not sure what is going on with my blue and gold

[tdavis8742]

My daughter and I adopted a blue and gold macaw. Her name is ginger. She is 5 years old we have had her for a month when we first got her home she would step up with some encouragement. Sometimes she would shiver like she was afraid of us or unsure to be on the safe side we took her to the vet everything checked out fine. The last week or so demeanor has changed we could handle before now she wants to bite and pace the top of the cage.and won't step up she is not eating a lot this comes and goes we spend 3 to 4 hours twice a day talking to her trying to work with her her cage is open all day. We pot her to bed at about 8 pm and get her up about 9 am

I'm giving you as much information as i can any help would be appreciated

Thanks Terry

 

[JerseyWendy]

Terry, it sounds like Ginger has developed some cage aggression. Is it possible to work with her AWAY from the cage?

Can you make a simple T-stand, or even use the back of a chair to place her on - away from the cage? (If it's a wooden chair, and she's a heavy chewer, you may want to re-think using that chair)

Is she stick/perch trained?

I personally wouldn't allow her to be on top of her cage as long as she's displaying this kind of behavior.

Also, a playstand away from the cage goes a long way. We have numerous members who have made fabulous playgyms for their fids.

 

[Birdman666]

Well, she was timid and settling in before.

Now she's seeing what she can get away with, and what you're gonna do about it... This is the "testing" phase in my opinion.

Pass the test and it goes away. Don't pass the test, and this bird will attempt to control the interaction.

This is the point in your relationship with this bird where you set and enforce boundaries. Once those are in place, you are golden...

(Right now YOUR BIRD is the one setting the boundaries with you... you might not like living under his rules!)

Until you pattern this bird, and have the boundaries in place, the bird is likely to act up.

Here are some helpful threads that ought to get you going:

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/49099-what-your-tips-first-time-macaw-owner.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/49567-general-macaw-parrot-questions-2.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/49091-moving-forward-gus.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/49242-help-blue-gold-macaw.html

 

[Birdman666]

As Wendy said, a playstand away from the cage that is a lower height than you are goes a long way...

"Height Dominance" is a misnomer, but the behaviors are very real. They don't so much become dominant when they are higher than you, but you are putting them in a position where they are difficult to control, and they are smart enough to know that. Right now, this bird is not trained well enough, or bonded enough, to be trusted in a position where you cannot control him.

On top of the cage, they know they can misbehave and get away with it. So the bird goes to the top of the cage, and plays the "can't catch me" game. (Because it's fun, and because he may be right!) Get something that makes you taller than the cage, i.e. a step stool, and tell the bird to step up nice, and mean business! (Because he will keep doing it until you put a stop to it.)

Like toddlers, the more they misbehave and get away with it, the more they misbehave PERIOD... you reinforce the bad behaviors every time they get away with it. And before you know it, you've trained them to behave badly. Then you have to UNTRAIN those behaviors, which is considerably harder, and involves significantly more "macaw testing."

When they know it won't work, they don't do it.

Like a little kid that runs away when you tell him to come here. If you go over there and pick him up - no only is that "come here", it's also "you will obey me when I tell you to do something."

You raise a macaw the same way... with love and positive nurturing guidance, discipline, and boundary setting.

Then, even when they are up high, you tell them to come down, and they know you mean it, they will.

(Or in the alternative, you can spend the next 20 minutes chasing him around the top of the cage, and get nipped or bit a couple of times for your trouble, before either getting the upper hand, or giving up on handling him. It's up to you! )

 

[Birdman666]

h shes been head butting me and lunging at my face, but never bites me.

That's birdie play!

If she were lunging and biting there would be a problem. This is "happy to see you let's play!"

And if you can beak wrestle, face to beak there is NOTHING wrong with that bird, and half the big mac owners out there would envy you!!! This is what's supposed to happen! It's macaw enthusiasm and exuberance bubbling over...

My red fronted macaw has been head butting me (while quacking like a duck) for close to ten years now... it's the way she greets me when I come home. Sort of like a birdie fist bump...

 

[tdavis8742]

Thanks for all the great information things are getting better