How to Care for an African Grey Parrot

Table of Contents

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... v Is an African grey parrot right for you? .......................................................................................... 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 3 Space Requirements .................................................................................................................... 3 Other Pets .................................................................................................................................... 3 Expenses ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Noise ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Lifespan....................................................................................................................................... 5 Equipment You Will Need.............................................................................................................. 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 9 Cage ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Play Area ................................................................................................................................... 10 Toys........................................................................................................................................... 10 A Leash ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Food .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Food and Water Bowls.............................................................................................................. 12 Spray Bottle .............................................................................................................................. 12 Vacuum Cleaner........................................................................................................................ 13 Daily Care ..................................................................................................................................... 19 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 19 Feeding ...................................................................................................................................... 19 Cleaning .................................................................................................................................... 20 Entertainment ................................................................................................................................ 25 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 25 Toys........................................................................................................................................... 25 Interaction ................................................................................................................................. 25 Going Outside ........................................................................................................................... 26 Health ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 29 Regular Veterinary Checkups ................................................................................................... 29 Signs of distress ........................................................................................................................ 29

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How to Care for an African Grey Parrot

Index ............................................................................................................................................. 31

Introduction

Introduction
People often see a parrot and think that it would be a great pet for them. Its not hard to see why. Theyre colorful, generally friendly, and some can even talk! These people often make the mistake of thinking that a parrot would be easy to care for, or that they can treat them like a dog or a cat. These people soon find out that parrots are more than they bargained for. Ive created a manual to help teach people how to properly care for their parrots, and live long, happy lives together.

Is an African Grey Right For You?

Is an African Grey Parrot Right for You?

Is an African Grey Parrot Right for You?

Introduction
People often get pets before thinking about whether their lifestyle would allow them to have a pet without interfering with their current lifestyle. Parrots are no exception. They often require more time, space, and money than many prospective owners are willing to part with. This chapter will tell you what you will require for your bird to be happy, and what you will be dealing with as the owner.

Space Requirements
For an African grey parrot, you will need a thirty two inch by twenty three inch space for your parrots cage.

You will also need a play area for your bird. A simple table top will suffice, but many people prefer to keep their birds away from any surface that will be eaten off of, since birds cannot control when they excrete. Most people prefer to use a stand, like this driftwood stand.

African grey parrots need to be kept in a place where they will be undisturbed for long periods of time, as an African grey parrot needs ten to twelve hours of sleep every night to be healthy. A common mistake for new owners is putting their birds in high traffic areas, where they will be woken from their sleep by passing people or animals.

Other Pets
One thing that must be considered before purchase of a bird is whether or not you have other pets.

How to Care for an African Grey Parrot

Like any animal, a bird will need to take time to get used to the presence of other animals without being stressed. The same would apply to any other animal you may have. Since many pet stores specializing in birds also offer boarding services to dogs, you may not find it difficult to acclimate your parrot to a household that includes dogs, though the same may not apply to your dogs.

You should always keep your birds cage out of reach of any other pet you may have.

Expenses
Parrots often cost much more than they would originally seem, much to the dismay of new owners.

Boarding expenses could cost more than $1000.

Veterinary expenses could cost more than $1000.

New toys could cost $30 to $40 a month

Is an African Grey Parrot Right for You?

Noise
African greys are actually much quieter than many other kinds of parrot, though they will pick up on any sound that they hear often enough. Its not unheard of for a bird to be able to perfectly emulate a car alarm, dog bark, or the sound effects of a video game.

Lifespan
Be prepared to have a friend for life when you get any parrot. Most will live up to 50 years. Are you prepared to care for a pet for that long?

Equipment You Will Need

Equipment You Will Need

Equipment You Will Need

Introduction
Like with any pet, you will need certain items to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Cage
A good cage will be at least 32x23 inches. Dont get a cage with an opening or play area at the top. Make sure that the cage is shorter than you are. Birds will act more dominant and may not obey you when they are higher than you. Ours has a metal skirt surrounding it to help catch food or objects thrown from the cage.

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How to Care for an African Grey Parrot

Play Area
Your bird will need somewhere outside the cage to play. A tabletop will suffice but most owners opt to get a free standing perch to place their birds on so that they dont leave droppings on a surface that will potentially be eaten off of. Make sure to get one with a base that will collect the droppings to help keep your floor clean.

Toys
The more intelligent the animal, the easier it is for them to become bored. The African grey parrot is a very intelligent animal. Toys will help it stave off boredom, and help it to develop cognitive skills. I recommend puzzle toys that hide treats on the inside. This will give your bird a goal to work toward when it plays. Youll need to replace the toys every three or four months. Performing the same puzzle over and over becomes boring very quickly.

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A Leash
If you want to take your bird outside, then its best to have a leash to put on them on.

Food
You will need soft foods, pellets, seeds, and treats. Soft foods can be mashed vegetables, mixed vegetables, and fruit. Pellets, seeds, and treats can be bought in bags at the pet store. Its important to vary your parrots diet to keep them happy. We try to change our parrots diet at least once a month.

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How to Care for an African Grey Parrot

Food and Water Bowls

These will contain food and water. Make sure to clean them daily.

Spray Bottle
A spray bottle is used to bathe your bird. Daily baths will help to keep your bird happy and healthy.

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Vacuum Cleaner
Birds can and will make their surroundings messy. They toss seeds, fruit peels, and toys. They will occasionally moult, and leave their feathers everywhere. If you have tile, linoleum, or hard wood floors, a broom will suffice, but if you have carpet, then you will need a vacuum.

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Daily Care

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Equipment You Will Need

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Daily Care
Introduction
This chapter will inform you how to take care of your parrots day to day needs.

Feeding
This is probably the most important part of caring for your bird. I will give you a step by step guide to feeding your parrot. 1. Remove the food and water bowls from the cage. If you leave the bowls in the cage and bring the food there, the parrot can interfere and make things messy. 2. Clean out both of the bowls. This will prevent the growth of mold and bacteria and help keep your bird healthy. 3. Put a tablespoon each of seeds, pellets, and soft foods into the food bowl. Fill the water bowl with clean water. The food bowl should look something like this.

4. Place the bowls back into the cage. Repeat this process every morning and night.

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How to Care for an African Grey Parrot

Important Notes
Your parrot should always have access to food, unless you are trying to make your bird lose weight. They will regulate their eating by themselves. Its alright if they dont immediately start eating when you feed them. They will eat once they become hungry. Soft foods should only be served once per day. They should be room temperature when served. Soft food can be almost any fruit, nut, or vegetable.

Do not feed your bird any sweet or salty snacks like chocolate.

Cleaning
Your bird will make messes. Its unavoidable. This guide will tell you how to keep your bird and its environment as clean as possible.

Cleaning the cage

This is an easy task that people always complain about doing. Honestly, it takes less time to do than to convince yourself that you can put it off for one more day. I will give a step by step guide on cleaning a birds cage. 1. Remove the bird from its cage and put it in its play area. This task is much easier without a bird interfering.

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2. 3. With a wet paper towel or a sponge, wipe off the excrement and feathers from any perches in the cage.

4. If you use newspapers to collect fallen feces, then throw them away and replace them with fresh ones. 5. Some bird cages have removable trays that can be filled with cat litter or dried clay that will absorb the moisture from fallen excrement and ease clean up. For these, just use a scoop like the kind you would use for a cats litter box to scoop up the excrement.

6. Move the perches and toys in the cage to provide a new experience for your bird to help stave off boredom.

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How to Care for an African Grey Parrot

Cleaning Your Bird

Cleaning your bird is a simple task. Fill a spray bottle with warm water and give them a few squirts once a day. Some birds enjoy their bath, while others dont. The important thing is that this will help them stay healthy.

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Entertainment

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Entertainment
Introduction
African greys are very smart birds. The downside of this is that they become bored very easily. Theyll need to stay entertained if they are to stay healthy.

Toys
Birds love to play with toys. I recommend puzzle toys that will dispense treats once completed. This will give the bird a goal to work toward while it plays.

Interaction
Parrots tend to be very affectionate. Most will love being pet softly by their owners. You should take time to get to know the boundaries of your bird. Some, for instance, refuse to lie on their backs or be turned over when pet. They also enjoy verbal interaction. If you repeat one or two word phrases to them every once in a while, they will pick up on it and start repeating you. This goes beyond simple imitation, though. If you repeat a phrase and reward them when they repeat it back, they will associate that phrase with a reward. Thus, you can train your birds to display a certain behavior for when they desire treats.

Important Note
Too much physical interaction can be bad for certain species of parrot, like the African grey. They can learn to rely too much on humans for their entertainment. If this happens, they wont know how to entertain themselves and may start taking drastic measures, like pulling feathers

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How to Care for an African Grey Parrot

out, to get attention. The pet store owner I asked for information recommends that you limit sessions of physical interaction to around fifteen minutes.

Going Outside
Taking your bird outside will make them immensely happy. Its recommended that you have their wings clipped beforehand. Ten to thirty minutes outside on warm days is ideal. You dont have to take them outside, but theyll appreciate it.

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Health

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Health
Introduction
Your birds health is incredibly important. These are the precautions you should take if you want to keep the healthy.

Regular Veterinary Checkups

A healthy African grey should still get regular check-ups at least once a year. Complications can potentially be caught before they cause any visual distress if you take them for an annual checkup.

Signs of distress
There are several signs of distress an African grey can display. One such sign is pulling out feathers. This could mean allergies or behavioral problems. One of the most common signs of distress for a bird lies in their feces. If it suddenly takes on a strong odor or a strange consistency, then it could have a bacterial infection. You should also look for any sudden changes in your birds behavior as well. If any of these signs are present, then you should take your bird to the vet immediately.

Index

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Index
device, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 Themes, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12