Can you train an older macaw to wear a harness?

[hannahbird]

And is it hard to teach them trick training behaviors?
How many of you have your macaws wings clipped/not clipped?

 

[Holiday]

And is it hard to teach them trick training behaviors?
How many of you have your macaws wings clipped/not clipped?

Well, it depends on the macaw, but generally speaking, an older macaw can learn just about anything within reason if you are willing to put in the time and effort to teach them (and use appropriate training techniques based on positive reinforcement).

My birds are not clipped.

 

[hannahbird]

Thats cool! I was just wondering is age mattered with training!

 

[hannahbird]

And since your birds aren't clipped, do you use a harness when you take them outside? Or do you just have an outside cage?

 

[Stevo]

It's ALL up to YOU Hannah. If YOU have the patience to modify their behaviour then anything and everything is possible. You continue to learn as you get older - they are no different. You may need to develop different strategies and it may take longer, but it is all very possible.

 

[hannahbird]

Thanks for your help

 

[Chantilly Lace]

I harness trained Paco when he was 4 or 5 just fine. I also trained both my macaws as babies, but not THAT young. Maybe around 6 months or so. I have great luck, although it is harder with a flighted bird because they just fly away when they don't want the harness. LOL. I like the feather tether but most people prefer the aviator harness. I like how you don't have to put it around the wings, but can go under instead. It is an individual preference.

 

[Nìmwey]

My birds are not clipped.
I will probably try to train Cirino to wear a harness when he's fully tamed (Saga just can't ever have one near her because I took the wrong approach in training her when she was young), but I'm also thinking of this: http://forums.avianavenue.com/safety-avenue/37690-leg-chains-3.html#post784570

...and will probably do free flight with him later on. (I am fully aware of all the training and risks involved, but for me a requirement for getting a macaw was that he really gets to fly. I will probably make some recall training in a school's gym when I'm out teaching kids about birds which I do anyway.)

 

[Stevo]

Frida, a parrots leg is not designed, anatomically, to deal with the forces that might be imposed by a leg chain. They are very different to birds of prey that are designed to take down prey with a large amount of force. You risk breaks and dislocations of the legs should your bird suffer a fright and reach the end of it's leg tether. Please dont.