New baby concerns

[Bgeogs]

I brought Max (I know- not very creative, but hubby gets naming rights) home on Monday.
He was seen by the vet on Thursday. She was pleased with his wt 3 weeks post weaning, and(labs pending)all else looks good.
I know I shouldn’t compare him to my BCC as a new baby, but I’m wondering if the differences in behavior are species related or more individual personality.
My biggest concern is that he doesn’t seem to enjoy interacting with us.
He steps up willingly most of the time, but clearly would rather be anywhere else.
He does not tolerate any attempts at head scritching, although his rebuff is simply gentle beaking.
He will not accept any food from our hands.
He does like being out on his playstands, and when in his cage he sits right up front, so he seems comfortable enough. ?
I guess I was expecting something more like our first week with our BCC. She was all over us, and we had 3 very active little boys back then!
I get they are two very different species, and we did want a quieter more laidback bird, but
is this typical laidback pionus? Not sure if we take his lead and back off, or should we continue to encourage more interaction?
I don’t want to push him and stress him out, but I worry about making the best of these early days with him.
Sorry it’s so long, and thank you for any thoughts or experiences you might have.

 

[LSA]

You're two good bets are @Dartman and @Eloy. @BrianB has BCCs.

Of course, I could tell you how much I love Sherman. Or to give @Eloy a break, I could tell you how much I love Miss Bird.

 

[Dartman]

As we all say, they observe their new surroundings and flock and figure out how things work. When they feel comfortable they'll start doing things and getting more outgoing. Right now he doesn't know or trust anything so he's figuring it all out and probably will after some time start to want to get closer and interact with those he has decided are trustworthy and interesting to him. Some are there pretty quickly, some can take years if they have a lot of baggage to clear out but he should get there and if he already says no by gently beaking and backing away rather then a very quick bite and he steps up nicely half the battle is already won. Dobby liked everybody the moment he saw them, Lurch was a used parrot and was very mad and quick to bite, Nerd loved me his whole life after he lost his brother early on, and was with me faithfully and happy for 31 years. They are their own souls and will be similar with their own twist on how things should be.
Eventually he'll probably choose his favorite person, his chosen one, to love.

 

[Begone]

You can read my answers in this thread and if their is more you want to know, just keep asking us.
How to Teach Step Up | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
We are several here that have good knowledge about Pionus, and Terry ( Dartman) have had Maxis for 35 years. (or more)

 

[Bgeogs]

Wow! I’m surprised ( and encouraged) by the similarities of Checkeredtail’s Toro and my Max.
There are comments from others that also resonate with me.
After I posted today, I sat down next to his cage to read the paper as he was having a snack on top.
I glanced up after a few minutes to find him on the very edge nearest me, leaning over and staring at me intently! It was the funniest thing, especially with those gigantic eyes!
Someone also mentioned mist baths. He loves them to the point where he gets excited if he sees the spray bottle. I’m thinking of maybe using that as a reward somehow instead of treats since he won’t take food from our hands.
I’m anxious to see how Toro progresses. Good luck Checkeredtail!
This has been so helpful. Thank you Dartman, Eloy and LSA.
It’s nice to have so many brains to pick

 

[Begone]

I glanced up after a few minutes to find him on the very edge nearest me, leaning over and staring at me intently!

He likes you, but he doesn't trust you. It is very positive that he is interested in you.
If you take it slow and let him come to you (no touching, no step up, no demands at all) it will go much faster.

instead of treats since he won’t take food from our hands.

Place the treats in his bowl so he sees it. It will be enough. The spray bottle is for bathing.

 

[Dartman]

Lurch very slowly got closer and closer to me as he very slowly decided i MIGHT be safe and fun to hang out with. I put my kitchen chair close to my recliner and he'd jump on that and watch and hang out with me. Then he started jumping on my chair and get closer and closer. I got bit a lot but he also had breakthroughs and started wanting scritches when he was feeling calm. Your guy will be similar without the frustration biting I think so let him go at his pace and he'll get there.

 

[hedylarue]

A Pi is never going to act like a BCC. If you go near him and he doesn't honk at you or lunge at you, you're doing good! They usually don't like to be restrained or cuddled. Mine likes to just sit on my desk and get a head scratch and he also LOVES baths. Believe me...if Max doesn't like something...he will tell you....especially as he gets more comfortable...he'll tell you what he likes too.

One thing I've noticed is with a Pi, the less you try to force, the better. It's pretty much the opposite of a conure because they tend to love when you grab them and mess with them. With a Pi, you just have to be calm and let them make the first moves...ignore the bad behavior and make a big fuss with the good. I think Conure is to Dog as Pi is to Cat in a way. Not necessarily easier but so different and you have to re-frame your approach to everything. The only thing I am strict about is bed time and out of cage time....I don't force Kody to be with me, but I don't let him sit in his cage all day. He has a window perch and I'll move him over there if he doesn't go on his own. If he flies or walks back to his cage I leave him be and at least he got some exercise, but he's usually happy once he's out.

Once Max is stepping up, I really encourage getting him to step up on a stick or boing so that you can protect yourself if/when he is moody or cage territorial. You don't want to offer a hand to a pissed off Pi.

Don't be discouraged...they are so different from conures....but, in time, you will appreciate the differences. Kody hates my hands, is cage territorial and gets so excited to see my husband and seems to love him more even though I'm with him all day. I've realized though that deep down, he's actually more attached to me. My husband is more interesting and exciting because he's not around as much, but when I leave the room, Kody calls for me and when he wants food or a head scratch before bed, he usually asks for it from me. It's different from the velcro, co-dependent love my conure had for me, but it still runs deep!

 

[hedylarue]

Two more things...sorry to overload you...but I notice these things really effect Kody's mood:

-He needs a minimum of 12 hours sleep. He doesn't nap so he really needs at least this much or he will be grumpy...sometimes I ever let him go for 13-14. If Max naps he may be different.

-When Kody gets itchy, he is definitely grumpier. If he's molting or scratching a lot I need to mist his butt and wings with warm water at least every other day. If he wants a full on bath...usually he does about twice a week...he opens up his wings and shows me where to spray! Usually I play this one by ear and watch him but if he is scratching a lot a brief mist goes a long way and can really make him happier even if he doesn't want a full on drench that day.

 

[Dartman]

Ya know I always say a Pionus is like a feathered cat. Happy to just hang out near you and get a occasional scritch. Like she said once they trust you they will let you know what they want and what they don't. Ignore the warnings and be prepared to pay if your bird rolls that way. They are wonderful family members to the right person and easy to read with a little practice.

 

[tka]

I described Leia to a friend as an "Extreme Cat". She'll decide if and how she wants to interact with someone and she will not be forced. She will spend a lot of time observing people; if she decides to interact with people she doesn't know well, she miiiiiiiiight sit on their head or knee but there will be no touching.

With me, she's a feathery little weirdo with a hilarious sense of humour. She is on a mission to lick as many things as she can get her tongue on, she hangs off the curtains with glee in her eyes, she adores headscratches and will butt her head into my hand like a little cat. She loves hanging out with me and will perch on my shoulder or knee - she's not snuggly but it melts my heart when she stands on one leg and naps while on me. We beak wrestle but she would absolutely not tolerate being grabbed! She has a special call she only does when she's excited about something, and she greets me with this call every evening when I get home from work and call to her.

Some evenings she wants a bit more space. Today was one of those evenings and I watched TV while she sat on the back of my desk chair and shredded a toy.

It didn't happen immediately. I let her go at her pace and didn't push her. I did target-train her so I could move her around the room and get her to go back in her cage at bedtime, but I didn't try touching her until she was ready. It took about a month for her to decide I was acceptable and even then, I took things slowly and let her tell me what she was comfortable with. We are hopefully going to be together for a few decades so it's worth taking the time to build a really solid foundation of trust. What's a month of not being able to touch your new pet compared with the 30 years you could have together?

Pionus perhaps aren't typical parrots - they get described as aloof and reserved and introverted. But they are their own very special kind of joy.

 

[hedylarue]

Pionus perhaps aren't typical parrots - they get described as aloof and reserved and introverted. But they are their own very special kind of joy.

There is nothing that gives me more joy than my grumpy Pi sitting in the window and singing in his off key, gravely voice. Or quietly putting his little head feathers up and looking at me with those big eyes. It doesn't always come easy or frequently, but when a Pi shows you love, you truly know it's real and it's just for you. There's nothing like it.

 

[Dartman]

There is nothing that gives me more joy than my grumpy Pi sitting in the window and singing in his off key, gravely voice. Or quietly putting his little head feathers up and looking at me with those big eyes. It doesn't always come easy or frequently, but when a Pi shows you love, you truly know it's real and it's just for you. There's nothing like it.

Yep, thank you, when they choose you and decide they trust and love you they show it, even the mad at the world ones. You'll have a loyal and forgiving friend for the rest of his life.