would love some advice?

[birdielover15]

My macaw kenway who I posted pics of in previous post I want to get him socialized with other people but currently he still loves his beak and not many visitor's want to get too close and get bit. He is 3 1/2 ...is it too late for him to? his previous home didnt try to help socialize him whem they got him at a yr and half so not sure what can be done. Perhaps its the age or something. Idk He is the biggest parrot ive ever worked with other than a umbrella cockatoo. I see other birds and their people interact so much more than what we can. I know it takes time and patience. I hate to think that he will only be touched by me and my fiance. My grandmother who visits once a month tries to make friends with him. But isnt here at my home enough to really see progress. My two yr old daughter and people who do visit give him birdie bread by hand every day without any problem and my daughter loves feeding him. She is with me and i supervise and help her. he is getting used atleast to a child feeding him . However she has never tried petting him and I wont permit her to until she is older. So any suggestions or training methods I can try I would greatly appreciate it.

If he will never be completely tame ...should I try to find him a companion to interact with. I dont want breed ... would it have to be same gender or is it better to have opposite gender if I were to ? I would love to help another macaw regardless of kenway down the road... I love these big birds . If anyone knows of one in need of a home. .please pm me. Thanks for reading !

 

[SilverSage]

He absolutely can become tame and socialized no matter the age. It is an issue of how you handle the situation. You didn't mention very many specifics, but as far as other people handling him, macaws test people. Don't let anyone try to interact with him without knowing what they are getting into and being ready to stand their ground. If he goes after them and they back off, they are training him to go after people. Seek out parrot clubs, rescues, etc, around you and. Really put the effort in to find parrot people who can help you out. Is he biting you and your family as well?

Also, please do NOT add a second bird while you are still trying to learn how to handle this one. That will only make things worse.

 

[SilverSage]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, since you are new, you cannot yet receive. Or send On my way! To other members. However you can pm a moderator and let the, know who you would like to send a pm to, and what you want to say, and they will pass it along. But please do not add a second bird before you have learned to handle this one.

 

[birdielover15]

Ahhh see didnt know about the messages its ok . I got this bird off craigslist when the womans hubby who the bird prefered was working too many hrs and Kenways previous owners allowed him to bite. He doesnt draw blood or leave wounds just pressure . I guess they just accepted it. She never said no or anything when i was there to pick him up.. He is amazing with his beak pressure tho.kenway would bite every chance he got when I picked him I up and for the first two wks i had him. He was in his cage there more than out In previous home to the point they were cconcerned with him becoming a screamer a plucker or both. Thankfully they realized what he needed and allow me to adopt him. Since ive had him as of mid aug he now comes to the door immediately and wants out and i leave the door open for him to come and go. He will ask to step up and I will ask him to give a kiss and he will give one with the kissing sound . Ive sent videos and pics to previous owners like I promised id do and they cant believe how far he has come. Previously he prefered men but has been doing well with me . I can touch him all over and even put a aviator harness on him and let him enjoy the outdoors as he is fully flighted . My fiance can touch him on his head and back when hes in a good mood. But to anyone else kenway will immediately want to bite . Even if they walk by his cage he acts like he wants touched and as soon as someone starts to try he is in attack mode. I live in latrobe pa and it is about a hr to Pittsburgh. If anyone knows some where I can go and work with kenway please let me know. I just want to improve his life and as much as I want another macaw I can wait. I thought if i did and kenway could see that another bird is ok with touch..trust. kenway would maybe come around more of he got a little jealous lol

 

[Mariar]

I agree .time and patience and training is what you need. My severe was never handled, and even though the socializing with other people is going slow..right now she's on my lap,trying to fall back to sleep, she climbed down on her own and.I've had her five months. It will happen with kenway too. Good luck.

 

[Birdman666]

I've rehabbed macaws that were in their 20's and 30's and hadn't been handled in years, so yes, absolutely it can be done.

They need to get used to strangers first.

One of the more useful exercises I used to do, with a rehab is take it to the local park, where kids are running around and screaming, and running up to it...

At first it freaks them out. Then they calm down. Within a matter of days, it no longer phases them.

One of the problems with raising any parrot in isolation is that they DON'T feel safe around people/things they don't know.

Do the basic step up/no bite training,
followed by touching exercises,
followed by bite pressure training
followed by step up for strangers training.

Gradually work up to strangers doing the touching exercises.
WHEN YOU START THOSE, HOLD HIS BEAK WITH TWO FINGERS SO HE CANNOT BITE.

They all respond in their own way, once they get handled.

For some the little light bulb just goes on, and they quickly become docile -(Maggie hadn't been handled in years when I got her, and four days later she was a bonded shoulder bird.)

Ruby was a very smart, manipulative, distrustful stinker, and took eight months to retrain...

But it's do-able!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Mark's given you some sound and great advice (Birdman). The only thing I'd like to add is that I wouldn't consider adding a second big mac until you are totally comfortable handling these big guys and have made some tremendous progress with Kenway.

 

[Birdman666]

Mark's given you some sound and great advice (Birdman). The only thing I'd like to add is that I wouldn't consider adding a second big mac until you are totally comfortable handling these big guys and have made some tremendous progress with Kenway.

EXACTLY.

If you can't handle one, two will likely try and take over... and if they bond with each other, and neither is particularly fond of humans?! NOW handlng either of them becomes problematic.

Get one well trained first, then use that one to help you train the other one. They learn from/take their cues from each other.

This bird is just not yet comfortable with strangers.

BUT getting him out where he's exposed to lots of strangers for an extended period of time will help that.

 

[Birdman666]

Maggie goes with me to the laundrymat every time it's nice enough outside to take her. Okay, so I take her because laundry is boring, and I like having her with me, and playing with my bird between loads gives her quality one on one time with me, and makes doing laundry a lot more fun, BUT...



It also reinforces out and about training, stay put training, and reinforces interaction with total strangers who come up to her, many of whom (stupidly) try to touch...

Her "travel cage" is my shoulder. I bring her playstand with me. (A little piece of home, that she's trained to stay on, where ever we go.) Harness? Nah, she's recalled and bonded to me.

Maggie, by the way, is FULLY FLIGHTED... she could fly away any time she wants to. But she doesn't, and she wouldn't. In fact, I tried to fly her the other day, and she looked at me as if I was nuts... (My red lored amazon did a lap around the neighborhood.)

Yeah, I did the basics with Maggie in FOUR days... so the answer to your prior question is a resounding absolutely, positively, yes.

Maggie was a rehome that hadn't been handled in 8 years when I got her, and was initially shy. She's not shy now! In fact, she's pretty much the opposite of shy. (Macaw Goofy.)

Macaws need to be handled. And they need to be handled by lots of people.
If there's a big secret, to big macs, that's it... socialize them!

 

[birdielover15]

I appreciate and agree with what all the input given and honestly will wait til kenway is better to bring in a second macaw. I understand why to wait.. i just have a big heart and would love to help more birds in need. In the past i rescued african greys and a cockatoo and got them out of their shell and used to people but kenway its harder. Lol. see when i moved across the country i had to find them new homes as the only place we could afford in my younger 20s was a pet free apartment. Now im older and have a house id love to help now that im more stable and settled down.. He is doing so much better with me like i said but strangers its a completly different story.I will surely try taking him to a playground but at what temp would you say would be too cold to be outside? Its been in the high 50s or 60 during day by end of this month probably have our first snowfall of the season . We do have a petco and superpets about 20 mins away I could take him to?

 

[Birdman666]

I've done that as well. Any place public where they are exposed to strangers, but you still have the ability to control them.

Yeah, you can't really take them outside when it's that cold.

Here in Texas it's finally cooling off enough to take them outside. I have the opposite problem - 90+ degree heat for months at a time.

As for strangers: Macaws are confident birds, who are generally not afraid to stand their ground. They also like to TEST and see who they can intimidate, and who they cannot...

Sometimes, if they can, they will. And they'll keep doing it until they can't...

 

[birdielover15]

Kenway is fully flighted and will fly fromhis cage to playstand or fly from dining room to living rom where im usually at with my daughters. I would love to someday allow him to fly without restraint and know he wont fly away. Thats amazing your birds can do that. What a great caretaker you are ! Ive been down to san Antonio. Neat area i liked it ! Some my family lives in cibolo.

I do have couple questions:
1) how to properly hold his beak so others can touch him as ive never restrained a bird from biting
2) does gender matter at all with behavior? I have a dna test just never done it yet .

The basic step up/no bite training- he steps up without problem with no biting bit wont go to another person once on my arm
followed by touching exercises-I can touch every part of his body without him reacting to me. Again no one else can but me and my fiance
Followed by bite pressure training- he will not bite hard to anyone but not many want to try regardless
Followed by step up for strangers training..ummm we need to try once I can properly hold his beak!

 

[Birdman666]

I generally don't free fly mine anymore. Too many bad things can/have happened.

My red lored has special privileges. Maggie has special privileges, and doesn't actually want them. (Let the stupid amazon wear herself out. Feed me treats and scratch my head. More lap time for me!)

Two fingers on the sides of the beak below the nares, above the lower beak (where it cannot get ahold of you.) If you watch the end of this with Sweepea, I grab her beak with two fingers. (Not to keep her from biting me.) It's just a gentle thing. Not like toweling or restraining them, just preventing them from latching on.

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56693-both-macaws-were-velcro-mode-tonight.html