Can't decide

[nataliestegall]

Hi everyone. I am fairly new still to this message board. I have been looking to get an African Grey Congo for a long time now. When I first posted my intro post some of you suggested that I adopt an older bird. At the time I could not find one. Well now of course I find one. So here are my options and I can not decide.
Option 1) I get a younger 4-5 month old and order the DNA sexing with it. It will have to be shipped here by airplane which worries me about stressing the bird out. I skyped yesterday with a person who works at this location and got to see the two available now. They looked healthy, happy, and perfect.
Option 2) I drive 4 hours away from where I live to adopt a bird from a breeder who says this bird was not used for breeding, and says she is around a year old but really has no proof of that. He says shes a girl and she is friendly, you can pick her up and everything and she does say a few things like Hi, what are you doing, etc. I did ask for pictures of this bird as well, she also looks, healthy, no feather plucking, etc.
I realize that its hard to tell a birds health from skype or a picture and this gurantees nothing, but it made me feel better to see them both. I am just really worried that with no age on option 2 I might be buying a bird thats is a lot older than this breeder thinks. I also don't want to drive all that way and this bird have been misrepresented. So if there is anything else I should ask or do before doing that option please let me know.
Cost really doesn't matter all that much but I will say that option 2 is cheaper by 800 dollars.

[Michael]

First off, all breeders always say their birds are nice and step up, etc regardless if it is true or not. Next I would suggest you take your time. Its a very long term decision and a few months here or there to get to it will be forgotten but can make a world of difference. Where are you located? Have you considered personally flying out or driving to a large rescue?

[nataliestegall]

I live in Iowa. I have been looking for about 6 months now, and keep coming back to the same place that sells the young birds that have to be shipped. That is probably what I will go with.

[Wolf]

If the breeder that you spoke with says that the bird that he is offering is about 1 yr. old then there is ne real advantage to you except for the $800.00, as you will still have to go through puberty with the bird, same as with the baby bird. The only difference being how much time before puberty sets in. I am putting it in these terms because puberty is actually the number one reason for these birds being in rescues or being rehomed.
When you purchase a young bird, it has been imprinted on humans but then it establishes a bond with you after you get it and start taking care of it. Puberty changes all this, because the bond that is established prior to puberty is like a bond between parent and child then along comes puberty and this bond goes out the window. The bird then bonds again after puberty, to hopefully you, but if there are other people available in the house for the bird to choose from then it bonds most of the time to a different person than it had the previous bond with. And this is the main reason that there are so many birds in rescues, and why we encourage people to get a bird from a rescue. In most cases the bird has finished with puberty and their personality is not going to change and if the bird chooses you to bond with then it will usually remain bonded to you.

[Pajarita]

Wolf is correct, the reason behind the 'older' bird is puberty, especially with grays, so that means a bird that is older than three (I think that 5 to 10 is ideal). And, personally, although I don't believe in buying from breeders under any circumstances (with the exception of ex-breeders and that's only because nobody wants them), I would NEVER consider buying from one that ships - especially grays! -they traumatize very easily and there are lots of studies that show us that a young bird that goes through high stress remains high-strung for the rest of his life and, with a gray, that means plucking 99% of the time.

[NICrosis]

African Greys are probably the third most needy bird on the planet (under toos and Amazons). Consider very carefully if you want a grey. Also, congo's are kind of dull in my opinion. Yes, they're larger, but I've found tinmahs to be of a healthier temperament.

Also, if you're a first time owner. Get a grey that's older than 3, and is a rehome. You are too inexperienced to watch that thing go through puberty. Also, get ready to spend many, MANY hours working on the bird. Greys are smart, and they get bored easy. Your grey is not a hamster in a cage, it is not for show, and it is definitely not in the mood to just sit there and watch you play pokemon all day. If you get a grey and want it to observe you doing things, do emotionally fulfilling things like play music, make music, make art, etc. My bird has bit my ear for playing video games when he's wanted to have fun before.

[Wolf]

The Timneh Grey is as smart as the Congo but it is not as emotionally sensitive and that makes it a little easier to deal with.

[nataliestegall]

Nicrosis, I do not plan on having it sit in its cage all day. I have done tons of research, and yes I have never had a grey, bit I have bird experience with cockatiels and some conures. I will be buying a perch to sit outside of its cage most of the time when I am home, which is often. I don't play video games ever. I plan on putting a lot of time into this bird and training it, playing with it etc. I do play music a lot so that will be a plus for the bird. And I will be renovating my house for this bird as well, closing off a room that has been open just so the bird can be out safely.

[Pajarita]

Actually, NICrosis, amazons are one of the least needy of the large species of parrots but you are right that grays are particularly difficult birds and that no amount of research gives you a clear idea of the degree of difficulty. Some been more difficult than others but all of them going through the 'terrible twos' and having issues at puberty.

I think that, if you have your heart set on a gray, you are going to go for it no matter what anybody tells you but, if I were you, I would seriously consider going with a sweet-tempered adult and not a baby (especially a shipped one) because tiels and conures don't really prepare you for a gray and you (and the bird) will do much better with one that is over 'the hump'.

[NICrosis]

I gotta agree with pajarita here.