Hi I’ve lots of questions....

[Lama]

Hi,.. My sis got me a 4 month old blueGold macaw on my last birthday. After DNA test (and other tests), I found that she is a female macaw.
Initially, I was informed to give her cerelac via injection (for a month) and so I gave her injections

it’s been 10 months now,.. and I found many infos on how to take care of macaw (wikihow) etc etc but somewhere in my heart, I still feel I’m failing at many things

my dad got the biggest cage available out there (and she did great exercises inside till she started flying). Now, mostly she stays out...

my questions:
01. I’m still giving her injections and she is not eating properly anything if I stop injections. any suggestions? I’m trying to formulate different mixtures, almond powder, juvenile powder with fruits , etc etc

02. How do I train her to do free flights?
Initially I didn’t put any harness as she never moved from my shoulders but once she flew up and didn’t come down (later landed on Neighbour’s villa) and then second time, she flew on 45th floor of a building! After this, I no longer let out without harness (as she does not know how to get down). I also see many trackers for such future events but can’t make up my mind

03. some of hefeathers lost colors (malnutrition? Too much touching? Bad shampoo?)

04. she scratches and picks lots of feathers after that DNA test and Vet’s repeated visits got me no satisfying results so any suggestions?

05. Once I failed to get her nail trimmed and she recklessly flew and broke her nail I ran to vets but they couldn’t do anything and it’s been 2 months and I don’t see nail growing up. Will she ever get that nail fixed?

I hope to get her a mate (so she doesn’t only rely on me to get rid of her boredom). She says my name, Hello, bye bye, thus far. She loves to remain on top of curtains and her Ring.

 

[Ali]

@Macawnutz @macawpower58 @Shezbug

 

[Ali]

Is this your first bird ever? Did you do lots of research before getting her? I have never heard of birds having shampoo before, can you explain?

 

[Hankmacaw]

Hi - Welcome to the world of macaws. I'm no baby expert, but have had macaws for 22 years now. Mine were both adopted as adults and both had very serious health problems. I've had a lot of experience as a consequence.

What country do you live in?

First when you say you feed her by injection do you mean you put a tube down her throat, or do you use a syringe and put food in her mouth or do you actually Inject (needle) with food?

At 14 months she should be weaned and eating big bird food. The ideal diet for her is pellets, vegetables, fruit maybe twice a week and nuts with the shell on like walnuts, almonds and pistsachios. Cerelac is not a good food for a parrot. Here is a list of pellets and you should choose one that is a "complete food". Pellets for Parrots For vegetables she should have dark green leafy vegetables and other solid vegetable such as sweet potatoes (cooked), peas, corn, squash and many others. The best fruits are the ones with the least sugar - mangoes and papaya are excellent.

I highly recommend that you do not try to teach her to free fly on your own. It is complex and very dangerous for your bird. You are very lucky you got her back when she flew away - many have lost their birds like that. Find a free flying group or someone who has had lots of experience and get their help.

I do not know why her feathers have lost color, but it could very well be from malnutrition considering her diet. A veterinarian checkup is extremely important and it should be with an avian vet. If you are not satisfied with the one you have gone to we may be able to find another for you. Her nail may or may not grow back. It really won't make any difference.

Never ever put anything on your birds feathers other than plain water.

Do not get another bird for a long time - you need to learn how to care for this one. And if you are planning on breeding - DON'T. That is the worst thing you can do.

 

[macawpower58]

I agree, at 14 months she should pretty much be off handfeeding. How often a day are you feeding her?
Have you tried dropping one feeding a day yet? Or maybe more than that?
I'd not stop the handfeeding, but it's definitely time to start slowing down.

Let us know her feeding schedule so we can advise you on the best way to wean her.
As Hankmacaw also asked, please explain 'injections'.

I also agree do not free fly her. She will get lost, or taken by a hawk.
Use a harness every time you take her outside.

 

[Fluffaloo]

I think the others have offered some great advice. Personally I also got my macaw for my birthday but it was planned and I had already been researching care and free flight for at least a year before getting her. I think free flight is a great idea if you AND your bird can live that lifestyle and it can be a hard choice on whether or not to choose that lifestyle. (Though it was my dream to free fly since I was little I spent months debating on whether or not I was ready to make the sacrifice of all that goes into free flight). I encourage you to seek professional help and even if you are not ready for that at least research basic recall and other training skills. I have had my macaw for almost a year now and even though I am new to the bird world I never stop researching.

Asking questions is a great thing to do and I hope you keep us updated!
1.How often do you bathe her and with what and how?
2. Has she been to a certified avian vet? The initial exam shouldn't be too expensive.
3. Do you have any comparison pictures of her dull feathers vs bright feathers?

We are all happy to help on here

 

[Shezbug]

Welcome to the Avenue

Totally agree with the above comments and also would have been asking the same questions about the injections and shampoo in particular.
The only other question I have at this point is..... can we have more pics of your B&G please?

 

[BirdAtHart]

Just wanted to say welcome! I’m fairly new to the forum myself and I think you will find the members here to be knowledgeable and helpful!
Also I second the info about shampoo.. I’ve never heard of using shampoo on a parrot. They should be bathed regularly but with plain water only.
Also wondering about the “injections”? As the above comments stated, we are unsure if you mean you are hand feeding with a syringe, with a tube, or if you are actually injection something with a needle. If you can clarify that we can help better
And definitely more pictures! She’s beautiful!

 

[aooratrix]

You’ve received good advice, which I won’t repeat. I will say birds enjoy being part of a flock, but that doesn’t mean you must get another bird. Plenty of people have one bird. There is no guarantee your bird would like a new bird, either. You have a lot in your plate now. I’d focus on your current bird.

 

[Lama]

Hi again and thank you for so many replies

I hand feed with a syringe (no needles) and I helplessly do it. I got her so many pallets (from Zupreem, Harrison’s, kaytee etc etc) but she doesn’t eat those (I noticed she ate little orange pallets from zupreem but rest, she left). I avoided sunflower seeds based on internet research but did give her seed mixtures (Trill, menu, unbranded mixtures etc) but she eats very little of those too.

I also get fruits (she eats very little of grapes, mango, thin coconut kernel, papaya, apple pieces, young dates, blueberries, watermelon). She does Not banana at all

she also ate very little boiled (broccoli, chick peas, rice

On the other hand, if I grind and make juice out of any of these, she Loves it. In fact, she wouldn’t Stop shouting if I don’t hand feed her juice-like food with syringe. Many times, I tried slowing down hand feeding. I hand feed her in morning (like breakfast) and before her bed time (like dinner). For rest of the time,.. different fruits and seeds are there in her plates
I only tried baby shampoo 3 times on her 5th month approx but once I noticed weird feather color loss, I stopped completely and give her bath with mist like spray water only (once every 3/4 days in summer and once a week in winters)

AvianVet did important tests and she does not have any diseases. I’ve been to 3 Vets who say she is OK. She is scared of one Vet (freaks out the moment she enters his clinic, he did inject needle into both her feet so,.. bad memories? )

 

[Aoi♡]

Hi again and thank you for so many replies

I hand feed with a syringe (no needles) and I helplessly do it. I got her so many pallets (from Zupreem, Harrison’s, kaytee etc etc) but she doesn’t eat those (I noticed she ate little orange pallets from zupreem but rest, she left). I avoided sunflower seeds based on internet research but did give her seed mixtures (Trill, menu, unbranded mixtures etc) but she eats very little of those too.

I also get fruits (she eats very little of grapes, mango, thin coconut kernel, papaya, apple pieces, young dates, blueberries, watermelon). She does Not banana at all

she also ate very little boiled (broccoli, chick peas, rice

On the other hand, if I grind and make juice out of any of these, she Loves it. In fact, she wouldn’t Stop shouting if I don’t hand feed her juice-like food with syringe. Many times, I tried slowing down hand feeding. I hand feed her in morning (like breakfast) and before her bed time (like dinner). For rest of the time,.. different fruits and seeds are there in her plates
I only tried baby shampoo 3 times on her 5th month approx but once I noticed weird feather color loss, I stopped completely and give her bath with mist like spray water only (once every 3/4 days in summer and once a week in winters)

AvianVet did important tests and she does not have any diseases. I’ve been to 3 Vets who say she is OK. She is scared of one Vet (freaks out the moment she enters his clinic, he did inject needle into both her feet so,.. bad memories? )

For the pellets you can soak them in warm water for 15-10mins to make them soft and serve it to her.

When she gets used to this you can make them harder as time goes by for each serving

 

[Aoi♡]

For the pellets you can soak them in warm water for 15-10mins to make them soft and serve it to her.

When she gets used to this you can make them harder as time goes by for each serving

It is good for weaning and like comfort feedings for her.

 

[BirdAtHart]

That picture of her in the ring is so stinkin cute.. she’s beautiful!!
have you tried different textures and sizes of food? Chopping her veggies very very fine, mashing the sweet potatoes or beans to make a mushy texture, making the mixtures warm so they are more similar to the food from the syringe? Maybe offering these things from a spoon first before transitioning to the bowl? Maybe you’ve already tried these things, but if not I’d give them a try
All birds wean at their own pace, but rest assured she will get there!

 

[BirdLady13]

01. Ideally your beautiful B&G should have been fully weaned before the breeder let her go, especially if you/your sister had no experience hand feeding. Regardless, the typical weaning age for a B&G is approximately 6 months. I suggest putting formula in a bowl, and once she’s used to that you can introduce her to the new diet. Keep in mind that weaning birds lose around 10% of their body weight, so don’t be alarmed if she thins out slightly.

02. I would advise against free flying until you have formed an unbreakable bond, and even then there are always going to be risks. For the time being, you can stick to using a harness or clipping her wings.

03. The specialty shampoo you’re referring to strips the bird’s natural oil, which results in lackluster feathers. The bathing method I recommend is spritzing her with clean, warm water in a spray bottle. Avoid spraying her directly in the face.

04. From your photos her feathers look good, but she could be picking at pin feathers. The keratin sheaths will chip off while she’s preening.

05. I personally do not trim my birds nails. With a variety of different sizes and different texture perches their nails essentially file themselves.

06. I’m not sure if you are using “mate” literally or as a friend, but first off, don’t attempt to pair her up with a male. Secondly, as long as she spends time outside of her cage with your supervision she will be perfectly fine entertaining herself while you’re elsewhere. It sounds obvious, but people get tunnel vision and forget that adding a second member to the flock means double everything (attention, cages, food, etc).

 

[Lama]

Hi again,.. from various suggestions to this topic, I tried few things

I put formula in a bowl and she took couple of sips but left majority of it.

i then bought 2 branded pallets (colored zupreem and Uncolored padivan), kept some water to make it soft and,.. she ate few pieces (like tasting it but left majority of those too).

I got her fine chopped leaves, she also ate these very little

mashing the sweet potatoes seems to work, she couldn’t keep her beak out (indicating that she likes but I’ve no idea if she will eat the same way)

 

[Ali]

Hi again,.. from various suggestions to this topic, I tried few things

I put formula in a bowl and she took couple of sips but left majority of it.

i then bought 2 branded pallets (colored zupreem and Uncolored padivan), kept some water to make it soft and,.. she ate few pieces (like tasting it but left majority of those too).

I got her fine chopped leaves, she also ate these very little

mashing the sweet potatoes seems to work, she couldn’t keep her beak out (indicating that she likes but I’ve no idea if she will eat the same way)

If she likes the mashed sweet potato, try mashing the pellets and almost 'wean' her off of the mashed pellets by letting them soak for less and less time until she has slightly damp or completely dry food

 

[Shezbug]

Burt loves mashed sweet potato and pumpkin better than anything.
He also still has warm mushy pellet paste every afternoon and most days he really looks forward to it.

Your baby is sooo cute

 

[Ali]

Hi again,.. from various suggestions to this topic, I tried few things

I put formula in a bowl and she took couple of sips but left majority of it.

i then bought 2 branded pallets (colored zupreem and Uncolored padivan), kept some water to make it soft and,.. she ate few pieces (like tasting it but left majority of those too).

I got her fine chopped leaves, she also ate these very little

mashing the sweet potatoes seems to work, she couldn’t keep her beak out (indicating that she likes but I’ve no idea if she will eat the same way)

He seems to like to hang!

 

[Lama]

He seems to like to hang!

Yes,.. SHE hangs on curtains, ropes, metallic dog harness chain (she destroyed thick rope of that Ring twice so had to get dog chain)

she also hides behind my back, swings using her beak and won’t let go (When I try to pull from shoulders)

Anyway,.. I got her a chewing toy next to her favorite hanging spot

 

[Ali]

SHE

Sorry