Macaw Bonding Suggestions

[Birdman666]

If you go to your user CP (http://www.parrotforums.com/usercp.php) you should be able to change your avatar (the picture that shows on each post) and profile picture.

I keep getting an "invalid file" message. Don't know what's going on.

I am "technologically challenged" I'm sorry to say...

 

[Birdman666]

You are going to be amazed at macaw ownership...

Although it's not like your little caique doesn't have that tons of playful personality... they are also playahaulics...

But mushy macaws are just astounding...

Did you watch the videos of Joe's baby greenwing? Or the videos I posted last week? That's what you are in for with this little guy!!!

 

[Curious_Caique]

You are going to be amazed at macaw ownership...

Although it's not like your little caique doesn't have that tons of playful personality... they are also playahaulics...

But mushy macaws are just astounding...

Did you watch the videos of Joe's baby greenwing? Or the videos I posted last week? That's what you are in for with this little guy!!!

I feel like I've watched every snuggly, goofy, talking macaw video on the internet! It's great to see. Of course, I've also seen the biting, aggressive, or LOUD macaws. And I've personally seen wonderful birds devolve into feathered terrors because there was an incident and everyone freaked out and no one wanted to handle the bird anymore, interactions through the cage bars with me they still seemed very loving but it would've been too much of a lilability for them to let me try to handle. =(

I'm very excited. My baby is already chock full of personality and curiosity.

Where are you storing the file on your computer? Is it too big maybe?

 

[Birdman666]

You are going to be amazed at macaw ownership...

Although it's not like your little caique doesn't have that tons of playful personality... they are also playahaulics...

But mushy macaws are just astounding...

Did you watch the videos of Joe's baby greenwing? Or the videos I posted last week? That's what you are in for with this little guy!!!

I feel like I've watched every snuggly, goofy, talking macaw video on the internet! It's great to see. Of course, I've also seen the biting, aggressive, or LOUD macaws. And I've personally seen wonderful birds devolve into feathered terrors because there was an incident and everyone freaked out and no one wanted to handle the bird anymore, interactions through the cage bars with me they still seemed very loving but it would've been too much of a lilability for them to let me try to handle. =(

I'm very excited. My baby is already chock full of personality and curiosity.

Where are you storing the file on your computer? Is it too big maybe?

Actually I just pulled it up from the post above.

I don't even have that image anymore. A pipe broke, and we had a flood in the garage, and all of my old photodiscs got ruined...

 

[Birdman666]

I've personally seen wonderful birds devolve into feathered terrors because there was an incident and everyone freaked out and no one wanted to handle the bird anymore, interactions through the cage bars with me they still seemed very loving but it would've been too much of a lilability for them to let me try to handle. =(

Sadly, that is the story heard most often...

Maggie came to me as a throw away. She ended up locked in a cage unhandled for 8 years! (She's been my best buddy - and a shoulder bird - since day 4 at my house!)

Here's the deal, birds that don't get handled DON'T STAY TAME.

Attention oriented birds who get locked in cages, and don't get interacted with develop psychological scars from it... and become angry.

Life in solitary is a form of slow torture... especially for a bird that is used to being interacted with until that point!

If they get bite pressure trained... they pinch. They don't bite! It's a relatively simple thing to do, but people don't do it, or don't know to do it...

And then there's an accident, people stop handling them, and they turn on them. THE BIRD is labeled aggressive...

Actually, the bird has "betrayal issues" with you, because you were unwittingly torturing it for many years...

AND THAT is my experience with most "aggressive" macaws.

The problem with the vast majority of these "problem birds" is HUMAN!

 

[Birdman666]

I'm very excited. My baby is already chock full of personality and curiosity.

That is only a tiny, tiny sliver of what's coming... Give it six months and you'll be asking yourself "how is it possible to love a bird this much?!"

"Nobody told me" was written about an RFM, like my Sweepea...

 

[Curious_Caique]

I'm very excited. My baby is already chock full of personality and curiosity.

That is only a tiny, tiny sliver of what's coming... Give it six months and you'll be asking yourself "how is it possible to love a bird this much?!"

"Nobody told me" was written about an RFM, like my Sweepea...

I just want to say thank you SO MUCH for all the info that you've given me. You've given me quite a bit more confidence than I had that I am doing the right things.

One more question, do you have any of your birds microchipped? I was considering it, but I'm reading so much mixed stuff, I think what I need is some personal experiences with it.

If you right click on the photo there should be a "Save image as" option on a little menu. Then you can save it to your computer (I would save it to the desktop), and then when you go to change your avatar, say "upload from my computer" and it should come up with all your files and you can click on desktop and then the image (whatever you named it when you saved it). It should come up then.

 

[mrgtc3]

I fell that you are doing a greta job, keep doing what you are. But if I could suggest something for you to add is singing to your bird, my birds love to sing and dance with me and its also a good stress reliever for you and your bird. they love the vibrations that come from us.

 

[Curious_Caique]

UPDATE TIME:
Jasper is now a ten week old, HUGE (normal greenwing size, or so I've been told) blue and gold. I certainly didn't sign up for this, but I suppose I'm stuck with him now. He's loving his normal veggies and fruits, and starting to refuse baby food already, that worries me a bit.... I am told it's okay by the breeder though. He already knows "step up" and says "hello".
He's great around me. Loving, fluffy mister. He loves to sit on my arm (leaving giant gashes as he goes with his nails ). He has never bitten me too hard. Ever. My issue at the moment is that he freaks out a little around people that aren't me. Once they start petting him, he calms down and realizes that it's okay. But it's pretty off putting to have him lunging at my family (who he has been raised around...), you know? Is this a normal thing? What can I do about it? Thanks!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Yes, that's normal. IME it's only a phase he's going through. Try not making it a big deal when someone other than you handles him, preferably someone who isn't intimidated by the beak.

The more folks you get to interact with him now, the better - for socialization purposes.

It's great that he's starting to try different foods, too!!

 

[Birdman666]

It's entirely normal! Don't worry about it.

Have your family members not jump. Teach them to control the beak with two fingers, or gently deflect it with the palm of the hand on a closed fist... (i.e. make a fist, bend the wrist, and there is nothing to grab onto. Push the beak away if he lunges.)

Then scratch the bird's head, and watch the head feathers go sproing...

Maggie still does this with Sarah even after all these years, but it usually means she wants to play...

She occasionally does it with me. That means beak wrestle...

 

[Curious_Caique]

It's entirely normal! Don't worry about it.

Have your family members not jump. Teach them to control the beak with two fingers, or gently deflect it with the palm of the hand on a closed fist... (i.e. make a fist, bend the wrist, and there is nothing to grab onto. Push the beak away if he lunges.)

Then scratch the bird's head, and watch the head feathers go sproing...

Maggie still does this with Sarah even after all these years, but it usually means she wants to play...

She occasionally does it with me. That means beak wrestle...

Thank you so much again! I have had them just continue to go in for the petting, even if he lunges, and I tell anyone who wants to pet him to just keep going even if he looks scary. People who won't pet even if he lunges miss out . However, most of them have seen me pick him up around his tummy and wings and smother his tummy in kisses so they know he's not vicious/mean.
I do beak wrestle with him, and he seems to enjoy it. I also flip him on his back and carry him around like a baby and he seems more comfortable that way than he does in most other positions.

 

[Curious_Caique]

Yes, that's normal. IME it's only a phase he's going through. Try not making it a big deal when someone other than you handles him, preferably someone who isn't intimidated by the beak.

The more folks you get to interact with him now, the better - for socialization purposes.

It's great that he's starting to try different foods, too!!

Thank you! Most people don't care to hold him, because of his razor talons, but he went to a park yesterday and did fairly well, at first I think he was confused, but didn't put up too much of a fuss when people petted him, granted I was holding him. I give lots of praise while people interact with him, and make sure they know where the "sweet spot" is. (his little beard. His head goes aaalll the way back and fluffy feathers happen.)
I plan on taking him to a event on the 31st as well, and if he seems uncomfortable he can hang out in his carrier and observe for the most part.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Why not snip off the 'razor' part of his 'talons'? LOL! You could also use a dremel..or a file.

 

[Curious_Caique]

Why not snip off the 'razor' part of his 'talons'? LOL! You could also use a dremel..or a file.

I've clipped and filed, but it didn't help. He just grips incredibly hard, I'm wondering if it isn't because his balance isn't the best yet...

 

[Birdman666]

Why not snip off the 'razor' part of his 'talons'? LOL! You could also use a dremel..or a file.

I've clipped and filed, but it didn't help. He just grips incredibly hard, I'm wondering if it isn't because his balance isn't the best yet...

He could also be slightly nervous yet... or some combination of all of the above. But you're doing good socializing him at such a young age. You're ahead of the curve...

 

[thekarens]

FWIW Zoe is about as mushy as they come and she still likes to charge and lunge. If you ignore her and deflect the beak she turns into a pile of mush. If you act scared or jerk back she chomps.

 

[Birdman666]

FWIW Zoe is about as mushy as they come and she still likes to charge and lunge. If you ignore her and deflect the beak she turns into a pile of mush. If you act scared or jerk back she chomps.

And that really is a universal macaw truth, I think.

The "flinch" test. You've Gotta pass the "flinch" test.

That's a train the humans thing, cuz I seriously doubt you could ever train them out of it completely...

"They do that, and when they do that, this is how you have to react to it..."

 

[Curious_Caique]

FWIW Zoe is about as mushy as they come and she still likes to charge and lunge. If you ignore her and deflect the beak she turns into a pile of mush. If you act scared or jerk back she chomps.

And that really is a universal macaw truth, I think.

The "flinch" test. You've Gotta pass the "flinch" test.

That's a train the humans thing, cuz I seriously doubt you could ever train them out of it completely...

"They do that, and when they do that, this is how you have to react to it..."

Thanks. I was mostly just checking to see if maybe I was doing something wrong with his socialization to have him act like that, I'm relieved to know it's normal. Whenever I take animals out in public, I put on my best "educate the people" attitude, and I've never had an incident with any of my animals, hopefully that can continue with Jasper.