New Macaw Mom

[reinaaa]

Hey everyone!
2 days ago I adopted a Blue and Gold Macaw named Sunny. He is 34 years old. The woman who owned him previously had to move accross country and was not able to take him with her. Ive been doing alot of reading and research to be able to provide a great new home for him but I still have a few questions. First let me start off by saying when i first went to meet Sunny, his cage was in a bedroom with no furniture (she was in the process of moving so im not sure if thats where he stayed for the 30 years of his life but i knew that wasnt good), second, Sunny had 2 empty water bottles hanging from a string as toys, and his chest and feet are all plucked. Even after 30 years with his owner, Sunny did not completely trust her as he still went to bite her and he would not step up on her hand unless she used a stick to get him onto first. Now in my house his cage is placed in our living room, by the window, tc and couch where my mom and I sit and his cage door is never closed unless its bed time. I know with these previous conditions, I have a lonnng way to go in order to gain Sunny's trust but I am willing to do whatever I can to gain it. I went out and baught him a couple toys) (he tore one up to pieces and is chewing up the blocks like crazy!, and ordered some brazilian nuts and new food (Harrison's high potency) as he was on some sort of seed diet from a pet store (Not good i know) but i know i will have to slowly ween him into it.
Now my first question is;
When I put out his food, I have been adding different fruits and even tried to put a little yellow bell pepper in with it. It seems like the only thing he ate this morning was the 2 peanuts which were in the mix.. I know he should be hungriest in the morning but he did not eat very much yet. Should I expect this since he went through such a huge move? My second question is about bathing him. The woman who had him previously would use water as a negative thing. If he misbehaved she would spray him with water, so now when I try and spray water up in the air to fall on him for a little bath he gets nervous and starts squawking. It has only been a couple days that I have had him so I do understand hes scared and confused, but i also want to help him and want to start the building of trust..
Any advice? Thanks all!

 

[Phlox]

First off -- good for you for taking him in! I can tell he's going to have a better life already!

Now, I don't have specific macaw experience, but in general older adopted birds are very set in their ways, so expect it to take a while for him to adjust. I would let him eat whatever he was eating before for a while. Offer the new food, but don't expect much just yet. Just like a toddler, sometimes you have to offer the food a lot of times before they will try it. You might want to watch and see what he really likes and use that to your advantage eventually. If he likes peanuts, you can sprinkle chopped peanuts on fresh food, for example.

I've heard regular misting can sometimes help with plucking, though I'd bet his is boredom related so I think its the right direction with giving lots of good toys to chew. A vet visit would probably be a good idea though, to make sure there'e no underlying issues however.

Good luck with your new FID!

 

[Dopey]

It took my macaw two- three weeks before he wanted to get near the water and then another week or so before he would let me spray him but now he loves the misting and the water. Just keep trying.

As for the food. Use the past as information only. Put this bird on what you want him to eat. Leave the seed available to him but offer him other stuff. I was told mine wouldn't eat pellets and doesn't like toys. It took him about a week before I noticed him playing with a toy and now he has two he plucks and another in the cage with them that he ignores. He has two on his play stand that he alternates playing with when he is in the mood. We play tug of war almost everyday and now we are starting to play peek a boo. And for his pellets...I hear him munching on them every morning and night. Sometimes I think he does it just to see how much or a mess he makes but at least he's getting something from them.

He has four bowls in his cage. One with water, one with pellets, one for his nuts (and I give him lots), and one with either fresh veggies (am) or fresh fruit (pm). I keep the pellet bowl at least half full at all times. He also gets a 1/4 slice of Pepperidge Farm 15 Grain bread...usually everyday but sometimes I forget. Every couple days or so he gets a batch of JerseyWendy's bean and pasta recipe. At first I thought it was a lot of food but he's a bird and he wastes a lot of it...but not much. He just eats a lot.

My point...use what he used to do as a guideline but he's now your bird. Do what you and your bird work out for you.

Welcome to a wonderful experience.

 

[Birdman666]

That's one of the many reasons we don't squirt them with water as a punishment. (Wouldn't work for either of my big macs anyway, they both LOVE water.)

You can try showering him. That's what I do with mine.

Water bottles I do not like. I use bowls with all my birds.

Birds that do not get handled much do not stay tame. Birds that are not trained not to bite, will. Birds that do not get outside their cage much, generally become cage bound. Go at the bird's pace.

Macaws are attention oriented. This is what you use to train them with. Love and attention. They respond to it, especially if it has been denied them for many years...

Birds that do not get enough stimulation generally pluck. Increased bathing and increased toys and such generally improve this.

 

[Sicilysangel]

Congrats to you on rescuing! This forum has been so supportive and helpful during my first month . I'm still working on my b&g. It is more difficult when they are older but yes just be consistent and trust me there are days when you feel hopeless but we are only human.You are not alone. A big help also has been the birdtricks.com dvds I ordered last week. They teach about clicker training and alot of other useful tips. Good luck

 

[Mattroma]

Glad to see that you took him in. One thing that can't be stressed enough is patience. If had indeed been left Ina empty room for 34 years, he will definitely be nervous. If you can find a favorite treat, that will go along way to building a bond.
Also if he is tearing though toys, you may want to try making some of your own. There are a lot of people here that make their own toys, and have shared their creations. buying toys can become expensive. I tend to bring home a new toy every 2 to 3 weeks, and my guy isn't super destructive.
Another thing I noticed was the cage. It's hard to tell from the picture but it seemed a bit small to be housing a macaw.

 

[reinaaa]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I am definitely taking it day by day and talking to him and singing to him as much as I can. As for the water, I will try maybe in a few days again to mist him.. if not I have no idea how long it would take me to be able to even get him off his cage let alone into the bathroom but I will be patient and go at his pace.
As for his cage, This was what the woman gave me for him. She mentioned his wing was broken when he was at the pet shop before she adopted him so he cannot fly and he stretches out his wings only a couple times a day, but everyday since I have had him he does not stay in his cage unless he just wakes up or at bed time. Yesterday my mom said he was even starting to climb down the cage (yay!). But im not sure if the cage is too small but its definitely old and I am looking for a newer one.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Welcome to the forum, and thank you for giving this B&G a good, loving, and caring home.

TLC and patience will go a very long way. Sure, it may take him some time to come around, but I believe it can be done.

As for his diet, here are some GREAT links for you:
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html

If you want to try to cook something for your B&G, here is the link to our Food and Recipe section.
Parrot Food, Recipes and Diet - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

You said it took him no time to destroy the toys you got for him. If he's a beaver, like my 2 big macs, you should be able to save a TON of money if you make your own toys. No, they don't need to be fancy in the least. You can go buy some untreated lumber (2X4s), cut them into chunks, drill holes in the middle, and string them up on untreated sisal rope. Voila, easy and super cheap toy.

If you can get him to come out on a perch, you could possibly put him on a shower rod and try giving him a bath in the shower.

As for the cage, yes, I think it's time for an update - just take one day at a time, and try not to become overwhelmed.

 

[GW.Joe]

save a TON of money if you make your own toys. No, they don't need to be fancy in the least. You can go buy some untreated lumber (2X4s), cut them into chunks, drill holes in the middle, and string them up on untreated sisal rope. Voila, easy and super cheap toy.

That's what I plan on doing !!! you could even get different ones for "variety"
and mix them on one string (2x2, 2x3, 2x4, etc)

For $20 bucks you have a TON of toys !!

Joe

 

[JerseyWendy]

That's what I plan on doing !!! you could even get different ones for "variety"
and mix them on one string (2x2, 2x3, 2x4, etc)

For $20 bucks you have a TON of toys !!

Joe

LOL Joe, you just have to cut them into different sizes, that's all.

 

[Birdman666]

That's what I plan on doing !!! you could even get different ones for "variety"
and mix them on one string (2x2, 2x3, 2x4, etc)

For $20 bucks you have a TON of toys !!

Joe

LOL Joe, you just have to cut them into different sizes, that's all.

And drill holes in the centers, and then string them up on sissal rope... You can make half a dozen bird toys in an hour... and he can destroy them all in about fifteen minutes. (But that's okay. We'll make more!)

Just another excuse to use power tools...

SEARS!

Yer d@*#ed right, Sears!

Is that reference too old?!