Unruly B&G Macaw

[wickedsprint]

Hello, new to this forum. I recently aquired a 9 year old B&G from an owner who was moving into an apartment. When I first brought him home he was pretty quiet..etc..never really nipped or screamed. As he has become used to the household he has gotten a bit nippy, more so when in his cage. He is for the most part pretty tame, I can go up and pet him for awhile..then all of a sudden he'll lash out with no warning..and bite hard. He has also taken to screaming sessions when I leave the room or talk on the phone..or take a shower. Sometimes he runs his beak over my arms or fingers..then gently nips them very quickly..then tries to regurgitate on me. Is this a phase, or do I need to do something corrective? I don't want to get rid of him as I have met very few people I could trust to look after him for the rest of his life, and I know I can do a good job..plus I have many years left since I am only 27. I have had numerous parrots growing up and this is literally the first one I have ever had these issues with, although it is my first macaw. He does not scream as much around my girlfriend, however he is more hesitant to let her touch him..and still lashes out at her. Any suggestions? The nippyness and the screaming make me want to strangle him.

 

[Minzer84]

Hi and welcome!!! I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your bird!! There are a few people on this forum with macaws who may have suggestions to help you. How long ago did you get him (I know you said recently, but weeks, months?)? Sounds like he might think that you're his mate, especially if he's trying to regurgitate on you...And he calls for you when you don't pay attention to him. Don't pay attention to this behavior or reward it by reacting (VERY hard to do, I know)...And really reward when he's being a good bird. I think other people will be able to be more helpful and detailed than I am being, and hopefully we can help you come up with some solutions! Again, welcome, and if you want to be really popular here, start posting pictures asap

 

[wickedsprint]

I try the whole reward thing when he's being good, but as soon as I walk over and try and have a conversation..he'll usually start screaming. If I'm holding hima nd talking to a friend in the room..he will also try and compete with volume. Here is a picture. I am more worried about the screaming than the nippyness, while he usually draws blood everytime he bites, I can usually get out of the way fast enough, or drop my hand. He for the most is very well trained, 9 times out 10, he'll step up on command, former owner always used a stick, or his forearm, so it took a bit before he would do it with my hand and fingers, but that is not an issue now.

He also screams less around my girlfriend, except when she's on the phone.

He is very healthy, the local vet and aviary he came from recommended harrisons so that is mainly what he eats. He weighs around 965 grams.

Here is a pic. He is a little ruffled right now, he gets pretty rough with his hanging toys. He'll hang ontot hem and kick and scream at them and otherwise raise holy hell in his cage or on his playstand and make a ton of racket with them. It's pretty funny to watch how into them he gets.

 

[birdcrazy]

try training him to step up on a stick if he is nippy around his cage. WELCOME what his is name?

 

[wickedsprint]

try training him to step up on a stick if he is nippy around his cage. WELCOME what his is name?

He gets up on a stick already as the girlfriend is terrified of him, so she uses the stick. Name is Thomas.

 

[Peta]

You need to stop this behaviour now, before it becomes too much of a habit. When you leave the room try talking to him, when he quietens down then go into him, while he is screaming ignore him. (I do know this is easy for me to say) The biting must be got under control now, he has a huge beak that could end up doing a lot of damage. He needs to know just how much pressure he can put on you without doing any damage. With any bird you need to feel confident but more so with a larger bird.

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY. Hope you have fun here. If theres anything you need just scream someone will be on to help you out.

 

[pheobus]

Hi and wellcome to the forum!

Your fid is very handsome!

I think Peta gave you a very good clue on how you should try to work this out!Remember time and patience is the key!

Keep us updated on how you get on!

 

[indigo]

Welcome ...

 

[karen]

Welcome..u havea a very beautiful birdie there sir.
I have no experience with big birds but my husband has the same probs with our owing. roxy demands his full attention and gets quite frenzied. I immedietly put her in a cage in an empty room..luxury I know.. but 10 min then retirn to company and repeat as nec. It is a long slow process and u have to be totally consistant. Roxy hops into her cage for me but poor old hubby...lol she runs up his arms round his neck while laughing.
U will get great advice here from people well experienced...pick a routine and stick to it and earplugs..yeh thats good earplugs. K

 

[Peta]

Hey why have we never thought of that before?

 

[wickedsprint]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I reckon I will try the ignore until he gets quiet thing and reward the good behavior, should I even stick with it to the point of him not getting any time out of his cage? Like he'll be good...so I'll walk over to let him out...then as soon as he gets out he'll scream...almost to say "I won" At what point do I have to cave in...and let him out anyway?

 

[TexDot33]

Hello, new to this forum. I recently aquired a 9 year old B&G from an owner who was moving into an apartment. When I first brought him home he was pretty quiet..etc..never really nipped or screamed. As he has become used to the household he has gotten a bit nippy, more so when in his cage. He is for the most part pretty tame, I can go up and pet him for awhile..then all of a sudden he'll lash out with no warning..and bite hard. He has also taken to screaming sessions when I leave the room or talk on the phone..or take a shower. Sometimes he runs his beak over my arms or fingers..then gently nips them very quickly..then tries to regurgitate on me. Is this a phase, or do I need to do something corrective? I don't want to get rid of him as I have met very few people I could trust to look after him for the rest of his life, and I know I can do a good job..plus I have many years left since I am only 27. I have had numerous parrots growing up and this is literally the first one I have ever had these issues with, although it is my first macaw. He does not scream as much around my girlfriend, however he is more hesitant to let her touch him..and still lashes out at her. Any suggestions? The nippyness and the screaming make me want to strangle him.

Ok, Firstly, Welcome to the forums ... I am not a Macaw expert but, there are some basic things going on here that I might be able to help you with ... follow the colors and they will lead to my input ...

This sounds like a "lunge bite" which is a "good news/bad news" situation - Good news, ALL MACAWS DO THIS, it's a way of testing dominance in new people ... bad news, YOU FAILED! Now your birdie knows he's in control of this new relationship ... you need to start being the flock leader again with training and being ready for that lunge bite and, I am sorry to say this, take it without flinching ... Something else you will want to look into is "bite pressure training" ... there is info about it on the web!

Contact call - A.K.A. Flock Call ... he's looking for you, wants to know where you are and why he isn't with you ... this is a good thing, sounds like your buddy is bonding to you rather quickly. Take him into the shower with you ... Macaws need daily misting/baths to keep their feathers in tip-top condition ... I have a little Sun Conure that gets a shower with me everyday ... he loves them so much he falls asleep in the shower!

A Mac's way of saying, "I love you, and I want to take care of you by making sure you get enough to eat." This one is tough, you don't want to DISCOURAGE this behavior, but you don't want to encourage it either ... usually this will happen when your Mac is over excited ... don't let your play/scritches get to this point ...

Well mate, this is because you are HIS MATE now ... Macaws form very strong pair bonds, in the wild they BOND FOR LIFE WITH ONE MATE they are truly monogamous animals ... anyone around their mate is seen as a threat ... You need to work on socializing this birdie better or your girl is going to be in a lot of, I hate to say this, danger around your new friend. If she is seen as too much of a threat he will attack her!

Ok, so your mission - should you choose to accept it is this: Work on better socializing your bird, work on training to reassert yourself as the flock leader (including BITE PRESSURE TRAINING for your own safety), get this feathered buddy of yours a daily bath of some sort, and I hope that you don't have him eating just seed ... this is going to take a lot of time, but like you said, you are still young and really so is your macaw ... but it's going to take a lot of time/patience/energy to break 9 years of bad parrot skills ... We are hear to help though ... and our only fee - lots of pictures!

~ Tex (a future Macaw owner myself) :50:

 

[wickedsprint]

He very rarely gets seeds, the local Vet as well as the Aviary that he came from all swear by Harrisons pelleted food. He'll gets some seeds and noodles and other stuff as a treat. I candealw itht he lunge biting, and I'll look into the bite pressure thing. But here is my question, at what point do I have to cave in..and let him out of his cage? It almosts eems if he had his way..he'd never come out since he screams as soon as you come over, or is it one of those things after a couple days he'll stay quiet after being brought out?

Some have also suggested his agressive behavior might be related to him coming into sexual maturity as well, I'll have to doublecheck his hatch date, but I think he is around 8-9yrs old.

I have also tried a squirt gun...absolutely unfazed by it..and if you get it close enough he'll yank it from your hands. I think he actually enjoys it.

 

[Deanna]

Welcome to the Forum!! There are many experienced parrot owners here to offer help and advice. (I won't pretend to be one of them!).

Thomas is a very beautiful young man. And, I love his name, too!

One thing I would caution you about is "dropping" your hand ... I was taught to do that by an old-school parrot owner ... if bitten, "drop and move". I never, ever have done that with any of my birds (as much as I would have liked to) ... and was taught later that this is an old tradition/thought/method, and one that can be very, very dangerous and injurious to your bird.

I take the bite IF IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY ... the main thing to do and remember and practice is to AVOID a potential bite at all costs -- be cognizant of when, where, why it may or may not occur and be IN CONTROL of the situation at all times. If that fails, unfortunately, that is where we have to buck up and take the bite. (Using sticks is nothing to be shy or ashamed of either! ... they are a very useful tool).

Is it possible for you to set up different perch stands throughout your living area and allow Thomas to get out of his cage but not be on you constantly? Perch him near you but not in his cage?

Mojo became cage aggressive after having to spend too much time in his cage; he melts in my hands when he is removed from his immediate caged area.

I use sticks with my birds ... a combinations of sticks, fingers, hands and arms is good ... it diversifies their abilities, lessens their fears and also allows someone who is not the main caretaker the ability to handle them safely.

My best to you!

 

[TexDot33]

Keep your Mac out of his cage as much as possible ... buy/make a play stand and let him hang out there ... no real reason to cage if you are in the house and around this will cause severe cage aggression in your buddy ... and really don't just, "look into" bite pressure training -- make it a priority.

 

[Deanna]

Keep your Mac out of his cage as much as possible ... buy/make a play stand and let him hang out there ... no real reason to cage if you are in the house and around this will cause severe cage aggression in your buddy ... and really don't just, "look into" bite pressure training -- make it a priority.

ibid ...

if he's not cage aggressive now, don't allow him to become so. Bottom line.

 

[TexDot33]

SEE - Tex smart! :50:

 

[Deanna]

SEE - Tex smart! :50:

:30: :30:

Oh good grief ... **Deanna takes a push pin and punctures Tex's head to 'right-size' it**

 

[TexDot33]

Hey, I don't have an ego problem - I'm just always right!

 

[Deanna]

Hey, I don't have an ego problem - I'm just always right!

Thar, thar Tex, it's okay, we believe you, now REALLLLY!