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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:VIDEO::PULSIFER
Created:Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:942
Total number of notes:6016

403.0. "Behavior Problems" by RANGER::WIMMER () Mon Aug 27 1990 11:22

    My Severe Macaw is having a "behavior problem" which is causing me
    great pain (literally!).  All of a sudden in the past 4 weeks, 
    everytime I get her out of the cage, she wants to flap her wings.
    So what's the problem, your're thinking......the problem is that
    she does this while sitting on my shoulder and uses parts of my
    body to hold onto to!!! I have bruises on my shoulders, neck, ears,
    and scalp (talk about seeing stars!!).  It's like I'm a tree branchh!
    
    She never used to do this....is it because her wings have grown
    back, or does she secretly want to punish me?  It makes our time
    together a little unpleasant what with me screaming in pain most
    of the time....
    
    Help!!!!
    Black and Blue....
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
403.1FlapsUSHS05::WALZMon Aug 27 1990 12:0214
    All my babies like to flap their wings and stretch when let out of 
    their cages.  Fortunately for me, they do it on the top of their cages,
    not on my shoulder.
    
    Why don't you try some bird aerobics with your severe macaw.  When
    you first let him out of the cage, secure him on your hand.  Do big
    sweeping figure eights which will force him to flap.  My birds love
    this.  I also make them climb stairs:  that is, go quickly from one
    hand to the next.
    
    This should ease their pent up energy, exercise their wings, and
    make them behave better on your shoulder afterwards.
    
    Pat
403.21992...The Birdy Olympics?CSC32::PAGEMon Aug 27 1990 17:3313
    
    Yup, Birdy Aerobics!!, My 6 month old Eclictus flaps when he is first
    taken from his cage, So I hold him securly by the feet just above eye
    level and do a gentle up and down motion forcing him to flap and get it
    off his chest. While telling him 'pretty wings' in hopes that someday
    I'll be able to get him to show off his wings with the 'pretty wings'
    command. Wishfull thinking ha?? I also burn a little pent up energy
    with a rousing round of 'Lets run up the stairs' as discribed in -1
    
    Seems to do the trick too! after a couple minutes of birdy aerobics
    Kiwi settles down and sits on my shoulder without much problem,
    although the heavy breathing in my ear often makes it tough to here the
    news on TV!!
403.3Wing Flapping TipUSCTR1::NBONAZZOLIFri Aug 31 1990 17:2610
    One other tip...when I take my B&G macaw out of his cage at night, I
    immediately place him on his stand. He then has a few minutes to get
    his energy released by frantically flapping his wings. When I first
    started doing this, he constantly flew off of the stand. He's since
    learned to hold on when flapping. I find that then, as he's eating his
    supper of fruits, veggies, and whatevers, he will periodically flap.
    Chiquita is 10 mos old now.
    
    Nancy
    f
403.4getting better....RANGER::WIMMERTue Sep 04 1990 12:187
    I've been making her stay on top of the cage for a few minutes when I
    let her out in the morning.  She does a lot of flapping, then is much
    better when she gets on my shoulder.  Only problem is that is makes
    her mad that she can't come with me right away.....
    
    Diane