New Amazon

[Boozieshome]

I have my first new Amazon at home. She (allegedly) is a 9 month old Mealy and I love her already. I brought her home yesterday, she loves her new cage, and I have a vet appt this afternoon.

Should I just leave her alone and talk to her for a couple of days? I read this somewhere, allow her to get acclimatized. Is this a good policy? Is there anything I can do to make her more at home?

 

[Birdman666]

I have my first new Amazon at home. She (allegedly) is a 9 month old Mealy and I love her already. I brought her home yesterday, she loves her new cage, and I have a vet appt this afternoon.

Should I just leave her alone and talk to her for a couple of days? I read this somewhere, allow her to get acclimatized. Is this a good policy? Is there anything I can do to make her more at home?

That totally depends on the bird. If this bird is friendly, and wants to interact with you, and you want to interact with it, why make it do time in solitary?!

To me, this is for birds that are nervous and stressed in their new environment.

A bird that is happy, and WANTS attention, should get it.

This is where you start setting the routine.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and your new mealy! You've hit the jackpot as the Amazon forum is among our busiest with the most dedicated and knowledgeable members!

Kudos for your basic instincts of a vet well-check and a low-key approach to the homecoming. Definitely take a slow but measured approach, and let your baby offer some guidance in the form of inquisitiveness and reactions to you and your family. Not sure how experienced you are with parrots, but these linked threads may prove helpful!

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/12857-top-10-hazards-companion-birds.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56384-big-beak-o-phobes-guide-understanding-macaw-beaks.html (Despite the macaw title, this applies to most every parrot!)

 

[Boozieshome]

Thank you so much.

 

[Kiwibird]

A mealy amazon, the "gentle giants" of the amazon species. How exciting, they are rather uncommon in the US Unless she is terrified and seems really upset, I think the advice to let them acclimate is somewhat antiquated. That probably applied a lot more to wild caught parrots who never interacted with humans before, not so much with the newer generations of hand raised babies who are friendly and eager to interact and explore their new home. Let her behavior guide your interactions in the first few days. And please posts some pics! We can help determine if she is in fact a mealy and would love to see her.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I agree with all of the above. If Ms Mealy is showing interest in you and is not cowering/shaking in the corner of her new home,by all means,get to know her!
The sooner you interact with your new girl,the better it will be for both of you.

Now I know a Cockatiel isn't an Amazon,but the day BB came home to spend the rest of his life with Amy and I,I took him right out of his little "take me home" box that the breeder put him in,and I immediately started to show him around the house and play with him..talk to him,give him skritches etc.
It's been a year now that he has been here,and he is accustomed to everything that goes on here. He tolerates Amy...she loves him,and BB will go to anyone who comes to visit..he has a ton of "uncles" lol.
So socialize your new Amazon! You and she will love it,and the more socialization you do with her,the calmer she will be in different situations,the more willing she will be to meet new people,and the happier/more excited she will be when you two go out into this huge wonderful world. ENJOY!!



Jim

 

[Birdman666]

Years ago, I fostered a mealy amazon... They are very even tempered. Probably the easiest amazon out there next to a lilac crowned, or a pan am...

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed . Lucky is the person who owns a mealy amazon - you wll have a frind for life. If have not already goto the top of the amazon forum and read, aloud to you parrot, all the stickies at the top .INVALUABLE information about diet body language etc . Written by the most experieced members on this board, this will literally be your road map for you ans your new mealy.

 

[SailBoat]

Hmmm, a Mealy! Where the unknowing World would avoid an Amazons (all those stories), you choose the largest Amazon in the family Amazona!

What swept you off your feet! Did she come to you and whisper, I want you babydoll and you melted. Background story, please!

Welcome to the Wonderfull World of Amazons!

 

[chris-md]

When we say mealys are even tempered, are we talking relative to other amazons or other parrots in general?

 

[SailBoat]

When we say mealys are even tempered, are we talking relative to other amazons or other parrots in general?

That's a great question!

There is a rumor that Jim's Amy was in fact raised by Mealy Parents!

Are Mealy's Amazons, yes! Are the Big, Hot Three of the Amazon family smaller in comparison, yes! Yet, these gentle giants of the Amazon family are everything that the fabled horror stories of Amazons are not, they are sweethearts.

Can a Mealy get in your face, and get really up close and personnel, yes they can! But, 99.9% of the time, the Human screwed something up or didn't pay attention to all the signals, kept pushing, etc...

 

[Boozieshome]

Thanks for all the wonderful advice. I have been moving her cage around with me (I work from home) talking to her and singing and she has warmed up quickly, as you can see from the photos.

I need my wife to step up and not be afraid. Boozie gave her a good bite yesterday and she is a bit gun shy. Boozie is coming around and I am very happy with her. She bites, of course, but I just tell her we aren't doing that and persevere. She, I keep saying "she," is a wonderful addition to our home.

We have 3 big dogs and 2 cats. The one dog I thought would not be a problem is very jealous and whining like crazy. The other two barely notice Boozie is here. Boozie was on the arm of my chair earlier and one of the cats jumped up. They looked at each other and the cat went to sleep. The other cat is a killer though and I will be very careful about him. He decapitates rabbits and brings them home.

All in all, it is wonderful. Boozie is already giving me kisses.

 

[Birdman666]

When we say mealys are even tempered, are we talking relative to other amazons or other parrots in general?

They are extremely docile compared to most amazons... never had a single behavior problem with that bird. NOT ONE. And needless to say, she wasn't around long because EVERYONE wanted to adopt him. There was nothing to rehab. Sweet, good natured, hardy, playful. so-so talker.

Great bird!

Wasn't mine to keep, and I already had 11 or I probably would have...

 

[Kiwibird]

Boozie looks like a big sweetheart. Our amazon also gives us kisses like that From those photos, she does look to have the eyes of a very young amazon still so it sounds like you were likely given an accurate idea of her age when you bought her. As she gets older, her eyes will either change to bright yellow or orange irises. I am not sure which a mealy has, but those are the 2 eye colors I know of in amazons and tend to start changing to adult coloration around 1 year of age.

Given her age, now is a good time to harness train her and start target training her. Get her used to these things young, it will be of infinite benefit as she gets older and bolder!

 

[Boozieshome]

Boozie looks like a big sweetheart. Our amazon also gives us kisses like that From those photos, she does look to have the eyes of a very young amazon still so it sounds like you were likely given an accurate idea of her age when you bought her. As she gets older, her eyes will either change to bright yellow or orange irises. I am not sure which a mealy has, but those are the 2 eye colors I know of in amazons and tend to start changing to adult coloration around 1 year of age.

Given her age, now is a good time to harness train her and start target training her. Get her used to these things young, it will be of infinite benefit as she gets older and bolder!

When I got her to the vet, she took a close look at her wings and lamented the butchering that had been done as a clip job. She basically has zero flight ability, which of course means that she fell off her perch and dropped like a rock. She wasn't injured, but that worries me. I wanted to eventually have her a free flight parrot but there are a lot of hawks and falcons around here so that may be a very bad idea.

Also, I took her for a shower and it seemed like she had never had a shower opportunity before. Didn't seem to love it the way I have seen Amazons do. Should I just keep taking her to the shower or look for other ways to get her clean?

This forum is a great learning tool!

 

[Kiwibird]

Boozie looks like a big sweetheart. Our amazon also gives us kisses like that From those photos, she does look to have the eyes of a very young amazon still so it sounds like you were likely given an accurate idea of her age when you bought her. As she gets older, her eyes will either change to bright yellow or orange irises. I am not sure which a mealy has, but those are the 2 eye colors I know of in amazons and tend to start changing to adult coloration around 1 year of age.

Given her age, now is a good time to harness train her and start target training her. Get her used to these things young, it will be of infinite benefit as she gets older and bolder!

When I got her to the vet, she took a close look at her wings and lamented the butchering that had been done as a clip job. She basically has zero flight ability, which of course means that she fell off her perch and dropped like a rock. She wasn't injured, but that worries me. I wanted to eventually have her a free flight parrot but there are a lot of hawks and falcons around here so that may be a very bad idea.

Also, I took her for a shower and it seemed like she had never had a shower opportunity before. Didn't seem to love it the way I have seen Amazons do. Should I just keep taking her to the shower or look for other ways to get her clean?

This forum is a great learning tool!

Wings grow back. Even the harsher clips will fill back in within a few years What doesn't necessarily grow back is the willingness of a baby to learn and accept new things. Harness train her now even if she can't fly right now. You'll appreciate it 5/6 years down the line when she's been flying for a while and still wants to go out. An amazon hits puberty around 4-6 years old and it becomes significantly more difficult to train after they reach puberty/adulthood. You'll be glad you did it when she was a baby rather than waited!

There is more than one way to bathe an amazon. A shower could be a bit much for a young bird who's getting her first bath. I'd suggest going to the dollar store and buying a spray bottle and misting her with that. Make lots of happy noises and get into it yourself. Make bath time fun, be silly time. You can also fill a shallow pan with a little water and see if she'd like to bathe in that or run the water in the sink and see if she'd like to bathe under the running water in the sink (let it drain). Amazons are native to the rainforest and get frequent soakings in nature so I'm sure she'll quickly take to bath time At minimum, a parrot needs a weekly bath. As she gets more used to the idea, it'll likely be her demanding them several times a week. Be sure the water is lukewarm or cool (on a hot day). In cooler months, bathe in a warm bathroom and let her mostly dry off before bringing her out. Some parrots tolerate being blow dried on the lowest heat setting. You don't want her to catch a chill.

 

[Boozieshome]

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[ftlaudmom]

Looks like you got a sweet one there. Congrats.