A New Pair!

[Aquila]

So after some chatting with a local breeder who was retiring and finding homes for his flock, I ended up with two little blue front amazons!

They're about 18 years old, but haven't produced any babies since before 2009 when he acquired them.

Unfortunately they're not hand tame but I intend to get them stick trained at the very least. They're in a temporary cage until I can get a little more cash for the 30x30 cage the gentleman had as well.

They've got an excellent appetite and are loving my chop mix, they took to it immediately and have ignored their previous food since! I can't believe how much they can eat!

They're healthy according to the recent vet visit, though they do need some TLC because their feathers aren't as nice and glossy as they could be, but I don't foresee any problems. They're surprisingly quiet and timid and never leave each others sides. I think I was most surprised at how small they are compared to my Sydney.

So far they don't really have names, the previous owner had been calling them Fred and Ethel though, but I'm not really a fan of those names!

I think she looks like a Lola, but I have no idea for the male!

Male is on the left with more blue, female on the right.

 

[SailBoat]

They are going to look very different in six months with the effects of a great diet.

Take care, with that healthy diet in place, you may end up with a family:54:

 

[Anansi]

Congratulations!

You do have your work cut out for you with taming two 18 year old breeders, (Unless breeders are what you were looking for) but successfully switching them to a healthy chop mix already is quite the auspicious start.

I agree with Sailboat. After being on an improved, fresh diet for a while, and a few baths, they'll be looking like new birds.

"Fred and Ethel", eh? Hahaha! Funny. Looking forward to hearing the new names you pick for them.

 

[WilliamKenyon]

congrats! There cute and i can't wait to see them with beautiful new fresh feathers. Are they moulting at the moment?. Keep us updated and thanks for the post.

 

[Allee]

Congratulations, I'm looking forward to seeing a drastic transformation, quality care, lots of baths and a healthy diet will not only change their appearance but imagine how all the changes will make them feel after eighteen years.

Fred and Ethel? I like Lola for the female and the male looks like a Louie.

Best of luck! Please post progress photos and keep us updated.

 

[Blancaej]

Congratulations! It sounds like life is going to get a whole lot better for these 2. A better diet and regular baths will get them looking and feeling awesome in no time. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Aquila]

Thanks all! It's amazing how my Sydney looks now, because he looked like these two when I first got him. I can't really blame the owner who sold them to me because he really did care about all his birds, but when he no longer could work from home he couldn't manage them all anymore, he had around 500 birds in an aviary, and he's been very careful finding homes for all of them.

The female is more tame than the male, but he's very protective, so for now I'm just working on getting them used to my hands around the cage and making sure they have good toys and food.

They don't show any aggression, just the male hissing a little bit, but I can easily hand them treats through the bars or put up toys in the cage without them getting upset.

As much as I do want some babies, I wouldn't even consider it until they're at their prime.

 

[SailBoat]

Once their first 30 days are past and the tests are back from the Vet move their cage into or very near the hub of your home. You may find them chiming in or at the very least highly interested in the goings on around them. Moving from a large breeding facility to a small social group setting (your home) will provide the stage for their coming out party.

Expectations for Rehomed Amazons: Always set them higher than you believe possible and cherish whatever you get as a blessing!

 

[Nakiska]

Wow!!! How exciting!! Was this planned or a spur of the moment kind of thing?

Did you take them in with the intention of future breeding? Or are they going to become your lovies? Maybe a bit of both?

I love the names Fred and Ethel! I also like Ozzy and Harriet! Hahaha and I'm TOTALLY onto the name Hazel for a girl.

I'm amazed at how much DeRita eats too! That girl can put away some food!

It's going to be soo fun to watch them flourish in your care.

I will be looking forward to weekly updates ;-)

Toni

 

[Aquila]

Once their first 30 days are past and the tests are back from the Vet move their cage into or very near the hub of your home. You may find them chiming in or at the very least highly interested in the goings on around them. Moving from a large breeding facility to a small social group setting (your home) will provide the stage for their coming out party.

Expectations for Rehomed Amazons: Always set them higher than you believe possible and cherish whatever you get as a blessing!

I don't expect them to ever be completely tame, but they're very used to hands going in and out of the cage so I've been able to put some toys in and another perch without any problems, I'm very thankful for that!

I introduced them briefly to Sydney, and there was zero aggression from any of them, Sydney actually seemed to really get excited and it's probably the first time he's seen another amazon in a very long time. Although he only saw them through the cage bars, they were all chattering together really nice, and have started doing contact calls in the morning and the evening already. They seem to have great temperaments and everything and though it might take some time, I'd be happy with just being stick trained!

Wow!!! How exciting!! Was this planned or a spur of the moment kind of thing?

Did you take them in with the intention of future breeding? Or are they going to become your lovies? Maybe a bit of both?

I love the names Fred and Ethel! I also like Ozzy and Harriet! Hahaha and I'm TOTALLY onto the name Hazel for a girl.

I'm amazed at how much DeRita eats too! That girl can put away some food!

It's going to be soo fun to watch them flourish in your care.

I will be looking forward to weekly updates ;-)

Toni

It wasn't totally spur of the moment, I'd been talking to the guy for a few weeks on and off about some of the birds he had. He got down to about 50 birds recently, with them being some of the harder to rehome because they're big, and don't have any recent breeding history. I have a huge soft spot for amazons, especially blue fronts so I was happy to take them. He'd been meeting with people but he could tell a lot of them were just flippers or trying to make a profit.

It would be nice for them to breed so I could have my own little baby but I'm not pushing for it, especially not right now, I would want them to be as healthy as possible before attempting.

A bit after they finish eating lunch I'm going to attempt to get them in the shower. They were fine with misting yesterday but they need a good soak for sure!

 

[Aquila]

So I managed to get them into the shower to take a bath, it wasn't paricularly fun but Sydney is much worse, he hates water (except when he dunks his head in his bowl) I had to bathe them separately, which was easy for the male but the female is very skiddish and is a pretty good flier! I wore gloves just in case. Once they were in the shower, they seemed to do pretty well, so they must have been bathed before. They were calm and both lifted their wings a bit so I could spray under.

Toweled them up again and gave them a good once-over. The male had a lot of old down feathers around his tummy and butt, so I ran my fingers through to loosen them up and removed what I could. I trimmed the female's nails, though I could have probably taken off more, one nail in particular was causing her foot to splay slightly, I'll have to do them again next time but I just wanted to get it over quickly. Rubbed their feet lightly with the towel to try and remove some crud and dead skin. Mostly better, and at least no more poopy feet! The female also has a small bald spot on top of her head, assuming it's from overpreening by the male (she often gets food dropped by him on top of her head)

They vocalized a lot once they were both back in the cage, and are currently sitting under their broad spectrum light, grinding their beaks, so I'd say they feel quite a bit better.

[ame="https://youtu.be/gNumMkY1y0s"]New birdies after a bath - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Blancaej]

I'm sure they feel a whole lot better. Sounds like you gave them a good shower!

 

[Aquila]

So after their bath yesterday, I let them out of the cage to explore around a bit. It took a long while for them to come out, but it was a bigger challenge getting them back in!

I would have let them sleep on top of the cage but because they're both fully flighted and pretty darn good at it, I don't trust them yet. They're eating everything I give them, though the male makes a HUGE mess, the female is very much a lady. I was also able to hand them seeds and things through the cage bars which they took very nicely. It's going to be a bit of a challenge to get them stick trained and I don't expect to be able to touch them for an even longer while, they are pretty good with my hands being near them without showing aggression, just giving me a warning.

 

[GreatBlue320]

I bet they felt so much better after their baths!

 

[Aquila]

I gave them spritzes today and they absolutely love the water bottle. Spreading their wings, turning round and round, it was awesome. Might have to show Sydney that he's supposed to like bath!

Figured since it's been raining they might enjoy some indoor participation (or rather precipitation. )

 

[Aquila]

It also totally slipped my mind to post the box they were brought over in too.

 

[riddick07]

Noooo why...we have two special need cockatiels (a pair) that came in and I was all like I know someone that would be great....sigh...

Congrads on the new additions! Looking much better with those baths already

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Noooo why...we have two special need cockatiels (a pair) that came in and I was all like I know someone that would be great....sigh...

Congrads on the new additions! Looking much better with those baths already

I agree with the baths...they DO look so much better,and I bet they feel better too! I loved the 'zon grunts and mumbles in your video. Blue Fronts have a special place in my heart. I took Amy outside yesterday and watched as she waddled thru the grass,munching on twigs and bugs,all the while saying "huh?..huh?" :09:
And she loves going for rides in the car,gets very excited and mumbles constantly.
With all the things your new babies already do,I think you'll be able to get them at least stick trained. I can tell by the way Lola/Ethel/Harriet sits so close to Louie/Fred/Ozzy that they are very bonded.
Keep the photos and updates coming,and congrats and thanks for taking in a pair of very beautiful birdies.


Jim

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Oh...and the box thing...Amy came home with me in a Panasonic boom-box...box..lol


Jim

 

[JerseyWendy]

WOW!! Many congrats on your beautiful new additions!! They have both hit the JACKPOT!!

Should have seen my face when I saw the picture of the box they were brought to you in. :11: My Hunter demolishes boxes in no time flat.