New b&g

[rowdy]

Hi everyone so im sorry im posting so much but i just have tons of questions.
okay so on 7/26/15 I got my first macaw from my friend, a 24 year old b&g named Rowdy. On the first day I opened the cage to get a half eaten apple slice off the bottom grate. While I was grabbing the apple he ran out of the cage. Now, I'm 14, this is my first Macaw, and it had been less than 3 hours since i brought him home that day. I knew it'd be stupid to try and pick him up so i tried to get him to step up onto a perch I hadn't put into the cage yet but he started SCREAMING at me. He spread his wings in a defensive manner and opened his beak wide. When I tried to get him to step onto the perch again he ran under the cage still screaming with wings spread. I tried to coerce him with fruits, veggies, nuts...nothing worked. I ended up grabbing the dog carrier i brought him home in, placing it's opening at one of the 2 exits, having to "chase" him out with the perch and into the carrier. I let him out into the cage and didn't try to "handle" him for the rest of the night. The next day I started hand feeding him sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds ect when I left and came back less than 10 mins later he lashed out at me through the bars when i got within a foot of the cage. The next day aka yesterday he let me hand feed him and i even was petting him through the cage bars. He also stood on my finger when I offered it to him through the bars. We danced to some disco for about a half hour and he even learned a new sound (YES he picked it up in like 2 days). I kept making kiss noises since he got home. Whenever he would put his beak near the bars I'd make the noise or ask him "can I get a kiss?" Then, when I woke up the next day aka today he flipped out at me again. Later today I was petting him and he was practicing his barking and kiss noises like usual and he picked up on something I always asked him...he squawked to me "can i get kiss?". I was so proud of him. I praised him and gave him some treats. I decided to go further, I opened the cage just enough to slip my hand in. I let it sit there for a few mins, he didn't mind it. I started to pet his tail, then his wings then his back. He was fine with it and even let me scritch his neck. All of the sudden he jerked his head around and tried to bite me. I calmly removed my hand waited a few mins and did the same thing again, he let me pet him then all of the sudden he jerked around again. I stopped and figured that was good enough for the night. It seems like no matter how far we get something always happens, like reversing 2/3 of the progress we had made. I don't know what to do. I don't plan on actually trying to take i out for probably another week or so.

Okay so now you know the little backstory here's what i'm asking.
What should I do from here? Like a little day-by-day on what to do, how to go about it, ect. Also,idk what i should use for treats for him. ive heard most people use grapes or nuts or something but i give him fruits everyday and his feed consists of safflower & sunflower seeds, walnut, almonds, peanuts, and 2 other weird types of nuts. I'm trying to get him off the seed/nut diet and onto more of a pellet/fruit&veggie/some nuts diet but my friend when she tried it all he did was eat everything besides the pellets. I don't want him to be underfed it he doesn't eat the pellets too,any recommendations on what new feed I should start to try and put him on? I want to handle him when he's ready the 2 things im worried about are
•he HATES going back into the cage
•his bites/"attacks" (because it seems as if he has like mood swings and he's happy with me one minute and trying to eat me the next)

 

[Mimsy01]

You can try making your own cooked grains to add to the diet-rice, lentils, oatmeal, barley ect. Not all pellets taste the same, so finding one he may like may take a few. Be persistent. Foo took over a year before she was ok with trying a variety of foods and getting her off her mostly seed diet. Goldenfeast Direct They have a pellet that a lot of folks on here like and it smells good enough for us to want to eat.

Start basic training. Look at youtube or specific web sites on training. Pick one you are comfortable with. Not only will you get basic commands down, it will allow you and Rowdy to get to know each other. Structure is good with birds.

Also remember that he's going to need to time to bond with you. It's only been a few days, and yes some bond fast, some take months. You will learn to read his moods a lot better as time goes on. Training will help this a lot. Keep it simple initially like step up and once that is down try something else, such as flight recall.

 

[rowdy]

You can try making your own cooked grains to add to the diet-rice, lentils, oatmeal, barley ect. Not all pellets taste the same, so finding one he may like may take a few. Be persistent. Foo took over a year before she was ok with trying a variety of foods and getting her off her mostly seed diet. Goldenfeast Direct They have a pellet that a lot of folks on here like and it smells good enough for us to want to eat.

Start basic training. Look at youtube or specific web sites on training. Pick one you are comfortable with. Not only will you get basic commands down, it will allow you and Rowdy to get to know each other. Structure is good with birds.

Also remember that he's going to need to time to bond with you. It's only been a few days, and yes some bond fast, some take months. You will learn to read his moods a lot better as time goes on. Training will help this a lot. Keep it simple initially like step up and once that is down try something else, such as flight recall.

alright, thank you so so much

 

[Captsteve]

You are misinterpreting a Macaw behavior. One of the big things that a Macaw will do when you are petting them is called bluffing. They will let you pet for a while them act like they are gonna bite. MOST of the time in this scenario they will give you less than a pinch. The thing is, if you flinch or pull back, He won the game and now controls you. He now knows how to get a reaction out of you and WILL use it to toy with you.

Now, that being said, Macaws take sometimes months to get used to a new environment. Slow down! Learn his body language. He will tell you when he want your attention and when to keep your fingers away.