It's happened :)

[Birdman666]

In the morning I bring him in the bathroom while I brush my teeth and put my make up on. While in brushing my teeth, he brushes his beak on the curtain rod. I kid you not. Yesterday I thought I might be crazy. Today I'm sure of it. He would stop to see if I was still brushing. If I was he would so more.

I like the idea if holding his beak for her. I don't know whether they held his beak, and I've done it a few times when he's being fussy, and then I pet his head while holding his beak. He's relaxed every time and lifted his feathers.
He's such a good boy.

Brush your teeth around Maggie, and she does the macaw "happy head bob" until you stop. We don't know why...

THAT'S EXACTLY why you hold the beak. I keep telling everyone how effective it is... And tell your little one to wait until the head feathers go up, and the bird "tells" her she wants to be scratched. Your child will begin to learn to "read" the bird. And she will grow up learning how and when...

Ultimately, when she gets older, and does start handling him, she should transition to holding the beak until both she and the bird are comfortably interacting.

I think my daughter was around seven when she started playing with macaws.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

No, this was while I was bringing him fresh food, and offered him a taste, he just took my hand instead, and put it in his mouth, licking my fingers. "Beaking" not nipping, or biting. Lovingly licking my fingers. It was a little scary, giving him that opportunity so soon, but the love in his eye told me I needed to trust him with this already

 

[Birdman666]

But the people said Rico is racist (haven't tested that one yet, but my best friend is part black lol) and I tested him with woody tonight. On my arm.
He did fine. Woody was super curious. I made woody keep his distance for Rico's comfort. And mine. But it went well.

They said he didn't like dark hair, too, didn't they?! Consider the source...

Such friggin' hogwash...

First of all BIRDS DON'T THINK LIKE THAT... they don't HATE anything.

NATURE = FIGHT OR FLIGHT.

If they can't get away from it safely, they will fight. If it's in and around their nest, they will fight. Everything else is pretty much flight.

If it attacks them, or if it is something that scares them, and they can't get away their instinct to defend themselves kicks in...

If it is unfamiliar to them, or something they are unsure of, then they will warn it away, AND THEY MAY bite, and they may also displacement bite you...

If they are conditioned to accept this. Okay. Seen that. Isn't gonna attack me. They respond to it.

A large macaw raised in a white household, who has never seen a black person before MIGHT react to that person simply because it is different from the people it is used to. That isn't RACIST... it's just something perceived as different from what the bird is used to. We are unsure about it. We need to be exposed to it, and made sure. It's okay. It's just another person. I'm fine. He's not a threat to me.

That's all it is.

They don't hate children. Children spook them, make them nervous, and they react to it. Calm children don't set them off as much.

They don't hate people with dark hair, but if the distinguishing feature of the person who abused the bird was dark hair, they are going to be reluctant to interact with you, until they are absolutely sure you won't hurt them...

That is the bird's perspective.

 

[Birdman666]

I think I will add aloe to his bath water next time. Is the stuff from the suntan area of walmart ok, or should I use the stuff from the health food store only? He is moulting and I think it would be nice to have some added healing qualities. I use it on my face after I wash it, and the difference has been wonderful for my skin, it must be good for them.

What you use is the 100% pure aloe. Only you don't add it to the water. It's just a tiny amount applied to your fingers, and then you rub your fingers on the areas where the pinnies are coming in...

Try not to get it on their feathers.

 

[Birdman666]

No, this was while I was bringing him fresh food, and offered him a taste, he just took my hand instead, and put it in his mouth, licking my fingers. "Beaking" not nipping, or biting. Lovingly licking my fingers. It was a little scary, giving him that opportunity so soon, but the love in his eye told me I needed to trust him with this already

Well, that's a macaw affection thing. It's also normal. You'll get used to it.

And watch out because they will try to slip you the tongue if you kiss their beaks...

 

[95talongirl]

Just read through this whole thread, and gotta say... what wonderful progress you have made! He looks absolutely beautiful!

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Thank You talon girl
He was in a bit of a grumpy butt mood last night.
I'm finding areas I'm wanting to start training him in. Like after he is done eating dinner, but I'm not, he's gotta stay off my back.
I've started researching trick training, too. He's very interactive, and I know he will enjoy doing them. Especially if it's another form of our communication, like turn around

I'm excited for the next steps. I'm excited for the rest of my life with him. He is such a ham.
When he realized I wouldn't have him on my back while I ate last night, he climbed down and went and looked at the house. It was so cute and truly funny. I'm wondering if he was just eyeing up all the moulding around the doors though oh well. He won't get chances to eat it, as he won't be left unsupervised out, like he was at his last home, where he ate all there custom made cedar moulding. Lol.

 

[95talongirl]

That's so cute! He sounds like such a great bird! I wish you both the best, and looking forward to more stories!

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Well, we've past the two week honey moon period he has shown behaviors I hope to train out of him.
He is semi aggressive to visitors. Displaying, eyes pinning, head bobbing, wings lifting. Sometimes he will even allow people to pet him or feed him during his displays, others he's just a jerk. Everyone seems to be respectful, and keep their distance when he is like this.
He has a scream. It's like a little girl scream, and while it holds that tone, it's many decibels higher. If we are not in the room he immediately tells himself
"stop it! Don't do that! That baaaad!"
Now while it's funny to sit in another room or on the front porch to listen to him, being in the same room during the scream is not funny.
We are not acknowledging the scream. Acting like it didn't happen.
He is a dream to me. I feel like I've fallen in love.
Today he hugged me. Truly draped his wing over me.






I realize that the pictures don't show well. But against the window was hard to catch his wing with the light. His head laid in the cage, in my hand while he stared into my eyes while my other stroked under his wings.
I'm tearing up. He is amazing.

He's now sleeping most nights in my bathroom adjoined to my bedroom.



His vocabulary is extensive, mostly when I'm out of the room. He speaks more in front of me then anyone else, but he still prefers to closet talk. Lol

I made him a beautiful hanging play swing, where I will be able to hang toys, and hopefully the boing from.

Parronthood is wonderful. I'm glad to have him in my life.
I have so many videos. I wish I knew how to post them. I can't even get photobucket to upload them, sadly.

 

[Birdman666]

The defensive stuff is pretty normal with strangers. Macaws do tend to test everyone, usually the first few times they meet them. Other than that, he's just letting them know he's there, and this is his place, and he's "the big bad birdie..."

This stuff lessens as he gets used to visitors, although for some reason, there are certain people they just choose not to be very sociable around... Even my two have a couple of people they don't allow to touch them.

If it's just flip flapping and "big bird" it isn't much. Having strangers offer a treat might lessen this some. "HI HAPPY TO MEET YOU!!! GOT SOMETHING FOR ME?" As long as he takes it nice... And they don't show fear.

 

[JewelsinMo]

Loved reading of your adventure as I am going through the same thing. It is amazing just how fast love comes with these guys! My little boy Marty, 8 month old severe macaw is settling in so well and is really a joy to work with. I can so appreciate how your feeling and wish you the best of luck!
JewelsinMo

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

So the honeymoon has ended. LOL!
Rico is willing to tell me when he doesn't like something. And I have unfortunately really ticked him off by doing something. He sleeps in my bathroom, and last week I was getting ready in my bathroom to go to a party with a friend. Rico was very upset about her being in his bathroom, so I put him in his cage that night. Since then once I put him to bed on the shower curtain he gets aggressive. I am not going to do that again. He thinks I punished him and he doesn't want to lose his favorite place to sleep. So now he goes up there and once he calms down I give him a piece of almond.
He has also decided he hates my best friend.
The first two times he met her he seemed to love her. Showing off in every sense.
The time before last her acted unsure. Then Saturday he decided he doesn't like her. And I got a really good displacement bite. Actually two.
I'm proud of how I handled it though.
He has asked to be picked up, so I stepped him up and was dancing with him. She walked across the kitchen, his feathers went up, and as soon as I noticed the change he bit me. In my arm pit. I turned, went to grab his beak he hit my finger. That felt better, oddly. Even though he grinded my finger with the bottom of his beak. He was mad.
It all happened so silent and so quick.
I immediately put him on his cage. My girlfriend standing there, stunned. I grabbed her arm, dragged her into the livingroom, shock letting go.

My armpit hurt. That was muscle he attempted to ingest. Lol
Got my shirt off and went to the bathroom. Squeezed the wounds as my bird friends that work in ambulances taught me, cleaned it with soap, spray some peroxide on it, then coconut oil.
I have decided the best few time she comes over all interaction will be from the kitchen table. He will have distance from her, but see her.
I think if he sees she isn't bad and that we have fun and feels safe it should go better lol. I think he just doesn't trust her for some reason.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

I have to add, the bite didn't hurt in the way I thought it would. I thought it would be like hitting your finger with a hammer, or slamming it in a door. It was more like closing the cupboard on it. It hurt, but my finger is intact.
I actually walked away more hurt that he felt like he needed to bite me to stay safe. I'm really sad about that.
I have noticed his aggression going up more since that, and I'm now trying to get him to regurgitate less. He tris to share everything he eat with me. Even water (eww) I worry it's not just that he loves me, but that he's going to be hormonal. Maybe that's a bit of what I'm actually seeing. I've never experienced this. And I can't seem to find to many videos showing hormonal displays. So I will accept less regurgitation, and I may start trick training. Just haven't decided if I want to do point and click, just clicker, or what I want to do.
I've noticed with his seed mix he came with he does pick out sunflower seeds and peanuts and all the crap in there.
I will be trying a different mixture. Wonder what, if anything, people give. I'm afraid to take it away. I know he eats a little of everything. And he gets 2- maybe 7 nuts a day.
Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans. He still has some of those salted pistachios left. But I've only given him a couple every week.
He won't even touch the pellets his last owners sent with him.
Anyways. I'm babbling. Don't even know what I'm talking about.
Oh, Rico.... Makes my heart pitter patter.

I've actually started looking for another job so I can spend more time at home.
Getting him has made me decided to take other steps in my life that I've wanted to change for 2 years.
I really hope I do get another job...

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

So it been a few weeks now, I thought I would give an update
Rico has definitely been putting up boundaries. And he is most definitely hoping to mate. So I'm accepting much less regurgitation. I'm noticing a little over bonding to me, as well. I am going to attempt to stop that in it tracks. I don't want to be the big bad mom, and make him do things all the time he doesn't want. Like if I ask him to step up and he doesn't want to, but if it's important to me, then I will press the issue or get him to step up on the stick.
During the day while I am at work, kids are at school, and gareth is in and out of the house (as he works on the farm, so he is here often during the day) Rico is silent. Gareth will share his lunch in silence with Rico. Lol
Rico eat meals with us, and he gets one or two home cooked meals a day. He prefers oatmeal stuff over mash, but he does enjoy the pulp out of my juicer if it's got the right stuff.
Still trying to figure out his favourite food for training.
I am going to start training him. I've been reading and playing with it a bit. He yells at me if I touch his wings, other then to hug him, lol.
He loves me. He shows it constantly. He wants to share every meal of his with me after.
He sleeps in the master Bath room, quite literally at my feet. Even some nights when I wake up to pee and he wakes up, he regurgitates.
He loves attention. He will scream when he's in the rom and we are all talking but not paying attention to him. We just ignore it. It got really bad, then got good. The other night it was bad again. He is used to phrases being said after he yells or screams "hey, cut that out! Bad boy, stop doing that," lol, he says it for us. We just ignore. I honestly notice a decrease.
We are very much learning each other, creating boundaries. I don't want to be the big bad mom, but I don't want him pushing me around. I'm not scared of him, but I am scared of hurting his feelings. I don't want him to fear me, or be hand shy because hands make him do things he doesn't want (like step up all the time when he happy looking out the window)
But even that seems to be going well.
I was worried about his beak, but after the bird meeting this month and having 4 other macs there I can see his beak is a tad long, but he is now chewing wood, like a real bird. So I think that will solve itself.
He NEEDS more toys, says this mom, so every weekend I either make or buy something. He may have 15 toys but I'm bored of them. I want to put new ones up.
Lol.
He's a spoiled boy. Dinners are semi planned with him in mind. Or I make him similar by taking ingredients out,before I add the bad studs (onions, garlic, salt)
For being a bird, he's very clean. I clean around his cage every other day. His cage I'm using wood chips. They are heaven. Seem to hide what mess there is. Chewing wood just adds to it. Poop clumps in it.
On the floor around his cage I have two towels. He poops on them, and most of the mess ends up on them. I roll them up and shake them outside for my chickens. Then once a week I throw them in the wash. No giant wads of newspaper taking over our garbage. Yay!
He gets a shower once a week, but comes to watch me shower all week. So he gets steamed through out the week, and soaked once a week, on the weekends.
He loves my kids, and like to come out on the porch and yell for my oldest, who is always over at her boyfriends, across the lawn (he rents our trailer) last night instead of trying to yell Meeshas name, he was yelling "call her!"
My boyfriend is constantly laughing at me and my birdie. He thinks it's funny, I know when he wants something, when he wants to go somewhere, it's like we have a connection, like mother and child. It couldn't be more like having a two year old.
I understand his baby talk and body language. I can't hold a conversation without him interrupting, when I play on my ipad in front of him, he want to play with it too, licking the screen and making it do things. Having tea in the kitchen, he will crawl off his cage and come sit on the table in front of me, wanting cuddles.
My big concern is not allowing over bonding to just me. So I'm reading and learning. Trying and applying. I want him to be a family bird. A social bird. I enjoy taking him out with me. He's a blast.
I couldn't have made a Better decision, making that jump and getting a macaw.

And for those wondering, yes, I've been bitten, hard. But it wasn't so bad. I thought it would feel like a hammer on my finger. It was more like a cupboard closing on it, and my armpit. It hurt, like heck, but nothing I couldn't take. So if need be, I know I can take the bite, but I don't want hi to feel like he needs to bite to get his opinion, wants or need across. My heart break was stronger then the pain I felt after that bite.

All the reading I did really paid off. Having him feels like a dream come true!
I'm going to let him sleep in today, he seems happy listening to the pouring rain in the bathroom, head tucked away.
What a sweet feathered angel.
Whoever said that birds are cuddly have never been hugged, kissed or wanted by a bird.