Learning about my amazon as he learns about me, chronicles of a fluffy Rio

[Alexx]

An amazon parrot was abandoned at my work place, i developed a relation with him over the past 2 months where i seem to be the only one that can get close to him. So i decided to take him home, but money being tight, i still get a month before i can actually get him home. I wanna do this right for him cause he is a sweetheart. Got him a 3 by 4 by 4 feet cage, witch i was told was ok, correct me me if its too small. I work full time, but i can put in the hours for meal preparation. I wanna get advice on food, what i've seen online is all over the board. I bonded with the little guy so much i dont wanna disapoint, he is mostly eating prestige versele-laga mix right now. Should i go for organic pellets? and fruit wise, how much a week should he get so its not too much for him. Just a dude wanting to care for a bird, dont be mean if its obvious to you but not to me, thank you

 

[Ria.345]

Hello. That is so great that you are deciding to take in this bird despite the difficult circumstances and your financial position. So great to hear.
For your first question, I'm not too sure about the cage size exactly in terms of measurements but I could give some pointers.
A) Dome top is usually not recommended, play tops or square tops are great
B) Stainless steel metal is safest bet
C) Take into consideration cage bar spacing. So important. The last thing you'd want is your bird to get a little too curious and get his head stuck between the bars.
For your second question, a bird (including Amazons) should have a base diet of pellets, fresh veggies and fruit, and seeds as treats. That's general. But it's completely up to you if you want to go organic. TOPS is a great option because they are organic pellets and cold pressed so their nutrients are still preserved in the food. I really like other brands like Harrison's, Roudybush, and Zupreme natural. You don't have to go organic if it is out of price range or not as accessible around your stores, but these brands seem to work really well for a lot of parrot owners. Organic foods should be associated with veggies though imo. They're just more fresh that way and don't contain GMOs or pesticides.
For the last question, I personally give my birds fruit about 2-3 times a week or they could be given as treats. Or as a wonderful foraging opportunity where you could hide the fruit in toys so they have to work to find it. So it's really up to you and your discretion. As long as you feed fruit in moderation and do not provide it too often, you are fine.
You're doing great, don't overthink it, and best of luck to you!

 

[Terry57]

Welcome to the forum! I'm so happy you have decided to take the amazon and give him a home, that's wonderful.
Your cage sounds nice and large, my Amazons bar spacing is 3/4" for my Orange Winged and 1" for my Red Lored and Yellow Crowned.

My birds get chop twice a day, and they always have a bowl with pellets and a small amount of seeds. Their chop is heavy on veggies, but they also get either apples, strawberries, blueberries or grapes mixed in.
Stainless steel cages are definitely the best, but quite expensive. None of mine are SS, but they are holding up really well.
I'm so happy you joined the forum, you can learn a lot here for your new feathered friend.
Be sure to check out this thread, the OP has had Amazons for years and there is a lot of good info here:

I Love Amazons - An On-Going Journey!

I'm looking forward to seeing your journey, please update us and I'd love to see a picture

 

[Alexx]

Thank you. Harrison's i have heard off for sure. Little dude is having a hard time trusting people and since he looks like he trust me, i wanna be there for him haha. Crazy how fast they make you care about them.

 

[Alexx]

Little bugger, Already named Rio and he knows it so wont change it

 

[Ria.345]

Little bugger, Already named Rio and he knows it so wont change it

He looks adorable. Such a strong connection already.

 

[Terry57]

He's beautiful, and Rio is a great name!

 

[Alexx]

He also, bites me whenever 2 of the employee, like the 2 same employee all the time, gets close to me, he is fine with everyone else, from what i could gather, its a ''defending'' bite, aka, get away from them. Any tricks to lower those bites (its not a deal breaker, use to all kinds of critter)

 

[MayMaroa]

here's a bird diet chart that i made just for you

Google Docs: Sign-in

Access Google Docs with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

docs.google.com

 

[Alexx]

access refused to that chart

 

[MayMaroa]

oh

 

[Alexx]

i did send the request, as per google ask, maybe you can get me to see it

 

[Alexx]

Thanks for the swift answers guys and gals, i'll 100% will bug you for questions in a really near future. English is not my first language so dont be too harsh on the grammar

 

[Terry57]

Your English is fine, and ask as many questions as you want

 

[MayMaroa]

yup its really fine and i actually think its better then mine honestly

 

[Laurasea]

Welcome Alexx and Rio!!! 2 handsome guys!

We discuss diet all the time. I do a feed a little bit of everything, seedmix, good pellets , veggies, leafy greens, soaked and cooked legume, sprouts. Anything on the parrot food safe list i try and rotate in.

Cooked sweet potatoes great source of vitamin A and fiber, bell pepper, romaine lettuce.

And this is a great all around article, briefly cover behavior issues as well

Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

Pet bird and parrot behavior information.

lafeber.com

 

[wrench13]

He appears to be a yellow fronted or a Panama Amazon, but very desirable and known for being relatively mild in disposition.

 

[HeatherG]

Little bugger, Already named Rio and he knows it so wont change it

Awww. Cute bird. He will have you wrapped around his little toe before you know it.

 

[wrench13]

How is Rio settling in? You have come under the Amazon protection wing, and we look out for our own! Is he playing/destroying toys> THat is how they play with them; parrots are natural born chewers and it lets them let off excess energy and engages their minds. Me, i give fruit like 3 times a week and not much maybe 4-5 blue berries, same with blackberries, slices of apple, pieces of mango. Too much sugar is like giving too much sugar to a toddler.

 

[Alexx]

He is still at work, probably gonna clear the last payment for him next week. Been looking up loads of videos on youtube to try and get a crash course. For the last couple days is main goal in life is try to regurgitate on me at the end of the day when i take him out before I gotta leave. Some employees told me its a sign that he is bonding but that I should try to prevent him from doing it. That's gonna be on the list too! I'll let you know how it goes when i get him here, and how the cat is dealing with it lol.