New Severe Macaw Mommy

[aprilrayn]

Hello! I posted in the introductions but wanted to here as well!

I'm April and I'm the new mommy of a 12 year old DNA sexed female Severe Macaw named Zoey who I adopted on Sunday. I previously have GCC experience (we have an 8 year old GCC Diva who bonded with my husband). I was told Zoey's first (and longest) owner was an older lady slept with her at night and gave her lots of junk food. The lady died and she's had a few intermediate owners. Zoey seems to be a really sweet girl.

She is very protective of her cage and does NOT like hands near it, but the first day allowed me to pet her and give her treats on the cage. I did this all day until finally she told me "up up" and flared her wings. She stepped right up on my finger and hurried up to my shoulder. I walked her around the house and as soon as she saw my bed she told me to "lay down". So, I did. She seems to LOVE to hang out with me on the bed while I work or watch TV.

But sometimes I gotta go downstairs for something... and that's when she's like - no. She will "dive bomb" my neck to basically tell me she's perfectly happy on the bed. She hasn't broken the skin, but it does sting.

She's already playing in my hair and throwing up apple on me so I think she likes me.

Also, any advice on food? I feed my GCC Roudybush pellets mixed with all sorts of stuff for him to dig and pick through (seeds, dried fruits, paper, etc) along with whatever fruits & veggies we are eating (that is good for him). Do Macaws need a significantly different diet? I just want to make sure what I was given to feed her is the "right stuff".

Thanks so much!!! This is my first Macaw, my first "bigger" bird and I've had my GCC so long I just know him like the back of my hand... and I will admit his adjustment period to me included lots and lots and lots of blood! Really want to avoid all that with Zoey!

April

 

[Birdman666]

Okay. I hate to be the person injecting any negativity into your new baby, but you don't just have a macaw. You have ONE OF THOSE macaws...

Don't get me wrong. Severe's can be great birds... it's just that they really do have a tendency to overbond with one person, if allowed to, and that one person then becomes the only one who can handle them. [You're not my person, go away or I will bite you!]

My advice is to socialize this bird extensively. Have her handled by everyone so long as she will tolerate it. The more people he gets loved on, the less inclined she will be to overbond with only one.

So, that's the number one issue with severe's right there...

 

[aprilrayn]

I was told she likes ladies and will easily allow my daughter (16) and I to hold her. But she is not fond of my husband (whose hair is longer than mine so it's not a hair thing). So I think you are right. She is "one of those". He wants to work his way into her graces with treats and - he talks to her and visits - and I'm inclined not to force her on him while she's in a new environment. But I was thinking after about a week having him try to handle her... but by then she may be "too" attached to me?

Our GCC (Skeet) is definitely over bonded to him... Which I know is a GCC "thing" too. Skeet will let me get his pinfeathers when molting (Jeff has no nails) but that's about ALL Skeet will have to do with me. And I've had him 5 years. He's "free range" so very socialized with the family. And I allow other folks to hold him for short periods of time when he's not being nippy. It helps if Jeff is NOT around.

This girl needed a new home and I just fell in love with her. And reading anything I can about Macaws now!

 

[EdgesofTwilight]

Congratulations on your new addition! She's beautiful! Since she was spoiled and attached to one person it may be harder to get her socialized. But with a lot of hard work I'm sure she'll be fine.

 

[aprilrayn]

Thanks! So after spending the day with her I still think she's a pretty good girl. She gently played with my fingers today with her beak and never once hurt me. She does want to be on me quite a lot and always up on my shoulder. Where she is mostly a good girl. But she does lunge and nip at my neck if I need to get up and go somewhere, or if there are strangers around. She hasn't broken the skin, but it smarts. I have been immediately putting her down and ignoring her for a bit when she starts this. I've been reading about spraying them when a water bottle when they bite. Would this be an appropriate way to discourage this behavior? I've been making SURE she's on my hand when I walk but a few times she's literally JUMPED on my shoulder and nips my neck. We gotta stop this! Otherwise, I think she's lovely and silly!

 

[Dopey]

I don't use the spray bottle when trying to get my parrots to stop anything. I use the spray bottle to give them showers and that's the only thing I use it for. I don't use it on my cats or my dog either. BUT that is just me. I know of people who do and use it successfully.

 

[goalerjones]

She's probably used to her owner lying down a lot. Especially if her health declined over a period of time before she died. So thats probably why the bed is so familiar.

 

[aprilrayn]

I haven't sprayed her as punishment so far. I did spray her today to give her a shower and she seemed to love it; holding out her wings and prancing all about. She is quite adorable and cute. I've basically been keeping her on my lap and walking with her on my hand. She still lunges towards my hand when I walk but my hands aren't as tender as my neck. She hasn't broken my skin or bit me to hurt me yet. It has all been warning bites. If she does get on my shoulder she has a FIT to stay there, including "nipping" my neck repeatedly to let me know how displeased she is that I'm displeased that she's nipping my neck. LOL

One worrisome thing - she seems scared of wood. It is nice being able to get our feathered friends to step up on a drumstick (if they are in a "mood") but she runs away from it like it's the devil. And she avoids all her wood perches and toys. What are alternatives I can try for her to chew on?

She LOVES the bed. I'm guessing she spent a lot of time there. She also enjoys being outside and doesn't mind perching on a chair in the dining room and hanging out.

Really enjoying her so far!

 

[aprilrayn]

As a side note... my GCC seems TINY now... Like... I can't believe I used to be worried about THAT biting me. He actually nipped me good on my finger today and it hurt worse than anything I've got from Zoey to date!

I realized today that as smart as they are, she probably knows how to do all sorts of things I don't even know about. Yesterday if I counted down 1, 2, 3 - she would flare her wings out really pretty on 3. I made a big deal out of her. But she wouldn't do it today, just looked at me like I was crazy.

When she's ready for bed she will tell me "Lay down" and I will take her to bed. It's pretty much the only time she is "in" her cage. She goes right to her sleepy thing while saying "Lay down" and other things I can't yet decipher.

She climbed down the bed yesterday and when she dropped to the floor she said "Fell down! Fell down"

And she says "up up" when she wants you to pick her up.

She seems very scared of sticks though. She does not seem to perch on anything wooden in her cage and will only hang out on the metal bars. She also runs from anything wooden I try to use to pick her up. That was on day one when I was scared she'd take my finger off. She bit the lady I got her from pretty viciously. It's just helpful to be able to pick 'em up with something if they are in a "mood". I'm trying to target train her to a stick but she runs away like mad.

I'm still very much enjoying her. Still week one!

 

[Mariar]

Oh my I just rescued a severe as well and she HATES my boyfriend but is somewhat ok with me..we've only had her a few days. But my little girl hates sticks it's like someone abused her with them. I cannot pick her up but she eats outta my hand and won't attack me when I walk in her cage to clean it

 

[kimn818]

As a side note... my GCC seems TINY now... Like... I can't believe I used to be worried about THAT biting me. He actually nipped me good on my finger today and it hurt worse than anything I've got from Zoey to date!

I realized today that as smart as they are, she probably knows how to do all sorts of things I don't even know about. Yesterday if I counted down 1, 2, 3 - she would flare her wings out really pretty on 3. I made a big deal out of her. But she wouldn't do it today, just looked at me like I was crazy.

When she's ready for bed she will tell me "Lay down" and I will take her to bed. It's pretty much the only time she is "in" her cage. She goes right to her sleepy thing while saying "Lay down" and other things I can't yet decipher.

She climbed down the bed yesterday and when she dropped to the floor she said "Fell down! Fell down"

And she says "up up" when she wants you to pick her up.

She seems very scared of sticks though. She does not seem to perch on anything wooden in her cage and will only hang out on the metal bars. She also runs from anything wooden I try to use to pick her up. That was on day one when I was scared she'd take my finger off. She bit the lady I got her from pretty viciously. It's just helpful to be able to pick 'em up with something if they are in a "mood". I'm trying to target train her to a stick but she runs away like mad.

I'm still very much enjoying her. Still week one!

I've been away from the forums for a few months and so i just saw your post and wanted to say congrats on your new family member! How is she doing?

 

[Birdman666]

As a side note... my GCC seems TINY now... Like... I can't believe I used to be worried about THAT biting me.

Try living with a Bolivian Greenwing for awhile...