July 17, 2023

Are African Greys good with kids?

Are African Greys Good With Kids?

African Grey parrots are exceptionally intelligent, high maintenance birds that require experienced, attentive owners to meet their complex needs.

While Greys can thrive in homes with older, mature children, their sensitive nature does not make them ideal pets for homes with young kids.

Challenges of African Greys and Young Children

Several factors present difficulties in pairing African Greys and young children:

Fragile Bones - Children may accidentally hurt a Grey trying to hold or play with them given their incredibly delicate and hollow bones prone to fractures.

Nipping or Biting - African Greys will bite or lunge when frightened or mishandled. A child may get scared and drop a biting bird leading to catastrophic injuries.

Noise Sensitivity - Loud voices, yelling, crying, and other disruptive noises stress sensitive Greys that children naturally produce often.

Rough Handling - A child's immature motor skills may lead to inadvertent rough handling against a Grey's delicate body.

Unpredictable Movements - A Grey can get spooked by sudden child movements and bite or flap away, risking harm.

Jealousy Issues - Greys bond intensely with owners. They may become possessive, jealous or aggressive if attention shifts to children.

Spread of Disease - Children often spread contagious germs and illnesses that risk deadly infection in parrots.

Forgetting Needs - Children cannot reliably remember specialized Grey care duties like feeding, cleaning, enrichment swaps, etc which neglects the bird's needs.
Lack of Maturity - Children, especially under age 10, lack the maturity, patience and judgement needed to read subtle Grey cues and properly handle interactions.

Given the many compatibility hurdles, Greys are generally not suitable for households with young children. Risks to both the children and parrots exist when improperly paired.

African Grey Suitability with Older Children

The concerns are somewhat minimized with mature, responsible teenagers and pre-teens educated on gentle handling who recognize bird cues. Some considerations:

Supervision Still Required - Children should not be left alone unsupervised with the Grey even at older ages. Accidents happen.

Establish Boundaries - Set limits on activities kids can engage in with the Grey to prevent injuries - no picking up, looser interaction only.

Model Gentle Care - Parents need to demonstrate proper Grey handling so kids learn techniques before contact.

Parent Provides Primary Care - The parents should remain the ones accountable for the Grey's central care like feeding, cleaning, training etc.

Teach Cues - Instruct children how to read body language so they learn when parrot is agitated or overstimulated and needs space.

Positive Reinforcement Training - Clicker train the Grey with kids helping reward positive behaviors, avoiding fear.

No Unnecessary Stress - Ensure kids don't chase, yell around, or excessively bother the Grey for amusement - respect the bird.

Monitor Interactions - Even with pre-teens/teens, all interactions between kids and Greys need vigilant parental oversight.

Consider Other Pets First - Less fragile, interactive pets like dogs or guinea pigs may better suit a family with rambunctious children.

Proper education and constant vigilance can allow some mature, gentle-natured older children to coexist with a Grey, but significant risks continue. Other more child-friendly pets often suit families with kids better.

Strategies to Follow With Children and Greys

If committed to making a Grey work in a family with kids, following strategies prevent disasters:

Childproof grey's room and cage to prevent escape or injury during interactions. Ensure doors/windows shut.
No children under 6 should interact directly with a large grey. Start introductions gradually at older ages under supervision.
Teach children to move slowly, speak softly and not make sudden motions around the grey.
Do not let children feed the grey initially - they may get bitten or underfeed. Parents should handle all husbandry.
Let the grey perch on a trusted adult's hand/arm first when getting used to children. Going right to the child may scare the bird.
Properly crate train the grey for transportation and sleeping to prevent night wakings or injuries. Keep grey in cage when unsupervised.
Ensure children wash hands before and after contact to prevent spread of illnesses. Supervise hand washing.
Clip the grey's wings to prevent flight accidents. But continue providing supervised out-of-cage time.
Focus on teaching children gentleness. Use a stuffed animal to demonstrate appropriate handling before interaction occurs.
Initially, have children simply offer treats through cage bars or via a spoon until the grey accepts their presence.

Patience and small steps will yield progress. But direct monitoring by parents is forever needed, so know the significant time commitment involved when blending Greys and kids.

Pros of Greys with Children

There are some advantages that may make an African Grey work well in the right home environment with older kids:

Teaching Responsibility - Caring for a high maintenance pet like a Grey teaches pre-teens and teens greater responsibility through participating in duties like feeding, cleaning cages, preparing food, positive training sessions, and researching proper parrot care. Parents must still supervise.
Learning Gentleness - Interacting appropriately with a fragile Grey encourages children to be gentle, quiet, and conscious of their movements - skills that translate to handling other pets or younger children.
Understanding Animal Body Language - Greys communicate through subtle body language and vocalizations. Learning these cues helps children become more perceptive of animal reactions in general. Start by teaching how to identify when the Grey is content versus anxious.
Enhanced Empathy - Spending time with such a sensitive, intelligent creature can increase a child's general empathy, compassion and respect for all living things.
Entertainment Value - African Greys are playful, silly and highly trainable when adapted to their human flock. Their antics and abilities to learn tricks brings joy and amusement to the household.
Companionship - Greys form very strong connections. An adapted Grey gives children a sense of camaraderie and comfort. The emotional bond is powerful.
Better Appreciation of Nature - Greys spark interest in the natural world, conservation, and biology through their unique personalities and behaviors when properly enriched.

When carefully managed, nurtured and supervised, the right Grey can make a lifelong avian companion for older children, offering years of laughter, devotion and memories.

Cons of Greys with Children

Significant challenges and risks also exist when blending Greys into families with kids that require honest evaluation:

Delicate and Destructive - Greys have very lightweight, hollow bones prone to fractures. Uncoordinated children can easily injure birds even with innocent handling. And panicked birds may bite or crash into objects.
Biting Risk - African Greys deliver painful bites when provoked. A startled Grey may bite a child's fingers leading to the bird being dropped or injured. Biting also damages trust.
Noise Sensitivity - Loud voices, crying, yelling, and stomping feet stress sensitive Greys. The noisy play of children may induce aggressive behaviors if the bird feels threatened.
Disease Vulnerability - Greys have sensitive respiratory systems. Children can easily transmit dangerous illnesses. Simply touching birds after failing to wash hands spreads infection.
Specialized Needs - From special diets, cage requirements, enrichment needs and cleaning routines, Greys are high maintenance. Children cannot reliably fulfill these obligations which leads to neglect.
Time Commitment - Greys require substantial daily interaction and training. Busy families trying to juggle children's activities with bird responsibilities often let Greys become isolated and anxious.
Jealous and Territorial Behaviors - Greys bond intensely with owners which may incite possessiveness. Introduction of children can disrupt the order in the bird's flock.
Children Outpace Bird Lifespan - With an average lifespan of 40-60 years, eventually children may move out and leave aging birds not accommodated for. Rehoming senior Greys is very difficult.
Expense - From $1000 purchase cost to hundreds yearly on healthcare, food and accessories, expenses add up fast. This is a long term investment.
Better Suited Pets Available - For most households with children, more durable, lower maintenance animals like dogs, cats, rabbits or guinea pigs tend to be easier pets.

Conclusion

While sensitive, delicate African Greys can get accustomed to mature, gentle older children in a household with proper introductions over time, they remain high-risk, high-maintenance birds not ideally suited for homes with younger kids.

Families must decide if they can provide the extensive long-term oversight and training needed for success.

Lower maintenance pets often integrate with children easier. Given the specialized needs of Greys, families should choose this pet carefully.