Baby Timneh African Grey

by Lynn
(Charleston, WV)

TAG Hatched 2/20/2010..coming home in June!

TAG Hatched 2/20/2010..coming home in June!

My baby Timneh will be coming home in June, and since this is my first Grey, I have some questions for all you Timneh owners out there.

Since the Timneh is smaller than the Congo, what size toys do you recommend? What type have you found your parrots to like the best? Some of the catalogues list sizes like conure to amazon (Med), then amazon to macaws (L)...so I wasn't sure which size catagory would be the best. I certainly don't want to frighten her with huge toys!

What size cage do you recommend?

Any other tips re diet, training, etc would certainly be appreciated. I have ordered about 5 books about African Grey's to help me along the way!

Thanks so much!

Lynn

Comments for Baby Timneh African Grey

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Apr 16, 2010
 Baby Timneh African Grey
by: Linda

Congratulations on your new Baby Grey!First thing to do once he is home is to take him in to see an Avian Vet in your area. It is common for new birds to acquire infections from all the stress of moving to new homes with new people, cages, toys and foods. Babies are particularly susceptible, so get him started off right and have him checked for infections or other physical problems.

As Tracie said, get him started on an organic, high quality pelleted diet. The organics are the best on the market and supply fantastic nutrition. They all have to be refrigerated and meal amount taken our about 45 minutes to an hour before being fed to bird so it can warm to room temperature. Cold food stops digestion in the crop and will cause massive infections, so never feed any cold food to a bird. Also NEVER FEED ANY PEOPLE FOOD TO A BIRD as table foods and people foods are full of salt, sugar, fat and preservatives all of which are poison for birds. Feed the pellets according to package directions, and we love the Harrisons and have been feeding it to our Amazons for over 17 years. They make a Birdy Bread Mix that is great for snacks and can make up 30% of the diet while changing a bird onto the pelleted diets. Buy Sunshine Factor's organic Red Palm Oil to go in it, and Tracie carries that out here. It freezes very well for up to 6 months and keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week. We freeze slices and take them out so birds have them about every other day.

Cage size is the larger the better. Bird has to be able to fully spread wings and flap without hitting toys, bowls, cage sides. A cage made for a larger Amazon would be ideal, and they usually come with playtops for added fun when he's out of cage. As Tracie said, never allow him out of cage if cats, dogs, or small children are running around the room. Have his 6 Primary flight feathers clipped so he cannot fly all over and get hurt. You can wait until he has some adult feathers on down the road. Other pets and small children are always potential danger to birds, so when he is out of cage, be there with him at all times as it takes only a second to fall and become injured.

Keep us posted as he is a beautiful sight to behold, and I know you are very excited and thanks for doing your homework while waiting. Books usually recommend the very minimum size a bird needs, and these are ALWAYS TOO SMALL.Get the largest(Amazon)cage you can possibly afford with the roll-out cup holders to make it easy if someone else has to feed bird while you are away.Also ask if the powder coat paint has been tested, here in the US, for lead and zinc content--THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, and usually manufacturer has had paint tested here in US for the lead and zinc, and you can find the report online.
Linda
Apr 16, 2010
 Bringing home a new bird
by: Tracie

Congratulations on your new Timneh African Grey, what a cute baby!!

As far as toys go, I would stick with medium to large toys. All birds are different, but my mom's AG likes Amazon sized wood toys and some of the conure toys that are not really small. It loves to chew and shred things. It also likes toys with short rope ends that it can chew on. (Don't leave long rope ends, they can get their nails tangled in them.) Toys on our medium to large bird toys page would work.

We have books on caring for birds that are species specific you can check out in our store. African Greys tend to be shy and some develop plucking problems, so reading up on them is really a must.

I would suggest a cage no smaller than 24 x 22. I also suggest a play top cage, if you don't have other pets about that can injure your bird. A play top allows the bird to come out and be with you while you do things. I know I would not like to be locked up in a cage 24/7.

We have an article on Parrot Health that you should read also. It helps you understand the dangers of chemicals in cleaners and also in some parrot and human foods.

Our vet suggests that people feed their birds Harrison's organic pellets, if they can. If not, then please pick one that does not have any dyes and is not high in sugar.

Again, congratulations on your bird and thanks for doing your homework before the bird comes home.

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