Please set me straight

[animal_lover]

Hello everyone...love this forum. I need all the experienced bird owners to knock some sense into me. I am a relatively new bird owner. We have had our Meyer's since Sept...he is now approx 6 months old and he is a gem. We (husband and two kids..13 and 11) all love him. We are getting lots of joy from him even though he can be a bit nippy at times. He LOVES my husband which is a bit disappointing but I was aware before we got him that this would happen. Here is my "problem"...I want another bird and when I say another bird I mean a African Grey. I've always wanted one for their many endearing qualities. I read about you all who have more than one parrot and I think that I want more. A grey is amazing...their intelligence and abilities. So please talk some sense into me!! I have no real plans on doing anything in the new future but.... when I see one for sale I can't stop thinking about it. I know how much work my Jojo is and he is small and easy compared to a grey. I know another would be more work,money and time. Please tell about any awful qualities of greys so I can move on. Hopefully my "problem" is like a virus and will soon let me be in peace and be happy with my "one" bird. Thanks everybody

[cml]

They are dusty ^^. Besides, it would be kinder towards your current bird to go for another poi, best would be another meyer.

[Avialae]

I agree with cml, i would definitly say you should get another bird, but make sure to reduce the risks of them not getting along. I would also suggest another poi.

[Naurthon]

And ditto on the dusty bit. I thought only Australian birds were dusty when I got Dante. How wrong that was! I had to buy a HEPA filter for the bird room and I *STILL* get CAG dust throughout the house. The amount of dust is enough that it gave me a slight wheeze in the mornings when I woke up before the birds got their own room and I got the air filter. One of the first "words" he learned was actually an imitation of me coughing in the morning from his dust in my lungs. Dante is MUCH higher maintenance than Nikko or Maxwell, too. He needs much more attention and time.

[Khaiqha]

You're going to have to consider the reality that the birds may hate each other, which would mean seperate out of cage times. So if you only have, say, 4 hours to spend with them, each bird would now be reduced to two hours.

Even if they get along, think about vacations. Some people can look after one bird for you, but two birds of differing sizes will be beyond the scope of anyone not familiar with birds. If you take them with you, that's two travel cages, two birds to carry through an airport, etc. If you board them, that's double the cost.

Vet bills are now doubled. Also, if one bird gets sick, you will have to put the other bird in a seperate air space. Do you have a way of doing that?

Noise will also be a factor. I have never heard of a bird being quieter after a second bird comes home. Generally, birds will increase in volume the more there are.

And finally, consider how you would feel if the grey preffered your husband as well. I live in a 4 bed apt, and 3 of us have pets. They all love our roommate without any pets the most, and it is annoying.

[liz]

[quote="Khaiqha"]You're going to have to consider the reality that the birds may hate each other, which would mean seperate out of cage times.



...even then you have a problem. Greys are very intelligent. If it does not like your present bird it will find a way to illiminate it. They have been known to open cages and premeditate.

[animal_lover]

Thanks guys...I appreciate your honesty. We do alot of camping with an RV and we do take Jojo along...two cages does bring obvious problems . As well, if we do travel it probably would be a lot of extra expense for somebody to look after two birds. Do two pois usually get along? Enough to sometimes share a cage when we go camping etc? Like I said I have no immediate plans to expand my flock but I think about it often. Again...love this forum!

"jojo" and Sarah

[Mona]

My advice, get the grey.

Greys are really wonderful and exceptional and if you love the meyers, you will also love the grey.

We just got an RV and we take all five of my flock with us when we travel (three senegals and two greys). The disadvantage to the greys is that they are bigger, but the advantage is that they are loveable, calm and sweet companions.

Meyers are really, really great birds....and greys are really, really great birds too. My first "big" parrot was a grey Timneh. Then I got my Senegal. I adore both birds very, very much and couldn't imagine life without either one of them. They are not necessarily "bonded" but they are "partners in crime". In other words, I think they enrich each other's lives but don't necessarily get along...(they kindof pick on each other but nothing that is dangerous)

You can check out my website for more stories about how I live with greys and pois...but IMHO they are a really fun combination. You get the best of all possible worlds with greys and pois. What you might miss in one bird, you get in the other birds so even though they are not alike, they pair excellently....