Inherited parrots

Hello and welcome ask any questions or concerns you may have and members will be along to give advice, well done in taking these lovely parrots on
 
Our birds have been together their whole lives and their owner would have hated the thought of them being split up. When we first got them jack ( who is female I think) had pulled all her tummy feathers out and had a sore bloody leg. Thankfully she has healed up fine and is no longer pulling feathers. We let both birds out their cages every afternoon until they decide to go in. They will eat out our hands but won’t let us touch them at all. We have only had them 3 months give or take so hopefully one day they will feel comfortable enough for a wee head rub. Jack did fly down and landed on my arm as I was walking past but don’t think she had a good hold because down came her beak and I’m left with three black bruises. She has seemed to have totally bonded with my daughter and I think she had been trying to get to her. Unfortunately my daughter has left home. I think I’m just looking for reassurance that I’m doing the right things... Sam
 
maisiepup said:
Our birds have been together their whole lives and their owner would have hated the thought of them being split up. When we first got them jack ( who is female I think) had pulled all her tummy feathers out and had a sore bloody leg. Thankfully she has healed up fine and is no longer pulling feathers. We let both birds out their cages every afternoon until they decide to go in. They will eat out our hands but won’t let us touch them at all. We have only had them 3 months give or take so hopefully one day they will feel comfortable enough for a wee head rub. Jack did fly down and landed on my arm as I was walking past but don’t think she had a good hold because down came her beak and I’m left with three black bruises. She has seemed to have totally bonded with my daughter and I think she had been trying to get to her. Unfortunately my daughter has left home. I think I’m just looking for reassurance that I’m doing the right things... Sam
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Do you know if they let their previous owners touch them?
 
I really don’t know. Rosemarys death was very unexpected and we both thought we had plenty time for her to teach me about Harry and jack.
 
That is a beautiful Blue Fronted Amazon my favourite of species. The one in my avatar is my BFA called Alfie :hearts1:
 
:welcome: @maisiepup! How lovely of you to take on the two birds. So sorry about your friend, Rosemary. Would love to know which is which - is Jack the Grey?

If your daughter has left home it will be even easier to work on a great relationship with both birds. You can do this by pairing yourself with as many wonderful experiences for them as possible. Since they haven't been with you that long, there are probably not many reinforcers you can use - yet. So start with one that is unlearned. Food! All birds have to eat. Have you noticed what they pick out of the food bowl first or what treats they like? Whenever you give them something they like (a special treat perhaps to start with) they will associate your presence with something good. Therefore they will look forward to you being around.

Likewise, try not to pair yourself with an aversive like Jack landing on your arm and feeling she needed to bite. I know - not your fault, but anything like that will erode the trust you are carefully building. ;)

Once they are able to take a special treat from you, then you could work on some training. This will open up a whole new way of interacting with them. Something all three of you will find fun. A good introduction to training would be target training. This is getting the bird to touch something (often the end of a chopstick) with a body part (usually the beak) for a reinforcer/reward (in this case a yummy treat). You can easily start training through the bars of the cage which may give all of you a sense of more security. Or maybe they, and you, are perfectly happy to start outside the cage. Here is a great video to teach you how:

 
Thanks loads Roz jack is the Amazon and Harry the Grey. Since Jack bite me he is not very comfortable with me now. He will still take a treat usually a monkey nut from me but any other time he will walk away from me. Hopefully he will trust me again in time. Probably picked up on the fact I was a bit skittish after he bite me but I still go to him and chat and sing the nursery rhymes he knows.
many tips on how to get their beaks trimmed. They both seem quite long. Since we have had them they have had blocks etc that’s supposed to help keep the beak down. Jack loves his but Harry’s not touched his. They have lots of wooden toys and ropes they enjoy playing with. Ifwe need to take them to the vet I think the birds would find it very distressing being caught etc.. any advice appreciated
 
Jack looks in great feather for having previously plucked. Greys can be a bit more reticent in trying new things.

I'd put a few other nut pieces in their dry food bowl and see if you can get some interest, eg walnut, almond, pistachio, cashew. They might choose one of these over the monkey nuts, plus tree nuts are healthier than peanuts/monkey nuts. Sounds like you are doing the right things.

So many times I have heard avian vets say beak trims should only be done if the bird cannot eat, or for some other medical reason. Jack's beak looks fine - I wouldn't worry about it. Just encourage them to chew toys/wood. Short willow sticks are popular here as well as the Groovy blocks:
www.northernparrots.com

Groovy Blocks Parrot Toy Making Parts - Large

Pack of 12 coloured wood blocks with a number of grooves down each side. A simple yet fantastic idea from Zoo-Max. These Groovy Blocks Parrot Toy Making Parts - Large are great for rejuvenating your bird's existing toys or for use in inventing your own.
www.northernparrots.com www.northernparrots.com
I thread a piece of untreated leather lace through them and knot it at each end to give them something to hold.
Natural perches can sometimes get them chewing too. I bought some cork perches that Bobbie (Red-lored Amazon) loves, but sadly I can't find them any longer.
 
Im sure I saw some cork perch’s on Amazon while I practice my new window shopping of bird toys lol. Harry the grey is a lot tougher on his toys than jack. I’ll leave the beaks alone until they have problems. Neither them or I are confident enough with each other for a trip to the vet and all that would entail. Looks like I’m off nut shopping. Thanks.
 
Such gorgeous birds they are lucky to have found a new home with you where they can stay together.
Looking forward to updates.
 
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As per the comments above, that is a really lovely blue-front. My only advice to add is to take your time over training, don't panic and feed loads of fresh fruit and vegetables (my greys love cooked veg including sweet potato, broccoli, peas, sweetcorn, green beans etc). Do they enjoy bathing? Many Amazons in particular love being gently misted with warm water from a plant mister. Greys can be a bit less up for it but they do benefit from moisture on their feathers. A good calcium supplement (powder) is always a wise investment (I usually feed it in some mashed potato or scrambled egg). I hope you have lots of fun with your new pals - it's hard work but they can be the most wonderful friends and it's such fun seeing them enjoy their food, playing with branches etc.
 
Oh and regarding keeping the beaks in shape, loads of wooden toys and fresh branches of apple, willow, elderberry etc is the way to go. I've found that some vets are a bit gung-ho with the old beak trimmers, and it can be terribly stressful for the birds, so proceed with caution on that front.
 
Hi thanks for everyone’s advice. I don’t think they have ever had human food as such but will give it a try. They get mixed seed and fresh raw veg with some nuts. They both love a wee shower Harry our grey will stand with his wings spread which is so cute 🥰. I’m lucky my other half’s a joiner so his new job will be toys for them and plenty willow and fruit trees in the garden....
 
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