Life with juji

Or “What it’s like to have a perpetual toddler with attitude.”

If you come into, or even near, the Stubborn House you will encounter the epic personality of Juji Sue. Juji is basically my first child. She came into our family in the winter of 2007/2008 which means she officially became a teenager in 2020. This is still very young for a Congo African Grey parrot, in fact she hasn’t even reached maturity yet. We’ve got a lot of years left together and I am so thankful because she adds so much entertainment and enrichment to our lives…or maybe it’s just more entertaining chaos.

Anywho, I thought it would be fun to do a little profile post for you to introduce you to the epic Juji Sue.

Name – Juji, which means “heap of love” in Swahili. She also goes by Juji Bird, Juju, Juji Sue, etc….

Age – 14 years in November. Congo African Greys can live up to 60-65 years so we’ve got plenty of time left together, God willing.

Favorite Foods – Bacon, Salmon, tortilla chips, peas, black beans, pancakes, scrambled eggs, corn

Is this what African Greys should eat? Well, in the wild they eat mostly nuts, seeds, and fruit, but, as with all birds, they will seek out sources of protein as well such as bugs, grubs, and even eggs. Should she eat bacon? Well, she’s been eating it voraciously for years, so I’m gonna say it’s probably just her favorite source of protein. She only eats small amounts at a time, but if you try walking by her or even making some without giving her a piece, you will pay for it with hurting ear drums.

Favorite Activities – Eating, cuddling, chewing and shredding her toys, taking baths in her water dish just after I’ve changed the water, sneaking off of her cage to wander into the laundry room and perch on my baskets of clean laundry.

Does Juji stay in her cage or is she out?
Juji spends most of her waking hours on her play stand in the dining room. When we lived in our previous house we have a much bigger living room that had space for an amazing “tree” play stand that one of our talented friends made for us. Juji’s current play stand was purchased from Etsy and is made of safe PVC. It has bowls for food and water, perches at different levels, and eye-hooks for her toys to attach to. Juji hangs out on her stand most of the day unless she is being super sassy and needs to take a break in her cage. In the evening after dinner she goes to her cage and has her healthy nutriberries and peanuts, and she is usually asleep by about 10 PM.

Dislikes – Anything big and new will get the classic Juji sway and growl. She dislikes being ignored, especially if you have food that she wants, and she dislikes anyone trying to pet her except Mom.

Does Juji Talk?
African Greys are among the best mimickers of the parrot family. The most famous African Greys such as Alex or Einstein have “vocabularies” of upwards of 5000 words. Juji does have some words and phrases that she mimics, and most of these are in Hubby’s voice. She calls me by name in Hubby’s voice, as well as says “Hi” and “Knock it off”. She used to yell at our dogs, but now prefers cat noises, even though we don’t have a cat and she hasn’t been around a cat for 5 years. Juji’s favorite noises are sound effects such as water, doors, alarms (like when I’m cooking), the beeping of delivery trucks (which really comes in handy), and Star Wars sounds.

How much do parrots cost?
African Grey parrots cannot be legally imported into the US, so all exotic parrots have to be banded with a registered breeder. Juji was purchased from a wonderful breeder in Michigan for about $1200. But the real cost of owning a parrot is maintaining a quality of life for your bird, who should be treated as a member of your family, because you ARE their flock.
You need a big cage, which thankfully you can find on ebay for a very reasonable prices. The biggest expense is food and toys. You can expect to spend $100 a month easily on food and toys. Parrots destroy things, so either you provide toys for them to destroy, or they will destroy your stuff, or worst of all they will destroy themselves with plucking. A happy, healthy Juji demands toys, so toys is what she gets.

Can Juji fly?
Yup. She’s been fully-flighted her entire life, well, ever since she learned to fly as a fledgling. She loses her confidence sometimes when she molts and loses her flight feathers, but she still gets around. She also loves to climb down to the floor and crow-hop her way around the house. It’s pretty funny to watch, especially when the big puppers run away from her in fear.

I am so thankful to have this feathery source of love an companionship in my life, and I pray she will be in it for many years to come.