Baya! A DYH Amazon

Jenypher

New member
Nov 5, 2018
41
2
Western Massachussetts, USA
Parrots
3 'tiels (Sophie, Peter and Melvin), 1 DYH Amazon (Baya), 1 Caique (Twenty), 2 Conures (Spider & Lizard), and 1 foster (Faust)
Hi! We adopted Baya from a parrot rescue one week ago, and I've been giving him some time to settle before starting what I hope will be an ongoing thread.

Baya is a 27-year-old male. We are his third family, but I don't get the feeling he was with the second family for very long. It sounds like his original owner got sick and placed him with a friend, who developed allergies and mainly kept him out on a sun porch. As a result, Baya has gotten a little chubby. We're working on it with diet and exercise. He does enjoy fresh fruit, especially raspberries (I think it's the potential for making excellent messes). I don't have a great sense for his personality yet, although he seems pretty laid back, social and generally happy.

Baya has slowly been trying out new sounds, especially on my pre-teen son, who Baya thinks is the greatest thing since Zupreem pellets. Unfortunately, Baya gets overstimulated very quickly (works himself into a state) when my boy is around, so we're going to work on that. They enjoy shouting at each other. Sometimes Baya busts out a killer vibrato.

I've been bitten once. He was calmly sitting on my arm when someone came through the front door, startling us both. Since Baya doesn't seem flighted (I read Boat's essay on this, and will be talking to the vet to make a plan), he lashed out and I was the nearest bite-able object.

He didn't seem like he was getting enough sleep with a sheet over his cage, so I made him a cage cover that gives him lots of airflow, but is light-blocking. With the sheet, he was gabbing and calling. With the new cover, he quieted right down and we didn't hear a peep from him all night (just chewing on his food). I was warned he'll be hormonal this time of year, and read the thread about the importance of sleep, so hopefully his new cage cover encourages better rest.


jenypher-albums-baya-picture20837-baya-hanging-out.jpg
 
Last edited:

Allee

Well-known member
Oct 27, 2013
16,852
Media
2
212
Texas
Parrots
U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
Congratulations and thank you for adopting! Baya sounds like an amazing new addition to your family. At the young age of twenty-seven, a healthier diet and added exercise should make a positive difference for years to come. Looking forward to hearing more as Baya's story unfolds.
 

bill_e

Supporting Member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Dec 24, 2015
1,225
414
New Hampshire
Parrots
Nike a Hawk Head Parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus)
Hi Jen, we're almost neighbors (sw NH) ;) As you read in the sleep post parrots need a good 12-14 hours of dark, quiet sleep time. Shortening the amount of daylight he sees also tells his body that it's winter and not mating season. There are a lot of things you can do to positively affect his hormonal behavior. I know you're not touching him yet but when you do stay above the neck line. You can also reduce the protein in his diet when you're expecting a hormonal period...again telling his body that food is scarce and not a good time for mating. For me and Nike, sleep and being flighted were the number one things that changed Nike's behavior. There's tons of info on this forum and the internet in general on hormonal behavior and what to do about it.

As for the displacement bite, been there, got the tee shirt. There's not much you can do about it except realize the threat and especially for a new to you parrot, keep him off your shoulder and away from your ears. While my Nike never really bites hard anymore there are still things that trigger her into displacement biting and we mostly try to avoid those situations...but even a light bite on the ear hurts and draws blood.

We've had Nike for close to three years now and she has not learned any words from us, just sounds. Every once in a while a new verbal sound comes out of her but it's just things she learned in the past surfacing for the first time. At 27 years old he may have a large vocabulary just waiting to bust out.

Congrats on the rescue and the new fid.
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,646
10,008
Western, Michigan
Parrots
DYH Amazon
Welcome to Parrot Forums! And, the Wonderful World of Amazons!
We are also a DYH owned household, welcome to the DYH family.

Clearly you have taken the time read both highlighted Threads at the top of the Amazon Forum and thank-you for spending your time reading those Threads.
I continue to find that the combination of limited sleep and Sugar results in a hormonal DYH Amazon. Our Julio is having a mild 'season,' but as a member of the Big Hot Three Amazons (BFA, YNA, & DYHA), even a mild season can also include Wild Moments. His love is Apples and if one is not especially careful he is not beyond helping himself. The end result is that we seriously reduce the Sugar in 'all' parts of his diet. Fruits as a group are high in Sugar and can only spirit on a hormonal event.

Also, understanding that the Hot Three are prone to being easily spun into an 'overload' event. It is very important to be mindful /watchful of your DYH during this time of year. FYI: This group of Amazons can be brought into an 'overload' state any time of the year when they become overly excited during play, interaction, etc. Add, limited sleep and/or a Sugar high and you have an Amazon Spinning Out of Control!

The safest and most successful way of dealing with an Amazon that is Spinning up or already over the top is to simply back away and give them room. It Is Very Important To Understand That At This Point It Is All Chemically Driven And They Are Not In Control Of It!

Always Remember: Amazon's Rule!
 
Last edited:

Allee

Well-known member
Oct 27, 2013
16,852
Media
2
212
Texas
Parrots
U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
Thanks for sharing your photo! Baya is a real beauty!
 
OP
Jenypher

Jenypher

New member
Nov 5, 2018
41
2
Western Massachussetts, USA
Parrots
3 'tiels (Sophie, Peter and Melvin), 1 DYH Amazon (Baya), 1 Caique (Twenty), 2 Conures (Spider & Lizard), and 1 foster (Faust)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Well, the honeymoon is definitely over!!

This week, Baya went from adoring my son and being OK with me, to trying to murder me at every available opportunity. He bit me a few times - the last time when I was offering him a grape and he charged across his cage top and latched onto my finger. Ever since, I have been more cautious! My son, on the other hand, seems to have become his object of absolute affection.

From reading topics in the forums, reading a good chunk of The Beak Book, and from talking to my local parrot experts / trainers, I've set some rules. I'm the only one to take Baya in and out of his cage (he attacks the stick), and I'm the only one to give him treats. Yesterday, he climbed down from his cage onto the floor and marched off on a mission to find my son. The area he went into wasn't entirely safe (there's a gate, but I'm in the process of replacing it with a custom-build with a plexiglass barrier attached, and I was concerned he might slide through the bars, directly into the dogs ). When I tried to retrieve him with the stick, he went after my feet, causing me to dance quite spectacularly.

We've started target training, and had one successful session, and one that was ruined before it started by my son deciding that THAT was the exact moment he needed to start whistling. We were on another floor (away from his cage and comfort zone) with the door closed, but it wasn't enough. As soon as Baya heard him, all bets were off. I tried to distract him, but it was over almost before it began, so I brought him back down to his cage to wait until a calmer time.

I also introduced more vegetables this week --> we had been trying raw carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, which were greeted in a "meh" kind of manner. I was eating mac & cheese at the table when Baya charged the bowl with excitement (I did not share), so I more recently tried mixing cooked spinach, peas and corn with a bit of elbow macaroni. He makes noises while eating this mixture like it's the greatest day of his life.

One potential bright spot - he sometimes lunges at me through the bars, but if I hold his beak gently for a second and then stroke his head, he'll usually lower it and allow me to scratch his head for a little while before he remembers that he hates me.
 

wrench13

Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Nov 22, 2015
11,383
Media
14
Albums
2
12,567
Isle of Long, NY
Parrots
Yellow Shoulder Amazon, Salty
Nice pic of your DYH. I love them, but they seem , as a group, to hate me on sight.
Training - it may help if you set aside a set time to do your training with Baya. Example, we do our training with Salty at 8:45 to around 9:15PM, after he has had dinner and relaxed a bit. Every night, religiously.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
There are a lot of hormonal parrots right now , my quaker male included. So that might be a factor?
 
OP
Jenypher

Jenypher

New member
Nov 5, 2018
41
2
Western Massachussetts, USA
Parrots
3 'tiels (Sophie, Peter and Melvin), 1 DYH Amazon (Baya), 1 Caique (Twenty), 2 Conures (Spider & Lizard), and 1 foster (Faust)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #10
There are a lot of hormonal parrots right now , my quaker male included. So that might be a factor?

Yeah, could be! I'm inclined to think he may have decided Josh is his mate, and is therefore trying drive me away.
 

ChristaNL

Banned
Banned
May 23, 2018
3,559
157
NL= the Netherlands, Europe
Parrots
Sunny a female B&G macaw;
Japie (m) & Appie (f), both are congo african grey;
All are rescues- had to leave their previous homes for 'reasons', are still in contact with them :)
There is a secret underground! We have lost!
That's okay, we never had a chance .. they can be disarmingly cute and they know it!
It is an honerable defeat; a victory would mean some kind of cooked/broiled/steamed/etc. bird-based-dish on the table tonight. ;)


and now for something completely different: Oh my- that amazon IS a looker!
 
OP
Jenypher

Jenypher

New member
Nov 5, 2018
41
2
Western Massachussetts, USA
Parrots
3 'tiels (Sophie, Peter and Melvin), 1 DYH Amazon (Baya), 1 Caique (Twenty), 2 Conures (Spider & Lizard), and 1 foster (Faust)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
Example, we do our training with Salty at 8:45 to around 9:15PM, after he has had dinner and relaxed a bit. Every night, religiously.

A set time would be awesome, especially if it's one after my son has quieted down for the evening...just out of curiosity, what time does Salty wake up / go to bed? I've been giving Baya about 12 hours of sleep per night, but I think he could go 10 or 11 if the last hour is spent being social.
 

GaleriaGila

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
May 14, 2016
15,045
8,742
Cleveland area
Parrots
The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
That guy there is clearly one of the Brad Pitts of the rooster world. Gorgeous.

Wow, do I LOVE your attitude... so open-minded, observant, friendly. Your household is already a great addition to our flock.

:)

Want my thoughts on light and hormones?
Ever since the Rickeybird hit sexual maturity at about 3-4 years of age, I've had to manage his hormones! If kept on too steady a long day, and too much light, he stayed "in the mood" (aggressive, even louder than usual, muy rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrromantico) year round. If I keep him on a natural light schedule... up with dawn, down with dusk, year around... THEN he's only a little monster rooster from July to September). He has his own room, so I can do that easily.
 

wrench13

Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Nov 22, 2015
11,383
Media
14
Albums
2
12,567
Isle of Long, NY
Parrots
Yellow Shoulder Amazon, Salty
Hi Jen, Salty gets up at 10AM and is in bed , covered up, at 10PM sharp.
 
OP
Jenypher

Jenypher

New member
Nov 5, 2018
41
2
Western Massachussetts, USA
Parrots
3 'tiels (Sophie, Peter and Melvin), 1 DYH Amazon (Baya), 1 Caique (Twenty), 2 Conures (Spider & Lizard), and 1 foster (Faust)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #16
Time for this week's update! This was a much better week, lots of progress and much less blood.

Baya still adores Josh, but is starting to understand that he's not around much, and has pre-teen boy priorities. Although Baya still doesn't much care for skritches from me out of his cage, he will tolerate them through the bars of his cage in a limited way. He even asked to be stepped up once (twice, but the second time he was on the floor, so it probably doesn't count) and politely hung out on my arm for a few minutes without attempting to murder me! He's started to climb down off his cage to explore, so I'm going to have to step up my plans to bird-proof the area so he can't get himself into danger.

He's also resumed calling when I'm not there, which had stopped cold after the first week. I'm the only one to give him his favorite treat (right now, he loves pecans, which giving to him runs contrary to the protein/hormone advice, but has been highly productive). We started with a pecan on a spoon, and now he reliably takes the pieces gently from my fingers. We have a morning / evening food routine now, where he gets his grain + fresh vegetables, and he very much seems to associate me with food delivery. Since he's so food-centric, this seems like a good thing.

He also started playing with the toys in his cage this week. Previously, he would chew on the toys on his tree, but ignored the ones in his cage. I did remove a large ladder with beads --> he likes to snap the beads in half and chew the pieces, and I have to say, the dye / paint looked sketchy to me, so I took it out before he could do any damage to himself. Probably being paranoid, but better safe than sorry, I suppose.

The vet confirmed that he is PBFD-free, which is, of course, wonderful. While I'm sure the rescue tested him, I'm, again, paranoid and wanted to be sure. The vet said that, without paperwork, anything I've been told is hearsay, especially since the woman who gave Baya up wasn't his original owner. I have a ring # that's been impossible to trace so far (just initials and a number, no useful registration stuff). Baya is (supposedly) 27, so that breeder is likely long-since retired.

He does seem very interested in the cockatiels, especially Sophie, my fearless rescue (well, she's afraid of humans, but little else). She flies to the top of his cage, which I don't encourage. He doesn't seem bothered by her presence and, when she got spooked once, he got upset, too. I don't know if he had other birds to hang out with before, but he's in the same room with them during the day, whether I'm home or not, so maybe he's growing accustomed to the company. He may also be taking some cues from them --> when Sophie and Melvin don't know where I am (not Peter, I could drop dead for all he cares), they give off 2-3 shrill calls until I answer. Maybe this is helping him feel more like part of the flock!
 
OP
Jenypher

Jenypher

New member
Nov 5, 2018
41
2
Western Massachussetts, USA
Parrots
3 'tiels (Sophie, Peter and Melvin), 1 DYH Amazon (Baya), 1 Caique (Twenty), 2 Conures (Spider & Lizard), and 1 foster (Faust)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #17
Weekly update time, this one a short one! After a brief "murder period" again set off by too much protein, we've returned to life as usual. Baya still greatly prefers the company of my son, but has been tolerating taking pecans from me (not overdoing it). We're still experimenting with new vegetables and starches. We also discovered he loves Pentatonix and we've been listening to one of their Christmas albums non-stop. He also seems amused by my singing to him in my most horrible operatic voice. He's lunged at me a few times, mostly when near my son, but hasn't managed to land a bite in more than a week. So, progress! 'Til next time...
 
OP
Jenypher

Jenypher

New member
Nov 5, 2018
41
2
Western Massachussetts, USA
Parrots
3 'tiels (Sophie, Peter and Melvin), 1 DYH Amazon (Baya), 1 Caique (Twenty), 2 Conures (Spider & Lizard), and 1 foster (Faust)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #19
Baya update time! I got to see, first hand, the death dance and, although I recognized the signs, I still managed to be an idiot and got bit! I gave Baya a whole walnut, which he was delighted about, until he couldn't get it open. By the time he got it under control, he was in a rage, which seemed largely aimed at me. Long story short, I have a hole in my finger, and we now pre-crack the walnuts!

Beyond that, we have a pretty well-established routine, and he continues to settle into the household. We should be starting official training with our bird trainer soon, and we're looking forward to it (well, I am, he's pretty indifferent). I bought the mix for bird bread that I've seen in other threads, so we'll be having a bird bread adventure this week, while I'm on vacation from work.
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top