Caring For An Grey Parrot For an African Grey Parrot

Similar to toddlers, African grey parrots can be bored quickly and require lots of mental stimulation to avoid problems with their behavior. Without it, they may become destructive or start screaming.

They are highly intelligent and can imitate human speech. The trade in pets and destruction of habitats are the primary threats to them.

Feeding

The dietary requirements of female african grey parrot greys are a little different from the other psittacine species. They are omnivores, but prefer seeds over fruit and vegetables.

In captivity, they are more likely to consume fruits and leafy greens rather than seeds. They are also susceptible to obesity and calcium deficiencies so it is important for owners to monitor the quality of their diets. Pellets or complete crumbles are suggested to make up 75% of a parrot's daily diet.

Ideally your diet should include a mix of pellets and fresh food. A good ratio is 60% pellets, 10% seeds and 30% fresh food. Silverbeet, spinach, and kale are some of the best options. Native plants and spouting grasses like dandelion greens, endive and okra can also be beneficial. Avoid cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower as they contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can prevent calcium absorption in the body.

Nuts are an excellent source of nutrients to the diet, but should be consumed sparingly due to their fat content. They are high in protein, healthy fats and minerals and vitamins.

The rest of your diet should be made up of a mix of vegetables and fruits. Avocado is harmful to the psittacines. Other food items that are toxic include alcohol, coffee, chocolate and raw potatoes. Similar to parrots, if a bird consumes too many berries, they can suffer from yeast-related issues in their gastrointestinal tract.

A balanced diet is an excellent way to keep an african grey parrots sale grey parrot content and healthy. It is important to watch the bird's weight and offer new foods in small quantities. It is recommended to weigh the bird daily so that any changes can be easily observed and rectified. It's also a great idea to offer the bird fresh water on a regular basis. This will help to avoid dehydration and infections caused by bacteria. Unfinished food in the cage or in the play area could be spoiled and cause health issues for your bird.

Training

Parrots are able to quickly learn to speak. However, it may take them a few days or weeks to repeat back the words they hear. A parrot that is trained well can also do simple tricks and respond to cues. These activities keep the bird's brain active and prevent them from becoming bored. The effects of boredom can be detrimental to behavior like feather picking or destructive chewing. These problems require professional intervention.

It is essential to avoid over-bonding because a parrot that becomes too attached to a person can become territorial and agressive toward others. This can be dangerous for children and the elderly, as well as those with allergies. To prevent this from happening, everyone in a household must spend time each day playing with the bird and playing with it in different ways. This will make the bird more at ease being loved by the family and reduce the chance that it will develop an overprotective behavior.

If a parrot is in a relationship with a single person, it will peck and bite at family members or guests trying to handle or pet it. To avoid this, family members should each take turns rubbing the bird or putting it in its cage. If a parrot exhibits aggressive behavior it should be returned to its cage for a period of time and not handled until it calms down.

Be aware of "pinfeathers" or "blood feathers" during pet-loving sessions. These feathers have a blood supply, and can be bleed if touched. If a blood or pinfeather feather is exposed, it should be promptly clipped and replaced with a new feather.

Family members should also be taught to greet and say goodbye to the bird. The bird should be taught to label toys or food. This will help teach the bird to speak, and will also enable it to communicate with family members without being physically near them.

Health

The African grey parrot is considered to be one of most intelligent in the world. However, it could get bored and turn to destructive behaviors if not provided with enough toys or ways to exercise their minds. It also requires a large deal of mental stimulation to avoid self mutilation, feather picking and excessive screaming. Parrots aren't cheap to own The initial costs are costly and they need constant new toys that can be destroyed quickly, plus food. They also are susceptible to infections, and are costly to treat.

These highly social birds need plenty of interaction with their human counterparts, which includes hours of playtime with games, puzzles and lessons. They also require hours of exercise and free time every day to build up strength and remain healthy. Their cage must be large enough to allow them to spread their wings and move freely from perch to perch. It should be constructed of nontoxic, non-toxic materials and clean. It should have a variety of perches, with different sizes and textures so that the birds can switch between them. They also need the roost, which is usually a tall wooden post or a concrete perch at the corner of the cage.

Parrots need access to fresh water throughout the day and should be replaced every day. They should be fed an assortment of dark leafy greens, fruits and vegetables and should be restricted to no more than about 10% of their diet. They should be offered a wide range of nuts and seeds as well. High-quality formulated pellets or crumble should constitute approximately 75% of a diet.

The majority of parrot disease problems are caused by long-term nutritional imbalance. Small irregularities can manifest as poor growth and development, bad quality plumage or breeding performance, while more severe changes will manifest as specific diseases. Many of these can be prevented by regular checks from an avian vet, and proper diet management.

Care

African greys need mental stimulation and plenty of attention to be content. If a parrot becomes bored, it can become depressed and may exhibit negative behaviors like aggression, self-mutilation or feather grabbing. To ensure your pet's health, it is important to have regular veterinary examinations as well as fecal tests and vaccinations.

talking african grey parrot for sale greys form monogamous groups and incubate eggs for between 21 and 30 days. They take care of their children until they reach around 10 weeks old. They are able to fly, and are one of the most intelligent avian species. They can live for a long time and often outlive their owners, which makes them a popular pet worldwide.

They are highly adaptive and are able to adapt to different environments. However they prefer a natural habitat with lots of trees and perches. They can use their feet to balance and perch - with two faces back on each foot, and two facing forward on each foot, exactly like humans do. Their short beaks have a mandible that is curved and fits neatly over the lower mandible to assist in breaking open seeds and nuts and their powerful grip can rip through wood and bark.

In the wild, African grays will eat dark leafy greens, fruits, seeds and nuts as part of an optimum diet. However, seeds should make less than 5percent of the diet total and should be supplemented by high-quality formulated pellets and crumbles that avoid pickinginess. Also it is recommended to provide a variety fresh fruits, vegetables as well as cooked lentils and beans. Fresh water must always be available, and cages should be cleaned every day. Supplements like calcium and vitamin D may be required if the diet is not nutritionally balanced.

The World Parrot Trust works tirelessly to safeguard grey african parrot and Timneh parrots and their habitats, however, their populations are declining due to illegal trade and captive breeding. Fortunately, they are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Wild Bird Conservation Act in the United States and receive the highest level of protection under CITES (International Trade in Species Controlled). Learn more about these incredible parrots in our parrot dictionary!