i have to sell my hahn.s macaw

lynn

New member
May 15, 2011
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south wales great Briton
hello it.s me the pain in the ass jasper went for my face today he stepped up like i ask and he was lovely talking away and kissing then just started biting and really nasty the bites i have are really bad he drew blood as well i just don"t know what else to do i cant have him doing this to me i am really gutted
 

skycon

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Apr 8, 2011
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Patrick AFB, Florida
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Savannah, 4 year old Hahns Macaw
Didn't you just get Jasper? If so, you really can't give up on him yet. Judging by your previous thread, he isn't exactly trustworthy and still needs a little work. I beg of you to give him a chance and to work with him before completely giving up.

Since I have owned my Hahns, Savannah, she has bitten me on the lip, ear, finger, and arm. Regardless, she is a wonderful bird and we have come to accept and love one another. These birds are not like dogs and you cannot expect them to be fine with everything. In fact, I am not sure if one should ever completely trust a bird not to bite. Instead, you just need to learn their signals and know when to back off.

He has not had the time to bond with you yet, and you really can't judge him so soon. They can turn around completely when given time to adjust and bond. If you decide to, we will be here for you and help you work through Jasper's problems. However if you are not willing to give him a chance, please be completely honest with potential adopters and find someone both willing and capable of taming him.
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
My point made......just asking for trouble...

When would people understand they're not furnitures, they're living beings!!! But in your case I hope you find him a good home that can deal with him so he wont be moving from home to home. Maybe look into getting a fish or something like it that's easier to deal with. So far I think birds are not for you....
 

skycon

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Savannah, 4 year old Hahns Macaw
If he bites you while you are handling him, try bonding with him while he is not on you. Place him on a stand, the door of his cage, or another surface where you can easily interact with him but not have to handle him. You can move him around by getting him to step up on a stick/perch.

Feed him his favorite food items and talk to him. Savannah loves sunflower seeds and almonds and will do about anything for them. Try training him, getting him to speak new words. Basically, bond with him without touching him. I did this with an extremely aggressive amazon and got to the point where I was able to pet and handle him.

If you feel comfortable and he is relaxed, try petting him. If he shows any signs of fear, withdraw or you will most likely be bitten. Chances are, he is biting you because he is afraid. Spend a lot of time with him to show him you are not a threat. You may find that he is very willing to bond with you.

Also, look out for activities he might enjoy and share them with him. Does he like to dance, sing, take showers? Maybe he might even enjoy playing with a toy with you.

EDIT// Also, keep in mind that this process may take a while. It could be a few days, weeks, or even months to get him to where you would like for him to be. Just be patient and willing to work with him. The reward in the end with be a lasting bond between the two of you.

A little note: if he is still flighted, have his wings clipped while you are working with him.
 
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skycon

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The best way to train not to bite is to avoid getting bitten.

I defiantly understand the saying but find it pointless to tell to a beginner bird handler. One must understand the body language of a parrot before being able to avoid it. When I see this, I can only picture someone who is afraid of their bird biting them avoiding the bird altogether so that they do not get bitten.

To me, the best way to train a bird not to bite is show the bird that to be around you is fun and safe. Take it slow and praise the bird for good behavior. If they show aggressive behavior it automatically means time out. Eventually they will get the picture. Of course, to do this you must also know how to read the bird's emotions. Do not push anything, go slow.

Also, Hahn's Macaws are not considered big parrots. Actually, they are around the size of a conure and smallest of all macaws. Savannah is always on my shoulder without any problems.

Please do not tell her to rehome him. Many people get parrots without truly understanding them. And I am sure some people think they are the same as dogs in personality, which they are not. To someone who may have this train of thought, the reality can be brutal and appear to be something wrong with the bird. But once they understand the bird's way of thinking, they may come to love their new found friend. It would be much better to teach lynn how to correct the behavior and make herself a wonderful parrot handler instead of criticizing her for misunderstanding. Everyone starts from somewhere and you cannot judge them for this.

I encourage you, lynn, to find a good, experienced home if you do end up placing him but I do want to tell you that this behavior can be stopped or, at least, avoided and minimized with time.
 

darkling

New member
Apr 13, 2011
284
1
Alabama
Parrots
RIP Pi - Sun Conure 02/06/11 - 09/10/11
I think Mikey suggested target training in another post. I think it may also be called clicker training. If I ever get another parrot that's how I'll be training. From everything I've seen and read it helps you and your bird develop a bond of trust without you having to get right up in their space. So you'll have a far less likely chance of being bitten.
 

Conurekidd

New member
Mar 30, 2011
343
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Southern Calif
Parrots
YC Amazon Sampson

Sun Conure Bella

Cinn Green Cheek Conure Rexx
Iv brought amazons (well 3) from an aggressive state. Lunging, biting, growling.
To a workable tame and Handelable state. So homing WASN a prob. One in which is mine till this day. When a comes to a parrot at that size and bigger is based of alot of trust. I you just got the bird, she's probably just scared and need someone just not someone to touch her YET. I wouldn recommend re homing her. She deserves a permante owner. Give her the time she would give you. 4 months ago Sammy would want me dead before holding him. Or even touching him. Now I roll em and give him kisses everywhere. Scritchs all over. Me him are 1. He's my best friend and I'm his. He's with me now trying to eat my phone screen as I type this. 5 months iv had him. Time will pay off. It did for me. Trust me. If you give her your trust and time I promise shell come around. Make her want you. Treats. Toys. TRUST. Talk to her so she knows she not alone. In the parront world. Trust is key. On BOTH sides :). Please don't but if you decide. Find a good home. Again she deserves it.
 

skycon

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Honestly, this is not a huge behavioral problem and something I think most people can work with given they have patience and with the right information. In my mind, I would never tell someone they need to rehome their pet unless it was neglected or abused. Even neglected animals, usually people try to work with the owners to educate them first. Believe it or not, there are more than a few parrots in this world being neglected today. So instead of turning down a person who wants to learn and tame their bird, let us educate and push good ownership on those that lack the knowledge.

If you read her previous posts, it is obvious she has more to learn. But we all start from somewhere and, to be completely realistic here, owning a parrot is not rocket science. With correct diet and someone willing and able to learn the correct ways of interaction, it is really not "risking" the bird's health. Many people keep birds, even far bigger and more exotic ones, without knowing a thing about them. Not saying it is right, but rather pointing out that it is something we should try to correct instead of avoid.

In her defense, she is seeking out information which is more than most would and willing to listen. Most inexperienced people in this case would turn around and try to recoup the costs at first sign of trouble. Not to mention most likely selling the bird to another inexperienced person to continue the cycle.
 
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Abzeez

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Apr 26, 2011
807
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WI
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Bean the Blue Front Amazon, Chico the Ringneck, and Ida the African grey
I am pretty sure all of us have been a first time parent owner at some point. We all had that first parrot. So telling her to re-home it because parrots aren't for her, in my eyes is ridiculous! How do any of you know that? Yeah she jumped in the deep end before knowing how to swim, but come on. We have all had questions. Some of us just were first time parrot owners before there was such thing as the internet.
 

Abzeez

New member
Apr 26, 2011
807
1
WI
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Bean the Blue Front Amazon, Chico the Ringneck, and Ida the African grey
I am pretty sure all of us have been a first time parent owner at some point.

Ummm. PARROT! NOT PARENT! :)
 

cannon_farms

New member
Apr 29, 2011
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Monroe Ga
Parrots
1 Goffin Cockatoo 1 lesser Sulfur
Where are you located? If you would rather not say in public pm me. If you are near me I would love to see if i can help you find a common ground with your bird or help assess what exactly can be done to help the situation.
 

Mike

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Mar 15, 2011
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I know where you're coming from. My daughter just bought a third hand 8 year old Hahn's Macaw which she cannot hold or even touch. She's making great progress with him, though.

If you care for a challenge and if you care for the bird I suggest taking a different approach. Instead of expecting your Hahn's Macaw to be a gentle pet, assume instead he's a pet lion. A pet lion with a tendency to bite.

Your goal for your Hahn's Lion is to train him to do something else everytime he wants to bite. This is called extinguishing. You'll probably have to read up on it to get all the details, but here's a video demonstrating the process.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbXHrqqEIp4"]YouTube - ‪Parrot Bites Person - How To Train Your Parrot to Step Up Without Biting‬‏[/ame]

My daughter has been target training her new Hahn's Macaw for almost three weeks now. He is now stepping up to her covered arm, and he is starting to trust her in other ways. She still does not present any bare flesh to him, but I'm sure she will in a few more months. We don't know what made him the way he is, but we're determined to change him into a gentler bird, for both his sake and for ours.

If you don't want the challenge and if you do not want to keep the bird, please be honest with any prospective new owners. Make sure they are up for the challenge. Your bird deserves another chance. If not with you, then with someone.
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
Mike's posting of the target training video, I posted it for her as well!!!!

She is the one that decided to re-home him in the first place when suggestions were being made to her.

Skycon and Abzeez,

YES we all been to the new bird owner wagon before! BUT did any of you give up that easily? Especially when proper training video have been posted for you over and over? Did you already have one problem bird and decided to get another problem bird? It is the owner that have an issue, not the bird! The owner needs to be taught how to deal with any bird period! When a baby bird is being handfed, they start out very friendly but depends on the person who owns them that make them who they are. But hormones have a big part to do with it. When you post, I can't deal with this, that's too much negativity that the bird really don't need. They CAN sense this!!!!! If she's not willing to take the first step by training the bird properly like it was suggested already, even for her other bird, what else can you say? A macaw is not for a faint hearted person nor for someone who doesn't know their birds. I would never suggest a macaw to someone that have no prior knowledge of birds. A larger macaw's beak can do some serious damage! Mine's bit me pretty bad once the first year I got him, I scared him and he peeled my skin like a banana peel. Was I mad at him? Absolutely not cause I know it was my fault. Most of my animals are rescued, do you know how painful it is to watch them suffer? My Cockatoo was being put in a dark basement in a laundry room. The reasoning they have for it is they have kids, she bites, screams, etc. She was a heavy plucker and on seed diet that she mainly eat sunflower seeds only. Minimal toys and tiny rusty cage that's falling apart. Then you look at their house, big huge beautiful house.

Next my most recent purchase of a pair of Eclectus back in March. Bad diet! Heavy plucker! Needs training! Damaged beak from god knows what. Dirty feathers, probably never got the chance to bathe. Tiny rusty cage! Minimal toys! No sand perches to trim beak, their beak was out of shape and just recently grown out nice pretty beak from a better diet and sand perch to rub off the over grown beak. MUCH better improvement!!!

Willie the macaw, minimal toys, bad diet. Small rusty cage! Tail all busted, but over all a very healthy bird my vet says. Just some nail trim and beak trim, bathing and bigger cage and lots of toys plus good diet took care of the rest.

I won't even go into it with my other pets, it's a longgggg story..... Some may THINK they're doing the bird some good. These people I got them from had them for several years. And with me being a prior breeder that loves my birds dearly and knows how to care for them properly and train them properly, I can usually spot the ones that shouldn't have birds.

When I started out with my first bird, I bought a ton of books. I go to all the bird fair, subscribed to Bird Talk, talk to all kinds of people with birds. Read a ton of stuffs on them on the internet. It was determination to learn all I can about them as I've been a bird lover since I was a little kid. But my parents would never let me have one. My first bird was a Cockatiel that was handfed tamed. Then I adopted a mean pair of Cockatiels at the Humane Society. That's when I learned how to train them with perches, gloves is a no no! It makes them scare of you even more. Then I got into breeding different birds and got to understand different types of birds I gained more knowledge.

Basically to sum it up is you really need determination and education! Without them, your walking in blind folded without knowing what to do. You must be able to take in advices given to you and apply it towards to what you have already done and go from there. It takes time and patience! If you can't do any of that, it is when I tell you to move on.
 

kitt

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Mar 27, 2011
426
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Michigan
Parrots
Ava(peach faced lovebird) and my very first bird
Leroy (black headed caique) my little moody bird
Dusty (hahns macaw) my clown
I couldn't agree more with the comment "all you need is determination and education"
That is what is trying to be given now...

Lyn, I haven't read your other posts so I can only comment on this thread.....I see one big red flag and that is that you started your post with something about "pain in the ass is at it again"
If this is truly the feelings you have toward him then maybe it is time to move on.
You have to understand that birds are "re-actors" to situations. They are NOT like dogs and other pets....their minds don't work that way.
I am glad you are here looking for help,,,but the answer is simple here....you need to search yourself and decide if this is something you can handle or not. And in handling it, it means a lot of time and patience in training the bird correctly....If you are willing to put in the work with the right attitude then keep the bird but if you aren't then rehome to a GOOD, FIT, EXPERIENCED home.
Only you know what is best here and how you truly feel.....
I believe that when I get a pet it has found it's forever home.
I will endlessly teach people to do their homework before owning a pet. You don't get a pet because it is cute or cuddly....especially a bird....
I have a hahns macaw but I knew what I was getting into....I did all my homework and research before I got him...so I was well prepared for a large macaw attitude in a little package...
I wish you the best of luck...before you continue with this bird, please do some soul searching and make the right decisions for both of you.
 

mtdoramike

Supporting Member
Jan 18, 2011
3,987
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4
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Mt. Dora Fl./central Fl.
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11 month old Senegal Parrot - 3 year old SI Eclectus
Honestly, this is not a huge behavioral problem and something I think most people can work with given they have patience and with the right information. In my mind, I would never tell someone they need to rehome their pet unless it was neglected or abused. Even neglected animals, usually people try to work with the owners to educate them first. Believe it or not, there are more than a few parrots in this world being neglected today. So instead of turning down a person who wants to learn and tame their bird, let us educate and push good ownership on those that lack the knowledge.

If you read her previous posts, it is obvious she has more to learn. But we all start from somewhere and, to be completely realistic here, owning a parrot is not rocket science. With correct diet and someone willing and able to learn the correct ways of interaction, it is really not "risking" the bird's health. Many people keep birds, even far bigger and more exotic ones, without knowing a thing about them. Not saying it is right, but rather pointing out that it is something we should try to correct instead of avoid.

In her defense, she is seeking out information which is more than most would and willing to listen. Most inexperienced people in this case would turn around and try to recoup the costs at first sign of trouble. Not to mention most likely selling the bird to another inexperienced person to continue the cycle.

I agree, people have babies every day that know nothing about raising a child. People buy birds all the time without knowing a thing about them, some wind up getting rehomed, but a lot wind up staying with their original owner IF the owner is willing to learn as they go along.

I would say that it's easier to rehome a bird than it is a child, but unfortunately, I'm not to sure that's the case.
 

skycon

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Apr 8, 2011
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Savannah, 4 year old Hahns Macaw
We all have to understand and take into consideration that we all have a right to own a pets and this includes parrots. It is all too common and easy to get animals that we know nothing about. Many of those people who fall into this category, like MikeyTN showed, often neglect and abuse their animals. But lynn came here asking for advice. Sure, she jumped the gun and wanted to rehome him at first but now she wants to learn. Negativity will not spread knowledge and the more that people know of these wonderful creatures, the less they will be neglected.

You do not have to agree with what she did, but you are honestly mistaken if you do not think this happens everyday. And here, today, we are able to do something about it firsthand and teach someone who is obviously willing. I say this because she sent me a private message. In this message she proved that she cares for the bird and is honestly just looking for help. She is just afraid. Like many people would be.

For those who are not educated it is not as obvious where to find the answers they seek. Believe it or not, but not everyone knows how to research and find answers on the internet. Nor are the confident with the answers they find, which is agreeable since anything and everything can be posted on the internet. I know from experience that some people just need recommendations and guidance first. If I were in her position, I would sure as heck prefer straight on answers instead of reading articles and books on subjects that may or may not have anything to do with my problem.
 

kitt

New member
Mar 27, 2011
426
0
Michigan
Parrots
Ava(peach faced lovebird) and my very first bird
Leroy (black headed caique) my little moody bird
Dusty (hahns macaw) my clown
If she feels she is ready to learn then I say she should go for it..
I can certainly understand being afraid....
I use to be terrified of birds and now I own three....
I have a caique and the mood swings on him make me dizzy but once you can conquer the fear of the situation and understand the birds behavior then the rest falls into place...if she really wants to keep this bird then I believe she can make it work.
Just my humble opinion.
I just wanted her to understand that the bird WILL pick up on her mood and to move forward cautiously, always keeping her mood in mind.
The first time I went through the "hormone thing" with Leroy...I was terrified of him after a bad bite where my husband had to pull Leroy's beak apart to get him to let go of me...so I certainly understand Lyn's frustration...but it can be over come and you can learn to deal with it with the right education......
Lyn, I will help in any way I can.....just let me know.
 

andrea.faerie

New member
May 16, 2011
751
1
North Carolina
Parrots
My lovely little Black Cap Conure, Lucy (in the sky with diamonds) <3
um.. I have a question it seems all of you have experience with and may be able to answer...

What exactly is "target training" ? I've seen is used simoulatneously with clicker training and I've read up on a lot of stuff about training techniques but I don't exactly grasp the concept of training your birdie to nibble on something... I could see how it could help with getting a bird accustomed to a new toy or food or object... but beyond that, what's the point of it? what are the implications of it? Is it really a big important thing like "step up/step down"?

Thank you! <3
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
um.. I have a question it seems all of you have experience with and may be able to answer...

What exactly is "target training" ? I've seen is used simoulatneously with clicker training and I've read up on a lot of stuff about training techniques but I don't exactly grasp the concept of training your birdie to nibble on something... I could see how it could help with getting a bird accustomed to a new toy or food or object... but beyond that, what's the point of it? what are the implications of it? Is it really a big important thing like "step up/step down"?

Thank you! <3

Did you watch that video that was being posted? That's target training! Its being used to train birds with behavioral problems.
 

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