Captain Flapjack

[MimiBlue152]

Hello! I'm excited to find this community as we have just adopted our first macaw. We currently own a lovebird and have previously had a sun conure and parakeet. So, we are not first time bird parents, just our biggest one by far. I have a lot of questions as he is in rough shape, but I'm going to look through the other posts and see if they've already been answered.
For now, I'll just tell you the tale of Captain Flapjack. My husband has been wanting a big bird for awhile now and has been watching a lot of youtube videos to decide which would be the best fit for our family. He came across a craigslist post for a blue and gold macaw and decided to go meet him.
The rescue that had him knew a bit of his backstory. He was owned by an older couple who had come upon some health problems and could not care for their two macaws anymore. There names were Bonnie and Clyde who both ended up being DNA sexed male. When the rescue guy picked the birds up, it was clear that the couple had smoked heavily around the birds. They had no toys and their food was just crappy seed. Their feathers were heavily damaged and I'll post a pic below.
The two macaw were at the rescue for one and a half months in a very loud, overcrowded environment. My husband said he knew right away that he could not leave him there. Clyde was adopted the day before and my husband brought Bonnie home. We knew we didn't want to leave his name as Bonnie and didn't like any of the rhyming names either. So, we figured he'd just have to get used to a new name. We decided on Captain Flapjack but usually call him Jack.
Jack has been with us for two days now and is doing so much better. He got a bath for the first time in a LONG time!!
His feathers are pretty messed up. We suspect maybe from poor diet and the cigarette toxins. We are offering him pellets and hoping he will choose to eat them over seeds soon. He LOVES carrots though. I'm not sure we can do much more than wait for his feathers to be replaced.
He also doesn't talk. He makes a few noises now and then but he's not a screamer and pretty quiet for the most part. He is supposedly 17 years old. I'm hoping he starts to talk as he gets used to us.
Overall, he is doing great. He lets us all scratch his head and is really nice. He does seem to be a bit protective of his cage environment. He doesn't bite, but will squawk and great my husbands hand and move it away if he tries to scratch his head when he's at his cage. We are thinking we will get him a bigger cage as this one is a bit small. Maybe a new cage will take away that territorial tendencies.
We are also going to get him a checkup soon to make sure he is doing okay after years of secondhand smoke and poor diet.
I'll post a few pics below of him so show his "before" condition. Hopefully soon we'll have some pretty "after" pics to share.

 

[Allee]

A warm welcome to you and Captain Flapjack! Sincere gratitude to you for giving this handsome boy a loving home and a better life.

Sounds like the Captain may be a bit cagebound but as you mentioned that should soon change in his new environment. That first bath must have felt amazing. It looks like Jack has been overpreening his back, my guess is he was trying to remove the nasty nicotine film from his feathers, if he had little or no time out of his cage, boredom could have aggravated the problem even more. Under the circumstances it doesn't look too bad, I would continue baths with water only and give the problem time to improve. Great photos, very handsome fellow. Congratulations.

 

[Kiwibird]

Such a shame he came from such an environment! Glad he's found his way to you now He looks like a sweet guy and like he's starved for love and attention.

Have you booked an appointment with an avian vet yet? I'd want to get a standard "new bird" health check as well as the vets advice on how to get the nicotine off the poor guy. Nicotine builds up on surfaces (like feathers) and every time he preens, he ingests that. I'd also get him a Manu clay block to help absorb the toxins (new world parrots eat the stuff in nature). While I'm sure a bath washed some off, it's pretty insidious stuff. I remember a landlord once complaining about an apartment they were prepping to rent again the previous renters had smoked in and the nicotine on the walls was seeping through the fresh primer and 2 coats of paint Definitely a situation that needs an experienced avian vets consultation on.

Mineral Treats: Bird Beak Conditioners at Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[MimiBlue152]

I just bought one of those blocks today. we haven't made the vet appointment yet, but I'll call tomorrow.
I also forgot to mention his poor feet. All his perches were the sandpaper type ones. Even his swing. He has some sores on his feet from them. We've taken them all out and put wood in for now while they heal. He also got to walk around on the floor today and I'm not sure if he's ever walked on a flat surface.
Any thoughts on whether he'll talk at all?

 

[Kiwibird]

Those sand perches are great, when it's a single perch but ALL the perches? Poor guy! Definitely a good call to let his feet heal before giving one back.

He's 17? It is entirely possible he knows some words and just hasn't shared that fact with you yet (it's fairly common for new birds to wait to share their vocabulary for some time) but if he's not a talker by this time, it's unlikely he ever will be. The developmental point they begin learning words and becomes habit for them to learn new ones has long passed at this age. Not to say it's impossible, just very unlikely. Not all parrots are destined to be talkers. Mine isn't, but he does make a variety of adorable noises we strongly encourage because they are so funny and cute

 

[LordTriggs]

that's great you rescued him and clearly you're doing well with him, I'm sure he'll open up in time

a lot of baths at the moment (as long as he enjoys it) and whatever the vet says to get the nicotine off

You never know he may pick up on some words in a more loving home but I wouldn't wait with baited breath

 

[MimiBlue152]

He didn't enjoy the bath, but it was also less than 24 hours after meeting us and being in a new place. He's also probably not had one in a very long time...if the old couple ever bathed them. Hopefully he'll learn to enjoy it as he gets more comfortable with us and the situation.
Thanks so much for everyone's input.

 

[itzjbean]

Hello and welcome to Captain Flapjack! Glad you took him into your home and hearts.

I strongly suggest making that appointment for him to see the Avian Vet. They'll be able to do a full checkup to ensure he doesn't have any underyling health issues, and will also be able to give you some tips on how to heal the sores on his feet and improve his feather condition, they may even prescribe something for you to give him.

His poor feather condition is probably a mix of a bad diet (what is he eating currently? He should be eating lots of fresh fruits an veggies, he can also enjoy cooked legumes and grains as well as nuts and pellets. Seeds/peanuts should be kept to a minimum.) He also probably hasn't gotten a real bath in a long time. Try experimenting with different types of baths (putting him on a perch in the shower, or spraying him with a spray bottle. Getting at least one rope perch will probably help his sores heal greatly! And they're very soft to sit on

Again, welcome and be sure to check out all of Birdman666's posts on macaws!!

 

[Kiwibird]

I just want to say, I'd hold off on any further baths until speaking to the AV about the nicotine and getting their ok or advice on removal. I'm unsure if water would partially dissolve the nicotine residue on his feathers that hasn't washed off yet and make it more easily ingestible or not, giving him a higher dose of the toxins in it when he went to preen himself wet/damp than when he's dry. Better he wait another week or whatever for a bath until he sees the vet than to make the situation worse by accident.

 

[LordTriggs]

didn't even think of that kiwibird! Good save

I did just take a look online about this and the only thing I saw was a thread about a Too with exactly the same problem, although that bird was far more angry with the world than Jack. Some people talked about just giving baths with a small amount of dawn soap mixed in (why do we not have that stuff over in England!?)

Definitely wait to see what the vet says, they may have a better idea of what to do

 

[MimiBlue152]

He has an appt for next thursday, soonest they could get him in. Is anyone here from Ohio? He is going to a doc in Milford that seems very highly qualified. I'll give them a call and maybe ask if I should wait on the baths or not.
He came to us on a very basic seed diet. I'm not sure if the original owners gave him fruits and veggies, but I think the rescue is pretty overwhelmed and just feeding whatever they get donated or the cheapest they can buy.
I have bought a couple variety of zupreem pellets. The fruit one and the nut shaped variety. He seems to pick out the nut ones and take a tiny nibble before dropping it. The fruit ones he just knocks out of the bowl in a shower of pellets. lol. Anything better than zupreem, I would have to order online if anyone has any specific suggestions.
We are offering him a wide variety of veggies and fruit. He really loves carrots!! My husband made him a quinoa veggie blend and has spoon fed him some. He really seems to like the quinoa a lot.
He doesn't seem to care for dried fruit except to drop it and then go pick it up and put it back in his bowl. ha ha.
We've gotten him to play with a couple toys only because he is foraging for the peanuts we hid. I've since read that peanuts aren't the best choice, so I won't be buying anymore of those. But, I like that he is at least foraging a big.
He's made a couple noises at me that sound like he could be trying to say hello...but not sure. Our lovebird is making racket in the other room everytime I say "Hello" ha ha. So, at least I can get one bird to talk to me.
Thanks again for everyone's advice.

 

[MimiBlue152]

I just called and the vet said to just mist him for now.

 

[Tami2]

Wonderful story and new beginning for Capt. FlapJack & your family.
Welcome and congratulations!!
I look forward to following his progress. :heart:

 

[Tami2]

I would give him Harrison’s High Potency (Red).
But, you should wait to see what your Vet recommends.

 

[MimiBlue152]

Do b&g sound like pigs? Like a barnyard pig squeal...I'm not sure if Jack is wheezy or normal sounding. I guess that's another question for the vet.

 

[psychocircus91]

My macaw's diet is about 60% veggies, 10% fruit, 20% pellets, and 10% nuts. I would advise against peanuts.
Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and brazil nuts are all good choices. Peanuts have a little less nutritional value, but can also contain a potentially dangerous fungus.

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed. Start saving those nuts that are his favorite, and use those for training. Once the Capt learns that hey this place is interesting, he'll open up more.

 

[BeatriceC]

Thank you for rescuing this baby. It's going to be a long road ahead, so be patient. It can take years for a bird to really rehabilitate after a backstory like this.

One thing you can do to get him used to the idea of a shower is to create rain. Go out and buy a high efficiency, low flow, adjustable handheld shower head. Install it in whatever shower you want to be able to bathe him in. Buy or make a perch (and when I get to a place where I can post pictures, I'll post a picture of the one we use for our macaw) that fits into that shower. Then, turn the water on so that it's slightly more than lukewarm to you. A bird's body temperature is higher than a human's body temperature, so you're going for the same idea as a baby's bath temperature, but adjusted for bird temps. Then point the shower head *up* and somewhat away from him. The water will fall back down on him as sort of a light rain. While you're doing that, get your baby voice going and get all excited and tell him how exciting and wonderful the rain is and so on and so forth. If you're really adventurous, put on your swim suit and join in the fun. Your goal isn't really to get him bathed at this point, but to get him accepting getting water falling down on him without freaking out.

 

[MimiBlue152]

Thanks all. Lots of good suggestions there. We got his new cage today so he is no longer dragging his tail. We ended up not putting his swing in the new one because he seemed a bit territorial of it since that was his normal spot in the old cage. So, more room and more toys. He was doing much better letting us take him out of the new cage and we also played pass the birdie today. He's doing great so far. My husband also made him a play stand that looks like a tree so he'll spend most of the day out of the cage.
He doesn't seem to eat a lot...but I also don't really know how much a macaw eats.
Only thing left is the vet check on Thursday and hopefully that goes well. Other than that, it's just lots of attention and repetition.
Thanks again for everyone's input.

 

[Kiwibird]

Glad he's been doing well. Parrots, even macaws, are small animals and (compared to human meals) don't really eat a lot. Especially if you're providing a huge dish full of food. It may appear he's barely touched it when in fact he's eaten plenty for his caloric/nutritional needs. Some birds also aren't social eaters so you may rarely see your bird eat if he's one of those types, even though he does when alone. If he's pooping, he's eating. Parrots have fast metabolisms and digestive systems, so they run out of fuel quickly if they don't eat enough.

It is not essential you get one right now, but most bird owners own a special perch scale for weighing their birds regularly (at least once a week, preferably several times). It's a good way to ensure the bird is eating enough. If they maintain weight, even if you don't see them eat much, they still are. Also a good way to monitor for the first signs of illness, which in a parrot is often rapid weight loss.