So I'll come right out with it and say straight up I don't dig breeding parrots as pets. Yes, there are professional programs to breed parrots extinct, or close to extinction, in the wild and I buy into that. But breeding thousands of parrots a year already in abundance in shelters makes me crazy. They live long, and they're not easy to own on any front. If you wants a parrot, there are enough in rescues so everyone and, unfortunately, anyone, could own one if they chose. And this is not good. 'Cause not everyone wants a parrot.
Ok, 'nuf said.
Regardless of this pretty strong opinion, I have come across a breeder, The Parrot University in Sunbury, Ohio, who strikes me as exceptionally responsible and could teach me a thing or two, I'm quite sure. I haven't visited their facility, just their web site. But they have been cited by Barbara Heidenreich, so I am willing to believe their portrayal of themselves is truthful and accurate.
I'm always hesitant to base my opinion solely on an online representation of a breeder - many "parrot mills" operate like "puppy mills" where the perpetrators show beautiful pics of baby parrots in cushy cuddly conditions while hundreds of adult breeder parrots live "off-camera" behind the scenes in abhorrent conditions doomed to lives of misery and abuse. Ok, so maybe it wasn't 'nuf said. Whoops.
Based on their web site and a product I bought from them called the Aviator Flight Harnass, I'll say it appears they know what they're talking about and, better yet, it appears they have the best interest of parrots at heart.
If I didn't think this, I wouldn't have bought the harnesses for my birds. I just don't buy from unscrupulous pet operations, if I can avoid it. And I can almost always avoid it.
So, finally, about these harnesses.
I bought them last fall -- they're about $36 each with free shipping worldwide --all excited to train my birds to wear them so we, or rather they, can go flying outside by summer.
Boy, was I optimistic. To put it bluntly and whinily, this harness business is hard which miffs me slightly because they make it look so easy.
They being Parrot University, who sends you this lovely DVD aong with the harness explaining in great detail how to go about getting your bird to accept the harness. In fairness to them, they are quite honest about the reality that its much easier with young birds, and I can confirm they are not kidding. However, I can only assume it's much easier with young birds who have yet to develop issues and who have been exposed to the harnesses since they practically popped right out of the eggshell, since this is not my personal predicament.
All but Theo, my one Military macaw, are not going for these harnesses. For Theo and the others I started the way Parrot U said to start, and I am stil on a combo step one - leaving the harnesses lying about in non-threatending locations; holding the harness when I'm holding the birds; putting it on my head,wrapping it around my neck. You get the idea. Some tolerate this, some can't stand the thing too close. I have been able to drape the harness on one or two. But that's as far as I've gotten with all but Theo.
For the first time yesterday, Theo let me put the thing on him. Join me in a big "WOOHOO," if you would.
Now, the "putting on" was still a little dicey. I did not force. OK, well, maybe a wee bit. He doesn't like his wings messed with, so he protested slightly with that. But it went on and stayed on for about 15 minutes. And then off. Stupidly I did not take a picture.
But we did it again today, and here's his pic. You may notice that Theo's crop is a little extended which is right. He was sped fed (fed too much too infrequently as a baby which stretched his crop; he was starving to death when I got him from the rescue.). So he needs to wear a crop bra almost all of the time except at night. You'd think that would make putting the harness a lot easier, and it does -cause he was the first to accept it. But it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be for him. Still took a very long time.
Here's Theo in his crop bra to the right. Ain't he darlin'? He is such a peach of a bird, it's unbelievable. A big old teddy bear, thus his name Theodore.
So while I was getting a bit depressed 'cause I want my birdies to be able to fly this summer, at the vert least be outside, now know it's possible. It will just take more patience with the others who are older. Theo is just about six and very tolerant. And I suck at patience, but I'm really working on it.
This one success helped muster up a more positive attitude and revive what was a waning commitment. I just have to get the flock to agree that, "Yes!, harnesses are a good thing." Good luck with that, huh.
Ok, 'nuf said.
Regardless of this pretty strong opinion, I have come across a breeder, The Parrot University in Sunbury, Ohio, who strikes me as exceptionally responsible and could teach me a thing or two, I'm quite sure. I haven't visited their facility, just their web site. But they have been cited by Barbara Heidenreich, so I am willing to believe their portrayal of themselves is truthful and accurate.
I'm always hesitant to base my opinion solely on an online representation of a breeder - many "parrot mills" operate like "puppy mills" where the perpetrators show beautiful pics of baby parrots in cushy cuddly conditions while hundreds of adult breeder parrots live "off-camera" behind the scenes in abhorrent conditions doomed to lives of misery and abuse. Ok, so maybe it wasn't 'nuf said. Whoops.
Based on their web site and a product I bought from them called the Aviator Flight Harnass, I'll say it appears they know what they're talking about and, better yet, it appears they have the best interest of parrots at heart.
If I didn't think this, I wouldn't have bought the harnesses for my birds. I just don't buy from unscrupulous pet operations, if I can avoid it. And I can almost always avoid it.
So, finally, about these harnesses.
I bought them last fall -- they're about $36 each with free shipping worldwide --all excited to train my birds to wear them so we, or rather they, can go flying outside by summer.
Boy, was I optimistic. To put it bluntly and whinily, this harness business is hard which miffs me slightly because they make it look so easy.
They being Parrot University, who sends you this lovely DVD aong with the harness explaining in great detail how to go about getting your bird to accept the harness. In fairness to them, they are quite honest about the reality that its much easier with young birds, and I can confirm they are not kidding. However, I can only assume it's much easier with young birds who have yet to develop issues and who have been exposed to the harnesses since they practically popped right out of the eggshell, since this is not my personal predicament.
All but Theo, my one Military macaw, are not going for these harnesses. For Theo and the others I started the way Parrot U said to start, and I am stil on a combo step one - leaving the harnesses lying about in non-threatending locations; holding the harness when I'm holding the birds; putting it on my head,wrapping it around my neck. You get the idea. Some tolerate this, some can't stand the thing too close. I have been able to drape the harness on one or two. But that's as far as I've gotten with all but Theo.
For the first time yesterday, Theo let me put the thing on him. Join me in a big "WOOHOO," if you would.
Now, the "putting on" was still a little dicey. I did not force. OK, well, maybe a wee bit. He doesn't like his wings messed with, so he protested slightly with that. But it went on and stayed on for about 15 minutes. And then off. Stupidly I did not take a picture. But we did it again today, and here's his pic. You may notice that Theo's crop is a little extended which is right. He was sped fed (fed too much too infrequently as a baby which stretched his crop; he was starving to death when I got him from the rescue.). So he needs to wear a crop bra almost all of the time except at night. You'd think that would make putting the harness a lot easier, and it does -cause he was the first to accept it. But it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be for him. Still took a very long time.
So while I was getting a bit depressed 'cause I want my birdies to be able to fly this summer, at the vert least be outside, now know it's possible. It will just take more patience with the others who are older. Theo is just about six and very tolerant. And I suck at patience, but I'm really working on it.
This one success helped muster up a more positive attitude and revive what was a waning commitment. I just have to get the flock to agree that, "Yes!, harnesses are a good thing." Good luck with that, huh.
It does take a success like that to keep the trainer optimistic, sometimes. Frustration can come at you from all angles when working with an animal. Sounds like you did everything as right as you could from a training standpoint, new items (especially wearables) are just tough at times. Also, with parrots, I've noticed that they can have all sorts of histories because of their long lives, and peoples' tendency to "give them away". We have a 5 year old Amazon, and we are his 3rd home. He is very reluctant to step off of his cage, I suspect someone either dropped him, or worse at some point. He loves getting tactile attention on his cage, but acts very unsure about "stepping up".
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