Not new to parrots, but new to macaws

[DelilahDeviance]

My name is Elise, I am 24 years old, and I am from Alabama. I am Active Duty Air Force so I currently reside in Oklahoma. I have been around parrots for several years because my friends owned them. While working at a pet store my first Blue Crowned Conure decided to adopt me. I loved him very much and he was my little pal. Last May he passed away in a terrible accident while being cared for by someone else. Before he died I had rescued another blue crown, CoCo Chanel. She's a sweet, feisty little thing and I love her dearly. I also rescued a parrotlet from a horrible hoarding situation where she is the only bird that survived. Her name is Molly, and she adopted my husband. Just a month ago a lady begged me to take her Green Winged Macaw, Erin, because she didn't want to give her the proper care to keep her from plucking. She told me she had only been plucking 6 months or less-that turned out to be a lie. After getting her she confessed she had actually been plucking almost four years. She is fourteen years old. She has a lovely personality, but she occasionally makes me quite nervous. I have already learned to trust her more. I am target training her, but I'm having a lot of trouble. She has, however, allowed many of her down feathers to come back in after not having any for years. She has also allowed most of her small wing feathers and some of her back feathers come back in without mutilating them. If anyone has any advice for me I am open to it.

 

[MikeyTN]

I'm trying to give a little more protein to mine right now because that was something I've read. But some times its not even the previous owner's fault that they start plucking. Lola been plucking in her past home and also with me as well and I'm trying to get her to stop. She loves me dearly and I'm just about able to do anything with her. So once I'd find the solution I will let everyone know!

 

[DelilahDeviance]

I am doing the target training...unfortunately I do know the reason for this bird's. plucking is 100% the fault of the owner. In the first 10 years she owner her she never restricted her to a cage and she constantly played with her. She locked her in a cage in a spare bedroom, nowhere close to her and never went in except to change food and water. The 'people food' she ate was fast food burgers and Chinese take out. When she started plucking (immediately after moving the cage) she just thought she would stop...she didn't. So three years later she decided to rehome her 'because she was depressed and she wasn't even pretty anymore'.... Yeah....but she is a great bird.

 

[MikeyTN]

That's very unfortunate!!!! Macaws and all the other parrots needs others to interact with, since she was alone, her human flock was her only interaction. My macaws are nosey, they want to know what's going on with everything. So to just shut them in a room by themselves and only go in to feed, that's very sad....I'm glad you have her now and hopefully you can work through the plucking issue! Please do let me know how she does over time!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Welcome to the forum, Delilah, and THANK YOU for your service. Are you at Tinker Air Force Base? My husband is retired Army and we were at Ft. Sill for 8 years.

 

[DelilahDeviance]

I am at Tinker! Thank you for your support as well.