Rehoming Amazon Parrots

I have two amazon parrots I inherited. They have been with the family 20+ years. I confess it is getting harder and harder to take care of them, and some days I am lucky to spend 5-10 minutes with them. This has been happening more often than naught. I feel so saddened, but I am considering rehoming. It is just something you can not take back - does anyone have any thoughts to add?

Wow, I see you have been struggling with this for 2 and a half years!

Goodness that would be a tough decision to make! Is this a temporary thing like college or starting a new job where your time crunch may ease up and you will be able to spend more time with them in a year or so? Or do you just foresee it continuing? What an awful thing, my heart aches for you.

Not much history. Do you handle them much? Are they well socialized? Are they companions that should stay together? They bonded to anyone? I rehome amazons, it's very hard to find owners who can really handle an amazon in order to give it a good life. The best new parronts are folks who already have larger parrots but those same folks have learned that adding another parrot doesn't anyways work out. Good luck and be very careful about who you entrust the welfare of your birds to.

I have been dealing with this for over 2 years, that is a great observation.

A little history, the male is 26 and my parents had since he was a baby and was actually hand raised. He was abused by my father (he would beat him when he got out of line), and he was barely ever let out of the cage. Fast forward and he is nasty, lunges at me, and I can not physically interact with him. He does talk and will sit there and have a whole conversation with me. My Mom has passed, and my Father is dying...it makes the decision hard since he is part of my history and has their voices. I also think he has more potential if he could stop being so angry.

My other amazon is a 24 year old female. Very sweet, but just screams and screams, does not talk. Has not been handled much so she doesn't even know how to perch on arm. However, you can pet her and she likes it...a bit too much though. She is prone to getting excited and laying eggs. She was not abused as bad as the male, and she has an overall better temperament. However, she has learned/picked up nothing in years, I have a feeling it is because she is female, she isn't a talker at all. I don't believe she has much potential, but as a companion who you can pet all day and if you can minimize the screaming, she is perfect.

These two are not mated per say, but they have been in the same room for 20 years, and haven't been separated. Not sure if that would help or hurt. My husband and step son refuse to bother with them besides cleaning, so I am the only one that will and I seriously don't get much time between having other birds, and two dogs. However, it seems like they need a LOT of time to get to where they need to be, and I do have other birds I need to spread the time out to (two cockatiels, a senegal, and parakeets - although the parakeets don't really like interaction as much as the others).

As far as time, I don't see that changing much with me - I work 9 hours a day, 1.5 hour commute each way, I get little time with my animals. My husband has more, but he mainly spends time with the dogs and senegal only - he is afraid of these birds and the cockatiels are picky and only want me. My attention is demanded really, really bad with the cockatiels, senegal and dogs when I get home :-(

I realize that this has been said in a vast number of Threads in the Amazon Forum, but - at least give it a try: The first Thread in the Amazon Section, which is high-lighted in light blue is about learning Amazon Body Language.

So, with it or a copy of it with you, bring in a comfortable chair and sit between the two Amazons and read it aloud to them. Re-read it two or three times. Try this for a week.

Why: Amazon's Love to be Read too! Second, you will begin seeing and understanding their body language and it will help you greatly in understanding what they are try to communicate to you. Third, your Amazon's will see you very differently - the human voice, when reading even with mild inflections catches their attention.

Contact calls: In their natural settings, they are communicating all the time. Start talking to them when your headed their way and continue the banter while your in their room.

Please try it and see if there is a little improvement.

SailBoat said:

I realize that this has been said in a vast number of Threads in the Amazon Forum, but - at least give it a try: The first Thread in the Amazon Section, which is high-lighted in light blue is about learning Amazon Body Language.

So, with it or a copy of it with you, bring in a comfortable chair and sit between the two Amazons and read it aloud to them. Re-read it two or three times. Try this for a week.

Why: Amazon's Love to be Read too! Second, you will begin seeing and understanding their body language and it will help you greatly in understanding what they are try to communicate to you. Third, your Amazon's will see you very differently - the human voice, when reading even with mild inflections catches their attention.

Contact calls: In their natural settings, they are communicating all the time. Start talking to them when your headed their way and continue the banter while your in their room.

Please try it and see if there is a little improvement.

Click to expand...

Very well said, but I hear total burnout!

Flboy said:

SailBoat said:

I realize that this has been said in a vast number of Threads in the Amazon Forum, but - at least give it a try: The first Thread in the Amazon Section, which is high-lighted in light blue is about learning Amazon Body Language.

So, with it or a copy of it with you, bring in a comfortable chair and sit between the two Amazons and read it aloud to them. Re-read it two or three times. Try this for a week.

Why: Amazon's Love to be Read too! Second, you will begin seeing and understanding their body language and it will help you greatly in understanding what they are try to communicate to you. Third, your Amazon's will see you very differently - the human voice, when reading even with mild inflections catches their attention.

Contact calls: In their natural settings, they are communicating all the time. Start talking to them when your headed their way and continue the banter while your in their room.

Please try it and see if there is a little improvement.

Click to expand...

Very well said, but I hear total burnout!

Click to expand...

I don't disagree, but I always advocate for the Amazon's, since they never give-up waiting for us.

I so agree! For us it is frustrating, trouble! For them, it is their life!

Hey, I'm not too far away if you need someone to talk to. I have three amazons myself, two are a mated pair that are not handleable, but have been learning to let me go in the cage, and will take treats from me. I've only had them about a year, but I love them very much. I'm hoping one day I'll be able to handle them, though they would likely have to be separated. Neither talk at all, but they still have really cool personalities!

I know it's hard, I'd be glad to take them if I had the space, but I'm here for whatever support you might need!

Wish I had a bigger home. Over the years I have brought in some hard cases and managed to gain their trust and respect, eve affection. Its very possible a breeder might take the female, but id be picky about which breeder. If u decide to rehome her they do make a birdie birth control that will stop the egg laying... at least I saw that on TV

Wow. What a sad case. Im sorry but whenever I hear about a bird being abused, it angers me and damn tgere makes me cry. I had an Amazon almost 20 years ago that was abused. It took some time and patience, and it became very loving. I suspect that my new addition, which has been rehomed at least 4 or 5 times was possibly abused. She is really coming around. It has taken time and patience. Our "so called" pets are not pets to us, they are members of our family. I understand the sadness and stress of the decision to rehome them. My heart goes out to you and your two feathered family members. Please try what others have suggested, even if for a little bit. If you still feel that rehoming them is your only option, then I'm sure you should have no problems finding them homes. I'm not so sure splitting them up is a good idea though. If you still decide to rehome them, I would be interested. We are in the process of enclosing our back porch so we can let our birds out with us safely during the day. Goodluck and please kerp us posted.

I would just ask please consider a sanctuary.

CherylCali

I'd say visit a few sanctuary before making that decision. Not all are the same. I MO the hen issues are an easier fix than the male'. Neither sounds like a good breeder (IMO) and that's something I do know a little about. I don't have any "magical " solutions to your problem. Use your best judgement and go with your head and not your heart. I often wanted to "save the save th world" and every bird i've met, just do the best you can. You can't save them all. Each situation is unique, thanks for caring enough to ask.

You are definitely in a hard spot and hugs to you for your loss! Henpecked is an Amazon expert. He's a great resource. His advice is awesome. Like others have recommended, if you do not want parrots, go and look at the parrot sanctuaries.

Thank you for reaching out to this blog and asking for help. It means a lot!!!


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Aw so sorry to hear about all this! Sounds like a lot of trouble on your hands haha, I've had birds in the past come to me nipping and wanting no human interaction whatsoever, I tend to have a thing with birds and being patient with them to wean them over my last bird was horrid, bit and hissed and I eventually got her to stop the bad behavior &I soon she was giving me kisses &I just being the happiest bird, I'm totally interested in one of these babies (or both) and would love to chat with you more about it! I'm in nw Indiana so not too far from Michigan either!

Last activity here was August 2016 . Tip for newer members, look in the upper left corner of the posts (or the post date of entire thread) to see how current it is.

Sometimes old threads are 'timeless' and can still be added to, depending on what the subject is of course.

Max hates me and I haven't had any time to work on reading to him. I have 2 jobs, not to mention a big dog that needs walked twice a day.

I'm the person that most often brings him treats (apple or peanuts), I'm usually the one that let's them out of their cages.

A couple days ago he was on her shoulder, I touched her knee and he bit her!

Baby (sulfur crested cockatoo) is only a couple years old and has always been around Max, so I'm not sure what effect it would have on her if we re-homed Max, but I've had about enough.

Funny story, Baby was screaming and Max was yelling "Shut up!" afaik he learned that before we got them.

henry0reilly said:

Max hates me and I haven't had any time to work on reading to him. I have 2 jobs, not to mention a big dog that needs walked twice a day.

I'm the person that most often brings him treats (apple or peanuts), I'm usually the one that let's them out of their cages.

A couple days ago he was on her shoulder, I touched her knee and he bit her!

Baby (sulfur crested cockatoo) is only a couple years old and has always been around Max, so I'm not sure what effect it would have on her if we re-homed Max, but I've had about enough.

Funny story, Baby was screaming and Max was yelling "Shut up!" afaik he learned that before we got them.

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Quite normal for Max to warn your gf when you touched her! Wife's Bongo is very protective of her, I would never consider touching her if she is holding him!
If you put effort in, you WILL get better results!
I am sure Max sees your fear, this may be making you a danger to him.

It is never the bird's fault!

Read and reread
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html