books seem to be mostly about dealing with the adult parrot. We’re a little concerned, besides the non-wire perch, the cage washed with vinegar and water, and so on, with temperature issues (Shivers with the AC on) and various other things.
Your OP worries me greatly. My wife is the parrot expert, but I’ve picked up a few things in the past few years. I strongly suspect you have an unweaned bird, which is very difficult and time consuming for a novice to raise. Does your boss still have access to the breeder? (Per lissener’s post.) If not, get to a good quality pet store, preferably one specializing in parrots. Ask a lot of questions and buy a lot of supplies. (Few things piss my wife off more than people getting lots of useful information and then buying from PetCo, WalMart or the Internet. :mad: )
I think your boss has gotten herself into a tricky situation. A quick Google found this site. http://www.birdlife.com/species/africangrey.html It mentions weaning is usually done by 4 months. If the breeder or seller passed along a younger one to a novice bird owner, I would say they are disreputable. African Grays are wonderful birds, but can easily become neurotic if not treated properly. As with any animal, the early formative years are very critical.
I hope this was not a spur of the moment decision. They live a long time (25+ years?). It may also be helpful to see if there is a Companion Bird club in the area. Join and ask more questions. They are fun companions, but only if you have the time to spend.
I forgot to point out that your boss should be prepared for feeding every few hours, including during the night (I think). After all, this is a baby. I only know enough about the subject to realize that I don’t know enough. But books are too slow and the parrot could be injured or die from delays. This is why your boss needs to get information directly from a person or people who know about young African Grays ASAP (as in today).
I’m sorry if I sound pissed off, but I am. I’m sure you and your boss are nice people, and it is possible she has it a lot more under control than the OP makes it appear, but it is also very possible that someone stuck your boss into a situation that will result in a dead parrot, and not a funny Monty Python type either!
Greys are magnificent birds - smart too. But I hope your boss knows what he/she is getting into. Having a parrot is like having a kid that’s 3 years years old. And it’s like a three year old kid for decades.
They really do need a lot of attention and dedication if the bird is to be well adjusted. Not something to be taken lightly, IMHO.
I’ve got to second (or, third, or fourth) the general consensus. A bird that isn’t fully fledged isn’t old enough to be weaned, and it’s not something that should be gotten into without a LOT of knowledge. Even handfeeding isn’t easy. If you’re not careful, the bird will aspirate food, get an infection in the lungs, and die VERY quickly.
Your boss should find someone who is trained in hand-raising young birds. He or she should also report the breeder who sold them the bird to the SPCA. Selling birds that young is wrong.
I have been training parrots for several years now, but would would be VERY reluctant to take on the responsibility of an unweaned bird. Please advise her strongly to get an expert to take over until it is weaned.
I know nothing about parrots but how do you wind up with a little baby parrot and no parrot mama sold at retail? Is the egg normally taken away and hatched separately, and the baby bird raised by a breeder?
This is a bad idea. A very bad idea. Especially for one who knows nothing about the care and feeding of a baby Gray. There are so many things that can go wrong at that young age, not to mention the round the clock feedings, the impacted crops, correct temperatures and so forth. Also, does your friend have a good vet picked out already? You cannot just pack up your parrot and take it to any vet. Many are not qualified for exotics.
I got my parrot when he was 6 weeks old, I knew what I was doing, and it was still an extremely stressful time for both of us. He is now over 26 years old, but, geez.
I don’t know where you are located. Find a local bird club here, and have your boss call them ASAP. Many of us in the clubs have handfed and can help if your boss has not done this before, by teaching her, feeding the bird for her or putting her in touch with a breeder who can do the same. The bird is too young to be weaned if it is not fledged (floppy plucked chicken stage). At this age it is almost certainly not eating anything other than formula. Aspiration, crop burns and failure to thrive are all too common with inexperienced handfeeding.
Re: rinsing the cage with vinegar -
Galvanized wire is not appropriate material for a parrot cage. Even discounting the zinc risk, a grey can snap the wire and injure itself on the sharp ends, especially a baby testing everything by chewing on it. At 4 weeks the bird shouldn’t even be in a cage. Many breeders who handfeed keep the chicks in high sided plastic tubs or cardboard boxes, partially or fully covered with towels. The chick learns to walk and perch without great danger and temperature control is easier.
I weaned a baby ringneck 13 years ago. When the pet store owner sold him to me he was still taking bird formula (the store owner gave me a bag of it) and I got him to eat adult food by feeding him fresh corn and apples. Now he’s out vandalising my living room.
Are you sure the bird is only 4 weeks old? At any rate, tell your boss to eat in front of the bird. For some weird reason birds will eat anything they see their owners eating.
I know we’re all coming on pretty strong here, and I hope that doesn’t put you off. I hope it just shows you how passionate we are about the subject matter.
Birds are special creatures, both in personality and in needs. I cringe at seeing people buy animals for the wrong reasons, and especially so when it’s a bird. With large birds, it’s quite often a life-long commitment and without doing the research, a lot of people don’t know that. I encourage keeping the prices of birds relatively high for just this reason; it makes people think a little more.
Birds are great pets - for the right people. Not everyone is a “bird person.” Birds are usually messy, they’re frequently demanding, and they’re often noisy. They’ll wake you up when the sun comes up on a Saturday morning after you’ve been out late and wanted to sleep in. But they’re also very loving and crazy and loyal and neurotic and a lot of fun. Some people can’t get past the bad aspects. Some people never notice.
I hope your boss gets some help. She’s in over her head, and we’d all hate to see the bird suffer because of it.
You asked for a book. African Parrots covers more than just the greys, but it’s a better book than many geared toward the pet owner. One of the authors breeds greys.
She may very well have meant four months and said four weeks. (I’ll ask her tomorrow, she’s offsite today) She’s reasonably aware of her responsibilities and the whole nine yards, I just figured I’d ask all-y’all about any special notes on the breed that wouldn’t be from books.
Again, thanks for your help, and I’m sure there’ll be more questions in time.
Ah, four months is different. That I would be comfortable with. But from your discription, I would bet she did indeed mean 4 weeks. At four months I would expert the bird to have a reasonably amount of feathers.
In my veterinary practice I see about a fifty percent mortality in very young psittacines being raised by inexperienced folks. The reason some people buy them this young is to save money. Most breeders will sell pre-weaned birds for about half the price of weaned birds.
Please, PLEASE try to find a vet with experience with exotic pet birds (NOT a commercial poultry vet!). Failing that - find a local bird club, or even wildlife rehabilitator.
My husband has raised a baby parrot from egg to adulthood - we’ve also buried a lot of failed rescues of other baby birds. They aren’t mammals - with baby dogs and cats and such we have much more in common and can relate to their needs much better. Birds are very different creatures with some needs that aren’t obvious to us primates
I sincerely hope the bird is weaned. However, there is still a lot of careful work to be done. The cage will need to be larger and much stronger than most people anticipate. Birds have enormous social needs - they need more than just food and water and the occassional word. The home needs to be bird-proofed. They need safe toys. They need something to chew on - birds need to chew to keep their beaks in good condition. They get cranky when they’re molting. They go through a rebellious adolescent phase as they mature.
They can be wonderful, beautiful, loyal, extraordinary companions. They also deserve to have their mental and physical needs taken care of.
