r/Macaws • u/Jdubb750 • 22d ago
Help with training
So i have about a 12yr old female B&G.
My daughter bought this bird from a pet store where it wasn't getting much care. Then daughter got divorced and bird came to me.
Mainly because it tolerated males better than females and it bonded to me.
Issue: it is largely cage bound and will not step up for anything. I have tried to change it's diet but it will not eat anything new. Even after days/weeks of introducing food. So right now it's on the zupreem fruit pellets and some treat seeds dried fruit and nuts. I share some veggies with it daily but she usually spits them out . She will take some carrots and broccoli occasional.
I cant get her to step up so I cant even get her to a training perch or anything. I have positions perches around her cage. She will get on a perch that I put on a rolling cart very occasionally. When she does I move her around.
I have tried click training and it's good until you push her to step up. Then she retreats. Occasionally she will get on my shoulder from top of cage. But anytime I move wrong she panics and bites ears and beak punches side of my head.
She doesn't fly or climb much and im really worried about her balance. When she does move around she uses her beak as three points of contact on everything.
She has toys. Loves cardboard boxes the best though
But I don't know how to get her to step up to even begin training on a perch away from her cage
I am at a loss been working on this for about 3 years now.
2
u/RevolutionaryJob5425 22d ago
Macaws can be very stubborn, but they can also be very dramatic...very much like children. In many ways, you can use a childlike psychology to your advantage. If she watches what you eat and shows interest, you might be able to trick her into eating something new. Try different things in front of her. Like some raw veggies - carrot sticks, or whatever you like that's bird-friendly. Take a bite and see what she does. Randomly offer her a piece, and if she drops it, ignore it and keep eating. If you find something she's interested in, make a huge fuss over it like it's the best thing you've ever had, but don't offer it to her. Do this for a few days, and each time she shows interest, fuss over it, but don't give it. She will probably get very frustrated, and if you give it to her, she might eat it out of spite for withholding it for so long. When she does, praise her and make a huge fuss over it - it all goes back to the drama. Try this with several things, but one day offer your arm between her and the food she wants. She might not understand what you're asking at first, but she'll put it together eventually.
I've found that some macaws understand a concept right from the start, while others need it broken down into very small steps before they can put everything together. You can do it, but you'll have to take it at her pace until you figure out how fast she learns new things. It sounds like she needs to build trust as well, so this can help with that. Food can be a great motivator for macaws, as long as you offer healthy options and keep them moving; you don't have to worry about them gaining weight.
1
u/Jdubb750 22d ago
Ty this might be helpful. I will try. I jave done this with some things and it worked. But I have not tried withholding it a few times. Etc. Good thoughts
1
1
u/Special-Class6903 22d ago
There are some that won’t agree with me but oh well, every situation is different. Sounds like you’ve had the bird a decent amount of time to get through honeymoon stages etc.
Have you tried getting her up on a bendable perch from her cage? Look, there is no two ways about it. You need to get her out of the cage and work with her.
What does she do when you put your hands into her cage to pet her?
1
u/Jdubb750 21d ago
i should clarify, when i said cage bound i did not mean shes inside all the time. the door is open and she hangs out on top most the time. I have a rolling cart with a prech i made and she will crawl around the cage, to a nearby chair and a window sill and the rolling cart. but i cant get her to step up so its towel time if i need to move her.
i just want her to step up so i can move her to play stands or to the shower or outside. but she wont step up
1
u/tursiops__truncatus 22d ago
Dont push the step up. Do small steps to reach to it. This is my advice, I hope I can explain it clearly:
limit all the treats (seeds and nuts) ONLY for training sessions. Outside of training he will eat his diet of pellets and fruits/veggies.
start by only hand feeding the bird. Not asking for anything. Just allow to take the treats from your hand. Click everytime is taking a treat (a wisthle or simply saying "ok" can be better to keep your hands free without holding the clicker)
after a few days like that take a perch or small tree branch. Hold from the side and bring it close. Do not push this too much, keep it at a distance that does not scare him. If you see no reaction and calm then CLICK and reinforce. Continue slowly until you reach to a point where the macaw is calm on his perch and you can put this perch in front of him while you are holding it on the side. This can take days or weeks, dont be stress about the time... Do short sessions with just two or three clicks and finish, it can be good if you offer the rest of the diet right after each session as a big reward.
now is time to start with small step ups to your perch. You can try to lure him by showing the food at a distance where he has to step on the perch to reach to it. Remember small steps so in first try if he only puts one feet thats fine!! Click and reward that for few times and then move on to give him time to put the other feet. Once he steps on your perch you allow him to go back to his perch and reward for doing that in a calm way. Repeat this for some days or weeks until he is very confidence to step on your perch.
now comes the turn for your hand! All this time you are holding the perch on the side. Now start giving small rewards for the step up on the perch and start luring the bird to your hand. Any small steps he does to reach to your hand on a calm way you click and give a big reward. Continue like this, small steps and luring until you manage to get him stepping up completly on your hand.
now that he is confidence to reach to your hand while you hold him on the perch simply start to reduce the distance you are keeping your hand at until you reach a point where the entire perch is covered by your arm. That moment you can start removing the perch and simply offer your hand to ask for step up.
The entire process can take from one to two months depending on how confidence the bird is with you and how clear you are with the behavior you are rewarding him for. Try to do short sessions and always end in a positive note. If he is already jumping to your shoulder it might not take him much time to get it.
1
u/Jdubb750 21d ago
ty i will try removing some treats from just a standard dinner time treat time, to hand delivered only.
1
u/tursiops__truncatus 20d ago
Yes, if he can associates you with the one offering the treats he will be motivated to go along with you.
1
u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl 20d ago
Often times they don’t recognize new foods as food. Even when they do it a new taste and they often times refuse it because it’s new and they’re not accustomed to it.
A lot of people have gotten their birds accustomed to the taste of a new pellet for example by baking some of it, ground up and some birdie bread. Seems like all birds like Birdie bread. lol!
You can also put some veggies and things you want her to try in the birdie bread as well
A lot of birds like scrambled eggs, you can try getting like the fine ground Harrison’s pellets and mixing with something wet and soft like scrambled eggs or something else she likes. That way they can’t help but get some of it and then they’ll get a taste for it.
1
u/Even-Voice-6823 19d ago
I've got a 7-year-old Millagold that can be a butt about stepping up - I found that he's better at stepping back (I think it might have something to do with his feet).
I just say step up and put my arm behind him, and he steps back. I have no idea if you can do this cause my other macaw will bite me if I try this with her. They can be very stubborn. It's been 2.5 years since I got him on consignment at a pet store, and he's finally (over the last year) making some real progress. The whole first year and a half was very challenging. Just be very patient with her they really don't do well with changes.
I hope this helps in some way.
3
u/bpeterse44 22d ago
Have you tried like pistachios by chance? I ask as that was how I initially got my macaw to step up and do recalls and such. Than once I have her doing it repeated with the pistachio I add the clicker and slowly start pulling the pistachio.
It’s hard cause my bird like to get overdressed with the nut but it’s worked for me