red lored amazon questions.

hanluem

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Apr 11, 2014
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Hi. We recently brought the most amazing red lored amazon. We got him from people I dont think had him very long and were selling him because they needed money.
We have had him 3 weeks now. He has to date only said Hello (every morning when we wake him up he says hello) he will wolf whistle occasionally. He is a one person bird. He has attacked everyone but myself to date but lovingly puts his head forwards for me to scratch his neck. I let him out and he really enjoys his out time but he will not step up!!
I have tried for hours!!!!! He puts one foot out to feel my hand/ arm he uses his beak and sort of "licks" and gently paws his beak on my skin but he will not step up! Of course I want him to go at his pace ive tried treats and hours of patience at a time but no luck!
He isnt aggressive to me just doesnt do it!
His absoloute favourite trick is me feeding him he likes to pretend he wants it and drops it! this can go on for a while even using his feet to take food from me but then dropping it.
He also purrs... and growls! I want to enritch his life by him allowing me to handle him he could enjoy so much more! I am aching to get him in the shower!
Also his food... it's seed based which I read so much about... how to change it and what to? all they had in the pet shops is seed based food!
 
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hanluem

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Apr 11, 2014
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Thankyou for your reply. Will certainly check out the link now. As for treats we give him monkey nuts but I am also sure to always sit with him when I eat and pass him something from my plate that I deem to be one of the healthier options. This i thought would further help him along. As for training it is mostly during the hours of 11am-2pm as the children are all at school then and he is free to be out. We do also let him out after 8pm but he is tired by that time usually so just sits on the top of his cage preening himself.
 

Taw5106

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Mar 27, 2014
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Buddy - Red Crowned Amazon (27 yo)
Venus - Solomon Island Eclectus (4 yo)
Buzz CAG (2 yo)
Sam - Cockatiel 1997 - 2004
Tweety - Budgie 1984 - 1987
Sweety - Budgie 1985 - 1986
I've had mine for three weeks as well. Reading about your bird was like reading about mine, lol. I've got him off seeds, he loves bell pepper, egg scrambled and boiled, apple, corn, edamame, papaya and pear. Popcorn is his down fall so I've been using popcorn for training. Buddy gets moody and is a one person bird. He greets my husband but will not let him touch him other than the occasional head rub through the cage bars.

This week I've noticed Buddy has been the most at ease to the point that he's been tearing up an edible perch. Just going nuts on it giving it a beat down, lol. And he's starting to check out his other toys. He hasn't played till this week. But getting out of his cage can be a pain. In the evenings, he doesn't want to come out, mornings he's lively so we chat it up in the mornings, I give him fresh food and he has breakfast. From there I'll ask him if he wants to come visit me. He always doesn't step up so I'll leave the cage door open and put popcorn on the table next to me. He almost always comes out, then he sits on my shoulder while I work on my PC. He's funny to watch because he watch the computer screen, especially the mouse pointer lol. Don't give up, progress every day!
 

MonicaMc

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Sep 12, 2012
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Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
I see a few issues here....

A treat is anything the bird deems as a treat, not something that we decide is a treat. It is very possible that your zon doesn't feel as if the monkey nuts are really treats... that, or he's just not hungry.

A better way to determine what a treat is is to first find the 3 items he eats out of his food bowl every day! Then remove those items from his dish. Use those items has rewards! And, if you can get him switched to a pelleted diet with fresh and cooked foods, just about any seed related item is then a treat!



And the time you are training is not ideal times, either. Birds out in the wild may only eat twice a day. Morning and evening. The times when it's not too hot. During the mid part of the day, they may snack but birds may be more likely to avoid the heat of the day by hiding in the foliage of trees.

You may find training time is easier before breakfast and before dinner rather than around lunch time.
 
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hanluem

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Apr 11, 2014
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Thankyou both for your replies. We tried popcorn. He wasn't interested. Have also tried a variety of fresh fruit veg -not interested. I feed him from my plate when I am eating but he will throw it if I giv it to him so I place it down next to him and he picks it up when I have returned to my seat to eat my own food.
As for training times they are the times I work. I work first thing and evenings as I have children at home so work around the hours they are asleep.
I will look more closely at what foods he is eating from his dish that is a very good tip!
I heard chilli peppers are meant to be a favourite... Something we usually stock in but been cheating with curry pastes recently but will deffinately buy some in.
I went to the pet shop today there was only seed based food in no pellet stuff?
I've been busy today out in the garden and goodness can he scream!!!! Sure he is screaming help! Seems he doesn't like his own company much lol.
 

MonicaMc

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Sep 12, 2012
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Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
I'm not sure where you are located, so I guess I really don't know if pellets are available to you or not. Pellets are easily found in the USA, Canada and Australia. May also be easy to find in the UK but beyond that, I'm not sure how easy it is to find pellets in other countries.


What about finding a sprout mix instead to try feeding him? If you go with a legume free one, you might try first germinating the seeds, and if he takes to that, try one day sprouts. If he's ok with that, try longer sprouting times until you get it 'just right'. (when I feed sprouts, I usually feed on the 3rd-5th days after starting the process)
 

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