My family used to own an Africangrey parrot and I used to adore him.
I'd like to share some information that I have learned about him over the years that they had him.
Enjoy and hopefully you'll find some things that you don't know!
These parrots, more than the others, need to feel being taken care of, feeling that we love them....they are very sensitive ones...they feel if you are sad or asleep, they don't talk or disturb on such moments.They lovee food variety: they eat sunflower seeds, peanuts of course, but also they are fruitarians, they love eating mangos, halepinos spice, apples, bananas, and some toasted bread too. Be careful not to feed them parsley or salad lettuce, they may die of it.
They love playing in hard objects that they can crash them, and this actually helps them not let their nails and because grow much as they got hurt of it...remember that in nature, they keep scratching because and nails on trees. Be sure to keep the water clean. Also, remember that these birds are africans, they need warm and cold is their enemy...so make sure to keep them very warm in winter and away from cool wind...don't open windows in winter in same room where they are.....this is very important!
You make some very good points. I did not know that lettuce and parsely are dangerous for a parrot to eat.
I think it is important to provide your African Grey with some natural wood that it can scratch with its nails, and to give it some safe 'toys' which it can pick up with its feet or its beak.
Does your family still have the parrot, Anna? I know they can live for a long time. I'm sure your African Grey would have had a long and happy life, as you say it was given plenty of love and good care.
(03-13-2013, 01:59 AM)Rube Wrote: You make some very good points. I did not know that lettuce and parsely are dangerous for a parrot to eat.
I think it is important to provide your African Grey with some natural wood that it can scratch with its nails, and to give it some safe 'toys' which it can pick up with its feet or its beak.
Does your family still have the parrot, Anna? I know they can live for a long time. I'm sure your African Grey would have had a long and happy life, as you say it was given plenty of love and good care.
Yes, in fact they do.
I wish I was there to take care of this parrot as well but we live in different places. Whenever I came to visit he would make such loud noises and usually it was because he was hungry (haha).
I used to give him a little piece of cheese (which is his weakness).
As for the tips, no problem!
I love sharing all I know!
I'd once heard that parsley was bad for birds, after I'd already fed some parsley to my cockatiel. So, in a panic, I asked my vet about it, and he said that they used to think it was bad (because there were reports of ostriches having increased photosensitivity after eating large amounts of parsley) , but now it seems that it's okay to give it to them in small amounts, especially if your bird isn't going out into the sun immediately after eating it. I still give my cockatiel a spring of it once a week because it's one of the few greens I can get him to eat, and he's fine.
(03-15-2013, 01:47 AM)jenb128 Wrote: I'd once heard that parsley was bad for birds, after I'd already fed some parsley to my cockatiel. So, in a panic, I asked my vet about it, and he said that they used to think it was bad (because there were reports of ostriches having increased photosensitivity after eating large amounts of parsley) , but now it seems that it's okay to give it to them in small amounts, especially if your bird isn't going out into the sun immediately after eating it. I still give my cockatiel a spring of it once a week because it's one of the few greens I can get him to eat, and he's fine.
Hmm. This is very interesting. I still wouldn't recommend feeding him this but if nothing is happening to him then that good.
I have asked the vet before and he said it's bad for these birds as they are mostly fruity birds not vegetable or meat eating type of birds. He mentioned that it's not for the best interest of the bird to eat this so I try to stay away from it.
Maybe it just depends on the particular species of bird, since they all have slightly different diet requirements. Maybe parsley isn't that great for African Greys, but is okay for cockatiels. 'Tiels are supposed to eat more grains and veggies and only a little fruit, if any. My Buzzy can only have a little bit of applesauce or a bite of berry, and not every day. If he eats any more fruit than that, he gets yeast infections in his crop.
