Max update & surprise pics of another new friend :)

[jenphilly]

Well, for anyone following the Victoria, Jen and Max story, we have an update for today.

Wendy can testify that I was extremely hesitant with that monster size beak. I know everyone tells me if I can deal with a Too bite, a macaw is nothing (yeah right.... but hey good try...). The shelter had pretty much said Max's adoption hinged on me getting past that beak and being able to work with Max, so I mustered up my courage and figured worst case I get stitches Jeanne and John are awesome to work with and wonderful teachers to help a big wuss like me 'get over it'. So here are some pics of how the day went... videos at the bottom too, ton of pics and videos. And you'll notice there is a special friend in there too. Jeanne's beautiful Hyacinth was out and at one point he literally just climbed into my lap - was one of those moments, well whether I wanted to spend time with him or not, he wasn't taking no for an answer!! Super big love, truly a big baby. And no, he is not for adoption, they raised him and he's been with them more then 10 years. Anyway, back to Max, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so true, and videos are worth a few thousand more too!!!

Victoria also spent some time with Scarlett, the new Scarlet Macaw (I know really creative on the name there). She is a problem girl, mostly plucked and never had anyone work with her for bite pressure and such, but she was pretty sweet with Victoria. Did nip her pretty good once, but it was not mean, she just has no clue how strong that beak is because no one has taught her. And Scarlett was doing the one wing hug thing too. Realized when we got home, we did not get a single pic of them....

I look terrible in the pics... hair is a mess after working in the shelter... but its the bird that everyone should be looking at







And now onto videos... I know huge post!!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3aONVAlrS4"]YouTube[/ame]

This was maybe 5 minutes into me and my first ever macaw bonding moment
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3WtVoqjTgs"]Max 4.12(3) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt8K8xgqBqM"]Max 4.12(2) - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI2Ee18fp4k"]Max 4.12(1) - YouTube[/ame]


Victoria is accusing me of stealing her bird... tho I think Max is just the perfect family macaw, he definitely loves having couple girls loving on him I was so surprised how Max took to me, Victoria said when I left his sight he called and at one point he walked across the table to get into my lap.

So as it looks, a macaw has decided he wants to come home with us. Still want to spend a little more time with him at the shelter and get more 'hands on' training time with him with John and Jeanne's guidance. But guessing soon enough, Max will be competing with Ivory for snuggle time.

 

[RavensGryf]

I KNEW IT!!! That's awesome... everyone here will be happy to hear! Great to hear Max has a fitting personality for the household, and you're able to slowly get to know him and get tips from the shelter owners . That really sounds perfect Jen! Yay. I bet Victoria is on cloud nine!

How bout that Hyacinth?

 

[riddick07]

She was so stealing my bird... the good news is if he takes to her too much I can always get a macaw that actually likes me when we move.... bird thieving mothers....


I still have an empty middle stacker cage.... wonder what I should put in there....

 

[jenphilly]

The Hyacinth is just beyond words.... truly a social butterfly, was making the rounds especially with the women. Another shelter volunteer was there and she only has finches and green cheeks, no macaw experience either and she did the same thing to her, just climbed into her lap like, here I am scratch my head, talk to me, I'm too cute to ignore....

At one point she was on the floor (and life of me, I cannot remember her name)... she kept working til she figured out how to climb up the chair and get into someone's lap.

 

[jenphilly]

I did not intend to steal your bird... Jeanne was even calling Max 'your bird'... he just knew he had to suck up to me and get me hooked so he could come home!

By the end of the day, I was grabbing his beak and at one point, reached done without looking and pulled his beak off my phone or such. John and Jeanne laughed that 5 hours earlier I was to afraid to even ask him to step up and now I'm pushing around the beak without looking. The made me handle another macaw that is not nearly as sweet and easy as Max. Did okay with him (didn't get bit and I dealt with him threatening to bite me, not sure he would have, think it was all bluster and bluff). Tho, in no way am I ready to go around handling every macaw that looks friendly... its all Max, he's just too wonderful not to fall in love with. He did 'bite' or pinch me a few times, but that was because John had me working with handling him like turning him over and such, was more the grab onto something cause I'm gonna fall and die...

 

[riddick07]

Thieving....

 

[RavensGryf]

So Victoria, if Max ends up liking your mom better, then there's always that gorgeous Hyacinth! As for your stacker cage... that is DEFINITELY an excuse to fill it with something that's the right size for it. I mean, it can't stay empty. What's the use of the stacker with a vacancy?!

Haha... I have an empty 30x46 one inch spaced. I only want another Pionus in the future, and the 1 inch space stretches wider at the top (hard to explain but doesn't have crossbar reinforcement up there under the playtop with a big enough gap to get a head stuck unless it's a LARGE bird. I do not want another large bird personally, but my husband does, and that's what scares me :11:.

Anyway, so I'm saying it looks like you potentially have 3 new birds coming to your household...

 

[Chelle]

Beautiful! Wish I were brave enough!

 

[JerseyWendy]

I have goosebumps over here, Jen!!! Yes, those pics and videos speak VOLUMES!!! (The first video wont' play for me, it says "private").

What I like the most is that Max will truly be a family bird (so no thieving here, Tori).

So Jen, how did you feel being loved on by one of these big guys? Isn't it awesome and heart-warming?

SO very happy for all of you!!!

 

[Betrisher]

AAWWWW!!! How beautiful is that? Jen, I wish I was you! What a privilege to have that gorgeous creature pick you to be his Mummy! Congratulations on your new boy and I can't wait to start hearing updates about him.

 

[labell]

How wonderful for you both, Max seems like such a great guy!

If you don't mind I am going to throw out a bit of advise and caution. I didn't develop my severe asthma reaction to the powder down birds until I was in my late 30's early 40's. The sooner they are not in the room you sleep in the better that also would apply to Max being so close to them all night. I really hope you take this the right way as I mean it with care and concern. Developing the reaction that I have to them now is truly heart breaking for me and certainly not something I was anticipating or thinking about when I was in my early 20's and being around and cleaning and feeding of so many of them. Not only at the breeders house but bringing the babies home to feed, many times they were kept in my bedroom so that I could hear them through the night.
If I could go back in time I would have not kept them in my bedroom or at least had a really good air filter and would have worn a mask when cleaning all those breeder cages. Working at the shelter, I hope you are encouraged to wear a mask when you are doing heavy cleaning.

 

[riddick07]

labell, no offense taken! The place we like has this section on the second floor that overlooks the living and dining room that I was going to put all of mine if they fit comfortably. Plus, I would like one or two filters The only one that may have a sleeper cage in my room is Folger but I think he will be okay with the others in that section. My mothers actually already live in the living room.

We just emailed about renting the place so hopefully we get approved and moved within a month or so!

 

[Terry57]

Jen, I am so thrilled for you! Those videos are awesome, what a cuddle bug Max is!
I also have a fear of the big mac beaks, so now you are my hero
Fingers crossed that you get the place Victoria mentioned!

 

[riddick07]

Terry after handling the big macs and getting nipped by the scarlet... the eclectus at the shelter got me the worst yesterday! He is not fond of me... no one broke skin at least only bruises from the eclectus. Just telling me that he doesn't care if I'm feeding him and that he would rather starve to death then deal with me!

 

[getwozzy]

YAYYYY!!!!! Look at max being such a snuggle bug with you!!!

And that Hy is GORGEOUS!! I think I wouldn't know what to do if he climbed into my lap! LOLOLOL what a sweet boy!


I hope you guys get that new place! So excited for you all!

 

[Terry57]

Terry after handling the big macs and getting nipped by the scarlet... the eclectus at the shelter got me the worst yesterday! He is not fond of me... no one broke skin at least only bruises from the eclectus. Just telling me that he doesn't care if I'm feeding him and that he would rather starve to death then deal with me!

Thanks Victoria, that is good to know - the only time I have gotten hurt by Ekko so far was when he landed on my head the other day. Maybe I could get over this fear i have of macs if I was able to be around one (preferably a sweet one like Max!)

 

[noblemacaw]

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures and experience with "your?" macaw. Your story truly did make me smile and get the warm fuzzies.

I have to say once you experience the love of the macaws you never go back. Over the years I have experienced and lived with many different species of the parrot but it is the macaw that has my passion for parrots.

Personally I love the Wing Hug. In my experience the large macaws seem to love to use their wings as "arms". I understand this is putting a human trait to a parrot but I can't help but see it that way. Macaws are so intelligent and very social they will do what ever they can to be understood and to be able to interact with a person. They work hard to learn our language to communicate and they want to interact with the person so much they "learn" ways to do this effectively.

For me the best companion is a macaw. Large or mini macaw I love them all.

As you experience macaws you will learn if this species is right for you. I admire that you seek the information AND experience before making that decision of that particular species is for you. You are also very blessed to be able to see and interact with all the different species though the rescue you volunteer with.

Your friend's Hy took my breath away. Although a heavier parrot they are gentle giants who enjoy the company of people.

 

[jenphilly]

Labell - No worries about your post, appreciate you sharing your experience! We have been saying we needed to move to a place where the birds had their own space or room. We had planned on purchasing a townhome in a new construction development nearby, but long story on that, but the ones we were interested in (the section where it was not so crowded), has just broken ground and it was almost 2 years ago... but babbling... since then, plans have changed for the 5 and 10 year look ahead But, the place we are considering renting while Victoria finishes her master's degree is actually in that same development. But, we were really disappointed today to find out that the section it is in does not have basements (they are in the lower area where all the runoff would happen, so guessing there was no way to grade this particular section to avoid flooding). The ones across from them have basements, but they sit on the hill overlooking the main road (basically a country highway with 2 lanes each direction), and we could hear the noise just standing in front of the units). The housing sector still has not rebounded, so we actually have quite a pick of places in this development, so its possible we still will rent there, but we like the finished walk out basement option just for extra space and an option for spare room for when my brother comes up to stay. Sorry, lots of babbling there!

But, yes, we totally agree the birds, particularly the tiels, need to be out of Tor's room. Folger isn't a worry cause the poor guy doesn't have half his feathers and he produces no dust. Ivory produces little dust too, but she is so spoiled and well cared for, even her black cage does not show any tell tale dust that a too sleeps there

Wendy and Terry - spending time with Max was really an experience. So was the hyacinth, he literally just crawled into my lap while I was sitting at the table like a little kid would! Max was much the same, he just snuggled right now. And while I was totally comfortable with both of them, still don't think I'd have the nerve to walk up to any macaw I see and make him/her step up! Jeanne and John came out with Archie, a macaw that wanted to eat me while he was in his cage, he stepped up but was not terribly happy to spend time with me, but I did have the confidence to push his beak away and tell him no when he tried to bully. But that's where I still want more help... Jeanne asked me what I would do with a macaw that refused to come out of his cage - I laughed I would leave the door open and tell him to come out whenever he was ready. Joking of course but she laughed and shook her head at me. So that is the type of working and hands on education I still want / need. But, I think everyone agrees Max certainly has picked us out as the family he wants to live with. We were joking how we always talk about a bird picking his person and John kept saying this was one of those really clear cut decisions... his biggest worry was that Max was gonna be a pain looking for us. Guess til he comes home, we will be making alot of frequent driver miles over to NJ!!

Anyway, think I've babbled enough... now after talking about him, want to go drive over and snuggle with the big guy more never thought I'd be a macaw person and I kept saying that if they had ever pushed the macaw exposure before, I probably would have wanted Chyna the military macaw that just went to his new home. But, things happen for a reason and no doubt Max needs to be with us!!

 

[Macawlover12]

You did great and such beautiful birds!! You will be a great macaw paront;-)