new owner question

[lazerdms]

I just had a yellow amazon parrot 12 years old giving to me and the wife so we are learning as we go can some one help out with some does and dont's.

It likes women more then men so I know I will have to take it slow

Thanks for any help

 

[SharonC]

I'll start with a few tips that worked for Fred...
...Do go slow. Talk to him a lot, but don't expect too much until he learns to trust you. Pay close attention to his body language to avoid nasty bites.
...Feed a varied diet. Do your research, and feed accordingly. Lots of veggies, some fruit, and pellets. Amazons are prone to being overweight.
...Make sure he gets at least 12 hours sleep in a quiet dark room to lessen hormonal behavior.
...When he trusts you, be consistent in what the rules are. Amazons are a little bossy, and stubborn.
...a bath or shower twice weekly, after he adjusts.
...Go slowly with introducing new things.
...Supply lots of toys, and rotate them monthly. Provide wood for chewing...
Most importantly, enjoy him!!!

 

[Crazy4Birds]

Do you know about any background on the bird (name, sex, personality, previous owners, lifestyle, etc)? All of this may help you understand the behaviors of your new feathered friend. It is good that you are coming to people with experience and it shows that you care (step #1 in becoming a new parrot owner)! Everything Sharon said is very good advice. Be very patient and know that the bird may not show his/her true colors until he/she is comfortable with the new surroundings. Make sure the cage is large enough (not sure about the exact dimensions for amazons but I'm sure someone on here knows). Amazons can be quite vocal especially in the mornings and evenings. Make sure your bird gets plenty of attention. Even if he doesn't like to be handled he will still enjoy being talked to. Please keep us updated and don't be afraid to ask more questions!

 

[lazerdms]

Thats for all the help , yes know the name and sex dont know the other owners very well. The bird knows 300 are more words and about 15 songs.

The bird Bits and I am sure that will stop in time I HOPE lol The wife has been bit 4 times one time on the top of the nose 7 stitches thats before we found out not to let them get on your shoulder to late now. will the biting stop in time are is there something I need to work on to get him to stop

Thanks
again

 

[MikeyTN]

Until you learn more about parrots. I would not advice you putting the bird anywhere near your face! I've owned my macaw and cockatoo for many years and I never let them kiss me directly. I would hold their beak before I give them a kiss. I know better then that!!! It doesn't matter if it ever stops bitting, you should always becareful with a parrot's beak! A friend of mine is scared for life from a blue & gold macaw that attacked him for no apparent reason.

 

[lazerdms]

Update /questions well we have learned alot in 4 weeks as of now I can rub its head and if the wife being bit 4 times one time with the stiches,the bird will snap at her when she trys to rub its head now remember she was the one at first that could rub it and and get on herand I could not. We was told when we got her she would bite. We do let it get out the cage everyday but with no one able to get it up we have to wait till she is ready to get back in and thats about 2 hours later. any ideas where I can go to to read up on these issues are if anyone has any ideas I am all ears

Thanks
for any help

 

[henpecked]

There's a lot that could be covered here but something very basic is, don't put yourself in the position of the bird having to bite you, if your being bit when petting the bird it's because you've picked the wrong time or you're petting him longer than he wants and that biting you is he's way of saying no or i've had enough.If you pet him only do it for a second or two and leave him alone, leave the bird wanting more from you and looking foward to your attention instead of him having to run you off because your bugging him . And we've only sratched the surface of biting and petting.I'm not familiar enough with this forum to tell you where to go and don't want to step on any toes(or ruffle any feathers) but look under taming and training topic on this site theparrotforum.com PS i'm captwest on there and will be glad to help anyway i can, this site or that.

 

[brookysmom]

You may want to work with a perch and perch train him so that he can be picked up when he is acting up. Also it is a good thing for when others may have to handle your large parrot.

Also to get him back in the cage Amazons as said are prone to being overweight which means they ar VERY food motivated
Try when you want him back in to place something he really likes in his bowl to get him back in.

I am working with a very angry Blue front he is wild caught and 25 years old. He was said to hate women when i took him in back in August 2010 and that has been seen.
I do rescue and when i heardhis back story i had to take him in Most the work we do is fostering and helping folks kep their birds So we take in few surrenders. As i said his story was sad and I have a soft spot for amazons LOL

He will allow me to rub his head through the bars but not when he is out No touching allowed
I sit with him daily for hours singing reading and talking to him. We work on touch and he knows to put his head up for scratches which he LOVES when told to touch
He will attack in a heat beat but we are starting to bond
I had to leave for 3 weeks to help a friend with her birds while she deals with health issues and so we lost a lil of our work but we are working on gaining it again
just have patiance and determination.

Good Luck

 

[MikeyTN]

Perch training is the key! And like henpecked mentioned, if you pick the wrong time when they're cranky, they will bite... Mine does it too, that's when they go for time out....Few min later, they're fine as usual....

 

[henpecked]

I just noticed a mirror in your birds cage, i haven't had good luck with mirrors in an amazons cage, of course i haven't tried it lately, but it seemed to cause aggression issues (at least didn't help ) and i quit using them many years ago.

 

[Lesleybird]

Get the book "Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot" by Mattie Sue Athan. It is the best selling book on companion parrot behavior. She also has another book on Companion Parrot Behavior that I am reading now. Both of her books are worth every penny. You can order them on line from Amazon.com or another book seller. I would not be without them because I have three amazons, two cockatoos and a new sweet Harlequin macaw. Lesley