Question:
> Mini macaw. It seems that Mini macaws tend to think they are as big as > there cousins, and they can get quite out of control if not given > reasonable and consistant guidelines. Some real no-nos are: > shoulder-sitting, head perching, coming out of the cage without being asked > to with the up command, perching at heights above your eye level (whether > in our out of the cage), and infrequent use of the up and down command. It > may sound tough, but as with young children, you have to give consistant > and clear signals or they will get confused and act up. Chips is a much > happier and fun bird now that he knows his bounds.
I’m finding this to be true with Chewy too (also a ycm). I recently shortened the legs of her play tower, and am probably going to cut it down a couple of inches more. I’ve also stopped letting her climb to my shoulder (she doesn’t like that one little bit). The interesting thing is that there was a very marked improvement in her behavior (she completely stopped nipping) immediately after I cut her tower down. But then she gradually adjusted and has started showing her spunk again by yelling more often. The way she does it, it is very blatently a show of defiance. So, I’m going to drop her tower from just even with my eye level (when shes on the top perch) to two or three inches below. Interesting little critters, aren’t they…?
Response:
>I’m finding this to be true with Chewy too (also a ycm). I recently >shortened the legs of her play tower, and am probably going to cut >it down a couple of inches more. I’ve also stopped letting her climb >to my shoulder (she doesn’t like that one little bit). >The interesting thing is that there was a very marked improvement in >her behavior (she completely stopped nipping) immediately after I cut >her tower down. But then she gradually adjusted and has started showing >her spunk again by yelling more often. The way she does it, it is very >blatently a show of defiance. So, I’m going to drop her tower from just >even with my eye level (when shes on the top perch) to two or three inches >below.
that’s interesting. angus, ycm of the baskervilles, has discovered the joys and rigors of climbing to the top of my kitchen bookshelf, which is about 1.5′ taller than me. i can tell him "birdie UP" and he’ll step onto my hand – no defiant behaviors yet!! am i just living in nirvana at the calm before the storm? angus also liked riding on my shoulder or head – i haven’t yet seen any negative behaviors resulting from this. how do you carry around your birdie if not on your shoulder? i guess i can always rig together a birdieSling around my neck (the latest in fashion wear!)…. — %% The Linguistic Tongue, AT&T %% C Code. C Code Run. Run, Code, RUN! %%
Response:
>that’s interesting. angus, ycm of the baskervilles, has discovered >the joys and rigors of climbing to the top of my kitchen bookshelf, >which is about 1.5′ taller than me. i can tell him "birdie UP" >and he’ll step onto my hand – no defiant behaviors yet!!
One thing I think I’ve discovered with Ralph is that posturing is more important than eye level when it comes to pecking order. Ralph’s T stand is usually on top of his cage, and his eye level is roughly 30 cm higher than mine when he’s on his stand. Even though he’s that far up, he still steps on a finger or says rrrrr or whistles on command. Back at the parents’ place, Ralph used to walk around on the back of the couch, when I was sitting (slouching) on it. If he was off to one side and I tried to UP him, he wouldn’t step on, but would grab my finger and push it away. To get him onto my finger, I had to turn and face him and then regardless of eye height, he’d get on. And if Ralph is anywhere else and refuses to get onto a finger, you just have to turn your upper body to face him and say UP a little more sternly, and it will work. I realised the importance of posturing with respect to pecking order after reading the May 1990 Bird Talk (has a severe on the cover). I read the macaw article to see what a yellow-collared macaw (Angus) looked like, and then read the article on dealing with maturing parrots, written by Sally Blanchard. Sidney will do anything for praise, so we haven’t had to do anything with regards to eye height or posturing with him. Just lots of GOOD BIRD! with enthusiastic petting. :) Recently he’s begin lying (laying?) on his back in our hands, and we sometimes carry him around like that. :) —
Response:
> am i just living in nirvana at the calm before the storm? > angus also liked riding on my shoulder or head – i haven’t > yet seen any negative behaviors resulting from this. how do you > carry around your birdie if not on your shoulder? i guess i can > always rig together a birdieSling around my neck (the latest > in fashion wear!)….
Actually Barb, you may have just done a better job of disiplining Angus to begin with. As a single guy with no previous parenting experience, I was pretty much spoiling Chewy rotten. Even now that I realize my mistake, I still love to see the spunk she shows. Its worth an occassional aching finger to know I have a gutsy little bird who don’t take no shit… As for how to carry the bird, try on your forearm, folded across your chest. That way, he’s well below eye (and earlobe) level, and in a perfect position for you to administer that critically needed head-scratching session. (Thats how I bribe Chewy into staying there. She goes into mini-macaw meditative mindlock.)
Response:
>angus is very bonded to me, and tries to eat my husband >and/or stepSon as a snack at times. now, he *does* like >brenda, so it’s not that he desires to consume the entire >world’s population. >be that as it may, i will have a real worry when i have children; >angus has been known to go after babies with great excitement. >thus, how can i condition him not to be a danger to children?
Have you considered getting a life like doll? Carry it around with you, bathe it, feed it a bottle, and train Angus. It works with other animal friends, supposedly. Failing that approach, watch Angus and the child carefully, or keep Angus in his room when a very small baby is around. * Barbara Chalef | "the pure and simple truth is never pure * * AT&T x Bell Labs | and rarely simple" * * cbnewsi!bfc | – Oscar Wilde * * | * * 908-949-5667 | Nutmeg, I think we’re not in Washington, * * | D.C. anymore. *
Response:
> the other vet called my answering machine yesterday, and > angus’ second test results were negative! so what to believe! > so it’s on to the next question! as y’all probably know, > angus is very bonded to me, and tries to eat my husband > and/or stepSon as a snack at times. > be that as it may, i will have a real worry when i have children; > angus has been known to go after babies with great excitement. > thus, how can i condition him not to be a danger to children?
Barbara, YES!!! That’s great news, and our vet said it was not uncommon to see first results positive – and there could be many reasons. She also said if a result came back negative, it was highly unlikely that this those results were incorrect. The test may just be super sensitive at this point of development. As to the problem with Angus and his biting or chasing of peoples other than you – do you have a copy of Mattie Sue Athan’s book, "Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot." The advice she gives is to the point and excellent and has been of immense help to us in our dealings with Mr Chips, our Hahns Mini macaw. It seems that Mini macaws tend to think they are as big as there cousins, and they can get quite out of control if not given reasonable and consistant guidelines. Some real no-nos are: shoulder-sitting, head perching, coming out of the cage without being asked to with the up command, perching at heights above your eye level (whether in our out of the cage), and infrequent use of the up and down command. It may sound tough, but as with young children, you have to give consistant and clear signals or they will get confused and act up. Chips is a much happier and fun bird now that he knows his bounds. Regards, Tom and Winnie Electrooptical Devices Group | thing you know, close a deal MIT Lincoln Lab | with a handshake, and HAVE FUN.
Response:
>angus has been known to go after babies with great excitement. >thus, how can i condition him not to be a danger to children?
can’t you manage to just keep them apart?
Response:
>> the other vet called my answering machine yesterday, and > angus’ second test results were negative! so what to believe!
I am so happy to hear Angus is OK!!! Before this discussion I wasn’t familiar with the PBFD tests, but it sounds like false-positives are not that uncommon. At least I’m sure Angus was able to milk a little extra attention out of all this 
> be that as it may, i will have a real worry when i have children; > angus has been known to go after babies with great excitement. > thus, how can i condition him not to be a danger to children?
Well, if you here anything let me know – I’m due in April. This is our first human baby. I hear that their feeding habits are a lot like baby birds Anyway, I think we are going to try to teach the child to stay away from the birds – and keep a very close eye on all of them. I can just imagine what my macaws beak could do to the child’s soft spot. I’d like our child to grow up with a functioning brain and as many digits as it is born with! Susan The Rest o / o o (503) 696-8055 | /|||o O /_/ >"< / ___ ||><|||(|_> / o o ===== ___ (o o) ___ |/ ||||/ >"< / / (o o) ( V ) (o o) ===== Loki ( V ) /–m-m- ( V ) Intel Corporation / ___ /–m-m- Dudley /–m-m- MS JF1-91 Freya (o o) Sherman / Mango 5200 NE Elam Young Pkwy ( V ) / Hillsboro, OR 97124-6497 /–m-m- Kiwi
Response:
well folks, the other vet called my answering machine yesterday, and angus’ second test results were negative! so what to believe! i think i’ll opt for the second opinion…. :-) gad i’d never wish the past 2 weeks on any birdiePerson. so it’s on to the next question! as y’all probably know, angus is very bonded to me, and tries to eat my husband and/or stepSon as a snack at times. now, he *does* like brenda, so it’s not that he desires to consume the entire world’s population. be that as it may, i will have a real worry when i have children; angus has been known to go after babies with great excitement. thus, how can i condition him not to be a danger to children? — %% The Linguistic Tongue, AT&T %% C Code. C Code Run. Run, Code, RUN! %%
Response:
|> well folks, |> |> the other vet called my answering machine yesterday, and |> angus’ second test results were negative! so what to believe! Yay! |> i think i’ll opt for the second opinion…. :-) |> |> gad i’d never wish the past 2 weeks on any birdiePerson. What’s the consensus on a third test (to get a 2 out of 3 rating…?) |> so it’s on to the next question! as y’all probably know, |> angus is very bonded to me, and tries to eat my husband |> and/or stepSon as a snack at times. now, he *does* like |> brenda, so it’s not that he desires to consume the entire |> world’s population. |> |> be that as it may, i will have a real worry when i have children; |> angus has been known to go after babies with great excitement. |> thus, how can i condition him not to be a danger to children? Does Angus like or despise the water bottle? If the latter, he’ll eventually keep his distance from babies and small children. :-) — Robert J. Granvin User Services Specialist
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