adopting 13 yo blue, need some advice pls

[YoshiSwe]

Good morning,
I am about to take over a 13 year old female blue fronted amazon girl from a couple that can no longer keep her.
I have only had budgies and cockatiels in the past (and dogs).

She seems very unafraid and friendly, when I visited her she stepped right up on my finger and she flew to me from a perch several times to sit on my shoulder, so the couple that have her now said she "appeared to like me".

I am very inexperienced though and very eager to do things right.

I have two dogs and two sons (age 9 and 11). Any general advice on what to do during the first few days would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I know she has been fed a seed mix, veggies and fruit, and human food (chicken, egg, etc). I am a vegan and will not be feeding her any meats unless this is absolutely necessary for her health.
I understand she should not be on seed mix but on pellets? Is this correct? Can I transition her to pellets?

She is very active and a very good flyer.

She has been in a very good home for the last eight years with an experienced couple, but she is not getting along with the other parrots they have and they feel she needs to be the center of attention in a new home.

Grateful for advice. Thank you.

 

[clayman]

Hi, seems like the girl is in good shape, although if she never had a checkup by an avian vet, it might be a sensible thing to have her checked, just to be sure.

Quality pellets (such as Versele-Laga or Harrison's) are indeed a good choice. If the girl is not used to them, the transition needs to be smooth, so keep giving her the mix she is used to, but throw in a couple pellets and try to convince her to taste them and once she starts accepting them, you can increase the amount fed while reducing the amount of seeds.

It is certainly not a (big) problem if you do not feed her meat. Parrots get very little of it in the wild as well. Proteins can also be obtained from legumes as you certainly know, but if you boil an egg every once in a while, it will do her good, too.

I think you are off to a good start overall. Good luck and much joy with your new family member.

 

[YoshiSwe]

She was taken to the vet a few years back, I think 2013. I guess it is high time to take her. Should I wait until she knows me and trusts me? Or should I just take her? Thank you!

 

[clayman]

As she does not appear to be suffering from any illness or other condition, you are probably not in a hurry for a checkup and can wait until you gain her trust a little more.

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed. Go to the Amazon sub forum, and read the stickies posted there. Especially the one about Amazon body language, it is critical , when being owned by an amazon. It will save you many bites, nips and frustration. THen, read it aloud to your parrot. Re-read it every so often. Yes, it is that important. There are lots of major Amazon people on here, so any questions, feel free to ask away. And we love pics and videos!

 

[SailBoat]

You are getting great advice regarding your soon to be new member of your household from my good friend above.

I would like to recommend a couple of minor changes and a couple of things you can do to enhance this process.

The visiting a Vet is a great idea and my preference is once a year or every other year. This is especially true when major changes occur. The question of when to visit a Vet is a very open question, and the answers vary widely. We work with very special Amazons and have come to believe that the best time to Vet check a new Parrot is on the way home from picking them-up to bring them home.

It would seem an odd time until you think about the need to build a trust bond. When first picking them up, their World is upside down and they are not sure what is happening to them. I have found that getting to the Vet having the blood tests, examination completed and any nail trimming done allows for this craziness to result in coming to your home. This way, the next year is all about Trust development. Also, you are the wonderful Human that is saving her from the Vet staff!

The existing owners should provide you with her DNA paperwork and any documentation of their ownership of the BFA. Remember that CITES rules are increasing and having a document trail is important now and into the future. As part of this process, assure that you are provided their Vet's name and other contact information. Request that they release the past history of your new BFA to you. Once again, this is all targeted toward current and future CITES rules. It is much easier to get this all handled now instead of later. To connect the Vet's Documentation to you, I would recommend that the first visit be with that Vet. Also assure that if the BFA has any identification markings (tattoo), leg band or micro chip that information is also on all documents.

Visit the Amazon Forum here on the Parrot Forums and read the two 'Strictly' Threads (highlighted in light blue) at the top of the page. Read with understanding the Thread: Understanding Body Language - this will be your key to quickly understanding what your Amazon is communicating to you. Its the foundation of living and loving Amazons. The other Thread: I Love Amazons - ... is a knowledge base working with Amazons. The medical section in the last third will be very helpful right now.

A couple of points in working with Amazons:
It is NEVER the fault of the Amazon! It is ALWAYS the fault of the Human! Whe Working with an Amazon, always view interactions from this vantage point. This will allow you to quickly figure out what you are doing wrong and correct it.

Amazons Love to be Read Too! So, re-read the two threads at the top of the Amazon Forum with your new Amazons next to you!!! The Understand Body Language is a corner post in understand Amazons and should be read and reread until it is like a first language.

My Friend has given you great advise on switching your Amazons diet. As stated, it is better to introduce and later remove items. Note: A quality, Human Grade mix of seeds, grains and nuts with a mixture of pellets is a good dry base. Remember to remove the SunFlower Seeds and the Peanuts, neither are healthy for Amazons. Use them as an occasional treat. The foundation of the diet is natural, fresh green veggies, all other veggies, and 'some' fruits. That part should be easy for you as you can for the most part shop for both of you and share!!!

Work at your Amazons pace! Target Trust Building (Only Good Things Happen when Humans are around). Assure that all members of the family are involved - socializing is an everyday thing with Amazons. Games like pass the birdie work.

Keep a strong line of communication with her past owners as an information source. Remember she is losing her home!!! She will be effected emotionally by this event! Target only good things happen!

Remember: Amazons Rule!

Read and keep coming back!

 

[Birdman666]

Well, it appears that the first rule of parrot ownership: Pick the bird that also picks you has been followed in your case...

Amazons generally have strong opinions about people. Their opinions are not easily changed.

My most bonded bird EVER, and trust me, I've had a lot of them.... was my 38 year old blue front who I lost to a tumor. Absolutely amazing companion animal... whose liver was significantly destroyed by the prior owner not feeding the bird properly.

Seeds should be about 10 - 15% of the diet, not the main source. Pellets yes. Fresh foods as well. Eggs. Rice. Beans. Chicken. Fish. Veggies. Sweet Potato. Amazons tend to have vitamin A deficiencies, which can cause all sorts of medical complications, so fresh vitamin A foods every day... goes a long way towards good health.

Seed only diets will cut their life short. Like in half...

Aloe Detox goes a long way toward cleaning out the liver. I mix it with fruit juices... When my BFA came to me her liver values were so high that she was near death. Two months of cramming as much aloe detox into her as I can get, coupled with a strict, healthy diet? Her liver values came down to within normal limits - so in her case it was 100% diet related...

I lost her to a tumor when she was 38...

My oldest zon at the moment is 43, and healthy as a horse...

And the amazon body language post is pretty good... but I may be biased since I am the one who wrote it.

I've had "a little" experience with zons. I'm owned by three at the moment... (RLA, LCA, PAN AM)

 

[Birdman666]

As for socializing with a zon, THESE ARE ATTENTION ORIENTED BIRDS who need to be handled. They need attention and out time every day.

The worst thing you can do is lock them in cages, and leave them there to rot. Cage bound amazons will become territorial, and then the bad behaviors start. They CAN become attacky and bite... Or you can let them out of their cage and play with them. And they won't bite. (It's up to you.) They get overly attached to a territory, they will defend it. Simple as that. "Defend my nest" is a primary survival instinct with a zon.

Something like a bird boing that you can hang on a hanger and move from place to place is a good option. Just get the little plastic things they use as chair mats for under a desk. Easy to clean poop mat. Then you can move it from place to place, and the bird never gets cage bound or territorial, because there is nothing to defend...

Overbonding can be another issue with zons, especially hot 3's. These are pair bond birds. In the wild you see them in flocks of 40 birds, but they are always 2 by 2. They mate for life, and they love completely. Sometimes too much of a good thing, if that pair bond gets transferred to a "favorite person." ZONS CAN BE JEALOUS BIRDS!! The way you prevent that from happening, is more than one person has to handle the bird. IF THE BIRD IS HANDLED BY EVERYONE, IT WILL USUALLY GO TO EVERYONE...

Hot 3 amazons are called Hot 3's because they have a longer breeding season than most. That means the hormonal behaviors we all deal with will last about 2-3 months longer. i.e. roughly half the year instead of 1/3 of it. That is honestly all this means. So, if your bird is "hormonally challenged" you need to understand that this is a seasonal thing, and as they say about porn "you'll know it when you see it."

Finally, bite pressure training a zon is more difficult than say a macaw, but it can be done. The biggest thing with zons, especially hot 3's is that YOU DON'T TRIGGER THE "AMAZON OVERLOAD" thing. Get them too excited when playing, they stop controlling their bite pressure, and accidents happen.

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah. I've done this once or twice... Enjoy! They really are fun birds, if their attention needs are met.

You raise a bird the same way you raise a child. Boundary setting, and nurturing guidance.

You will be amazed at how child like and loving they are, once you've worked with them awhile...

 

[YoshiSwe]

Wow, I am overwhelmed by the response, this is fantastic, thank you! So helpful! I will definitely hang around here to learn from you experts!

I ordered some samples of pellets, we don't seem to have the same brands in Sweden as the ones you have recommended. I'll see if I can get her to eat any of them.

I eat a lot of sweet potatoes, I guess this is good food for her too, would you boil them a bit or give them raw like carrots? I don´t have a steamer. Is boiled quinoa ok? Lots of protein in that.

If I go get branches from the woods for her cage, should I remove the bark? We have lots of pine trees and birches.

 

[itzjbean]

TONS of great advice in this thread so far! I'm not sure if anyone mentioned, but this probably goes without saying, keep your smaller birds and the Amazon separated. It would be wise to not have them out at the same time, or in different rooms.

You should be cautious when finding branches outside. It's recommended to cook them as to kill any bugs, remove the bark yes, and you need to find out if there is any chance they have been treated with pesticides or chemicals.

 

[rescuebird]

Also, I recommend you read the sticky posts at the top of the Amazon forum - HUGE amounts of helpful info there.

 

[SailBoat]

Pellets:
- Target a pellet that is or states Human Grade processed or like terms!
- Preference is no colour added - the colour means nothing to the Parrot and can result in odd colour poop! That could result in an unnecessary trip to the Vet.
- Low or better no Salt
- Low or better no Sugar (nothing more eventful that an overloaded Amazon on a Sugar high)

Most Pellet manufactures add Sugar to get the Parrot to eat it!
- When transitioning, consider a small sizes Pellet that can be added to their dry mix - can help in getting them to try it.

Sweet potatoes:
I have yet to come across an Amazon that does not like Sweet Potatoes. I like them baked, boiled or steamed. I do not use raw for a number of reasons most tried to my Swedish Grandmother! Also, that way you can share!

Protein:
A well balanced diet will provide an Amazon with their Protein diet. Protein should be a consideration, but it is not an item that you want to push on the heavy side. Amazons, as you read above, are prone to Fatty Liver, thus the elimination of SunFlower and Peanuts from their diet.

The natural branches you listed would not be your first choice. Target hard woods, but not fruit woods. Birch is an okay branch to use. Pine fresh from a tree is filled with sap and that can cause all kinds of handling problems - target standing dead pine trees if you wish to use them.

Lots of people leave the bark on the branches, but I just see no reason to bring all the possible bugs that 'can' hang-out in bark into my home! So, I recommend removing the bark - outside. It also lets you see the wood below. If you have any concern regarding what you find, trash that branch and move on to the next one. Cleaning, I use Dawn 'Original Formula' dish washing soap with a stiff brush and scrub them and then rise several times fresh clean drinking water. Sun Dry on a hard surface like concrete.

Natural Branch Sizes:
The roosting perches should be 50 up to 75 mm in a varying diameter. The more variation the better. Perches that are used to move around can start at 38 mm.

Enjoy!

Wow, I am overwhelmed by the response, this is fantastic, thank you! So helpful! I will definitely hang around here to learn from you experts!

I ordered some samples of pellets, we don't seem to have the same brands in Sweden as the ones you have recommended. I'll see if I can get her to eat any of them.

I eat a lot of sweet potatoes, I guess this is good food for her too, would you boil them a bit or give them raw like carrots? I don´t have a steamer. Is boiled quinoa ok? Lots of protein in that.

If I go get branches from the woods for her cage, should I remove the bark? We have lots of pine trees and birches.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

As mentioned above,SOCIALIZATION is a must,for a happy and healthy bird,be it a Mac,Amazon,or little Budgie.

Amy picked me when she was just a pup at four months old,she is now 28 years old. In the warmer months,she goes every where with me,and I KNOW she loves it! "outside?..in the car??" is a favorite saying for her.
She meets everyone,and anyone. She will go to 98% of the people,98% of the time,even strangers. I won't lie...yes there still can be,and are,times,when she gets "overloaded",and has taken a chomp out of someone ( huh Al? ), but,as Steven ('boats) has mentioned,"it is never the amazons fault!" it was mine,for NOT paying attention to her body lingo!

As far as her diet,she does get a "seed mix" but she only eats it as a snack! Rarely does she munch on it. She eagerly awaits her nummy bowl,if I'm too slow in feeding her,she yells into the bowl "FOOD! FOOD!!" then laughs,hhearing her voice reverberate in the bowl.
She gets different stuff everyday. Corn nibs,peas,carrots,LOVES a chicken leg bone! The marrow inside is a great source of protein.
I won't list more,its too vast.just suffice it to say,she eats what I eat! Yes..sometimes she gets "junk food" ONLY as an occasional treat!
She loves 'nana's..red grapes,not green! ( go figure??) scrambled egg with a small piece of melted cheese is a huge hit..oatmeal..the list goes on and on.

As far as hanging out with smaller fids..I guess Amy is the exception of the rule. She adores BB the little cockatiel. Wants to hang with him any chance she gets. She'll walk across the floor to climb up his house to his roof top and just hang with him! I have found her INSIDE his house,helping herself to HIS food,and destroying HIS toys!
He tolerates her,but now that he can fly pretty dang good,he'll now go flapflapflap and make a bee-line to ME..or the couch lol

Anyway...thank you for taking this bird into your home,and heart!You WILL be amazed with many many MANY years to come,with love,and joy,and laughs!
And welcome to the best danged parrot forum around!


Jim

 

[YoshiSwe]

As for socializing with a zon, THESE ARE ATTENTION ORIENTED BIRDS who need to be handled. They need attention and out time every day.

The worst thing you can do is lock them in cages, and leave them there to rot. Cage bound amazons will become territorial, and then the bad behaviors start. They CAN become attacky and bite... Or you can let them out of their cage and play with them. And they won't bite. (It's up to you.) They get overly attached to a territory, they will defend it. Simple as that. "Defend my nest" is a primary survival instinct with a zon.

Something like a bird boing that you can hang on a hanger and move from place to place is a good option. Just get the little plastic things they use as chair mats for under a desk. Easy to clean poop mat. Then you can move it from place to place, and the bird never gets cage bound or territorial, because there is nothing to defend...

How soon should I start doing this? I read somewhere a parrot needs to be left alone for a few days to get used to the new home and the new people, and we should just give her treats etc through the cage bars? This seems excessive though as she came across as so friendly and extremely curious. Perhaps almost too much so as she literally flew and sat on me over and over, the current owner moving her away from me over and over, lol, I felt like I got claimed by her. She kept looking at me and flying to me. I felt like I had no real choice in the matter.

I don't have any other birds, just two dogs.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

As for socializing with a zon, THESE ARE ATTENTION ORIENTED BIRDS who need to be handled. They need attention and out time every day.

The worst thing you can do is lock them in cages, and leave them there to rot. Cage bound amazons will become territorial, and then the bad behaviors start. They CAN become attacky and bite... Or you can let them out of their cage and play with them. And they won't bite. (It's up to you.) They get overly attached to a territory, they will defend it. Simple as that. "Defend my nest" is a primary survival instinct with a zon.

Something like a bird boing that you can hang on a hanger and move from place to place is a good option. Just get the little plastic things they use as chair mats for under a desk. Easy to clean poop mat. Then you can move it from place to place, and the bird never gets cage bound or territorial, because there is nothing to defend...

How soon should I start doing this? I read somewhere a parrot needs to be left alone for a few days to get used to the new home and the new people, and we should just give her treats etc through the cage bars? This seems excessive though as she came across as so friendly and extremely curious. Perhaps almost too much so as she literally flew and sat on me over and over, the current owner moving her away from me over and over, lol, I felt like I got claimed by her. She kept looking at me and flying to me. I felt like I had no real choice in the matter.

I don't have any other birds, just two dogs.

It sounds like Yoshi is pretty comfy already..but I'd say yes,give him time to settle,and learn he isn't going anywhere again!

As far as the dogs go..DONT let them out in the same area/room with Yoshi! No matter how "good" they are! A curious doggie can/will/does kill a little birdie in seconds. You'll never be fast enough to intervene! JMHO here.


Jim

 

[SailBoat]

Each first day is different! Some Amazon's (as you have seen) will meet and greet from the very beginning. Others will hide in fear and require time to feel comfortable with there new home. The best way is to follow the lead of your Amazons.

It is very possible that you Amazon will be a sweetheart from day one! But, if she needs adjustment time, provide as needed.

Plan to spend a little time just sitting next to your Amazon, whether on or in her cage, perch or yourself. Call it quiet time, and a time when you can read aloud to your Amazon. This will help set a comfort with you. Far too many Humans want to Pet their Parrots. Some Parrots enjoy it all the time, most do not and it is something that you will learn with time.

'If' she has chosen you! Enjoy! Work at building trust and at some point reality will change and you will find that you are Owned by Your Amazons! A truly wonderful place to be!

How soon should I start doing this? I read somewhere a parrot needs to be left alone for a few days to get used to the new home and the new people, and we should just give her treats etc through the cage bars? This seems excessive though as she came across as so friendly and extremely curious. Perhaps almost too much so as she literally flew and sat on me over and over, the current owner moving her away from me over and over, lol, I felt like I got claimed by her. She kept looking at me and flying to me. I felt like I had no real choice in the matter.
I don't have any other birds, just two dogs.

 

[clayman]

All good and helpful hints. What SailBoat said about the vet checkup as soon as you get her makes sense. While the girl's world is in a whirlwind of new events and experiences, a visit to the doctor won't add too much stress.

The stickies are a must-read indeed. Your parrot is already a full-grown individual who will show all kinds of clues as to what mood he is currently in.

I need to work on socialization with my two girls as well. My living alone and not having many friends does not help much, but even just taking them out for a walk in a transport cage is helpful. They get to see the outside they usually only see through a window and once they get through the initial shock, they will learn to love all the stimuli the outdoors provide.

 

[YoshiSwe]

I have another question regarding sunset, sunrise. Living this near the arctic circle, we get only 3-4 hours of daytime in the winter and in the summer we only get 3-4 hours of nighttime.

Does anyone else live with these somewhat extreme conditions in terms of light? How do you handle this with the birds going to bed etc? Do you just set a time, like 8 p.m. as bedtime and put them in a dark room with very opaque blinds like we do with small children? Or do you need to gradually dim lighting somehow?

Thank you everyone for great advice, it is very helpful <3

 

[Birdman666]

Cooked is great. Make sure it is cooled off first, because if it's too hot it could cause crop burns...

Pine is a no-no. Birch is great. I'd leave the bark on and let the bird pick it off.

Any pellet they actually eat is a good pellet...

The most nutritional pellets in the world suck if they are only being used as projectiles.... Amazons can sometimes be picky eaters.

Mine are pretty much all little winged piggys... put it in a treat cup, they'll eat it.