When I retire I think I may want to rescue a parrot, maybe a grey?

I will be working 12-16 hours the next couple years so I don’t feel the time is right currently.

But once I retire I will be home all day everyday on my farm and would love some company.

Let’s start with the simple stupid questions. Are they like dogs with food and water? 2-3 times a day?

Do they ever learn to potty in a specific place? Do they sleep all night and interact during the day?

Can they ever go outside the house if well enough trained? This seems awfully dangerous but I’m just asking.

I figure I got about 30 years once I retire, and if I don’t make it that long my son will gladly take the bird for his own.

I’m just trying to get a rough baseline of what to expect at this time. I have several years to research, but I’m interested now lol.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I understand this would be a huge undertaking, just trying to learn as much as I can ahead of time.

OK first of all, a Grey will like for at least 45 years or more.
My oldest cockatoo is now 49.

Care and feeding is pretty easy, feed once a say, watch the waterbottle content.

You will need to make some fruits and veggies when you can.
Seed/nuts are high in fats/oils and will lead to health problems later.
As a treat and sparingly as diet.

Mine are all on a fortified pelleted diet plus a seed treat.
Change when it's about 1/2 empty with fresh.

Yes, they learn where their potty spot is.


The grey will learn to talk, and if you teach correctly it will actually communicate with you.
Don't teach just to mimic, yeah it's cute for tictoc but my cockatoo that can talk, actually communicates what she wants.

I'm actually a phone call away and I don't communicate well through text as I'm a little succinct.(dealing with technical issues all day everyday)

All birdys go nite nite at 8pm here,
They all have a sheet I cover them with and pin in place with clothes pins.
We all get up at 3:30 during the week, and I do my routine, food water and a quick scratch or hold them by their feet and zoom them in a loop(cockatoos love this)
The weekend, we sleep in until 7.

I've been told it's like having a perpetual 3 year old.


I have the newest member here(Willow) on my shoulder right now.
She gets the first 2 hours of my time. (I have 6 like Willow).

I got my cockatoo when I was 28 and have had her 32 years now. She will outlive me by decades. She has been the love of my life. I got her as a weanling of one year and we have grown together. I learned her language and she learned mine. I can't possibly imagine life without her




A parrot very will be your constant companion as they are social animals. They are anything but quiet. One that communicates instead of screaming is a plus, however they do have jungle call vocal hour. It's just best to train in a better use for it, like singing or a play time.

Where are you in Georgia?

Can you go visit Papayago Parrot Rescue in Woodstock?

I would meet you there and make suggestions.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Where are you in Georgia?

Can you go visit Papayago Parrot Rescue in Woodstock?

I would meet you there and make suggestions.

I’m over in Augusta, ext time we plan a trip to Atlanta I can certainly make it by Woodstock.

Birds take a ton of work and patience. You have to learn each other and respect each other’s boundaries.

I have had 5 birds in my life and currently have a 20+ year-old Cocktail and a 9 year-old Conure. My Conure is a type of parrot and speaks well. She does not mimick speech and says what she wants to communicate l it is pretty amazing.

Be prepared to be bit MANY times even once you do have that bond formed. I have so many scars to prove it but you can’t get mad as you will destroy the trust you have built.

Owning an intelligent bird is not easy, but it is also wonderful. I find it amazing that when I leave that my bird tells me she loves me, or if she goes into her drawer she will yell me she will be back.

You also have to change your life around them. I have to spend time every morning regardless if I work from home or have to leave at 6am to get their fruits and vegetables ready for the day plus change all the water bowls. You have to know what you can and cannot have in the house. Absolutely no candles or scents of any kind as it can kill them. That goes for foods as well as they want to eat what you are eating. When I eat I have to make a plate of food they can eat so we all eat together , but they are eating what they can.

I have also installed hanging curtains at the front door so they can’t fly out when I answer the front door. I have had two fly out in my life and that was the most frightening panicked situation. I got so very lucky to get them back into the house as they will get scared by some and fly further away. That is why I now have ceiling to floor curtains at each door.

quote:

Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo:
All birdys go nite nite at 8pm here,
They all have a sheet I cover them with and pin in place with clothes pins.
We all get up at 3:30 during the week, and I do my routine, food water and a quick scratch or hold them by their feet and zoom them in a loop(cockatoos love this)
The weekend, we sleep in until 7.

I've been told it's like having a perpetual 3 year old.


I have the newest member here(Willow) on my shoulder right now.
She gets the first 2 hours of my time. (I have 6 like Willow).

A perpetual 3 year old is the perfect way to say it. My 20+ cockatiel has to go to bed at exactly 4:30pm every day or he will cry his ass off until it happens. My Conure is spoiled and must stay up with me in the bedroom until about 9pm and then I can finally put her to bed.

This is 8:30pm the other night with her sleeping in my hand in the bedroom until she is ready to actually go to her cage. This is also the little green monster who can be so cute and loving who has bit me so badly so many times. I still love her so very much.

I have 3 greys: a Timneh, a Congo, and a Cameroon. I’ve had all since the 90’s, 1 since the late 80’s. I’m a bird vet tech.
If you have more questions, I can probably offer some ideas.

quote:

Birds take a ton of work and patience. You have to learn each other and respect each other’s boundaries.

My mom used to talk about the bird she had when she was a little girl...

I admire all of you, but I've learned that I'm probably not cut out for a bird. A dog is probably all I can handle.

Remember, to share everything you eat with your new companion.(except for anything avocado or chocolate)

Oh and there is nothing happier than a bird with a french fry...

quote:

Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo:
Remember, to share everything you eat with your new companion.(except for anything avocado or chocolate)

The chocolate, I get, but why avocados?

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo:
Remember, to share everything you eat with your new companion.(except for anything avocado or chocolate)

The chocolate, I get, but why avocados?

Contains persin. Extremely toxic to birds.

Teflon cookware is a big no no too.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
When I retire...

Have you considered becoming a falconer? Take a look at the American Kestrel. Beautiful little falcon to start off.

So they’re mostly omnivores? Parrots and similar birds?

Yes. One of my greys and my Amazon love meat, chicken, beef, whatever.. bones are fine too (cooked). They get more scraps than my dogs.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
So they’re mostly omnivores? Parrots and similar birds?

One of the MOST IMPORTANT things I will say and stupid pet stores don’t, is that if you buy a baby bird, most are on a pellet diet at the store. Then people buy the bags of food with mostly seed. Once a bird starts eating seed, it is extremely difficult to get them back to pellets.

Seeds are fatty and not good as a regular diet. Instead, they should be treats and rewards. Seeds are like ice cream or candy to them if compared to a child. There are seed mixes with both seeds and pellets but if gave a child a bowl with candy and vegetables, which do you think they are going to pick? The pellets are well balanced nutrition and good for them I wish I had known this when I got mine. I have tried every trick and can’t get my birds to switch back to pellets.

My Conure loves meat and cooked eggs; even egg shells from boiled eggs are good as they have calcium. She loves to eat chicken and the bones. She will crack the chicken bones open and eat the bone marrow, which is very nutritious. She will also eat fish and beef. I also just make sure I clean it of any seasonings.

Every morning we prepare a plate of fresh fruit and vegetables for our birds to eat in addition to their bagged seed food.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: StorminNormin, April 08, 2025 09:43 PM

When a parrot is your buddy, he's your buddy for life.
You will want to find an older bird and earn their trust. A hen will bond easier with a man, but there are many male birds love to have a male buddy to pal around with. You just won't get the cuddles.

I got my cockatoo when I was 28 and I'm 59 now and she will absolutely outlive me by decades.

Pippin was old as Roxy or older when we got him three years ago. He bonded INSTANTLY with Tabitha, but has taken three years for him to even hop into my lap. However he allows me to feed him and scratch his head.