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Raising Domestic Timneh Greys

If one can locate a domestic hand-fed Timneh Grey baby they are likely to be smitten by these black-eyed, sometimes red speckled, charcoal gray birds. In a nurturing environment, Timneh babies do not hesitate to climb aboard visitors to inspect buttons, glasses and such. When our baby Timnehs are approximately six weeks old we begin the process of teaching the babies to explore. We spread bed sheets on our living room floor and sprinkle the sheets with baby toys and bits of cereal, hard pasta, popcorn, pellets, etc. If we do not have enough people to create a human barricade, then we block the edges of the sheet off with boxes, card tables, etc., so the babies can safely explore the items on the sheet without wandering off and getting into trouble. It is fun to watch a baby spot a "must have" item several feet away, and quickly waddle their fluffy gray butts with sprouting, bright red tail feathers over to grasp the toy or morsel in their black beaks. As baby Timnehs mature, their upper mandibles become lighter, and bright red tail feathers are replaced by maroon feathers. Just like most Congo Grays, baby Timnehs will lose the red speckles scattered amid their body feathers during their first several molts.

At around eight to nine weeks of age, baby Timnehs will be preparing for their first flight. They practice for their first flight with many days of exuberant wing flapping, as their unclipped, sharp toenails grasp the natural branch perches in their cage. Once it is obvious that a baby is about ready to take it's first flight, we "flight-proof" the room. We put all breakable items in a safe area (or make a valiant effort anyhow), and are sure to close our window treatments prior to opening the weaning cages, as a safety precaution. Baby Timnehs master flying rather quickly, like speeding bullets, but the landing gear makes for a rather ungraceful descent at times. We allow our babies to practice flying for around two weeks. The flight feathers are not clipped until the baby is repeatedly making graceful flights and sure-footed landings. We start out by only clipping the first 3-4 primaries, and progress to a full baby Grey wing clip, of 6-7 primaries. The gradual loss of height helps the baby to become accustomed and they can maneuver accordingly. I feel that the process of learning to fly, and allowing them to do so, helps the babies gain self-confidence. My theory being that a self-confident African Grey is less likely to ever pick or pluck.

Weaning Baby Timnehs

At Oakridge Feather Farm, once the babies start nibbling on vegetables, pellets and other foods - we then start spoon-feeding for the evening feedings. We make a weaning mush of baby cereal, squash and applesauce, sprinkled with Spirulina, and serve it warm. If the babies are out of their cage playing at the time I arrive with a bowl and that "red spoon"-all toys are immediately dropped as they rush towards me for what must be their favorite meal of the day! I demonstrate the spoon feeding technique to our customers, and since the main ingredients of my baby mush are found in most any grocery store. The evening spoon-feeding session can be continued, and I encourage them to do so, after the weaned baby leaves my care. The very first clutch of baby Timnehs I ever fed surprised me with how trusting these birds can be. The babies had not even taken their first flight yet, and were playing on top of their weaning cage. I came into the room carrying a cereal bowl in one hand, and one of the babies literally leapt off the cage towards me. Thank goodness I had a free hand to catch him against my body!

By spoonfeeding warm food to your Grey baby, you will offer them a sense of nurturing and security that is so important with African Greys. Once the babies are weaned, there is no reason to stop feeding them the warm cereals or mashes. Greys love this kind of food, and spoon feeding them nightly or several times weekly offers both the adult Grey and human a few close, delightful moments each day. Under supervision, spoon-feeding is a great way for children to interact and bond with young Greys.

Donna Hefton's wild-caught Timneh enjoys being spoon fed warm cereals each evening. Even though the Grey is a mature bird, he makes baby Timneh begging noises at the sight of a spoon. Now, if such a practice can create this type of a reaction from a wild-caught bird, you can imagine how much the hand-fed domestic birds must thrive with this type of interaction!

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