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Aylalei
Starting Member
USA
1 Posts |
 Posted - 12/27/2006 : 13:06:01
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My sister just gave us her 6 year old Macaw, Max. My husband does have experience raising birds. I know nothing so far!
Max hates men! My sister got him when he was 6 months old. Here are my concerns. Can he be retrained to like men? Will he grieve for my sister to the point of making himself sick? How can I make the transition to our home easy for him?
I'm a bit afraid of Max! He's never bitten anyone. What's the best way for me to get comfortable with him? I want to hold him, pet him, and show him how much he's wanted by me.
Should my husband be the only one to feed him until he sees men are nice? He's never been mistreated by any man. He hisses at them!
I REALLY REALLY want this bird to enjoy his life with us! Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Oh, we also have an indoor cat, Spazz. Do parrots and cats ever like each other?
Thanks!
Aylalei
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Toy
Top Gold Member
USA
390 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2006 : 00:36:42
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>>My sister just gave us her 6 year old Macaw, Max. My husband does have experience raising birds. I know nothing so far!<<
Welcome :). This site is a great place to learn the proper way to care for & live with a macaw. Angie has some good articles on the home page. You can also see JaJaBinks, my B&G there as well.
What species of macaw is Max? Why has your sister given him up & does she live close by/visit your home often?
A macaw is like having a 2 year old child that never grows up. So I hope you're prepared for allot of cleaning, screaming, correcting, etc. If Max settles in & becomes part of your "flock" then you'll also have a wonderful companion.
>>Max hates men! My sister got him when he was 6 months old. Here are my concerns. Can he be retrained to like men?<<
Some can & some can't. It all depends on the bird. I got JaJaBinks (female Blue & Gold) at age 2. She had been abused/neglected by her previous owners (man & woman). Her breeder was a woman. She also hates men & refuses to let any man touch/pet her. She will allow them to carry her around tho, as long as they don't try to pet/touch her. If they try she will bite. She's been with us for almost 6 years now & she still refuses to let my Huz touch her. He does carry her, feed her, clean her cage, etc. She also goes into attack mode....wings up, beak wide open, head feathers ruffled if he gets too close to me & she's close by. She's run across the room in attack mode to get at him. See they usually choose one person as their mate & if another person comes into the picture they see that person as a "mate stealer" , i.e. a big threat. So you need to take steps to prevent attacks, bites, etc.
>>How can I make the transition to our home easy for him? <<
Place his cage in a low traffic area. If he was used to being near or in front of a window then try to do the same. If he was used to being covered at night again do the same. If you can carry him on your arm then take him for short walks thru your home. Macaws tend to prefer stepping onto your arm near the wrist than a hand. It's much more stable. Also do not move your arm until he's planted both feet & has a good grip. Otherwise if he feels unstable he may gets nervous, jump off or nip. Hold your arm with elbow pointing out, bird should be not facing forward, but more towards you on a angle outward. This keeps him close, but not near yor face. NEVER let a macaw on your shoulder period. If he gets scared he can remove an ear, eye, etc in a second. Many macaws alos prefer to step back onto your arm than forward onto it. So if he won't step forward, place your arm behind him. It depends on what he's stepping off of as to his preference to forward or backward.
Explain everything to him as you go. Example: This is the frig, the stove, the chair, the table, etc. Touch things & then let him touch them with his beak if he desires. This shows him what is safe & what is not. Macaws are very smart & pick things up quickly. Set him back on his cage & walk away.
His cage MUST at all times be his SAFE place. The place he will flee to if he gets scared, the place he can feel comfortable, the place he will eat & play. It should not be a jail. He MUST have out of cage time every day.
Once you get him used to your home then slowly let him be part of your daily life. JaJaBinks stands on the counter while I do dishes. She loves to play with the bubbles, yank the pans up & down in the water, etc. Of course she also tosses the dish cloth to the floor & then I have to pick it up.
Share meals. JaJaBinks often eats with us right at the table. She stands on the corner. If you don't want to do that then use the counter or a play stand/perch & have Max near you while you eat & let him eat too. Parrots are normally flock eaters.
JaJaBinks also helps bake cookies, do yard work, shares showers, help mop, etc. She helped me set up the Xmas tree by yanking on the branches. It's her way of helping. I try to get her involved in many things so she feels included, part of our flock. Being part of the flock is very important to a macaw.
>>I'm a bit afraid of Max! He's never bitten anyone. What's the best way for me to get comfortable with him? I want to hold him, pet him, and show him how much he's wanted by me.<<
Parrots can sense your fear, so always approach in a calm mood. I can tell you from experience that I'd rather get nipped by a macaw any day compared to a bite from a smaller parrot. Macaws tend to give you a good pinch rather than a bite that draws blood. Also do not force yourself on him. Slow & easy. Talk to him allot. Ask him questions. Always tell him the what, why & how of things. Parrots like to know why you want them to step up, where you are taking them & why. I find explaining things to them makes life so much easier.
Phrase him allot...telling him he's a good bird...every time he does anything that is positive. Example...you tell him you want to take him to the kitchen to eat, ask him to step up, he does, you say good bird lets go eat.
Ignore any negative thing he does, especially screaming. You need to learn his sounds so you'll understand what they mean & can then use them to help train/teach him. They make several scream sounds & several growl sounds. Each one is a different tone, loudness, etc. Watch & learn so you understand what it is he's trying to tell you.
A loud scream done in short bursts is usually a warning call. He trying to tell you danger is near. Danger being what he sees. Example: JaJaBinks sees the firetrucks in the parking lot. We live behind a Fire Company. They put the ladder up & it scares her. So I go look out her window to see if I can see what she is afraid of. As soon as I see the ladder I say Oh it's OK it's just the firemen playing with the equipment again. See the big ladder? Wow!! it's way up there isn't it.? Then I walk away. By doing this she quickly understands that the big evil ladder is not going to harm us. The screaming stops.
Macaws will also do some screaming while attacking toys. This screaming I never interfer with, as they need to do some screaming each day.
JaJaBinks & I also play a game I call "The Scream Game". She usually starts it. It's an in your face(she puts her beak/face close to mine) game, but I trust her & know her movements so I don't get nipped. She makes a sound & I'm suppose to imitate it. The game continues by her making up sounds I'm to imitate untils one of us gets tired. She gets pretty darn creative too, LOL.
Growl sounds can mean content, disgust, back off, etc. A foot up means you're in my space back up. If the bird has gotten used to you playing with it's feet/kissing it's toes, etc then a foot up can mean lets play the foot game.
Parrots will NEVER learn or accept the word NO. NO means try & try again to them.
I'm writing a book here, LOL......
Most important is to get him settled, earn his trust, by sharing meals/talking to him/etc. Once you earn his trust then start on training, keeping sessions short to say 10 minutes. They loose interest after that. His world needs to be FUN, so laugh allot, sing, talk & read to him & just let him be a parrot. Let him make a mess, it's what his genes are telling him to do.
>Should my husband be the only one to feed him until he sees men are nice? He's never been mistreated by any man. He hisses at them!<
Was Max ever abused or threatened in any way by a man?
Most macaws reach it around the age of 7. So those hormones will kick in at least once a year, sometimes twice. Males can become agressive during this time, so you need to just let him alone to deal with it as much as possible. Use caution when handling him, etc & try to avoid any attacks to your Huz. Breeding time starts usually in late November early December & can run into January/Feb. Depends on the bird as to the length of time they're in a hormone phase. They get grumpy, nippy, loud. Some reduce food intake, so increase it.
My Huz feeds, cleans cages & sort of plays non-touch games with JaJaBinks. He can carry her, but she to this day refuses to let him touch her. He's afraid of her beak & she knows it. Your Huz should be as much a part of Maz's daily life as possible, if it's only feeding. Max may never allow your Huz to touch/pet him tho. There's no telling unless he tries.
>Oh, we also have an indoor cat, Spazz. Do parrots and cats ever like each other?,
A scratch or saliva from a cat can kill a parrot in a very short time. It's toxic to them. Normally cats do not make great friends with parrots. So you will need to use caution when Max is out of his cage so the cat doesn't try to attack him or vice versa.
I know allot of this sounds like major work & so complicated. Just take it one step at a time & remember to make his life fun. Macaws love to play & they especially love to swing, so he sould have at least one swing eithe in his cage or on a play gym.
Hi sdiet shold consist of a good seed mix, fresh veggies, some fruit, pellets (some don't feed pellts, but I do) & in shell nuts daily. Human food like meat, chicken bones, pasta, hard cheese, herbal tea like chamomile, are OK. Toxic foods that should be avoided....sugar, salt, onions, avacadoes, chocolate. Air freshners & scented candles are a no-no, as they can cause respiratory issues.
OK so once you've gotten past the shock of this post, LOL... ask any questions you may have. Remember never to assume anything, ask. Also there are NO stupid questions, only good answers :).
Toy
Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. |
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twobob
Top Gold Member
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2007 : 22:53:26
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| great advice from toy who knows |
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We've just been given a 6 year old Macaw!
