nevermind— baby turned into a love bug

[mdjmsmith2]

So.. I have a new baby Macaw.. Deleted because baby turned into a love bug!!

 

[Laurasea]

You have a new young bird. And as she becomes adjusted and more comfortable she expressing herself. They are flock creatures, and as a young burd they would still have very attentive parents. They wouldn't be alone.
So its very natural to want be with you non stop.

This age is very important in a parrots life. I will look fir my articles. But extra attention, extra guidance, extra time in teaching foraging, teaching and manipulate toys together, support feeding, creating a routine, a flock call. Can really pay off in an well adjusted parrot who can be more independent as an adult. And preventing behavior issues later on.

 

[Laurasea]

I'll start with this one while I look for the one I'm thinking of. Macaws take longer to wean and spend longer being educated by parents than smaller quicker to develop species. Like a year i think. When your baby makes baby noises it still needs to be comforted, it may still need a comfort feeding, or encouraged to eat a warm chop meal with dome quinoa or soaked cooked legume. They still need more tactile reassurance, some preening but you.

The Science of Handfeeding and Weaning the Baby Parrot: Section Three | The Aviator Harness

Weaning is a stage of development where a young parrot becomes able to interact independently within a flock or family, without requiring continual nurturing support that parents supply through feeding and tactile reassurance. This stage of development has four main components: nutrition, nurturing,

www.aviatorharness.com

I think this is one of the good ones .

The Important Stages in the Life of a Parrot

Parrots go through several stages of development that contribute to the formation of its personality.

www.parrot-parrots.com

This one is also a good read. Because it talks about comfort feeding, how often parrots are rushed through weaning. And how stress and food go hand in hand.

Stress Reduction for Companion Parrots – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

To put it bluntly, keeping companion parrots is similar to trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. The fact that they do as well as they do is testimony more to their adaptability than it is to our husbandry efforts.

lafeber.com

 

[Laurasea]

I have t fully read this one. But it talks about this being one if tge most stressful times in a parrots life being weaned and then off to the new home.

Easing the Transitions in the Life of Captive Birds | IAABC Parrot Blog

iaabc.org

I definitely agree with this! It's the first thing I teach every parrot coming into my home! I link good birdie Wuth every positive thing ( to them ( if they eat i tell them good birdie, when they preen i tell them good birdie, when they play i tell them good birdie, when they start to fall asleep i tell them good birdie, when I pet them. Very quickly good birdie us a positive link. Then then when I tell them good birdie for something g I want they "feel " good! Mine start working fir " good birdue" as much as they would work for a treat.
Excerpt from linked article

" Most Important Thing to Teach Your Bird​

Many people will tell you that the most important thing to teach your bird is to step up. Some may tell you that the bird should understand “No” above all else. I respectfully disagree. I believe that the most important thing for your bird to understand is, “Good.” Even tiny babies begin to understand the concept of good and they react positively. “Good” teaches wanted behaviors faster and more completely than, “No”. Praise builds confidence and inspires a desire to learn. Praise relieves stress and can even reduce pain when used properly. To make transitions quicker, smoother and more pleasant use the word “Good” frequently. You cannot overuse the word “Good.”

 

[Laurasea]

She is sixteen weeks old.. Born March 13th…. She is feed weaned but not maturity wise. I am happy to spend more time with her but just need to know how to tone down the screeching. I enjoy the baby sounds and bobbing the head up and down… but the moment I cuddle her there she goes all out!! More, more and I just can’t!


On the positive side, she is fun and easy to train at this age and can do most anything… let’s put on a harness.. okay mom… let’s go for a ride in a stroller… okay mom, let’s put on a flight suit, okay mom… no questions asked.

Great, if I can just figure out how to tone down the screaming!!

Thank you very much for the reading… I am on it and will enjoy reading them tonight.

You want to work to prevent any screaming from starting rather than trying to stop .

If post snuggle is a trigger do a softer transition. First make sure you've filled them up with snuggle preening. For mine that's about an hour hands in time. Then have a perch near you, move them to a perch right next to you. Give a treat, talk to them a little. Maybe give them something that takes a little longer like a slice of apple, half a millet spray. While they eat thst talk to them and praise them occasionally, while you split your focus to your phone or a book, or fold laundry next to them. After about 15 minutes. Move them farther away to a play estea or top of cage turned into a plsyb stand with perches and toys . Put a nut into a toy or cover slightly with shredded paper. To occupy them . Stay around 10 or 15 feet away but in sight. Do your meal prep or chores. Every so often walk over and tell them how good they are . Talk back and forth with your flock ohrae or whistle. Maybe play soft music.

Any other times of the day that screaming is likely . Set them up fir success. Some sort of distraction, something easy to rip up, easy foraging. Ir encourages a bath.

 

[Laurasea]

Pamela Clark does phone behavior consulting, very reasonable prices.

Consulting her about screaming could be very beneficial.

Pamela Clark, CPBC

I help caregivers with parrot behavior problems such as aggression, feather destructive behavior, screaming, parrot, training parrots, better diet.

pamelaclarkonline.com

 

[wrench13]

Macaws are loud. Super loud, or were you not aware of this? And, while you can maybe get the random screaming and contact screeching somewhat under control, many parrots have a period of noise in the AM (to greet the sun) and in the evening (to say good bye to it). Personally I think it is more to establish their place in the flock each morning and evening, kind of like roll call. Macaws in the wild fly many miles in the course of a day; their voices are loud so they can maintain contact with their mate and the flock. If you keep this in mind, you will better understand why your macaw is loud and perhaps allow you to anticipate what the triggers are.

 

[HeatherG]

When you bring home a new bird, you need to think about how much time you can reasonably give him/ her each day. The idea is that you don’t want to spend half your day cuddling your new baby bird in the first week and only 15 minutes a day with the bird after six months.

Handing the bird a distraction when you leave is a great idea. It’s kind of like giving your toddler a toy or cookie to distract them when you leave for work.