Need advice for my 7 months old Catalina Macaw baby. Please help!

zackothecatalina

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Jan 2, 2020
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Hi there!

I am glad to find parrotforums.com, and this is my first post.

I am the new daddy to 7 months old Zacko. Zacko is a Catalina Macaw who has come to our home somewhere around a month ago. I am reaching out as I am seeking some advice.

I am still hand-feeding Zacko (Harrison’s Juvenile hand-feeding formula), and he doesn’t have any fear of unknown objects or human hands. He allows me to handle him, step up, fly on cue (and even without cue), and pet him too.

At first, I used to pet Zacko a lot for the first week as he seemed to enjoy it, but then I read that it could be inappropriately stimulating, and so I have gone cold turkey on it, with occasional and brief head scratches. Since the last 15 days, I see some “symptoms” which I have listed below:

1) He is continuously staying in a fluffed state (head feathers raised), and becomes unfluffed only when flying or playing with some toy.
2) He keeps bobbing his head up and down, slowly, while continuously making a specific, soft sound. His wings are also dropped.
3) He jumps in his cage at the site of me, and starts screaming. I avoid paying any attention to the screaming in order to not encourage it.
5) None of the toys seem to excite him. We have tried rattling toys, toys with bells, shreddable toys, wooden blocks, foot toys, etc. He plays with them briefly (like for 10 seconds), and then flies back to me.
6) During the occasional head scratching that I give him, he seems to frequently twitch his wings outwards and back inwards, quickly.

In the beginning 1-2 weeks, he did not stay fluffed and did not droop his wings like he does now since I started with petting. He is beginning to try new foods, and is extremely sweet and gentle with everyone in the house.

I just wanted to reach out and see if you had any advice. Am I doing something wrong? Is this normal behavior? Maybe all of this is absolutely normal and I am just overthinking. I didn’t want to take any chances.

Head bobbing video 1: [ame="https://youtu.be/qf_bqzRz6ss"]Zacko head bobbing 1 - YouTube[/ame]
Head bobbing video 2: [ame="https://youtu.be/jK0hncboe8k"]Zacko head bobbing 2 - YouTube[/ame]
 

Laurasea

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Hello welcome! Congratulations on your new baby. Wing twitches could be asking for more food, as the other behaviors too. Weaning is a stressful time. And it's best to let the birds drop feedings, keep track of weights, and poops.well fed babies explore more and try new foods more..I have an article on weaning to, have to look for it.
Also it's a time of learning , and lots of touching and contact support, they need lots of comfort at this stage. A lot of time teaching thtm about their life and environment.
This link talks about babies from breeders, touches on some quirks of different species. I know it talks about Macaws too
https://petcentral.chewy.com/baby-parrot-development-stages/
From the link the following..
" Macaws
As hatchlings, “macaws are quiet, not fussy, and sleep a lot – often on their backs,” Soucek said. “Macaws are inquisitive but a little shy at early ages. They get bolder as they reach weaning age, and then they can get really boisterous and mischievous. They love to romp and wrestle on the floor like a puppy.”

In terms of physical development, macaws are slower to develop feathers than many of the other birds, and they stay naked for a relatively long time. Also, the average, healthy macaw loses between 18 and 19 percent of its peak weight at fledging, according to Csaky. “The percentage is much greater with macaws than with other parrots,” she said.
She has also bred African grey parrots in the past. “With greys, they get up to their peak weight, and then they lose a little weight, but it is very minor.” Csaky speculates that the reason macaws lose so much more weight at fledging is because they’re bigger birds, and it’s more difficult for them to get lift.

Baby macaws will regurgitate food for their clutchmates and try to feed them, or will even throw up food to try to feed to their hand-feeder or new owner. This behavior catches new breeders and owners off guard and is right about the time baby macaws start weaning (and this can last several months after weaning). This is just a typical childhood behavior, according to Csaky.

One other unique baby behavior seen in hyacinths is what Csaky refers to as “stimulation overload.” What happens is the baby will suddenly see someone – typically a stranger but it could even be the hand-feeder – and then will flip over on its back and start kicking. “That is the minor version of it,” Csaky said. “The major version of it is the baby jumps up into the air, flips over on its back, and starts kicking like it’s moving the pedals on a bicycle – and while it’s doing this it’ll scream. Then suddenly it’ll go stiff and just lie there.” This behavior can occur in hyacinths as young as 8 days old – when their ears start opening – but usually it starts happening at about 3 weeks of age, when the bird’s eyes open. It can be a common behavior in hyacinths up to adult size."I
 
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Laurasea

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Ok I copied it
Here is something Laurasea posted on another thread where someone got an unweaned baby by mistake:


2. Introducing Adult Food to the Baby
Many of the items you supply for the baby to play with during the weaning process should be food. These items should include not only the food you expect to be feeding after weaning, but also foods with all types of colors, shapes, textures and flavors. These items should include fruits, vegetables, and any healthy foods you may be eating. More types of food items will offer more chances he will like one right away.

Initially, the food should be in pieces no larger than a pea.. This size easily fits into the baby's mouth

Babies will readily eat off the ground before they will eat out of a dish. Try scattering the food on a sheet of paper in the bottom of his cage. Many hand feeders begin to withhold feedings with the belief that the hungry baby will eat on his own if the formula is withheld. This is a dangerous misconception and may cause long-term physical and mental disabilities. Babies well-nourished with formula are more curious and will look forward to trying almost all new food.
You will find that when babies start learning to eat solid food they will often go to the bowl and start eating right after you feed the formula Keeping the baby well fed will promote independence and shorten his weaning process.

3. Drinking: Don't Forget the Water
Mostly the baby will play with the water and wet his tongue but his body will not be telling him to drink because he is thirsty.
If you are not sure or if you think there is a problem, you can dribble a few drops of water into the mouth from the ends of your fingers. Do this while holding the bowl in front of your bird's mouth and he will quickly learn to drink.

4. Weaning Dynamics - Schedule

. Every baby parrot is as different. During this intensive growth period, a seemingly meaningless stimulus to us, can cause a "life alternating experience", resulting in a change in frequency of the baby's need to be fed and/or nurtured.

If of hunger and could slowly loose weight and become sick before he starts eating enough on his own.

Babies will often cry for food when hungry. As discussed earlier, they also need nurturing support that can come in the form of periodic feeding of a small amount of formula. In addition to supplemental handfeeding, you will also need to give the baby personal time and attention. Talking to, playing with, carrying around and other social activities are also needed to supply the trust necessary to develop high self-esteem. By only using formula to stop all the babies cry for attention, you can do long-term damage to the development of the adult bird. Lack of tactile and verbal pampering can produce a screaming adult that is uncertain how to gain attention without acting out.

5. General Concept of a Weaning Schedule
This is only a generalization to show what is possible, not what will actually happen. Remember all babies are different and none will actually follow this schedule. This is a dynamic process so there really is no such thing as day one, day two, etcetera. The process will start, stop and change over a several week period.

Phase 1. Skip the morning or mid-day feeding. Generally, the first feeding a baby will begin ignoring is the morning. He is so excited to get out of the cage and conquer the world, that he will show no interest in formula or solid food

Never skip the last feeding of the day. Healthy active babies will expend a lot of energy and be exhausted and very hungry in the evening. Night is also a period when the baby cannot eat on his own so we want him to have a full crop of formula.

Phase 2. Try to feed all three feedings so the baby will regain any strength lost from missing a feeding the day before.

Phase 3. Repeat phase one and two for a while. At this point you will be watching the feces for any changes in color and texture. Feces from the formula will be very consistent while solid food will cause variance in color and texture. You can sometimes detect food in the crop by feeling for food particles.

Phase 4. During this phase the baby will start to skip the mid-day feeding. You can also begin reducing the amount of formula for the morning and mid-day feedings. Alternate between skipping feedings and the amount fed at each feeding. As an observant parent, you will be watching to see if your baby has an off day that may require him to need more formula, feedings and/or nurturing.

Phase 5. Begin assessing the weight loss or gain and the stools to determine if he is beginning to consume more on his own

Extreme situations develop periodically that make it more difficult to determine if your baby is eating. A babyt may be able to get enough energy from one large feeding in the evening with just a small amount of solid food.

Important: A good rule of thumb is, if a baby looks healthy, is active, eats, and poops, then he is most likely doing just fine. .

Phase 6. The evening feeding is the last to go. Some very independent babies will wean very early while others can take months. I generally begin skipping the evening feeding on the days when I am not home or too tired. If you feel you have skipped the evening feeding and should not have, try offering formula early in the morning. If the baby is very hungry, he still needs the evening feeding.

As you begin skipping the evening feeding on a regular basis, use the morning feeding test to ensure he is eating enough. In the morning, do not feed right away, giving the baby time to eat on his own.

Phase 7. If your baby is not eating enough food on his own yet, you can repeat any of the phases as necessary. The baby will tell you if you are feeding too much by refusing the formula.

Important: For at least one month after weaning, inexperienced hand feeders should weigh the baby. Sometimes an active or sick baby will not eating enough and you will need to add a few night feedings. In this situation, you are not considering total weight loss or gain but looking for quick changes. This is a time of many new experiences in your baby's life. . An unexpected illness can cause the same problem and this will also show up as a more abrupt weight loss.

Important: Any time a young weaned parrot changes homes, it should be offered formula for a few days. Even a baby that is completely independent with high self-esteem will benefit from the nurturing component of handfeeding.

6. Weaning Tips
It is important to note that a bird that remains hungry for too many days will lose its appetite. You CAN NOT starve a bird into weaning, so do not try. Only a happy, healthy baby will wean on a reasonable schedule.
Play time and feeding time should not be associated with each other.
Every baby weans on his own schedule. Do not push - growth curves and schedules are only averages.
Babies that cannot fly because their flight feathers have been cut will lose 10 - 20% of their peak body weight. Properly developing babies that are learning to fly while weaning will lose 20 - 30% because of the greater amount of exercise. Babies with clipped wings will also take longer to become independent because they are not able to explore their environment and learn much slower than nature intended. Wing clipping is detrimental to creating an independent adult with high self-esteem because of the increased incidence of "bad stress experiences" due to lots of crash landings.

If you are not sure if the baby is getting enough nutrition, always error on the side of increasing the feeding frequency.
Don't forget the "nurturing" nature of the parent periodically offering food to the baby. As a treat, at any arbitrary time during and after weaning, the baby will usually accept a syringe of formula. All parrots should be periodically handfed throughout their life. This is an excellent treat for an adult and will aid in medicating if he should ever need to be medicated.
Watching the bird's stools is the best way to determine if he is eating. There will be different numbers, colors and consistency.
"Weaning Regression" is a prevalent problem in babies that were not properly nurtured from hatching to weaning. Birds that cannot fly are especially prone to be insecure and develop weaning regression.
 

tfw

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Nov 12, 2018
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My B&G was the same with regards to feathers...when we first got him he was "flat feathered" unless excited. Then I started noticing he flipped -- mostly fluffy all day and then flat feathered when seeing/trying new things. I figured he was fluffy cuz the house was cooler in summer. We got him January so the house heater was on. And now that it is winter again and heater is on, he does 50/50. So Im thinking it is temp related. Not sure.
 

Laurasea

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This article is very good. It's about stress in general, but gives tips that are great.
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

The importance of fledging and learn to fly. Learning to fly well is the most complicated and important task a parrot can learn. Flighted parrots are healthier, more active, more coordinated, and have much better vision. Flying promotes higher intelligence, self-confidence, self-esteem and ultimately makes a more social long-term companion.

Read more: https://www.windycityparrot.com/blog/2010/04/13/flight-important-parrots/#ixzz69ts616EI

And I would start on foraging if you haven't already. Start easy, have him fly to you, and maybe you already have some peas hiding under little papper cups, tip them over and show him. Parrots seem better at trying new veggies, new things, away from the cage. I think introducing a lot of foraging now , will pay off in keeping him busy and happy once he is an adult. Because by then they can be complex, puzzles, ECT. As a baby I would have it just be the extra veggies, the treat seeds.
 
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petwaitress

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May 27, 2017
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I also have a Catalina. The feathers ruffled and head bobing and cooing seem to be a baby thing.
 
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zackothecatalina

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I also have a Catalina. The feathers ruffled and head bobing and cooing seem to be a baby thing.

I have been told by a couple others the same thing, so seems like that is all it is, a baby thing. I do wonder however if they're asking for petting when they do that - as it started after I had begun the excessive petting, and then reduced the petting.
 
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zackothecatalina

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My B&G was the same with regards to feathers...when we first got him he was "flat feathered" unless excited. Then I started noticing he flipped -- mostly fluffy all day and then flat feathered when seeing/trying new things. I figured he was fluffy cuz the house was cooler in summer. We got him January so the house heater was on. And now that it is winter again and heater is on, he does 50/50. So Im thinking it is temp related. Not sure.

It is winter here in Dubai right now, so that could be it, too. However, I have noticed that it happens even during the afternoon hours with excessive sunlight and the room being quite warm. Not sure if it could still be considered cool for Zacko.
 
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zackothecatalina

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Hello welcome! Congratulations on your new baby. Wing twitches could be asking for more food, as the other behaviors too.

We are trying to feed all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables during the day, with hand-feeding sessions only in the morning and at night (12 hours apart). Zacko doesn't seem to be eating the fruits and veggies yet, but he surely shreds them and plays with them. We will keep at it! Thanks for your detailed guidance across all other topics, really helpful!
 

Laurasea

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There are so many life long behavior problems that develop from improper weaning, failure to support the social contact, lack of behavior guidance and supporting learnings at this very critical stage. So if you already have a good grasp of that, maybe the posts will help others.

These parrots have long lives, and when they are passed around after behavior problem start. As the root of these problems are often impromper weaning and not learning to fly, it's definitely helpful to get that info out to owners of babies.

You already mentioned flying so that's fantastic. And I forgot to say how beautiful your baby is!!!
 

Jottlebot

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In terms of petting, head petting is always fine, just not the body. I've read a few places that say all flock members preen (basically human petting) all other flock members heads because birds can't do that themselves, but only sexual mates preen each others bodies.

I wouldn't stop stroking and scritching his head!
 

petwaitress

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My Catalina is going on 3yr old and still bobs and ruffles her feathers occasionally. I think it's related to her Scarlet heritage. She's also mouthy, not bitey, and that's Scarlet behavior too. She took a long time to wean but we just kept offering her formula for as long as she wanted it. Eventually she didn't want a morning formula but still wanted the evening formula and she stopped wanting the evening formula about 6 weeks later. We let her decide when to give up formula completely. When offering a baby fruit and veggies, mash them up at first so it's similar to the consistency of a very thick formula that way it seems more like food to them.
 
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zackothecatalina

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Thank you all for the very helpful replies! I am definitely continuing the head and neck scratches as he loves it, and so do I! He is really a sweet boy and I'm trying find the best way forward.

I weighed him today for the first time, and he stands at 837g. I am not sure how to interpret this weight, and whether I should record his weight on a daily basis. Any tips highly appreciated ��

For reference to his weight:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B643IXFFOos/
 

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