Hi Everyone! Please help!

[Dez]

I have a blue and gold Macaw that I inherited from a family member. Her name is Chrissy and she's about 30 by our family's guess. I have lived with her for a few years as a busy older teenager and now have adopted her because previous family member couldnt keep her anymore and I couldnt bear for her to go to strangers. She was a pre-teen while I was at home and has always been a gentle bird. Shes been living with myself and husband for about 2 years. Shes in love with my husband who didnt want her but reluctantly has gotten used to her. She is driving us crazy lately by getting out of her cage and chewing up our house and furniture...she only started this recently. We have never locked her cage before now but have started to. If we dont let her run around she acts out until we cant take the noise. She wont even tolerate being on her stand. Its out on her terms or shes unhappy. We try to supervise her constantly but its impossible. i dont understand why shes acting like this and what we can do about it. Any suggestions fellow bird lovers? I love her but am at my wits end as to how to resolve this. Thanks

 

[Captsteve]

She is a gorgeous girl!!

There can be tons of things causing it, but I will take a stab in the dark. Move her cage! She is kinda in a corner, Try in front of a window but still near you. Also make her cage more stimulating. New toys and things to tear up. Maybe put in a hammock for her. Also her play stand may be boring her to tears, look at that.

Give her pine cones to shred, Large sheets of tissue paper with little pockets of treats twisted into it and wadded in a ball. Anything that will keep her busy.. Look at her cage as if you were going to be stuck in it for hours at a time, days on end.

Like I said, this may be way off, but it may just be bordom.

 

[Dez]

Thank you very much Captsteve. We tried a few of your suggestions today and I think you are right. Maybe she is bored. Will go shopping this weekend for some new toys and also research some games for her. Will have to think on new place for her cage too. Worth a try. Take care. I welcome your comments.

 

[MikeyTN]

Although she might be bored, you've allowed her freedom of come and go as she please and that's where the problem comes in. She needs to be structured! I keep a lock on Willie's cage when I'm not home for that same purpose, he will shred my house if he gets the chance. They need to learn they can have fun in their cage and to be on a play stand when put on there. When you allow them freedom like that, they will try to run you over when you stop them in their track.

 

[Dez]

Thanks MikeyTN. We have also taken your advice to heart. Her out of cage time is different now. At fIrst she protested but we have stood firm and I think she understands! I guess she did need the structure. She's loving her new toys too. She's always pushing her boundaries I guess. She always seems to be inventing new ways to do that too.

I love the name of Willie for a bird by the way. He sounds cool.

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

Gorgeous bird, good luck with her. She sounds exactly like a human child, always pushing those limits of what they can get away with. LOL!

 

[MikeyTN]

Oh gosh are they ever like children....They can drive me crazy sometimes but when they act so cute, it's hard to resist....

 

[nyspy]

She's bored. I would get her a perch by a window and move her to it during the day / majority of the time. Or you could just go cageless all-together. My birds are completely cageless and they rarely rip stuff up... except when they're upset with me. It comes with bird companionship though.. (I refuse to use the word ownership).

 

[Birdman666]

Well, the way you knock off the screaming nonsense when she acts up is to cover the cage on 3 sides...

If she doesn't quiet down, you cover her all the way, until she does quiet down.

When she does, you uncover her in front and praise her for being quiet. When she stays quiet, she gets uncovered completely...

Mine are out 24/7, but I have a bird room, and they generally stay put, and don't go on search and destroy missions.

Stay put training and a playstand with stuff that interests her would go a long way. You can be out, but you are not allowed to roam freely. These are the things you are allowed to chew up, these are the things you are NOT allowed to chew up.

Old phone books, wood to chew on, things of that nature. Increase the chew toys, so she doesn't go looking for chew toys of her own... Like antique furniture...

 

[SarahT]

I worry about my boy being bored as he has no bird mate and we are at our shop during the day. He had a dull existence and one mangled toy before coming to us though so I think life with us is definitely more stimulating! I would also recommend putting the cage near a window, Jeremy's cage is by the window and he seems to love sitting there watching the goings on outside and growling at cats lol! If we are out we leave the radio on for him! Get yourself a load of sisal rope and look up online the different knots you can make - a cheap and cheerful way to provide chewing/climbing toys. Jeremy loves picking at rope!

 

[Agapornis]

These are all great tips! I always leave a radio on when I'm gone, and sometimes I even go to YouTube and play bird sounds for them. They have bird sound videos from 1-10 hours long. They love hearing the wild birds chirping in nature, it seems to calm them down.

btw, Chrissy is a beautiful bird!

 

[MonicaMc]

She's not a blue and gold, she's a hybrid.


Here's some photos of miligolds (military x B&G)
MiliGold Macaw | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Miligold - Sneaky | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


Here's a buffons x military x B&G
Buffons x B&G x Military Macaw - Mombo | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Buffons x B&G x Military Macaw - Mombo | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


And catablus (25% scarlet, 75% B&G)
Catablu Macaw
Catablu Macaw
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.626456087384121.1073741827.270465922983141&type=3


And harligolds.... (25% greenwing, 75% B&G)
Harligold Macaw, Hybrid Macaw Cross between a Blue and Gold Macaw and a Harlequin Macaw (hybrid)
Harligold Macaw~Beautiful/Sweet hybrid bird~Blue & Gold/Harlequin
East Kentwood Project Based Science: Hybrid Harligold Macaw




Have you ever considered teaching her to fly to wear herself out so she's too tired to chew anything up? Have you looked into foraging for her so she'll be kept busy?

 

[Dez]

Thank you everyone for your good advice. We have gotten her more toys for in her cage and done the cover up for her cage (just until she gets quite again) I think that was as good for her as it was for us. We now have set strict control over where she can and cannot go also. (We lock her cage now when we are not around) She seemed mad at first but we made sure to have her out with us as much as possible on her stands and talked to her often. She loves being told shes gorgeous! I work from home a lot so shes not alone too much. Most of all, we give her lots of things to destroy and shes making a nest now which she is quitely sitting in at the bottom of her cage. I think thats healthy....shes still eating and drinking well. I think we are ok. MikeyTN I often think shes like a toddler...always pushing limits! Thanks again everyone!! Peace has now been restored...for now.

 

[MonicaMc]

Dez, I doubt Chrissy can made and breed with anyone in the family... which means that her sexual desires, if she has any, cannot be met... and if she lays eggs, they wont hatch.

Allowing her to go through the cycle of trying to do all that may lead to more aggression, which may make it more difficult to interact with her and for her to be a pet bird.


Please, don't allow her to go through the process. Discourage the behavior. I do understand it's a natural behavior, but at the same time, allowing it to occur can cause more harm than good.

hormonal | Search Results | Lara Joseph