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Barbossa's work in progress

OpalRaven

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Ok, so I decided to make a thread on Baby, now known as Barbossa's progress. As well as being a place for questions and advice. So for any who didn't see my last post Barbossa is a YNA I adopted from a private family on Sunday. He has not been handled in a very very long time as he is unpredictable and got aggressive with the previous owners. He is approximately 30 years old. He is halfway onto a better diet, was previously all seed and peanut. Now he eats nutriberries also. I am only giving him 1 peanut in the morning that I hide in the cage and leave about 2 tbsp of seed mix during the day with nutriberries.

I have decided tonight to start hand feeding him his nutriberry night meal. I'll feed him one, then a bit later feed another. I am wondering how many nutriberries he should get in a 24 hour period? I left his cage door open tonight bit he only popped out for a second or two after I hand fed the 1st nutriberry. He will take from my hands but if I feed to much at a time he gets excited. I have not touched him yet.

He probably thinks I'm the weirdest human ever because I was playing peekaboo last night behind a towel :egg: he kept saying uh oh when I "disappeared " behind the towel lol.

Any other tips, hints, steps to work on our progress? I have read that YNA males are one of the more unpredictable breeds so I am not sure if things work better for them than others, I know each individual is differant also. I will admit I am Leary of a bite, when my cockatiel is feisty it's not too awful and this guy is quite more sizeable compared to the cockatiel lol. Sorry for the long post!!
Thanks!:bounce4:
 

macawpower58

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Beautiful Zon!

Sounds like you're doing well. This is the silly season, so move slowly as he can be the most unpredictable when spring rolls around.

Amazons love LOVE drama. Be careful exciting him, but at the same time, it's fun. ;) Watching those eyes flash and that tail flare is Amazon art to me.

Mine loves music, he can't carry a tune to save his life, but he doesn't care one whit. Does your boy chew and play? Wood is the one thing mine will chew on daily.

My Too is mechanical, my Amazon a chain saw.
 

OpalRaven

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@macawpower58 He doesn't seem to chew much. He will go up and move his bell once and a while, and he was trying to get the food out of the foraging toy but seemed to have a hard time so I think I need to get him an easier one.
 

Clueless

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I put another bowl on the floor of MC's cage. I put foot toys in it and put one nutriberry in it while he watches me in the morning.

He goes down and gets it every day.
 

Clueless

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You are in a honeymoon period. May want to take it slowly on hand feeding.
 

iamwhoiam

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Barbossa is a handsome YNA. You can check out this website: Training Parrots | Parrot Training DVDS & Books
Barbara Heidenreich is a well-known bird behaviorist.
My advice is to just be patient. Have a t-stick or dowel available in case he is out and about and you can't get him back in his cage.
Both of my Amazons have lots of wooden toys although the YNA is more destructive than my BFA. Watch for signs that you might get bitten such as tail flaring and eye pinning.
Instead of peanuts you may want to offer cashews, almonds or walnuts.
 

OpalRaven

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Thanks everyone! @Clueless I did not handfeed last night as he was all fired up when I got home but did wait til he calmed down before putting the food in his bowl as I don't want to re-enforce crazy behavior with a food reward. @iamwhoiam I am transitioning him to other treats, he had peanuts in his food from his previous owner. Like yesterday he got a piece of dried fruit instead of a peanut which he seemed to enjoy, I guess I meant he would be getting no more than 1 peanut a day while I find out what else he likes.

I have been introducing fresh fruits and veggies but so far he doesn't seem overly interested. He did like the banana I was hand feeding through the bars yesterday morning but then did not touch the rest that I put in his food bowl when I had to leave for work. He does really like the nutriberries which is awesome as I'm fazing out the seed to very minimal. Any fruits and veggies that seem to be favorites or a particular way to prepare them?
 

Clueless

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Chop.

Red bell peppers (organic).
 

txdyna65

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He is content, happy, or getting ready for a nap :)
 

Clueless

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What does it mean when he grinds his beak?
I remember the first time I heard that sound. I thought Secret was cold and the sound was like teeth chattering.... I'd race to cage and it would stop.

Then I found this forum and discovered parrots contented sounds.
 

OpalRaven

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Aww yay! I've heard it here and there with the cockatiel and I though it was contentment but it's sooo much louder and like nails an a chalk board with the Amazon lolol glad the lil bugger is happy though!! :fairy2:
 

Bogdan

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Respect the bird but don't be afraid in front of them . To scare big guy it's an beautiful game for amazon s
 

OpalRaven

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Ok so it seems like Barbossa is getting food bowl aggressive..... I went to go add more food after I have him some yesterday morning before I left for work and he beak/head butted the cage at me. And then this morning I was shutting the door that the food bowl is on after adding breakfast and again he beak butted the cage at me. I think I might try and remove the perch I have it front of the bowls so he can't sit right there and guard it... any advice? After he does it i stand there a couple minutes and talk to him til he at least halfway calms down so hopefully he doesn't think he is scaring me off. :chillout:
 

Clueless

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Lure him to another part of the cage with a treat or a toy.

Then take care of food bowl.
 

OpalRaven

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@Clueless thanks! I'll try that. Treats tend to make him excited also but maybe if I use the nutriberries which are his food. He hasn't played with toys yet other than his foraging toy on occasion.
 

Clueless

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Wooden toys he can bite and tear up are good ones.
 

OpalRaven

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Barbossa's first shower. Sorry for the long video lol it seemed like he liked his shower.... all though it does look like he was air humping. So maybe not?... not sure what to make of that behavior :chin:

 
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