SassyByrd Update, Pooping, Amazon vs Greys, Flying, Flock Calling

[PickleMeDickles]

Good day all! I have had a few questions brewing about SassyByrd and Amazons in general and have briefly tried looking up the answers but am so busy with my hubby’s illness I just can’t seem to find the time. Not sure if I should post a long rambling post that addresses everything at once or create separate pots for each question. I guess I’ll combine everything into a mega post, but if somebody would be kind enough to let me know the easiest way for future reference I’d greatly appreciate it.

SASSYBYRD UPDATE
Sass is doing great. Finally got her to eat her veggies and now she won’t stop. Can’t complain about that though! She has bonded fiercely with me, but still enjoys the company of others. We’ll see how long that lasts. I’m not sure of her age. At least 2. She’s definitely young, but I really have no idea. I’ll post a head shot, maybe someone could provide a guesstimate? Is it true that the degree of yellow is a decent indicator in young DYH birds? Thanks in advance if your able to help on this one.

AMAZONS & POOPING
On to the poop question. I’ve had conures in the past. My GCC pooped every 15 minutes. Spot on. My Suns pooped every 20 minutes. Again, like clock work. I’m have a hard time getting a baseline on SassyByrd. Sometimes she’ll go hours in between poops. She only goes in one spot in her cage and really hates pooping on her stands. Many times she’ll fly to the floor to poop. She also hates pooping on me. Other people not so much. I’m a little worried that she is holding it in and may develop issues. She eats & drinks while she is out all day. I Suppose there is nothing I can do even if she is holding it, but I’d still love to know!

AMAZONS “VS” GREYS
Sass and I became family completely unexpectedly. I had gone to a breeder to buy a couple of conures and ended up with Sass (who wasn’t for sale but it was love at first sight and she was being passed around like a toy which broke my heart). I knew nothing about Amazons but that hasn’t mattered one bit. The thing that bugs me is this weird prejudice I experience in relation so SassyByrd’s breed (aka Amazons). I get the rudest questions/comments from people asking why in the world did I choose an Amazon and not a Grey! I’m sure many Greys are great little birds, but what is so wrong with Amazons?I’ve read everything I can and understand they are prone to moodiness, biting, blah blah blah. But are they really “that” bad? Can someone please enlighten me?

FLYING
SassyByrd came to me with wings clipped. Really clipped. I have no idea if she has every experienced flight before. Her feathers were a disaster when I first brought her home, and although we’ve had her for quite awhile, they are pretty much just growing in now. I imagine it’ll still be months before she can fly though. All my birds have always been flighted, but they have also been quite small compared to Sass. My question for those of you with flighted Amazons, can you please let me know what to expect? She is so darn large compared to a GCC. Can they even navigate through the house safely? What are others thoughts you’d like to share?

FLOCK CALLING & INTERRUPTING
All of my fids have been bonded pretty closely to me, but Sass takes it to a whole new level. She is out of her cage most of the day most everyday. When it is necessary to put her in for awhile she goes insane. I don’t know how she learned this, but she calls out “MAAAAAAA” over and over and over and over..., you get the idea. I always put her on ignore (unless the tone indicates something urgent) but this hasn’t reduced the frequency one bit. I don’t care about the loudness but the word she uses is driving me insane. My two human kids are in college and I thought I’d finally have some “mind time”. But no. When she starts to call out using this word I physiologically respond like a mother with a newborn. In other words, it stresses the hell out of me. Any thoughts? On a kind of related topic, SassyByrd can NOT stand two humans having a conversation. She starts screaming, talking at full volume and generally acting like a brat. We run a business out of our home and our poor employees can’t talk or make a phone call. It doesn’t matter if she is right in the middle of things or put away for a time out. It’s just plain embarrassing. Any thoughts on this?

THE END
If you made it to the end of this post, well, thank you! Hopefully I’ll have the time in the near future to visit more frequently and not bombard you all with a novel. Thank you for any questions you might have input for. Have a wonderful day!
-Jen

 

[Anita1250]

Wow, that's a lot of things to absorb. I have had my BFA Sam for 36 years. Ever since he was a little baby bird. I cannot imagine anyone saying to me " Why didn't you get a Grey". Perhaps they are slightly better talkers, but I would take my crazy, loving bird any time. He is a great companion, funny and silly all of the time. He makes our lives so much better.

As for the pooping, I guess he poops quite often. I don't see an actual time between poops, though. Sometimes he eats more, so he poops more. Other times, not so much.

And, yes he does interrupt ALL THE TIME. Can't talk on the phone in the same room. He thinks we are talking to him and he will not shut up. When we sit together, he will sit on the top of his cage and look at us intently while repeating " hello, hi, good bird" etc. until we come get him.

I really don't know how to tell how old an Amazon is just by looking at him/her. My vet says he can usually tell by the feet. They actually look different on an older bird. He calls them "old feet". LOL

 

[Scott]

Nothing wrong with your post of many observations/questions! Folks can respond as able and enjoy the rest!!

My first parrot was a BFA 37 years ago and I'm still learning. Unsure if coloration is clue to age once mature.

My Gonzo doesn't like to be handled and spends a lot of time in or on his cage or playpen. Seems to poop irregularly in rather large amounts.

He's always been flighted but prefers to walk/climb. Not sure how nimble amazons are, but should be able to navigate a typical home. My goffins are a bit smaller and are supremely nimble. My greys, OTOH, were never so skillful.

Dismissive comparisons between amazons and greys are terribly ignorant. Very different personalities and attributes. Ideally all parronts should have one of each!

Gonzo is my only amazon and is incredibly quiet. A superb talker but rarely screams.

 

[saxguy64]

Okay, I have to jump in. Amazon vs Grey...

I must admit that I have wanted a grey since I was a kid. (Before I had ever met one in person) They are beautiful, and I love their intelligence and abilities. However, after spending time with them, and lots of others that I hadn't even thought of, I have come to accept that their grey-isms just don't fit with my personality and lifestyle. I still would love to have one someday, but probably will not. Maybe one with the right personality for me will come along in the future.

I have been extremely fortunate over the past year to have been chosen by the sweetest YNA I have ever met, along with my first, and now second Ekkie. (Also WAAAAAAY different from Amazons) I don't in any way understand someone acting like a grey is a better choice because they assume for whatever reason it's a better bird. Don't get me wrong, they are amazing, but no more so than the right Amazon, Ekkie, Cockatiel, Budgie, or whatever other species that comes along that clicks with you. The best choice is the one that suits you, and ideally, the one who chooses you. You made the right choice with Sassy Byrd! Welcome to the world of Amazons!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Kiwibird]

Glad Sassy is doing well! She is a real beauty.

Amazons (and other larger parrots) do poop less frequently than smaller birds and larger poops overall. Some amazons like to “hold it” all night and make a really big poop in the morning. I also think they realize on some level, they make big poops and we humans probably wouldn’t be so happy to be pooped upon. None of the 3 amazons I’ve spent extensive time around have pooped on people and none were specifically trained not to do so.

Amazons VS African greys or other species? I don’t have a whole lot of experience with AGs but I adore amazons as a species. They are feisty, highly intelligent birds with big personalities and when well cared for, are quite funny birds. They have a strong desire to be part of a flock, and usually fit in seamless in homes where they are included in everyday activities and know their place. They are generally pretty hardy when fed properly, or as our vet put it, “pretty indestructible”. They aren’t known to be as cuddly as other birds, but to my understanding, neither are AGs. They are known to be good talkers and are considered the best singers. IMO, I also prefer the bright coloration of amazons to the duller plumage of AGs, though that is obviously personal preference and highly subjective.

My mom had 2 amazons (1 passed away) that fly/flew. Compared to my dads goffin, it’s like comparing large cargo planes to a fighter jet lol. Neither one had/s issues navigating around the house but no one would particularly call them graceful flyers. My amazon doesn’t fly at all. We’ve tried teaching him, but he nearly killed himself once and burnt his feet a different time when he hadn’t been clipped, so we just keep him clipped. It is likely he’s been clipped his whole life though and knows no different. He is happy and well adjusted as-is and is an exceptional climber.

 

[texsize]

The 2 big differences I see between CAG and Amazons.

Amazons are more laid back, not so hyper. They are not as needy as a CAG.

I think amazons can be just as smart as CAG's but don't show it as much. My CAG talks and makes noises in context more often than my Amazons do.

As far as pooping goes.
I have had 2 amazons that knew not to poop on me. They would hold it or move and poop somewhere acceptable. Bella my CAG is capable of holding her poop and I am sure she knows not to poop on me but she does it anyway. She doesn't poop on my wife. With my son and I she poops on us and then fly's away. Maybe she's trying to tell us something LOL.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I'm with April on this! Obviously I have an Amazon,I also had a Grey (TAG) prior to Amy picking me to go home with..I also "had" A CAG,for a couple weeks only. Many years back,prior to me being a member here,and prior to having a subscription to Bird Talk magazine..Amy was discovering her (well I THOUGHT her ) hormones,which I knew ziltch about! He started to turn into a MONSTER! Biting everyone and everything! Lunging!chasing people down the halls! Totally out of control! So...one day at a petshop in the area's mall there was a LARGE CAG..( At his wellness check he weighed a whopping 780g's!) So I asked the manager of the store if she would do a "swap" :02: ( MOM cried for two days) with the stipulation I could get Amy back if "Gerty" didn't work out. Looking back,if I had kept him for a longer time,he would have been fine. He didn't bite..or yell..would begrudgingly step up and was indifferent with Smokey. He held his boon until morning. I recall uncovering his house and letting him out..he'd climb to his roof top and squat. I could swear you could hear him groan! then SPLAT!! the BIGGEST poo I ever saw a birdy do! I mean it was HUGE! I bet it was the size of a half-dollar lol.
Well to my mom's delight,I took him back to the petshop and got Amy back. He was SOOOO happy to see me! He perked right up,started saying everything he knew,jumped onto my arm and ran up to my shoulder (They kept him on a big T-stand...not even in a sleep cage! And some @#$%#* six year old grabbed his rudder and yanked one out!! It has NEVER regrown That @#$$%^ must of damaged a follicale!!
God what an idiot I was I cried for her all the way back home. I went back to the store a week later...to find it gone!! It closed down in the mall! If I didn't go back there when I did..I shudder now to think what would have become of my green dino

Getting off topic here sorry lol..as far as boon goes,Amy poo's a lot less than Beebs does and generally it's not on ME..Beebers on the other hand doesn't care where he leaves his calling card!


Jim

 

[Birdmom12]

I'm new to the amazon world as well so my experience is minimal.

Ours came to us as a flyer and still is. Our house is fairly large and open. She can easily navigate from room to room. I have noticed she never FULLY opens her wings though. She always seems a little hunched up. Since shes learned the layout of the house we have stands in various spots for her to crash land on. She also has learned what surfaces so likes/ doesn't like. For example most of our kitchen is deemed hazardous for her as a landing pad, its just to slippery.

In the event yours does know how to fly I would go around and test surfaces out with her. Have her step off and navigate. She will learn what ones she trusts/doesn't. At least then she can fly and land safely. As a friendly reminder keep any ceiling fans off when shes out. We've recently considered upgrading to enclosed fans to prevent any accidents.

If you have family in the house I'd keep her well socialized with them. Ours absolutely hates me and will fly to me for attacks. (ours is a devil though) If yours is a flyer she should trust everyone. We also practice flight training in our house. She sits on a stand and gets a command to fly to her human. When she does shes treated. Its a great way for her to burn off steam and get exercise.