Hello!
About a year ago, I picked up an 10 year old B&G Macaw. His living situation was sub par and he was not handled much at all. He was in a dirty cage, I'd deem fit for an amazon with regards to size, with 2 perches and food bowls. I decided to get him a walk in aviary because I had the space and now he has toys and multiple perches that actually go across the whole cage, rather than the 8 inch ones he previously had.
He seems happier now. He isn't screaming 24/7... maybe like a few 5 minute fits a day lol. He has also, recently, seemed much more comfortable with me coming inside the cage and attempting to train him. He used to go full attack mode and lunge at me which made getting him to a vet for the first time very difficult.
I'm trying to get him to a point that he can step up and I want him to trust me enough to handle him, thus allowing me to trust him in the process. I'm currently attempting to work on touch training. Sometimes he will do it non aggressively and get rewarded for it. Other times he will lunge at the stick and squawk. I usually just try again later if this happens.
I know this will most likely be a long process, but any advice would be appreciated. My grandpa breeds greys and amazons, so I have grown up handling birds, and honestly I think I'd rather be bit by my macaw than some of the Amazons I have dealt with. My major problem is not picking up any odd body language. Everything seems normal, except for the point he decides to lunge and bite either me or my training tool.
About a year ago, I picked up an 10 year old B&G Macaw. His living situation was sub par and he was not handled much at all. He was in a dirty cage, I'd deem fit for an amazon with regards to size, with 2 perches and food bowls. I decided to get him a walk in aviary because I had the space and now he has toys and multiple perches that actually go across the whole cage, rather than the 8 inch ones he previously had.
He seems happier now. He isn't screaming 24/7... maybe like a few 5 minute fits a day lol. He has also, recently, seemed much more comfortable with me coming inside the cage and attempting to train him. He used to go full attack mode and lunge at me which made getting him to a vet for the first time very difficult.
I'm trying to get him to a point that he can step up and I want him to trust me enough to handle him, thus allowing me to trust him in the process. I'm currently attempting to work on touch training. Sometimes he will do it non aggressively and get rewarded for it. Other times he will lunge at the stick and squawk. I usually just try again later if this happens.
I know this will most likely be a long process, but any advice would be appreciated. My grandpa breeds greys and amazons, so I have grown up handling birds, and honestly I think I'd rather be bit by my macaw than some of the Amazons I have dealt with. My major problem is not picking up any odd body language. Everything seems normal, except for the point he decides to lunge and bite either me or my training tool.
