NOT TO OVERWHELM YOU WITH INFORMATION, BUT I'VE GOT TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS HERE:
He climbed onto my arm before I knew what was going on and so I thought okay, ill just put him back before anything happens. Right as i thought that he started to climb up on my arm.
THAT TELLS ME HE WANTED TO BE HANDLED.
When he's on shoulders he loves to bite ears and hair. obviously I didnt want that so i tried to get him to step up onto my other arm. I didnt touch him with the arm, not once, but he lashed out and he bit me...HARD.
HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO WITH THAT HAND, SO HE REACTED AND PREVENTED YOU FROM DOING IT...
So, this is my first macaw and even though ive done TONS of research, it was still in the moment reactions. I know youre not supposed to give a macaw a reaction when they bite you.
WE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS ONE. MYTH. YOU DON'T SHOW FEAR WHEN THEY BITE. YOU DO REACT TO IT.
I yanked my arm away and i guess he was still latched to my arm because he was pulled off of the arm he crawled on and he fell to the floor(not a huge fall, maybe a foot). I had to use a stick (something he's scared of) to "coax" him out from underneath his cage(i tried to use praise, treats, seeds, fruits/veggies, ect, nothing worked to get him out).
TRY JUST SITTING DOWN AND WAITING HIM OUT WHERE POSSIBLE. LET HIM COME OUT ON HIS OWN.
Letting me pet his wings and feet and even scritch his neck a few times.
NECK IS GOOD. WINGS IS NOT. THAT CAN STIMULATE THEM SEXUALLY, AND TRIGGER HORMONAL BITES.
He would put one of his feet on mt finger and just stand there.
HE WANTED TO BE PICKED UP.
Then, all of the sudden, a few days ago it's like he hates me. IDK what it is, maybe because I spending a little less time with him than i did a few days before that (not much less, no more than an hour less)?
GIVE HIM A STRUCTURED DAILY ROUTINE. HE ALSO HASN'T REALLY BEEN HANDLED IN AT LEAST 9 DAYS NOW. MINE GET OUT AND HANDLED FOUR HOURS PER DAY MINIMUM... IF HE'S SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME IN THE CAGE, THAT CAN TRIGGER ANGER BITES...
I'm trying to show him that he's not gonna get a reaction out of me by holding my hand close to the cage, just out of his reach, and keeping perfectly still.
YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH JUST SHOWING FEAR. "SHE'S TOO AFRAID TO COME CLOSE TO ME... LET ME LUNGE AT THE CAGE BARS, SEE IF SHE FLINCHES... HA HA! MADE YOU JUMP.... THIS IS "THE MACAW TEST."
The first 2-3 days I did this he would lash out, trying to bite me but I didnt move. Yesterday and today when I did it he only lashed out when i first put it there and then left me alone.
YOU DIDN'T JUMP. IT'S NO FUN ANYMORE.
He hasnt let me pet his wings very much the past few days and I havent attempted letting him stand on my finger yet (I dont want to go back to school in a month with only 9 fingers lol).
CONTROL THE BEAK WITH TWO FINGERS, SCRATCH THE BACK OF THE HEAD, WAIT FOR THE HEAD FEATHERS TO GO SPROING... THEN YOU CAN PROBABLY LET GO OF THE BEAK, CUZ HE WILL LOVE THAT... (NO WINGS.)
He used to lash out at me when i would put my fingers on the latches to his food and water bowl doors but I think he's learned that when I take them out it means i coming back with fresh food and water and he hardly lashes at me when i do that now.
YOU PROBABLY STOPPED JUMPING... PASSED THAT TEST.
I know a lot of people will tell me to take it slow but HOW should I do that? Where should I go from here?
BASIC STEP UP, NO BITE, AND TOUCH TRAINING WOULD BE NEXT.
I don't want to ruin anything and I just want this to be his forever home. I know I can take care of him. I change his water 2-3 times a day, feed him twice a day, mist him 2x a day, dance with him a few times a day, sit and talk to him alone everyday, eat some of my meals with him when i can share with him, give him toys, speak softly to him, clean his cage/change his papers 2-3 times a week (depending on how bad it gets).
YOUR MEETING HIS PHYSICAL CARE NEEDS. YOU'RE GOLDEN THERE...
