We took Maya to the Vet today for her first checkup. The Vet we selected was not an aviary specialist – but a Vet who takes a special interest in birds. So – for now – we think we have the right Doctor for Maya. He likes birds – he is close to our home – and his prices are good.

The Vet listened to her heart. He checked her ears and eyes and looked her over pretty good. We did decide that her wings were not clipped the best way. So in three months – when they grow back – we plan on bringing her back for a different type of wing clipping. Right now when she tries to fly – she falls straight down to the floor. We want to clip her wings in a way that will allow her to glide gracefully to a landing.

It takes a bit of practice as well as trial and error when learning how to handle your new baby. I have not quite mastered this yet – but am still working on this skill. If you purchased your bird from either a good breeder or a good pet shop – the bird should be able to understand the command “step up” and “step down”. If the bird is inside his cage- I do not recommend putting your hand in the cage and saying “step up”. You will probably get a harder bite that you would expect. You can use a stick while the bird is inside his cage. They will usually step up upon a stick so you can pull them out. If they do not “step up” – your bird might not want to come out – and I would not force it. I have noticed in the past week since we have had her – that when she wants to come out she will scrap the corners of her cage. This is very noisy and irritating and I try not to reinforce bad behavior by taking her out then. If she walks to the door of the cage- then I open the door and she will try to step out.

After meeting our breeder and choosing our parrot – I began the process of finding the equipment and supplies that we would need. It is much like getting a nursery ready for a newborn baby. You have to have everything ready before you actually bring your baby bird home.

Some important items to get are:

1. Travel carrier. You will need this to bring your baby grey home. I bought a Size #1 dog/cat travel carrier. This can also be used for airline travel. You would not need a larger carrier – since the larger carriers have larger bar spacing in the doors. If the bars are spaced too far apart, the birds can stick their heads through them and get stuck. You can find these at most larger pet shops.
2. Bird Cage.  The larger the cage – the better for the African grey parrots. Be sure that bar spacing is 1” or less. Look at the larger cages that are specifically made for the larger birds.
3. Accessories for the  Bird  Cage. You will need to buy additional perches to put inside the cage – especially if you have a baby African grey. They have a hard time moving around large cages and can use these multi-functional perches to maneuver around inside the cage. Perches made of concrete are good in keeping their claws trimmed. There are also perches made of calcium and cuttlebone. Get a variety of materials and sizes. Other  important bird cage accessories are bird toys. These are important to keep your bird occupied when he is inside the cage.
4. Food. Is your bird going to have a pellet diet? Or a fresh food/cooked food diet. Your breeder can help you decide. Some breeders feed their birds Roudy Bush pellets. You can also supplement the pellet diet with some fresh fruits and vegetables.
5. Finding a Vet. It is important that your new baby be seen by an Aviary Veterinarian. This appointment should ideally be schedule within 3 – 7 days after bringing your baby home. Plan on having your parrot seen at least once per year for optimal health and well being.
6. Play Stands. Have at least one play stand around your house – two is preferable though. You can keep your bird near you by putting him on a play stand in areas in your home where the family is located. African greys love attention and love to be near their new found “flock family”. However, keep in mind that while the bird is on the play stand –he must always be supervised. The babies are very clumsy and can easily fall off perches – and with their clipped wings – they cannot fly but just glide down and need to be picked back up.

Prior to choosing this particular parrot – I did a lot of research. I bought multiple books. I spent time in several different pet shops to see the behavior of the birds. I asked the pet shop owners and staff lots of questions and observed how different birds reacted under different situations. I wanted to be sure that I chose the bird that I thought would be best for our family. You have to do your homework.

Searching for the perfect bird can be a bit frustrating. In retail pet shops, sometimes you will find that the bird you want is already sold – which happened to me. African Greys are quickly sold in retail pet shop settings. However, within a couple of days, I was able to find another source. – www.BirdBreeders.com. What I thought was good about this source was that they had a rating system. However, you do want to try to find a breeder in your local area or one within close proximity to where you live so that you can drive there and meet the breeder. I would not recommend buying a bird and having it shipped to you before having met him/her. Breeders can ship birds to almost any state within the U.S. But since each bird has its own unique personality, it is best to choose the one you want –rather than having someone else make that choice for you.

We picked up our baby grey on Sunday, June 22, 2008. We bought her from a breeder in the Charlotte NC metro area. We knew that she was a female due to the DNA testing that was done.  It is very inexpensive to get a DNA test done – I think we paid $20. And the breeder did trim her claws and clip her flying wings the same day that we picked her up. (It is important that the Breeder does not clip the wings before the bird has experience flying with their wings.)