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Saphira's home! (B&G baby)

Toy

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Saphira is beautiful. B&G's have such a cute baby face. It sure looks like she's turned into a wonderful companion.

JaJaBinks (avatar pic) was 2 when I got her in 2001. She was a rescue, had been abused & neglected. She turned into an amazing companion. Sadly she passed in August 2020. Once I earned her trust she was just an easy bird. She'd stay on her cage, wasn't destructive, etc. She liked hanging out & doing stuff with me. I really miss her.

I got JaKhu (B&G) a few days later. We drove 4 hours one way to get her. She was 4 months old & a real stinker. She still is. She will be 1 year 10 months old December 10th. She's always been nippy/pinchy & is very destructive. She goes thru toys like a buzz saw. She bends metal chain links open, snaps thick acrylic, breaks coconuts, etc. Yesterday she snapped a piece of metal off a toy. She's figured out how to undo both latches on her cage door & get out. Both latches have to be undone or the door won't open & they are around 18 inches apart. She figured out if she hangs upside down she can flip the latch up, slide it over & then do the 2nd one & the door will open. So now we have to lock her in with a key. She can't bee trusted, like JaJaBinks could, as she will eat my house. I hope in time she settles down some & eases up on her destructive ways. She has learned a couple tricks. Rollover, wings up & a sort of hop. She lays on her back a lot, even in the shower. If she isn't laying on her back she's usually hanging upside down. She will step off a high perch & rollover onto her back onto my hand. She is high energy & hardly stops moving. She last weighed 1074g. JaKhu was heavily clipped when I got her & had terrible balance. Once her flights molted & grew back in I had hoped to do recall flight training. She's only flown across the room twice. She refuses to fly. I've tried putting a harness on her several times, but it's a no go. She hates it with a passion. Due to Covid restrictions I wasn't able to socialize her, so she will only let me pick her up. Here's a few pics of her:

August 21, 2021 4 months old. Ripping up a hibiscus flower.
IMG_8019 JaKhu August 21, 2020.jpg

Laying on a foot stool. she stayed like that for several minutes.

IMG_8388 JaKhu laying on foot stool.jpg

Christmas 2020....yep on her back as usual.
IMG_8197xmas2020.jpg
 

Ella.pi

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She seems like a handfull! haha! I must say, Saphira's very easy going and non destructive for a macaw. She'll play with her toys and go through the branches we provide them in their aviary but apart from customizing a few soft wooden chairs in the house, she doesn't damage anything and is usually content to calmly hang out with us. She can be left unsupervised without getting into trouble and she very rarely vocalises. She's always been very soft with her beak too and can be trusted with my children.
 
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Ella.pi

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It's funny how they are all very different individuals isn't it! harness training can be hard... Saphira's not a fan either. Don't give up flight training though! you just need to take baby steps so as to build her confidence. She's still so young that she should be able to overcome her fear of flight. It's a learning process that you need to guide her through but once she sees she's successfull at it, she'll really benefit from the indoor exercice! in my opinion all parrots should be able to fly, it's great for their muscles, their lungs, burning off all that extra energy, their confidence etc... but some need more time and encouragement than others to get there.
 

macawpower58

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Saphira has grown into a beauty, and congrats on your GW!
What a sweet baby. I got mine at 8 weeks and had 8 months of scary hand-feeding (he was my fist real hand-feeding).
5 months is young to be completely weaned, so watch for those hungry baby signs. ;)
 

April

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So... long story short... after a lot of thinking, we decided to add a green wing to our flock before it's too late. I was looking for a female, hoping Saphira would benefit from a lifelong friend with less risk of them pair bonding as mates would... but you know how the best thought out plans work out... of course I had to fall in love with this 5 month old big boy! he's already weaned and will be joining us in a month. We are very excited and happy to go through all the training from scratch once more and the adorable baby phase. Hopefully they will get along and happily soar the sky together in the future... and hopefully, we will all remain friends once they mature. I know I will never stop loving them and giving them the best life I possibly can whatever happens!
View attachment 398538
D'aww look at that sweet baby face! Congratulations on your new little one :swoon:
 

Ella.pi

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5 months is young to be completely weaned, so watch for those hungry baby signs. ;)
That's why we're waiting an extra month before we bring him home, just to be sure he's ready. ;) That being said, he could regress with the change of homes at 6 months too... so I'll have mushy food ready for him if need be. Saphira did well when we got her at 5 months old but I still comfort spoon fed her a little the first few weeks as she begged quite a bit.
 
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