Erin update-advice?

[MaraWentz]

So far things are well, but a bit different. She is pretty well at stepping up and being held, kissed and gets in the shower with me. I take her every Saturday to our local fleamarket where many kids and adults are able to hold and pet her to aid in her socailization and she seems to actually like it.

However, she refuses to eat any human food- fruits, veggies, pastas, meats, and even junk food like chips or cake! I can't lure her with anything except pine nuts. She eats her food mixture easily and readily, but I cannot get her to eat human food so I'm stuck giving her vitamins.

Also we are still having cage aggression problems where we have to to chase her out of the cage, lock her out and Ben chase her on our hand with the occasional nips. She doesn't break the skin but does occasionally leave bruises. She has gotten easier to chase out (we have cut the time from 10 minutes to 2) but I hate to chase her out. We are currently debating to go cageless as she. Ever leaves her play stand unless it is to go to her cage.

The last issue is that she has been holding into her cage a flapping her wings almost every hour. It is said they do that for attention or to get rid of energy. Being semi cage bound she hides if I walk over so I doubt it's he attention. We are teaching her how to fly but she doesn't seem to care most times but other times I highly doubt she enjoys it so we only do that 2 times a week. When she flaps I assume it's because she needs to burn energy but doesn't want to fly or walk. What can I do?

 

[triordan]

will she eat other nuts, especially those in the shell? I would just keep trying and leave them in food dish and also eat with her, she may be more inclined to try something... we were thinking of going cageless too with our macaw but he doesn't "explore" his Java tree as I had hoped, he stands on one branch and that's it, where his cage he climbs all over the inside and outside, so we still use both~ I'm not sure about the wing flapping, sorry can't help there

 

[JJones1719]

Mara, The first thing you have to think of here to resolve your issues with your Macaw and that is, (Macaws live in flocks). You are now the Alfa in their flock. You have to be the leader here. The best way to get your Macaw to eat better, is you showing them how to eat. Place a bowl on the floor, couch, table. Place Veggies, fruit, pellets, nuts, and so on in the bowl. You eat a piece of food then give your Macaw a piece of food. When your Macaw sees you eating and enjoying it, they are so courious that they cannot stand it that you are eating and they will want to join in. Same rules apply for Toys that your Macaw does not want to play with, you have the play with it and show how much fun it can be.
As far as cage aggression, this is a bet more interesting and harder to break.
I would not chase your Macaw out of their cage. If you cannot put your hand into the cage to pick up the Macaw, it's best if you just open the door and walk away. Your Macaw will come out by themselves and climb straight to the top of the cage, from here, you can pick them up. If they are still aggressive, then you need to stick train your Macaw. You can see this on Youtube just search stick traiing a Macaw for tips.
Stick training teaches the Macaw to trust you and helps them understand the command step up.
Never feed your Macaw chips or cake. Salt and sugar are a huge no no here, this is very bad for all birds.
You may want to pickup the book called (Macaws, A complete pet owner's guide by Barrows) it is full of info about Macaws, behavior, diet, and how to keep a healthy happy Macaw. Best of luck to you Joe

 

[MaraWentz]

Thanks for the advice. I believe it is more comes. I have done everything already that has been offered as advice. I've eaten with her without avail as well as eating foods in front of her. Each time she will take a nibble (if she never tried it before) and violently shake her head. I only tried the junk food to see if anything would help or lure her but to my surprise that was my final trick and not even that worked.

She is stick trained and will step up willingly onto the stick or my hand when not near the cage but while in or on she treats it the same as my hand and runs away... Any advice? She is completely hand take and always steps up but as soon as she gets to her cage the only training she cares to follow is target training. She's quite different from all the birds in the last.

Also joe, do you have any insight on the wing flapping?

 

[MaraWentz]

Oh and yes she eats the shelled and unshelled nuts - almonds and pistachios only and then pine. It's as a training treat

 

[JJones1719]

Mara, About the wing flipping, this can mean two different things. Macaws wing flip really fast and close to the body, this means that they are begging for you or may want something in the room. Or due to their diet, Birds can wing flip or toe tap due to poor diet, their body is not getting the Vit and minerals they need. To stop wing flipping and toe tapping, I give both my boys a hard boiled egg with shell and remove the yoke 2 times per week, this stops the wing flipping or toe tapping. Best of luck.Joe

 

[MaraWentz]

She only eats the diet provided by Bird Paradise due to her warranty. i throw the Prime vitamin powder in er water and food though because she reduces the human food. I assumed at first the flapping was for me because she doesn't stop until I compliment her but if I go to hold her she runs away (if on her cage) and if I just compliment her she does it again in 3 minutes....

 

[Mike]

Maybe I missed it in your text, but have you tried enticing her out of the cage by offering food?

With my daughter's Sun Conure we have a similar cage problem. He never wants to come out. What I do is put his favorite nut on the heal of my palm in such a way that he has to step up onto my fingers to reach the nut. When he's got the nut I quickly turn away from the cage before he flys off my hand. If I get him to the door he stays with me.

With a Macaw you'd have to do it differently. If you just put the nut on the heal of your palm she'd reach over without stepping onto your fingers. In that case you might want to hold your wrist out between the cage and the nut in such a was that she has to step onto your wrist to reach the nut.

I think chasing your bird out of her cage might not be a good way of nurturing a positive relationship with her. If you can't entice her, than calmly walk away without giving her the treat. Keep that up for a few days and see it she comes around.

 

[MaraWentz]

Sorry didn't get a notification someone added a post to my thread. Anyway, i hvae enticed her with her favourite treat. she will follow it all over her cage and out of the cage to, but as soon as my arm goes up or if i stay step up she just stares at me and if I push into her chest she backs up if theres room or she climbs down the ledges of her door and cage lol

 

[Molcan2]

Try not to be too stressed about not eating table food. As long as she is on a really good pelleted food she will be fine. When I first got Rome she had liver problems and was malnourished. The vet didn't want me to feed anything but pellets and the occasional treat (I violated this rule - I did 90% pellet and 10% veggies/nuts). A year later, liver probs are gone and shes no longer malnourished. Her plumage also looks great compared to when I got her. In order for her to have variety I mixed different types of pellets from the same brand.

As for the cage thing goes, I don't ever pick Rome up from inside the cage (I keep that as her safe place, an anti human zone). We've taught her to come out onto the cage door and thats the only place we pick her up from. If she doesn't feel like being picked up then she avoids the door and does her own thing. I think if you force the bird then you put pressure on them, a pressured bird is a bird thats more likely to bite. In the morning she never comes straight out. We open the door and I walk away and come back a few minutes later and once shes on the door she gets picked up.

 

[MaraWentz]

My husband and I spent the whole rainy weekend hunting down bamboo forests and trees and made a wonderful stand for Erin! We are simply going to get id of the cage since it causes her aggression and when ever she is in she screams.

 

[Molcan2]

Cant wait to see pics. I'm sure she'll be a lot happier without the cage

 

[MaraWentz]

We leave her out all day excpet for her meals on her little stand and she loves it but this stand is beautiful. It's made all out of poplar wood except the food dish and base. Iis HUGE!