4 month old blue macaw balance problems?

[coconutthemacaw]

Hello everyone.

I purchased a 4 month old blue macaw, and he's been amazing. I have a closed off balcony (a ceiling-to-floor room) attached to my room where I leave him outside the cage. I've trained him to go inside the cage at night. I give him clean filtered water, a bowl of roudybush pellets, a bowl of fresh fruits and vegetables (bananas, peppers, apples, watermelons, cucumbers, etc.), and I give him nut mix twice to three times a week as well as sunflower seeds (his favorite) as treats.

He climbs into the cage with no problem, he's never fallen off a perch. I keep a big parrot ladder so he can climb up and down to the floor whenever he wants. Basically, he's never had a balance problem and has never fallen off a perch or anything.

I've been training him to climb up my arm, but he always wobbles and tries to hang onto something else like his ladder. He cannot stabilize himself on my arm at all. Is this because he's still young, or because he's new to this? Or is there an underlying problem that I should get checked out?

Thank you so much.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and your new macaw!

Part of his difficulty may be lack of firmness of your skin vs solid objects such as a ladder. Are you able to gage the strength of his grip? Doubt overgrown nails are a factor. Can you upload a video of him attempting to grip your arm?

If he has not had a well-check, might be a good idea to rule out potential issues. You'll want a certified avian vet for best advice.

 

[SailBoat]

Fully agree with Scott!

And, yes, young Parrots have difficulty moving about an arm as skin tends to move about where a perch /ladder do not.

But, as stated by Scott, a Wellness Examination is fully warranted.

 

[coconutthemacaw]

I'll upload a video first thing in the morning- thank you!

 

[Scott]

I'll upload a video first thing in the morning- thank you!

Looking forward to the video. Easiest method is via YouTube link.

 

[coconutthemacaw]

[ame="https://youtu.be/bN5NL8UJhDQ"]Coconut - YouTube[/ame]
here you go! he usually comes up closer but is still supper wobbly.

 

[Cosmographer]

I'm still new to macaws but thought I'd chime in since I have a greenwing macaw that's also 4 months old. Technically the breeder still has her, but I visit her every week. My first visit was when she was 3 months old, and on my visits she's never had a problem using my body like a jungle gym. Seems perfectly stable, so perhaps it's not an age issue with your B&G.

 

[Scott]

Seems reasonably normal with the caveat I'm not a vet nor have handled young macaws. Coconut seems cautions and uses wings for balance. See what others advise, but a well-check with certified avian vet may be a good idea.

 

[SailBoat]

Your Blue & Gold (B&G) Macaw seems a bit unstable. Are you being told your baby is 4 months or are you certain of its age?

Normally, at four months, your Mac would have fuller wings and tail feathers. The lack, damage or loss of those feathers could also cause issues with stability.

 

[coconutthemacaw]

I've been told he's 4 months old. I notice he chirps and flaps his wings when he's happy. Is this normal or does this mean his wings are damaged? My country has a curfew and vet visits are extremely hard to schedule because we can't go anywhere without a permit from the government and an appointment to the place we're going to. I will call the vet nonetheless, should I tell them it's urgent?

 

[coconutthemacaw]

Also, he's a messy eater and loves his fresh fruits, when I was cleaning his beak I noticed it was peeling?? Is this normal?

 

[coconutthemacaw]

Here's a clearer view.
[ame="https://youtu.be/Y2VI9EPEb38"]Full view - YouTube[/ame]

 

[wrench13]

Very normal.

 

[Cosmographer]

Where are you located? Just asking because it sounds a lot like the country I'm in: Philippines.

 

[EdgesofTwilight]

Macaws look awkward and clumsy when they are young. Takes a while to grow into that big head of theirs. Lol I got my Hahns when he was 3 months old and was clumsy as well. It's always good to get a wellness checkup when you first get them to make sure all is good and also gives the vet a baseline to go to in the future if needed. My little guy is almost 6 years old now and he still has the occasional difficulty of grabbing onto my arm without sliding. Yours will learn that he can use his beak to grab and stabilize too. Beautiful bird you have there!


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[coconutthemacaw]

Where are you located? Just asking because it sounds a lot like the country I'm in: Philippines.

I reside in Kuwait.

 

[coconutthemacaw]

Macaws look awkward and clumsy when they are young. Takes a while to grow into that big head of theirs. Lol I got my Hahns when he was 3 months old and was clumsy as well. It's always good to get a wellness checkup when you first get them to make sure all is good and also gives the vet a baseline to go to in the future if needed. My little guy is almost 6 years old now and he still has the occasional difficulty of grabbing onto my arm without sliding. Yours will learn that he can use his beak to grab and stabilize too. Beautiful bird you have there!


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Thank you so much! Will do.