Hey all, im the new guy

[ParrotJoe]

Hey all , pleased to meet ya. Im Joe, I live in miami, FL and currently live with my wife and Woody, a blue headed pionus.

I've had woody for 9 years now , since he was a little green glob of feathers. Recently after moving in with my new wife, Woody decided he enjoys my wife's company more than mine ( I can't really blame him for that though..).

I recently went to parrot jungle and after seeing some fine specimens I came to the realization that I want another bird. Woody is a great bird but once he started liking my wife and getting territorial with me ( will chase me around the house trying to attack my feet, and bite me if wife is in the room), it made me kinda remember that saying that goes "you dont know what you have until its gone".

So anyway, been looking the past week or two and pretty much decided i will be purchasing a baby handfed Severe macaw.

I have one question though because Im getting him from a local breeder not a store where they usually give them all their shots. Do you recommend anything I should specifically ask the veternarian to do besides just a check to see if hes healthy? should i get him vaccinations of any type? DNa testing?

anyway, thanks for the forum, nice to be here.

Parrot Joe

[kp_in_scott]

Welcome Joe! We are glad you joined us. I would definately go ahead with the DNA test. JMO. Hope everything goes well with your new addition.

[The Outlaw]

Welcome Joe:

I have 2 greys and a Severe in addition to a bunch of other birds. I love a lot about my greys, but I prefer my macaws. I just think they are more fun. My Severe is very smart and completely devoted to me. And that's why I'm pointing this out: you can bring a baby home, love all over him and STILL have him decide he'd rather be your wife's new best friend. You just never know with birds. They don't come with guarantees.

My greys are more than attached to me as well. In fact, in my household, they are the ones MOST likely to refuse to go to anyone else.

Since you're already familiar with high strung conures, a Severe is really just a larger version. Chi Chi is one of my most favorite birds here. The only real negative about him is his screech. They are to macaws what sun conures are to conures when it comes to most annoying screeches. Fortunately, he rarely performs and always stops when I show him the spray bottle.

I used to have Chi Chi on me so much that I'd forget he was even there. He went everywhere with me, happily perched on my shoulder. It got so bad that I'd forget and pull my shirt off with him still on me and that really annoyed him.

Now, with so many other bigger birds, I don't have as much time to play all day with him, but he's a good little trooper and doesn't hold grudges. I love Severes. I really do. They are not for everyone however. You need a good sense of humor and a forgiving heart to go the distance with these guys.l

[birdyland]

Welcome! Glad to have ya, good luck with the new FID.


PS parrot jungle is AWESOME!

[Rue]

...glad to see another Pionus owner! I have a White-cap...just love him!!!...

...sorry to hear yours is after your toes

A second bird can be a wonderful thing! Good luck finding your new baby...

[DocT]

Yep just as Nancy has said just because you are the one to feed and care for them does not mean he will bond with you. Just look at your other bird after you had owned him. My hubby just about never handles my birds for one thing most of them don't like him LOL except my maroon bellied Conure he likes him. The African Grey will chase him also and bite his ankles. I wish you luck tho with your new bird and I hope he or she does bond with you. Absolutely the first stop should be to your vet and be sure to quarantine the new bird away from your other bird to be safe.


Bonnie

[ParrotJoe]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

kp_in_scott: Thanks for the recomendation, I'll go ahead with the DNA test.

The Outlaw: I've been reading many of your posts since I stumbled upon this forum, it's great to know that someone with your knowledge and experience is interested in helping out birds and their owners ! I'm also happy to hear you have a severe of your own, it might help if I hit any bumps in the road down the line with my lil guy. I think the severe will be perfect for me, I have a sense of humor and I'm not the type to get angry at my bird for doing behavior that I don't approve of. When a bird is behaving badly I think its a cue for the owner to realize he/she needs to step up and figure out what is causing the unwanted behavior and figure out how to resolve it. Also I realize that my new baby may end up bonding with my wife more than I but It's all good, im a fan of free-choice and you can't force them to do what they don't want to do. However I have a good feeling about this one because I have a lot more experience and knowledge than I did when i first got my pionus. Also, I just thought of something to ask you, when my pionus is being aggressive towards me due to my wife being nearby, should I give him a little squirt from a spray bottle , or should I just accept the fact that hes just being territorial / protective of my wife and not try to change that ?

Birdlyland: Thanks for the warm welcome! By the way whats does FID stand for? And I must agree with you, Parrot Jungle rocks! I wish i took pictures heh.

Rue: Thanks for the well wishes on my search , although the search is pretty much over now I just have to wait for the little guy to be weaned ( he hatched june 12, 2005).

DocT: I realize the severe may end up bonding with my wife instead of me but I've got my fingers crossed And I have a good feeling about it too.
I live in a two story townhouse, Woody's(my pionus) cage is downstairs in the main room where my wife and I usually are so he can see what we're up to whenever we're home. There is a guest room upstairs , do you think that would be the best spot for my little severe once he arrives? Would it be a bad idea to take him down into the computer room to play which is right next to the family room where woody's cage is? I read somewhere that it's probably not a good idea for the baby to see the other bird at least for the first month or so until he gets acquainted, not sure how true it is.

thanks for all the replies, hope you all have a great day

Parrot Joe

[dlaonivcee]

Welcome to the board! Good luck finding yourself a second bird.

[The Outlaw]

As for the Pi, I think you might want to try this instead. Have your wife leave him on the floor and then exit the room, out of his sight. Then, you go in and ask him to step up. Most birds will prefer an adversary to the vulnerability of being on the floor. If he does so, praise him highly and offer him his most favorite treat. Only YOU may give him that treat. It will be the ONLY way he can get it.

Never try to interact with the bird when she is within eyesight. That is where many get into trouble. He'll always try to protect her and shoo you away.

Please quarantine for at least 45 days away from your other bird. Either bird can contaminate the other. Babies are especially vulnerable for the first year.

[birdyland]

Originally Posted by ParrotJoe

Birdlyland: Thanks for the warm welcome! By the way whats does FID stand for? And I must agree with you, Parrot Jungle rocks! I wish i took pictures heh.

Feathered Kid ;-}

I wish we had a parrot jungle, or something like it, in CA. I've been to the one in Miami once, and I got in trouble because I ended up with three Macaws on me at the feeding area at the front (I don't know how it looks now I hear they moved?). Some employee came running over.... don't touch!!! They bite!!!; yeah right. nice birds. hungry birds ;-}