taming a parent reared baby amazon what to expect?

[Crookie]

hi everyone, ive seen a reall good looking blue front amazon that is a little older than 4 months. i really really want him.. problem is he is parent reared! i just want to know people experiences if theyve had any im experienced in big parakeets and know it can be hard work..i know ill have him for 50 or so years and im prepared for that just wondering if its a good move? wether anyones done it but wished the got a hand reared one instead? i know quite a bit from what ive read up but cant find alot on this situation. would appreciate videos maybe pics of youre success.thanks p.s please dont critisise me i see people picking on others thinking they know better all the time on threads ive got no time for that at all.

 

[Crookie]

http://www.parrotforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20295&stc=1&d=1521983255 this is him
http://www.parrotforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20294&stc=1&d=1521983230

 

[Kiwibird]

I wouldn't be too concerned. My BFA was mistreated/neglected in 2 known home prior to us adopting him around age 10, at the height of puberty. I also strongly suspect him to be parent raised, though his background is sketchy and he's never had a band. With effort, he STILL bonded to us, responded to training, is well socialized and is all around a wonderful companion parrot who is so trustworthy he doesn't even have to be caged during the day. A 4 month old baby bird? Piece of cake to socialize and train, comparatively

In fact, there are actually some benefits for a baby bird who is parent raised in the health department. Just like human babies, baby birds benefit with arguably stronger immune systems and a lower risk for health problems from their parents feeding them the natural way instead of being formula fed. Unlike humans, baby parrots do not bond with their parents (or whomever is hand feeding them) for life. It is developmentally normal for them to leave their parents/nest and forge new connections with other parrots once they are weaned and can fly. 4 months is so very young and provided he is fully weaned and eating on his own, it is an *ideal* time to start bonding/training with someone who's not perceived as a parental figure. He's still so young and learning EVERYTHING so learning to trust humans shouldn't be too hard at this age. I'm sure they'll be some snags you'll hit during the process and your patience WILL be tested, but there is no guarantee you'd have any easier time with a hand fed. And before everyone chimes in about the superiority of breeders who hand feed rather than let parents raise the babies, no matter what kind of breeder they are, that precious baby bird deserves a loving home too every bit as much as a hand raised one. It can't help the breeder it came from and parent raised birds (due to the negative reputation of breeders who still allow the practice) often have a lower likelihood of ending up as single home birds their whole lives and a much greater chance of being passed from home to home, making them distrustful of humans and aggressive. It's a major disadvantage and I believe it to drive some of the negative perceptions of parent raised parrots. Back in the day, plenty of people tamed and made companions out of wild caught parrots raised in the jungle somewhere by their parent birds just fine.

Just my $.02. Let me know if you have any other questions about blue fronts, temperament, diet etc... My bird was a problem bird all around so I've likely been there, dealt with that and corrected this or that behavior

 

[Crookie]

just been back to visit him, and hes still there.. thinking if i go back tomorrow i might take him home with me. i dont know what to do. the man doesnt even care who he goes to..or his welfare but it means taking on a big commitment.

 

[Kiwibird]

Having some bird experience, even with a smaller/different species will only help you. The beak is a fear you must overcome! Being on the receiving end of a good bite is the only fix to get past that hangup IMO. The first bad bite I got was from a cockatoo when I was only 3 or 4 years old myself (I grew up in a house with multiple large parrots). My parents, after both me and the bird calmed down, made me hold him again later that day so I'd get over any hang ups about the bird having bit me ASAP. Couldn't have a kid terrified of birds in a house full of birds. You will likely get a few good bites in before your bird learns it really hurts you when he does that, and more importantly, that you aren't trying to hurt 'him' so there's no need to be so defensive to communicate. With my bird, I took a page from the old school how to tame a wild bird book and used thick gloves and a stick until trust was built on BOTH sides. This is a last resort option though and most birds don't necessitate such measures so don't be freaking out My bird was just too aggressive to train any other way due to his background and eventually the gloves came off and the stick became for just when he's hormonal or overstimulated. Keep in mind my guy had 10 years of good reasons to hate and lash out at humans when I brought him home. A baby bird is simply not sure whether to trust or not and likely won't be out for blood. Another good thing to know- it is ALWAYS the humans fault when a bird bites, never the birds. Having this mindset from the start is perhaps the key to having a bird who almost never bites. When you understand why your bird bit you (it is never for no reason) you can better avoid the actions that led to the bite in the future, thus preventing future bites. You should also familiarize yourself with bite pressure training, which aims to teach a bird to more "pinch" when they feel the need to make a point rather than bite. I can't even remember the last time I got a skin breaking bite from Kiwi (years) but he will give a warning nip on occasion. He knows full force bites hurt us because I've shown him what he's done every time he's bitten me since I brought him home. These days, he has no reason to want to hurt us even if he's grouchy or we've done something wrong and he wants to let us know.

As for time to acclimate? I say amazons are not that "sensitive" and that the general personality types you'll find in larger amazons doesn't do well with being 'coddled'. Some parrot species need that, but not amazons. They need a strong leader, firm rules and to start learning the new routine from day one (ok, perhaps let them settle in for the rest of the day once home, but bright and early the next morning, time to start learning the new flock rules!). In nature, when they leave the nest they have to adapt to the 'customs; of their flock or die. It's perfectly natural and normal for a baby bird to jump right into learning the rules and behaviors expected of it. No wild flock of parrots waits for a newly fledged baby to "acclimate" either. (In case you can't tell, I believe firmly in playing into their nature for a well adjusted bird).

Have the cage set up where you plan for it to be (preferably, the living or family room where the most action is). If there are children or other pets that will be around, bring them around to see the new bird right away and start teaching them how to act around the bird too. As it is unlikely the bird will be step up trained, you will want to start building trust by sitting near the cage and reading out loud (doesn't matter what, the bird doesn't care) in a soft, soothing tone. Have some sharable snacks (fruit, veg, unsalted nuts etc...) you eat on (make a big deal of how yummy too) while talking to the bird. When he's interested enough in the snack to come closer, offer him some through the bars. Sharing "your food" lets him know you're accepting him into your "flock". This helps the bird get used to your voice and presence. Once he's comfortable being around you and taking treats confidently, then step up training and after that it's a cakewalk Bringing your bird into the fold as soon as tolerated and starting to get over fears right away will help them build confidence. Amazons are not overly cuddly parrots, but they are friendly and do like being nearby as much as they can so have a t-perch or portable play stand as soon as he starts stepping up reliably and coming out of the cage. Bring your bird with you for ANY activity, regardless of how mundane, he can be present for. As time goes on, you'll want to start socializing with people outside the family and eventually start taking him out and about with you.

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

I also wouldn't let the idea of a parent reared baby turn you off. Having spent quite a bit of time in the breeding business myself, unless you find a very good breeder, sometimes there is honestly very little difference between a "handfed" and parent raised baby. Many breeders that are only concerned with be able to call their babies hand raised do little more than feed babies and throw them back in a cage, but don't actually interact with them outside of feeding. At that point, in my opinion, you are better off with a parent raised baby for the health benefits that April mentioned. 4 months is also nothing when looking at the life-span of an Amazon. That baby should be just weaned at this point and ready to start learning and exploring. If you bring baby home now, you become the new flock and can set your rules and expectations. The baby should learn to adapt to your "flock" without many issues at all. Plus, and I say this having a 5 month old Amazon myself, whether you bring home a parent raised or hand-fed baby Amazon, you're going to have a flying puppy that wants to get into everything, chew up everything, and be generally obnoxious. And you're going to love every minute of it!

 

[Kiwibird]

just been back to visit him, and hes still there.. thinking if i go back tomorrow i might take him home with me. i dont know what to do. the man doesnt even care who he goes to..or his welfare but it means taking on a big commitment.

Set aside how he's been raised or who he's coming from because ALL those "issues" are minor in the grand scheme of things and can be dealt with. The big question is are YOU prepared to take on what is effectively a flying toddler with a wood chipper on it's face for the rest of your life and bring 'him' home tomorrow? Because that is essentially what bringing home a parrot is. Then again, I get the impression you understand how big of a responsibility that is. For all the 'negatives' that come with parrot ownership I'd say the positives outshine them all! They are wonderful, loving, intelligent and opinionated creatures and I argue no other type pet holds a candle to the lifelong bond you forge with a parrot.

If you're interested in owning a parrot because you love them for what they are and have the time/means/stability to do so, I see no reason not to get this baby. If you've been thinking about getting an amazon (or large parrot) for a while, have done your due research (it sounds like you have) and like this baby, ask yourself why not? I doubt anyone is 100% confident in bringing a bird home. I was so scared to adopt Kiwi, if it was the right choice and could I be a good caretaker, but I did and never regretted any of it, not even when he was new and needed so much work. It's a big decision and big decisions, no matter how positive do bring questioning and self doubt. Sometimes you just have to make the 'leap of faith' that it'll work out if you know rationally you're ready and able. If you simply feel really bad for the bird because the breeder sucks but have otherwise never considered owning a large parrot and haven't done much research, I'd consider it for a while longer if it's really a good idea or not. Its nice to be sympathetic but you don't want to get yourself and the bird into a situation you're not actually prepared for.

 

[Crookie]

ive been looking into getting a parrot for a couple of years now.. always thought id get a grey but after much consideration i think the amazon is a good choice for me because of their personality i like more of an outgoing bird. im going to pick 'him' up tomorrow so we can start our adventure together, many thanks everyone!!

 

[Kiwibird]

Good luck! Please share some pics too and keep us posted. Blue fronts, especially baby blue fronts, are pretty popular around here Not sure where everyone is today (?), but there's a good sized group of regularly posting amazon owners on this forum. Don't be afraid to ask questions either.

I know you tried to post some pics above but they won't show.

 

[Crookie]

hopefully thats the oine put pics in my album

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

hopefully thats the oine put pics in my album

OMG, he's adorable, but I will say at first I thought your picture was upside down, then I realized that it was the bird that was upside down.

 

[Kiwibird]

Aw he's adorable! Love the baby look they have at that age. Lighting in the photo is a bit off but it looks like he has nice blue and yellow distribution too. Usually they only have one or the other- lots of blue or lots of yellow, this guy has both.

 

[SailBoat]

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Amazons! The Place that Amazons Rule!

The information provided above is excellent.

I hope you find the information helpful.

 

[Shine]

What a cutie! Congratulations!

 

[LordTriggs]

yay! So happy you got them, they're such a cutie!

I am a big purveyor of parent reared parrots. On top of what Kiwi has said about health ETC about parent reared there is an element that on the whole they are less likely to decide we're good baby factories for them! You'll probably find things to be very slow or even see no progress for a while but then all of a sudden BOOM the cuddle bug appears. I'm sure others here are well aware of how my conure came round to me but quite literally as I was starting to get upset that he would never even step up for me he decided I was a viable friend and recall trained himself. Definitely keep the pictures coming!

 

[Kiwibird]

Hoping we hear from the OP soon about how it went getting the baby. Not sure about everyone else, but personally I want to see more pics of the baby blue front! They're so darn cute at that age!

 

[LordTriggs]

same here Kiwi, I do love seeing a happy Zon! Baby or otherwise (I'm gonna end up with a Zon when i'm older aren't I?)

 

[Kiwibird]

same here Kiwi, I do love seeing a happy Zon! Baby or otherwise (I'm gonna end up with a Zon when i'm older aren't I?)

It is entirely possible you've been "infected" with the highly contagious and lifelong chronic disease of "iloveamazonsitis" Fortunately, being owned by an amazon is the only cure

 

[LordTriggs]

same here Kiwi, I do love seeing a happy Zon! Baby or otherwise (I'm gonna end up with a Zon when i'm older aren't I?)

It is entirely possible you've been "infected" with the highly contagious and lifelong chronic disease of "iloveamazonsitis" Fortunately, being owned by an amazon is the only cure

oh no, such a shame, whatever shall I do!? You say the only cure is to have 6 Amazons!? I guess such is my fate