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Does anyone have tips on how to keep your African Grey happy and entertained? In my opinion, Greys are one of the most beautiful of parrots—they are quite stately and full of dignity. A friend of mine told me that if a Grey becomes excessively bored or depressed he could develop the nasty habit of feather-plucking. I couldn’t imagine my Grey balding himself! I made sure to purchase a beautiful bird enclosure and African Grey cage for him. Cages By Design http://www.cagesbydesign.com offers the most exquisite birdcages I have ever seen. They are the nation’s leading manufacturer of high-quality birdcages. Plus they have all sorts of beautiful accessories and toys they sell on the side. The Hybrid cages are exceptionally large and have plenty of space. I’m hoping between a big bird cage, plenty of toys and frequent playtime outside his African grey cage, my parrot will keep happy and perky. Any thoughts from the pros out there?

annvenn wrote:... I’m hoping between a big bird cage, plenty of toys and frequent playtime outside his African grey cage, my parrot will keep happy and perky...

Those good things surely will do no harm, Ann, but there are many more things a captive bird needs. One you can do nothing about after bringing a bird home is his genetic heritage. Many researchers feel that the tendency to feather destruct may have a genetic component.

Another vital element is diet. We know so little about our birds' needs and so few parronts make much effort to learn and deliver. Vitamin D is also necessary, so easily provided by sunlight, but so hard to provide for our birds safely. If your bird is fully flighted, as most experts feel he should be, how can you safely get him into (and back out of) an outdoor cage (large enough for him to use those gorgeous wings)? How will you safeguard him there from predators? It can be done, but it requires very careful planning and daily implementation.

Another critical issue is your relationship with him. His instincts are to seek a mate. If he decides you are the best mate available, how will he feel when you refuse his advances? Many feel that feather destruction has a hormonal component. The recommendation I've heard in conferences through the years is that we be our bird's playmate vs sweet-talking mom. Learning to play together in ways that don't lead to mate bonding is often harder for the human than the bird. Clicker training is a method many feel helps us humans learn to play with our birds in healthy ways.

You sound eager to do this right, Ann. KUDOS! Subscribe to Good Bird magazine. Check out the schedule of avian conferences in your region. Read and learn as much as you possibly can. If your grey begins to feather destruct, get help FAST! First see a good avian vet, then another in consultation, then read even more, and -- most of all -- love your bird despite. It happens. It's not the worst thing that can happen.

MFids wrote:I can't say that I'm a big fan of acrylic/glass cages, since some of them look suffocating to me. Especially with a dusty bird such as a grey, the more air flow and movement within the cage the better...

You're so right, Monica! I was so put off by the name Hybrid that I didn't even click the link. If a bird cage manufacturer is ignorant enough to give such a controversial name to its line of bird cages, what else is lacking? I was hoping the line might include traditional cages as well.

Sorry, Ann. Since you already have the cage, I chose to ignore this, but for the sake of others reading here, it's worth mentioning. Greys, cockatoos, and cockatiels produce too much dust to risk in a cage that isn't as well-ventilated as possible. Even covering these birds partially at night is inviting respiratory problems. A friend spent big $$$ on one of Cages by Design's units (not a Hybrid) and found it much too hard to clean from the inside. And she's slender and spunky. She gave the cage away within very few months to someone whose bird isn't one of these super-dusty types.

Having a glass or acrylic door means you'll want to have a boing or other hanging perch in the doorway for your bird to climb out on.

I really do not like the acrylic cages either. I personally think they have the owner and aesthetics in mind rather then the bird that would have to live in them when they made these things.

As far as keeping a Grey happy, cage has some to do with it, but enrichment and stimulation have a heck of a lot more to do with it then a cage. Greys are intelligent creatures that LOVE stimulation and interaction. They like to be challenged with puzzle toys, sounds and moving parts. Our grey hardly ever chews on wood toys, but give him a toy that he has to preform an action to get a reward and he's in heaven. He loves taking things apart to see what he can get to on the inside of the toy (even if they aren't meant to be taken apart). I think that's a big part of keeping a grey happy is keeping their minds happy.