Should I try to adopt a swearing feather plucking Amazon?

[Stacey254]

Hi Everyone
I really need some guidance. I have 2 GCC's and 2 Budgies that I've had for a few years, so little experience. I would like to move up to a larger parrot that prefers me. I found an Amazon locally with some issues. Age unknown, swears like a sailor, plucks feathers, prefers woman. Is this something I should tackle or not? I have children 7 and 8, and 3 dogs. I'm only out of the house for maybe 4 hours a day. So I have time. I really need guidance from experienced Amazon lovers. Thank you in advance.

Stacey

 

[wrench13]

Age should not be a conccern, DYH amazons can live for 50+ years and its doubtful this one is even close. Amazons are the come back kids of the parrot world. Reset at zero. Patience and love can bring this guy back. But the whole family has to be on board, kids too.

Read thru tthe "I Love Amazons" thread in the 'zon subforum. The author, Sailboats, has made a life mission in bringing back 'zons xactly like this one. I'm sure he will be along presently.

 

[texsize]

If you don't reinforce his bad language the words should slowly fade from his vocabulary.

I am talking years not weeks or months.
Our YNA said some thing like "want a kiss, want a bath?" but no longer says them cuz we don't say them.
If every time he says a bad word your kids giggle and laugh that is just another way of reinforcing the words and he will continue to say them, best to teach everyone to ignore bad words when spoke and teach him good things to say with treats to reinforce good behavior.

 

[Stacey254]

Thanks so much for your input Wrench13 & Texsize. You've given me hope that I may be able to turn things around for this poor little girl. I'll definitely be on here again looking for advice.

Thank you for being here for us newbies and for sharing your knowledge.

Stacey

 

[saxguy64]

Question... Have you met this girl yet? Knowing how she reacts to you, ideally over several visits, will help your decision. Great advice already on the vocabulary. Plucking is a very complex issue. Check up with on avian professional is necessary for a starting point to see if there's an identifiable medical reason for it. If that's ruled out, behavioral plucking is a hard habit to break. If possible, see if they know how long it's been going on, and what were the circumstances when it started. Diet change, re-home, loss or additions to the family/flock, decreased attention, etc. May or may not help, but at least then you have something to work with and try to make educated changes. Best of luck, and keep us posted. Thank you for considering this beautiful girl!

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[saxguy64]

BTW, I just noticed- welcome fellow Mainer!

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[Stacey254]

Hi Saxyguy64,
Thank you for responding to my post. I have not met this Amazon yet. I go and meet her this weekend. The owner (who is an animal control officer) talked to me for over two hour told me that she has owned the Amazon for 4 years and doesn't have time to take care of the bird. That she found the bird at a pet store sitting at the bottom of her too small cage without feathers and felt sorry for her. The Amazon had been sold to the pet store by the previous owner.
The owner told me that when I come for a visit that the Amazon has bonded to her and doesn't like anyone else really in her household.

 

[saxguy64]

Hi Stacey,

I'm so glad you're going to meet her this weekend. Try not to start with the assumption that she won't like you. It's possible, but keep an open mind set. These guys are very smart, and better than us at choosing who they do and don't want to be with. I have my girl Baxter, who didn't like men at all, and only a select few women with short hair, because she chose me from across a room with 75+ birds. I had no plans for a second one, but she decided I was the one. I've been truly blessed. It makes building the trust between you much easier (and faster) but building that bond is still certainly possible.

This poor girl has been passed around, and needs the time and attention. Give her that, and you'll see remarkable things happen. She may continue to pluck, she may stop. If it continues, don't ever feel like you've failed in any way. Like I said, it's very complex, and hard to stop. My first Ekkie was a plucker with a 10 year history of it before I adopted him. He would grow a new feather here and there, and I'd be so excited. Maybe he's finally turned the corner. Then, I'd look again to find it gone. To many, he was ratty and rough looking. To me, he was the most beautiful soul on the planet. He was my best friend, feathers or not.

Anyway, i hope your meeting goes well! It's an exciting time. Please keep us updated.

Oh, and what part of Maine are you from if you don't mind me asking? Not many of us on here that I've run across.

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[wrench13]

Great that you are meeting her. A suggestion print out the "I Love Amazon" thread, or have it on your screen, and read it to her in a quiet soft voice. Budget a few hours for the first meeting. Have her fav treat handy, Amazons respond well to being bribed.

 

[Stacey254]

Thank you Saxguy64, for all the encouragement and advice. I live over in the Midcoast region of Maine in a town called Waldoboro.

 

[Stacey254]

Thank you wrench13 for the taking the time to share your wealth of knowledge in the "I Love Amazons" thread and your kind encouragement. So greatly appreciated right now.

 

[Stacey254]

Thank you Textsize. This bird has a really bad potty mouth and the owner says the Amazon swears when stressed or for no reason at all? Wish me luck. I would really like this to go well. I feel really bad for this baby already.

 

[Stacey254]

Great that you are meeting her. A suggestion print out the "I Love Amazon" thread, or have it on your screen, and read it to her in a quiet soft voice. Budget a few hours for the first meeting. Have her fav treat handy, Amazons respond well to being bribed.

That's awesome advice!!!! Will do. Thanks Wrench13

 

[Stacey254]

If I may ask Saxguy64, What part of Maine are you located as well

 

[saxguy64]

If I may ask Saxguy64, What part of Maine are you located as well

We're just outside of Lewiston.

We have some family in Woolwich and Rockland also, so we're familiar with the area. Beautiful out there!

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[SailBoat]

Okay, yaaaa, I'm an Amazon Snob! BUT, I'm (as you can see) not the only one here about!

Amazons are very well known for: "When you cannot be with the one you Love! Love the one you are with! And, because they are very smart, they well remember those who mistreated /abused them and set-up a dislike for individuals that have like appearances.

Never run-up to an Amazon, let them get a good look at you and a general feel for you, AND your family! Respect their space and they will let you in closer. As stated so very well above, let the Amazon choose You! Near all Parrots lock into our emotions far before we even know it and make judgements before we are even close to them. So, on your first meeting, speak to the current owner at a distance from the Amazon. This allows the Amazon to begin connect with how we speak and look. Sneak a look at the Amazon to see if it is looking your way...

Allow yourself the time to get to know the owner and an understanding of their relationship with the Amazon. If the Amazon came near featherless and is current down to just the chest and a few other spots, with Love and Attention it 'maybe' possible to reduce the plucking a small bit more.

With an Adult Amazon possibly coming to your home, you also need to read the other Sticky.: Under Standing Amazon Body Language or something like that. This is a must read prior to your visiting and rereading until you AND everyone in your family understands it like a First Language!!!

 

[SailBoat]

A bit more regarding Larger Parrots and your family!

Please understand that this Double Yellow-Head Amazon is a solid member of the 'Hot Three.' The general coloration of this DYH Amazon 'implies' that it is a full Adult, which IMHO is a good thing as you are not faced with their transition from a baby to an Adult!!! Hormonal Response for a young member of the 'Hot Three' can vary widely from mid to a full on rush and like your soon to be teenage kids, they haven't clue what is and just happened. As an Adult, they are more attuned to the what to expect...

My concern is the Dogs! Your dogs are predators and will be overly interested in this new Feathered Member of the Family! Any member of the 'Hot Three' can cause serious damage to noses that get too close and, the dogs can cause deadly crushing damage to any Parrot. Amazons 'need' time out of the cage and if at all possible, they need flying time...

Swearing Parrots and especially swearing Amazons! Understand that Amazons are excitement junkies! And, 'any' response is taken as 'you must want MORE! As stated so very well in the above Posts!!! You can easily change what they are using to response by simply providing alternatives...

We have long worked with Amazons that had been seen as little more than last weeks trash! They had come to a point that they have no want to ever be near another Human, Never! They commonly came to us sick and in need of medication multiple times during each day, which never helps when trying to build a possible relationship!

With an abundance of Love and a setting with zero expectations, they all had come to first stop wanting to kill us, then kind of accept us, to without question, Love us more than we could ever hope for...

Thank you for considering bringing an Amazon into your Home!!!

 

[Laurasea]

Hi! Welcome!
I rescued a plucking swearing Quaker! Lol
Thankfully in a year and a half it was only the first week that she told me to blank off...and blank you. I didn't respond. And luckily have never heard those words from her again!

I hope you do rescue, sounds like a parrot in need!

 

[Stacey254]

My concern is the Dogs! Your dogs are predators and will be overly interested in this new Feathered Member of the Family! Any member of the 'Hot Three' can cause serious damage to noses that get too close and, the dogs can cause deadly crushing damage to any Parrot. Amazons 'need' time out of the cage and if at all possible, they need flying[ time[/B]...


Thank you for the advice and suggestions Sailboat. I'm a little concerned for actually all the members in our family. We have four smaller birds, kids ages seven and eight, dogs and hubby. My budgies fly around when they so desire, They are never locked up. Will I now have to lock the budgies in fear that they might loose a leg or a beak if curious and land on the Amazon's cage? And how will I be able to navigate a larger bird that may be upset that she's had to go to yet another home? I'm a little stressed. My thought is that if this meeting goes slightly well that I would just bring the Amazon home and be super careful hoping that she doesn't turn on me when I allow her to be out of her cage?

I don't know if all Amazons are this way but this bird likes fried Chicken
and enjoys listening to Frank Sinatra. She sounds like quite the character.

please forgive my lack of knowledge on how to navigate the forum. Its been awhile and i'm trying to remember how to answer, quote and all that good stuff

 

[Stacey254]

That's really good news about being able to turn bad behavior around.
I really hope this works out. Crossing my fingers.