Re-homing a BlueFront

[Joanell]

Hello there!

It's been a while since I have posted. We adopted a 6 year old Blue-Fronted Amazon in November 2004. We found her while we were visiting another bird we were wanted to adopt. (the other bird was placed in a better home) It took us about 6 months to make the decision, but we decided to bring her home. She is our first parrot, and her name is Energy.

She was cage bound for about 2 years. It took her three weeks to feel comfortable enough to leave her cage. It was a MAJOR step in her development, and we were thrilled (I've heard that it could take some cage-bound birds 2 months just to feel comfortable enough to poke their head out of the door). Now, she is always out of her cage and playing, singing - she is a very affectionate bird. She lets us pet her head, back, and beneath her wings. She also lets us kiss her on her chest and head. She also sings and dances.

Now, I want to try to get her to step-up, but she is really against the idea. She moves slowly away everytime I try. The strange thing is that every once in a while she just flies off the perch and lands on the bed or on me (we keep her in the bedroom). When she does this, she steps up just fine, and I can get her to step up repeatedly (one hand to the other).

I am here to ask if there is anything I can do to further her progress, or is patience is all I need. I also want to avoid her being "locked" in fear for the rest of her life.

I don't know if she has halted her progress, or if this is normal. I try to keep her entertained. My good friend visits Energy often- which is always a treat to her (my friend has pink hair, and Energy just thinks she is the most beautiful thing ever!) We talk to her for hours morning and night. We only work three days a week so she is not alone much. She also gets fresh veggies and fruits, and we cook for her often (oatmeal, quinoa, pasta - she loves tofu!)

Wow, I could go on and on....any tips or advice would be helpful and welcomed. I just want to know how to be a better bird mom, and how to carefully and respectfully further her progress.

Thank you!

[Monica]

It sounds as if your amazon is wanting to come around more on her terms than yours so with lots of patience she'll come around to you. You can try to get this process going a bit quicker with treats that she loves and if she will come out of her cage, give her a treat. Instead of reaching inside the cage to get her, wait for her to come to the door, show her the treat, and put one hand inbetween her and the treat so that she has to step onto your hand to reach the treat.

This is just a couple of suggestions though...

[AmandaB]

On training to step up...you may want to start with a perch first. She's already familiar with stepping up on her own from perch to perch in her cage, so that is a good way to start. Hold the perch in front of her near her feet like you would your hand. Once she gets used to stepping up to the perch, you can start working on stepping up to your hand.

Good luck! You sound like you're off to a great start! :icon_smil

[Chariclo]

Joanell - Energy sounds like a real sweetie! I would also recommend a perch to start with. And find one thing that she really enjoys - remove it from her normal diet and only use it for treat/instruction. This incentive/reward process might be just the trick you need. Once on the perch - slowly go to another room - out of sight of her cage. Once she is comfortable with that you can begin working with her to get her on your hand. Just be consistent.

Hats off to you for adopting her. She's very lucky to have such a dedicated owner. You will have many years ahead of you to learn all kinds of things! It just takes time.:)

[Joanell]

Thank you all so much for your replies and help!

I only have the internet at work, and work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was amazed to see all of the posts when I got in this morning.

I will definitely try the perch idea and tempting her with special treats. I have actually tried that before, but in reading your posts, I realize that consistency is essential.

I just love her so much, and I know we have a good 50 years together, so I want to be as patient as she needs.

One thing I didn't mention is that she had two of her "fingers" partially bitten off by a Macaw, and does not have great control over her left claw (although she is a terrific climber). In reading another post on Bird Board, I saw that there was something called a bird landing which could give her relief from sitting on a perch. Is this a good thing?

Thank you again for all of your support and interest...I feel like I finally have a "real time" resource!

[Wally]

We re-homed a 6 yr old BFA 5.5yrs ago. He fell in love with me from the get go, but he had his reservations. It took him no time to come out of his cage, as I made a T-stand with bowls on it at his cage door level. He would go to the top of his cage sometimes. When we first got him, he would let me scritch him through the cage bars. With-in a few months, he would cuddle with me when he was on top of his cage. It took two years for him to feel comfortable with perching on my hands. [He was mistreated by small children banging on his cage in the previous home]. He had a problem wth women, as his previous owner was good with him, until he got married [to a non-bird lady with two toddlers]. He has softened up to my wife, but will not perch on her. Of course after we had Pepe for a year & a half, we had to get my wife a bird of her own [Oscar]. She wanted a bird buddy too! Pepe will now perch on my hand for hours if I and he cares to do so. He is such a sweet boy. Wait until your bird first tries to feed you... it's a heart moving moment.
Wally

[Joanell]

Wally, thank you so much for your words of encouragement. The only time Energy will perch on my hand is when she has decided to fly off her cage and land on the floor. I was starting to feel like I wasn't connecting to her like I should. Now that I hear it took two years for Pepe, I am not so worried.

She now has started to dance with me, and we talk all the time. She is wonderful!

Thanks again!

[Wally]

Pepe was teased by toddlers who banged on his cage. I believe he would then go to bite at theiir hands. Because of this, he got put in his cage, in a room 6ft x 6ft with a radio as his 'company'. He was fed a seed/peanut/with some pellets mix. His owner before us was a single man who got married to a lady with 2 toddlers. The lady did not understand birds. I understand this situation was for about six months before we took Pepe into our home. The man did do the right thing in persuing a better home for him, but he should have done it sooner. [Of course if he did it sooner, I might not have ended up with Pepe] I've been so blessed that Pepe took a liking to me the day I first met him. His then owner sold him to me on the spot for just a couple of hundred, and I think the only reason he asked for money was his wife thought he should get something. He was just trying to make sure Pepe went to a good home. That was six years ago. Pepe is pretty much a one person bird, although if I have to go out of town for a week or so, he will let my wife change his food and water bowls without being agressive to her. He does solicit scritches from her now and then.....
Wally

[Jimmy]

Hi Joanell....i agree with everyone's post that i read so far. I think the perch is a great idea...and also i COMPLETLEY relate to your issue with Energy bypassing you to go directly to the floor...now i don't know if i got lucky, but i rescued a 15yo yellow naped amazon about 5 months ago...was having NO luck with her, and i mean NO luck...she wasn't acting aggressive but really just didn't want ANYTHING to do with me, or so i thought. I got the idea one day of handfeeding, i took her in our own lil chair that i have in my bedroom i usually sit in it and read. Well i took her in the chair...sat her on the arm, once she was out of her cage, and put some mashed sweet potato on my finger and let her go to town **** i wouldn't recommend this if Energy likes to bite****, but Henry took to it very well...after about a week of doing so, she began talking, and following me around the room with her eyes, AND she lets me take her out of her cage, with a lil growl here and there, but she lets me. I'm not sure as i said if i got lucky or if i stumbled on something, but i figured i'd share my experience with you...Enjoy Energy, hopefully you 2 will be around each other for a very long time, and just keep that in mind as well:)...

Jimmy

[Wally]

Amazons are one of the most resilient of companion parrots. They are definately moved by the good food and treats we give them. As time goes on and you and your bird get more comfortable with each other, use it's favorite treat as a training tool, or a reward for a good positive behavior. Patience is a great thing to have, and of course TLC. When I work with an unfamiliar bird, I like to get it to be able to share our trust enough to feed it safflower seeds from my fingertips. One at a time. I try to work with some of the not-so-freindly birds at my favorite bird shop. The owners love me spending time with them as a new face for the bird to trust. From time to time they get one, from their breeder, that has some fears. The owners of the shop usually roll their eyes at me when I offer safflower seeds to a known biter....