Mother-in-law has a Blue Macaw…heres the problem….it was mistreated when she got it,and she has had it 5?
years.it has no feathers on its chest,it pulls them out,she is really smart,but shes mean and trys to bite when u get to close or try to pass by,she can get close to her,but i cant she lunges at me,my husband said she used to have a mate,but prev. owners sold him.My mother-in law is very good to her,she has a huge cage,toys and lots of attention,and her door is always open for her to get on top of her cage,wow will she ever be a good girl???? help please
Bull-hockey on the dominance advice! You don’t dominate birds unless you’re trying to mate with a duck.
The bird needs gentle interaction everyday, preferably several times a day. Sit and talk to the bird in a gentle tone for a few minutes at a time. Play with a new toy in your hand for a couple of days in a row so it becomes interested in the toy (especially preening type toys like shredders and cotton rope). Leave it on the chair and move it closer each day until you can hook it on the outside of the cage without freaking the bird out. The preening toy should help with the plucking, but the key is having the bird interested in it.
We found having another bird (juvenile) helps to teach good behavior. Once or twice a week we have another bird come in the room (across the room from the bird) and we practice step-up, kisses, and cuddles. The “mean” bird usually is fascinated by this interaction – probably because it’s never seen or had that kind of interaction before.
It can take years to retrain behavior and it’s not for the impatient. The more time you spend with the bird trying little things (singing, body gestures, talking) you should get a sense of what interests the bird and build on that. Each is an individual and will respond to different things. Rebuilding trust with humans can take years.
As for step up and an emergency – yes, it is an important skill but frankly I’ve got a net (even for the macaws) because in an emergency even people forget their training so I don’t expect birds to remember then either.
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Macaw Wall Decal … |