Harrness training

[steven2008]

Any tips on getting a harness on my 5 year old macaw ?
Thanks Steve

 

[steven2008]

Any help ?

 

[itchyfeet]

Which brand?
Is it an aviator?
Have you seen the DVD, if so?
How accepting is your macaw of touch?

 

[ToMang07]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik2-dQ5svDQ"]This is how I install and uninstall Aviator Harness - YouTube[/ame]

 

[steven2008]

Thanks for getting back to me, yeah if bow is in a good mood he lets me go under his wings gives kisses, and sometime let me shake his hands lol, ooooo and Sometime let me open his wings, BUT sometime his is a right little bugger lol

 

[JerseyWendy]

Even though both my big macs allow me to touch them anywhere, I've had no luck getting either one of them into the Aviator harness. Heck, my B&G gnawed through his, and my GW was about ready to take off my head. :54:

I haven't given up .... yet.

 

[steven2008]

Awwwww thank you, what do u give your as in treats ? I give mine pine nuts ?
Thanks Steve

 

[Mariar]

I've just purchased my aviator harness for my severe macaw..she's not quite there yet when it comes to touching her comfortably...I'm comfortable..she's not most days. But at least it will be here when she I fully ready. She'll be two in October if the people I took her from gave me the right info.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Awwwww thank you, what do u give your as in treats ? I give mine pine nuts ?
Thanks Steve

Yup, mine go GAGA over pine nuts as well. And pistachios, too.

 

[itsjoyceduh]

Sigh.. Every time I try to put the harness on my baby bfa shes currently 3 months. she freaks but when i DO get the loop over her head SHE FLIES... I wish she would stand still like the macaw in the video it would be so much easier.. but at least I was still able to put the harness on her at the end... but it was a struggle >.< Good thing is after she has the harness on she calms down when I take her out for a walk around the bird store.. * she is still not ready to go home yet and they wouldnt allow me to take her outside the store >.< *

 

[mollybird]

We have been working with Buford to wear a harness so he can get out more often. I'm not a fan of food rewards, just praise and affection.

I just tried uploading a video I made last night of putting his harness on and taking it off. The harness is one I made out of Spectra (a high tech rope). It has no hooks or buckles (because he has destroyed a metal hook and a plastic buckle on the last harnesses).

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jew6eHaWQMQ"]Putting a harness on our Blue and Gold Macaw - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Blancaej]

I've had luck with my macs. They moan and groan but once it's on they are good. YES, they do chew on it. But keeping them busy and distracted helps. My greenwing chewed through one already. I have one picked at already that she wears and a newer one I use on my blue and gold.

Some birds just won't do the harness. My grey will never let me get one on him, so I've pretty much given up on him. I get him out in a light weight carrier I have made a backpack for.

Watch the video that comes with the harness and follow there directions. It takes time and patience. My blue and gold I distract when I put it on her. That really helps. I usually put her on top of a pile of laundry! LOL!

 

[JerseyWendy]

We have been working with Buford to wear a harness so he can get out more often. I'm not a fan of food rewards, just praise and affection.

I just tried uploading a video I made last night of putting his harness on and taking it off. The harness is one I made out of Spectra (a high tech rope). It has no hooks or buckles (because he has destroyed a metal hook and a plastic buckle on the last harnesses).

Putting a harness on our Blue and Gold Macaw - YouTube

PHENOMENAL!!!!! Thank you SO much for sharing this. Could you please let us (me) know what sort of knots you used?? And what type of material, so that I could possibly try this on mine?

Buford was a fantastic model! And a gorgeous one to boot!

 

[Anansi]

We have been working with Buford to wear a harness so he can get out more often. I'm not a fan of food rewards, just praise and affection.

I just tried uploading a video I made last night of putting his harness on and taking it off. The harness is one I made out of Spectra (a high tech rope). It has no hooks or buckles (because he has destroyed a metal hook and a plastic buckle on the last harnesses).

Putting a harness on our Blue and Gold Macaw - YouTube

Most impressive knot tying! And Buford is also quite well trained for the process. Well done.

I do have concerns, though. With all the pull action knots and all, and the lack of any buckles, how do you prevent Buford's forward momentum from further tightening any of those loops and either restricting his breathing or damaging his wings?

And does this spectra rope material have elastic properties to absorb the kinetic jolt once Buford has flown the extent of the rope's length?

 

[Anansi]

This is how I install and uninstall Aviator Harness - YouTube

Thanks for this video. Very helpful, and I wish I'd seen it when I was first trying to harness train Bixby. I eventually got there, but he had to deal with my bumbling efforts along the way until I realized methodically preparing the harness beforehand was key.

 

[mollybird]

Most impressive knot tying! And Buford is also quite well trained for the process. Well done.

I do have concerns, though. With all the pull action knots and all, and the lack of any buckles, how do you prevent Buford's forward momentum from further tightening any of those loops and either restricting his breathing or damaging his wings?

And does this spectra rope material have elastic properties to absorb the kinetic jolt once Buford has flown the extent of the rope's length?

The way the harness is tied, it is essentially a bowline. It does not tighten the loops if pulled. It only tightens the knot itself. And being a bowline, even if it gets tightened, it is still easy to untie.

The line has no stretch, so when he is on my arm, I hold the other end so I could release it if I had to. When we work with him on his flying, I attach a 10' piece of 1/8" bungee.

 

[mollybird]

PHENOMENAL!!!!! Thank you SO much for sharing this. Could you please let us (me) know what sort of knots you used?? And what type of material, so that I could possibly try this on mine?

Buford was a fantastic model! And a gorgeous one to boot!

The line is Spectra (Amsteel) from the boat store. (I'm a sailor/sailing instructor so ropes, and knots are one of my 'things'. Notice the turkshead bracelet in the video - that's what happens when I get bored.)

The line starts with a small eye splice in one end. Then the line goes through the eye - that makes the loop around his head. It goes back up through the eye - that makes the loop around his body. Then it goes around the piece with the eye splice and back down through the eye - that makes the non-slip knot. The other end has a large eye splice to tie a bungee on when we let him fly.

 

[Blancaej]

PHENOMENAL!!!!! Thank you SO much for sharing this. Could you please let us (me) know what sort of knots you used?? And what type of material, so that I could possibly try this on mine?

Buford was a fantastic model! And a gorgeous one to boot!

The line is Spectra (Amsteel) from the boat store. (I'm a sailor/sailing instructor so ropes, and knots are one of my 'things'. Notice the turkshead bracelet in the video - that's what happens when I get bored.)

The line starts with a small eye splice in one end. Then the line goes through the eye - that makes the loop around his head. It goes back up through the eye - that makes the loop around his body. Then it goes around the piece with the eye splice and back down through the eye - that makes the non-slip knot. The other end has a large eye splice to tie a bungee on when we let him fly.

A video of the making of the harness would be awesome! Just sayin...:54: