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I need help with my macaw please

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I need help with my macaw please

Postby Shazina1969 » Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:24 am

Hello everyone, I'm at the end of my tether.
I have a b&g macaw that I've had for 10 years. Over the past 10 months or so he's started picking the base if his tail underneath. He's mostly doing this at night all night!
Ive tried doing all sorts to cure this but to no prevail. My husband works and none of us are getting sleep during the nights.
The cage obviously is in the house but when he picks it makes him hyper and he just walks all around the cage and this goes on right through the night.
My husband and I are arguing because I'm sticking up for the bird but it's getting to the point I can't cope with my situation anymore. I have thoughts of rehomeing him but how do i trust anyone to take on the job of looking after the most important thing to me. I know my family should be but I can't help the way I feel about my parrot.
Maybe my parrot is unhappy about something but I've literally tried everything. I suffer with anxiety because not only do I constantly worry about my bird but I dread the night time because I know what it's going to be like and then my husband argues with me. I would rehome him to a person that is totally devoted to macaws. Someone who has got plenty of open space, lots of toys and interaction. I'm currently living in spain( was living in uk).
It's breaking my heart just writing this but I'm at the end of the road. Can please anyone help.
Shazina1969
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 1
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Blue and gold macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: I need help with my macaw please

Postby Pajarita » Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:02 am

Welcome to the forum and I am so sorry you are going through this! Please take a breath and try to look at this from an objective point of view because, although this is a problem, it's not something that cannot be solved.

If your bird is awake all night long, it means that his endocrine system is not working right because, if it was, he would be producing enough melatonin to allow him restful sleep [think of chickens roosting or the birds in the trees, they all sleep all night long, right?]. Now, the thing about birds endocrine system is that it works differently from a mammal. Birds are entirely dependent on light so the first thing you need to do is to make sure that the bird is kept at a super strict solar schedule with full exposure to dawn and dusk [at least, 2 whole hours for each event]. This means that the bird must wake up with the light of dawn and go to 'bed' with the light of dusk without any artificial light polluting the environment. Once he is fast asleep, there should be complete darkness and quiet [not TV, no music, no lights from the street or another room shining in, etc.]. Please research avian photoperiodism, avian endocrine system and avian reproductive system for more in-depth info [or ask here and we wil answer]. A bird cannot be kept at a human light schedule because, if you do, his endocrine system will go wacko and the bird ends up with all kinds of problems.

The other thing that influences the endocrine system is diet as high protein triggers hormone production. Parrots need a fresh food diet with raw produce every day and a dish like gloop, chop or mash for breakfast and all day picking and protein food [pellets, seeds, nuts, etc] only for dinner.

Now, a messed-up endocrine system does not get better in a week or a month, it takes a long time for it to become, again, attuned to the seasons as evolution decreed so, please, be patient and explain this to your husband.

Please do not consider giving him melatonin at night because although this might work temporarily to make him fall asleep, it will neither keep him asleep nor work long term. You need to follow Nature's guidelines and do it her way.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes


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