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Pray for us all (and especially my finger!)

Cndbirdy

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Hello, Again!

So there was a bit of a bird hoarding situation near me. I just took in a Yellow Crowned Amazon. As it is a baby, I asked if it was weened and on pellets since it is so young and I thought I read that they are typically weened at 16 weeks. (My birds were re-homed adults). He said yes. After I got it, he said "oh, by the way, I am still feeding it formula". So.. I read the "forumla" package he gave me and it is Lorikeet food. He said it is the same thing and the bird loves it. I dont know anything about Lorikeets, but aren't they from a completely different continent? The bird is almost 15 weeks old. I will take it to the vet tomorrow for nutritional care.

The little guy (that my 6 year old son named "Pickles") is a very active guy. Very cute and vocal. No screaming, yet. But he is always chattering away. I asked if the bird was flighted, he said it never flew. Well.. let me tell you. . He DOES fly! He went after my OWA who cannot fly.. and then landed on my back. When my husband went to get him off.. he attacked him. Badly. Very very badly. (My husband named him "the little shizz" ). I crawled to the cage and let him walk up as I couldn't reach him and I didn't want him to fall off. Trying to get him in the cage (as I know he cannot be near my Amazon as he needs to be quarentined and clearly does fly) should have been a clip on America's Funniest Home Video's. So he bites. Hard. Very hard. I'm used to Amazon bites and "allowing them to bite"me but I think he crushed my finger. The same finger he happily wanted to go on.. and gave no warning. (No pinning eyes, no spread out tail.. NADA) FROM 0-60 in 2 seconds. Anyways..I got him to step up on a stick. He went to town on that and every time I got him near the door he flew off to the top of the cage. It was pretty funny actually lol. He is a smart one! 20 minutes later he clearly tired of his antics and went in. I wondered why the guy had padlocks on his food and water dishes. I think I now know why lmao

Anyways. Besides the obvious prayers for my finger. What now? How do I tame the little dino? I have him in the office as the rest of my house is open concept and 6500 square feet. I do need to loose weight, and chasing him might help that.. but I do need to keep him away from my OWA now. So.. besides the obvious of Avian Vet tomorrow.. what now?

On a funny side note. When my husband said "look at your new friend!" To our OWA as I wanted the cage in.. she looked at the new Amazon, looked at my husband (who she adores) clacked and pooped on him. I couldn't help but laugh. Fun times!
 

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April

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Bless you for taking this little one in. He's had such an chaotic life before you got him so it's no wonder he's scared and lashed out. But I'm very sorry that happened though. Let me tag some folks who maybe able to help.
@macawpower58 @Clueless @melissasparrots
 

Shezbug

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Definitely want to get him off the lorikeet food and onto normal parrot formula- from memory lorikeets need less protein and more sugars.

@Monica might also be able to help in this situation.
 

camelotshadow

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Sorry missed that...Lorikeet food is a liquid sugar diet for lorikeets not Amazons...Crack is addictive & most addicts will say they love it!

Give him something more healthy...whatever...cheerios even...get him on a pellet seed diet with fruits & veggies/
 

Clueless

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Oh my gosh. I'm chuckling.

My hubby didn't know why we'd want a bird like that!

Because he's an AMAZON and we love them!

Transfer stick is THE best invention ever. Use it constantly. Find the treat he loves and he only gets that when he goes inside his cage. ONLY then.

You can rock this. You obviously have Amazon experience.

For the baby info, @melissasparrots can give you info.

More pictures? He's a cutie pie.
 

Sparkles99

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I’ve no bird advice, but urge you to seek medical attention for your bite!
 

Pat H

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Definitely want to get him off the lorikeet food and onto normal parrot formula- from memory lorikeets need less protein and more sugars.

@Monica might also be able to help in this situation.
DARN!!-- I didn't think about the EXTRA SUGAR!!! Poor baby... Prayers for your finger and coming 'issues' as he gets weaned off of his HIGH!
 

sunnysmom

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He's a cutie. Thank you for helping him.
 

melissasparrots

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Some baby amazons in that age range go through a nasty pressure bite stage. It can take anywhere from a few months to most of the first year plus to get over. They just have an insatiable urge to crunch down on anything with maximum force. Also, they have a lot of stuff to do that doesn't include sitting still for some sketchy human. Trying to make them sit still to be adored means they get bored in possibly less than 30 seconds and deliver one of the pressure crushing bites. My solution has always been to stay mostly hands off at this stage. Those bites are definitely attention getting. Think of this as less of a "I need to tame this bird" stage and more of an "I need to let my already tame bird just be a bird for a little while and trust that he'll come around when he's done being a hellion" stage. If he was hand-fed, he's probably tame in some fashion. Many people ruin perfectly good amazons by trying to make them sit still and be petted and constantly trying to push them into liking them. Eventually the amazon sees you coming and thinks "here we go again, she gonna want to touch me, and make me hold still." The more you repeat that cycle, the faster the bites will come.

Be happy if you can get him to step up a couple times a day and transport him BRIEFELY, from point A to point B and put him down. Don't try to pet him unless you ask first and then be willing to take no for an answer. I ask by holding my finger just out of bite range and asking if they want scratches. If they turn their back, flash their pupils aggressively and try to bite the perch they are sitting on, then its a no and I respect that. Even if all I've gotten is NO for the last couple months of trying. If he does say yes, don't push for more. A very, very quick scratch, praise him big time while putting him down so he doesn't have time to end a good session with a bite. When it comes to baby amazons, less is more and don't overstay your welcome by being pushy or having hurt feelings when they shun you. Just let him be a bird. I have a very sweet female nape that was super bad about those pressure bites for about a year. Things got better when I stopped trying so much and then one day, after not holding her for quite a while, I realized that the last several times I offered scritches, she accepted. Then I picked her up and she actually let him me hold her close and snuggle her. She's actually quite a nice bird now. Almost snugglable which is slightly rare for a yellow nape.
 

Macawnutz

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Some baby amazons in that age range go through a nasty pressure bite stage. It can take anywhere from a few months to most of the first year plus to get over. They just have an insatiable urge to crunch down on anything with maximum force. Also, they have a lot of stuff to do that doesn't include sitting still for some sketchy human. Trying to make them sit still to be adored means they get bored in possibly less than 30 seconds and deliver one of the pressure crushing bites. My solution has always been to stay mostly hands off at this stage. Those bites are definitely attention getting. Think of this as less of a "I need to tame this bird" stage and more of an "I need to let my already tame bird just be a bird for a little while and trust that he'll come around when he's done being a hellion" stage. If he was hand-fed, he's probably tame in some fashion. Many people ruin perfectly good amazons by trying to make them sit still and be petted and constantly trying to push them into liking them. Eventually the amazon sees you coming and thinks "here we go again, she gonna want to touch me, and make me hold still." The more you repeat that cycle, the faster the bites will come.

Be happy if you can get him to step up a couple times a day and transport him BRIEFELY, from point A to point B and put him down. Don't try to pet him unless you ask first and then be willing to take no for an answer. I ask by holding my finger just out of bite range and asking if they want scratches. If they turn their back, flash their pupils aggressively and try to bite the perch they are sitting on, then its a no and I respect that. Even if all I've gotten is NO for the last couple months of trying. If he does say yes, don't push for more. A very, very quick scratch, praise him big time while putting him down so he doesn't have time to end a good session with a bite. When it comes to baby amazons, less is more and don't overstay your welcome by being pushy or having hurt feelings when they shun you. Just let him be a bird. I have a very sweet female nape that was super bad about those pressure bites for about a year. Things got better when I stopped trying so much and then one day, after not holding her for quite a while, I realized that the last several times I offered scritches, she accepted. Then I picked her up and she actually let him me hold her close and snuggle her. She's actually quite a nice bird now. Almost snugglable which is slightly rare for a yellow nape.
This is so true and unbelievably accurate for even older amazons. While I have never read anything like this information you described both my amazon encounters perfectly.
Fabulous post Melissa. Just amazing.
 

Dartman

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You can post to the bite thread John Started years ago now with a picture, I have a few there myself from my Maxi Pionus I have had. Good luck and thanks for rescuing him and taking a few for the team.
 

FeatheredM

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Birds like this need alot of special care and love and PERSEVERIANCE! I'm happy You took this Bird in, you'll make progress as you keep trying to create a bond
 

Cndbirdy

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Some baby amazons in that age range go through a nasty pressure bite stage. It can take anywhere from a few months to most of the first year plus to get over. They just have an insatiable urge to crunch down on anything with maximum force. Also, they have a lot of stuff to do that doesn't include sitting still for some sketchy human. Trying to make them sit still to be adored means they get bored in possibly less than 30 seconds and deliver one of the pressure crushing bites. My solution has always been to stay mostly hands off at this stage. Those bites are definitely attention getting. Think of this as less of a "I need to tame this bird" stage and more of an "I need to let my already tame bird just be a bird for a little while and trust that he'll come around when he's done being a hellion" stage. If he was hand-fed, he's probably tame in some fashion. Many people ruin perfectly good amazons by trying to make them sit still and be petted and constantly trying to push them into liking them. Eventually the amazon sees you coming and thinks "here we go again, she gonna want to touch me, and make me hold still." The more you repeat that cycle, the faster the bites will come.

Be happy if you can get him to step up a couple times a day and transport him BRIEFELY, from point A to point B and put him down. Don't try to pet him unless you ask first and then be willing to take no for an answer. I ask by holding my finger just out of bite range and asking if they want scratches. If they turn their back, flash their pupils aggressively and try to bite the perch they are sitting on, then its a no and I respect that. Even if all I've gotten is NO for the last couple months of trying. If he does say yes, don't push for more. A very, very quick scratch, praise him big time while putting him down so he doesn't have time to end a good session with a bite. When it comes to baby amazons, less is more and don't overstay your welcome by being pushy or having hurt feelings when they shun you. Just let him be a bird. I have a very sweet female nape that was super bad about those pressure bites for about a year. Things got better when I stopped trying so much and then one day, after not holding her for quite a while, I realized that the last several times I offered scritches, she accepted. Then I picked her up and she actually let him me hold her close and snuggle her. She's actually quite a nice bird now. Almost snugglable which is slightly rare for a yellow nape.
Thanks so much. I cannot get him to step up on me. He bites. And bites hard. I let him out to do his thing. Talk to him. Give him toys (he really loves to chew anything and everything). He won't go in his cage for me. He will step up on a bird perch for me.. but will fly away the second you go near the cage. I tried to put food in that he loves so he will go in. Nada. He is a very smart bird, he roams around trying to figure out how to get the food without going in. Gives up and goes away. I sit near and talk to him out of the cage. I whistle, show colors and play with him.. but I don't attempt to get him to step up right now. I leave him out until my husbands comes home. He steps up for him. He was raised in an all male household.. so maybe thats it. Every single animal I bring home takes to my husband.. its hard to not take it personal at this point lmao.
 

Cndbirdy

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The vet said once they begin pellets, forget the feeding. So that was the end of that. This guy is always eating. Its incredible lol. I'm doing fruits and veg now as well. Sweet potato and grapes were a hit. Celery, green beans and mango were fine. So far thats about all. He threw his broccoli at me like my kids did .. memories lol.
 

Cndbirdy

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The little cage was his travel cage.
The chair is my chair that he loves to fly to and perch himself on.. and refuses to get off . The best was when I would get him off and onto the bird perch.. as I moved him he would fly right back. He also loves to rub away with his toy.. dump it, have me retrieve it and thats when he runs away to tge opposite side of his gym, drops it, looks at me and then looks down at it. The guy is a character. He now says "helllllooo", "HI!" And laughs He never squawks. I am shocked. My other amazon does. He hasn't, yet. He mumbles all day long.. never squawks. Is that an age thing? My lilac crowned amazon (supposedly they are quiter.. pff) would call a few times a day. My OW calls in the morning and night and when she sees bread (her old home gave her toast every day). Im surprised he doesn't call back to her.

Also, when the office door is open, he automatically flies over to her.. which freaks her right out (she was the one with the bad clip and can't fly). How did everyone introduce their birds? I would like him to step up on me before I do.. but when that day happens.. how do I do it? I only ever had one.
 
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