My Macaws are just close to my husband

[tamatha]

We have 2 macaws, Jasper and Pepper, we have had them now for 3 months, they have been great with me, but the last month, they dont seem to want to have much to do with me. If I go to their cage they both will move away. I feed and clean them, and talk to them alot, but they seem to want to be with my husband all the time. If I am with them alone, they sit and play together, but are not interested in me at all....it just seems really strange, as they did like me.

What can I do to get their trust again. I feel quite left out now :red:

I know they are still young, but I am worried that they will not want to be close to me-and that could be hard if my husband is away from work...I want to be part of them as well

Hope you can advise me.

 

[TeakwoodBirdHouse]

You can sit by them and talk to them. Read aloud from a book, if you don't know what to say. The words don't matter. Offer them treats. Your husband should show them that you are a friend, by passing them to you, from his hand to yours. That will show them that you are "approved" by him. If they let you, scratch their heads and necks. But, be patient. Go at their pace. Don't force them to do things they don't want to. That's a sure way of getting bitten, and alienating them.

 

[suebee]

lol nut swings her affections between me an mt man, she mostly prefers my man, i find playin with something that takes her interest an being the only one feedin the best titbits helps but it does take time

as said above, don't push it! they will soon realise your more then just the "mother" lol

 

[tamatha]

Jasperr will let me scratch his head-he likes that, Pepper is a little different, she will let me kiss her, and she sticks her tongue out and lets me tickle it.
but they used to be alot more friendly towards me... they used to step up, but now they are just not interested.
the good thing is the words they say most have been what I have spoke to them about.

I do think the world of them

 

[TeakwoodBirdHouse]

Try to think if you're doing anything different. Do you look different? Birds do not accept change very quickly. It could be something as simple as wearing glasses now, or changing hair color. My fids will not come to me if I'm wearing a hat. So, think back to when their behavior changed. What's different?

 

[JJones1719]

Just some advise, If you want them to bond with you more, the first thing you have to do is seperate them. Macaws who share a cage together tend to bond more with eachother rather then bond with you.
Macaws sometimes prefer a sex of a person so this maybe the reason they are close to your husband. When interacting with them, make sure both of you spend time together with them. You must have them see you as part of their flock.
I find that eating and bathing with your Macaws form the strongest bonds. So you may want to give that a try. Best of luck Joe

 

[tamatha]

Thank you Joe-I will try this, they do tend to eaat when I eat so that could be a good start.

Thank you also Teakwoodbirdhouse, I have changed the colour of my hair, and it does seem to fit the same time span-I never thought they were that sensitive. This weekend I am going to make a real effort, and try and be part of the flock...

Thank you for the advise

 

[goalerjones]

with our macaw we shared him right from the start. I will oftentimes give him to my wife then leave the room or not make eye contact with him. I will go sit down and watch TV or read or just do some dishes while she plays with him.

 

[tamatha]

UP-DATE. Pepper and Jasper are really warming to me now, I am spending more quality time with them on my own, so they are being more friendly. But if they are out they just want to be with my husband, but thats ok, cos they are good with me when we are alone

 

[pamcor57]

Our B&G Macaw "Paris" was only 16 weeks old when we brought her home from our breeder. She was very mean to my husband, and only would let me handle her just to feed her, then she started to bite me...very hard. After awhile it was hard for me to even approach her. My husband couldnt get near her at all. We ended up giving her back to the breeder because we were assured that the Macaw was friendly and loving toward everyone. We couldnt believe a baby was that mad for some reason.

 

[JJones1719]

Pamcor57. there are lots of reasons why Macaw act the way they do. Some Macaws take to people right from the start while others can take days, weeks, months, and even years to warm up to. The trick here is to hang in there, you almost have to force yourself on them to interact, eat, bath and treat them as if they were your flock. They will soon see you as their protector and flockl mate rather then a scary person who they are afraid of or have no trust.
I would have advised you before bringing home this Macaw, to go to the breeder, sit on the floor with other baby Macaws, see what baby comes to you time and time again, this would be your new baby Macaw and not the one who runs away from you.
Sometimes Macaws can see your body language and if you show signs of being afraid or if they can sense that you are not confidant when holding them, they will tend to bite to escape you. If you consider getting another Macaw, do your homework first and learn everything you can prior to a purchase. Best of luck Joe

 

[Mike]

Sounds like the hair color threw them off for awhile. Could it also have been the chemical odor of the hair treatment? It can linger for a couple of days.