Congo Jack and Paris Hilton

[jacksmom]

Quite the pair - though they are not bonded, (yet, but I can always hope) this male and female duo of blue and gold macaws keeps me on my toes! We have had Jack since he was two - I guess that would be almost more than three years with him here - and Paris came to us at ten years old, maybe eight months ago.

Jack playing "king of the mountain"
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Miss Hilton in her quarantine cage before we introduced her to Jack, check out the scraggly looking parrot! :eek: This pic was taken after her first bath in probably years - they told me she was molting - whatever, I know a bird that needs a bath when I see one! I am actually glad I don't have a pic of her feathers before the first bath!
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Paris finally looking like a normal healthy macaw, or getting there. ;) This pic was a few months ago, she has more shine to her feathers now. :)
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Until we were sure they would not be attacking each other, they had separate spaces within the bedroom, though both birds are flighted. Now we have put more branches in so both of them can get everywhere - this is their bedroom when it was first set up, there are a lot more toys and "stuff" in there now...though we need to find a new spot for the climbing net now that Jack decided he likes the way the paint peels down from the ceiling (while playing king of the mountain I guess he found a loose strip and went to town, we will be sanding smooth and repositioning the net so he can't get there anymore.
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I felt like the birds weren't getting enough time with me when Jack went on his paint peeling rampage - you can give them a mansion like this, and still if they don't have you it's worth nothing to them - and so we built these at my work so I could bring them with me...this is a greenhouse, and they have been loving the sunshine and fresh air - and Jack has been really digging the flying space! (Fairly large greenhouse) He actually landed on my friend's arm successfully today, my boy is quite the aviator now!!!
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Both birds imagine me their mate, and are very jealous of each other. I would love to hear any ideas on how to fix this, because Paris was adopted as a friend for Jack as well as another bird for us, and they don't much care for each other. Still, they don't actually fight, (As long as I don't do anything dumb to cause it and even then no one actually gets hurt) just have little disagreements - and in their bedroom they can stay out of each other's way if they want - I have a camera in there so I can see that everyone is ok or what they are doing without poking my head in and disappointing them that we aren't going to play right now.

We will get into more of THAT saga later, sigh! Hope you enjoyed meeting the crew here, look forward to meeting you all and your flocks!

[Honesty]

Hello Jacksmom and :pp_welcome:Thank you for joining us.

Jack and Paris are adorable. You have a lovely set up for them :) Beautiful pics!
We look forward to hearing all your stories with them both.

[Turquoise]

Awesome photos!! I love your setup for Jack & Paris.:th_hug8: And of course my favorite kind of parrots~~Macaws!! They are both beautiful. Glad you got Paris and she is getting a healthy life to enjoy.

Your play perches are super too! You must post more photos of everything. I like the room for them as well. They should not feel closed in with so much room.

I have 3 macaws and they are all jealous of each other around me. I don't allow them to interact as they just want to take each others feet & beaks off, but I also don't want them to bond to each other. My two Catalina brothers, Roscoe & Angel I did house together & on the same play perch when I first brought them home. Their breeder allowed them to be together and it worked out for the first 3 months, then Roscoe began biting Angel's feet and being really hateful to him & I split the sheets between them.:th_LOL: Ruby Jewel has not been home for long, she & Roscoe do not like each other & are both very jealous! I get the usual nip on the arm if I walk too close by the play perch while the other is on my arm.

I ahve no idea how to get Paris & Jack to like each other except more time. Jack is a youngster & maybe Paris will like him better when he matures and gets interested in having a girlfriend.

[jacksmom]

Thank you! :) We have worked our tailfeathers off on a sometimes very limited budget to provide the very best life we can for them - I am on cloud nine today because my best friend agreed to build an outdoor aviary for us next spring!!! We live in the country, plenty of space...and have no children of the human variety to be concerned with being crowded out of a whole bedroom. And the guests, well - they can sleep on the couch, the birds live here! ;)

When I got Jack, he was clipped and in a cage. I immediately made a huge pvc playstand in our house, and a smaller one at the greenhouse where I work. I would carry him up to the greenhouse with me on my arm, thinking he was clipped and could not fly far enough away from me. I had that myth dispelled by more research, and bought an aviator harness for him, which I lost before I had totally trained him to it. Still don't know where that thing is, lol. I had allowed his wings to grow, with dreams of flying him on the aviator - and soon I had moved him into a storage room adjoining the kitchen because I couldn't stand the idea of leaving him standing in a cage while I went to work (didn't feel safe outside with him anymore) - at least he should have his playpen - so I took off the top half of the cage and connected the two with a rope. Eventually I ditched the cage altogether, and just screwed natural wood to all the walls with stainless steel the same way as the pics above. Then the storage room wasn't big enough, and he needed a whole bedroom because the other room wasn't big enough to fly in. Yeah, I realized at this point I had officially gone crazy. ;)

Now I had this flighted bird that was alone too much of the day that I couldn't carry to work with me anymore, I was too scared to - and we were thinking we needed two birds anyway. We have two of everything else, lol...two dogs, two turtles, and well, multiple fish. ;)

I did want them to bond, I didn't even care if it makes one or both of them get bitey with me, or not allow touch. But as I said before we got Paris, it may never happen, and I have to be ok with that also. Jack wants Paris in a bad way, actually, lol...he is just too young and dumb to impress Miss Hilton. He keeps trying to build her a nest in the corner, I have caught him carrying blocks of wood over there to shred for her. She stands haughtily on a branch above, tossing her head - but RACES to that branch when he goes in the corner, as if she likes the show he puts on. He will also lay on his back and wave his legs in the air at her, I guess he is showing her his...um...package? Not sure, have never seen or read about this behavior before!

We have since bought a cage for carrying them to the vet - we now lug this back and forth to the greenhouse. I wish I could feel safe doing it an easier way! :rolleyes:

[Turquoise]

Oh My Goodness! You sound like me in a lot of ways. :th_LOL:

I made walk in aviaries in my living room for my three out of professional dog kennels. These are the 10'X5' size ones, but Roscoe & Angel's is divided in half. And Ruby Jewel's is shortened to 5'X5' size due to having to put Leyla Belle, my ekkie girl's cage someplace & it is the original macaw cage I never used for the boys. Leyla Belle's cage is next to Ruby Jewel's, so the girls are on one side of the room & the boys are on the other side. LOL I wanted them to have as much room as I could fit in my house so they would not feel cage bound while I slept for work. I work nights 4 on & 4 off and they have to entertain themselves between 9:00am til 2:00pm when I get up for work. They get 1 1/2hrs in the mornings when I get home & another 1 1/2hrs in the afternoon while I am getting ready for work. So far they are super fine with this crazy schedule they live by.

On occasion Roscoe & Angel will get noisy and it is hard to sleep since my bedroom is directly on the other side of the wall from their homes. So, this spring I bought a portable building, set it directly in front of my front door about 4ft away and this is going to be my new bedroom! That is when my hubby finally finishes building the hallway in to connect them. Then the boy's enclosures will move into my old bedroom & the wall will be taken out so there is plenty of room for more play perches. Their portable play perches they have now sit on either side of my computer table & behind it. My only human type child is grown & lives in Alaska and I never have house guest to worry about needing a guest room. None of my friends will step foot in my crazy critter home!

I too want to build an outdoor patio/aviary type thing so I can take all my kids out for fresh air when I can be with them. I plan on building it off my new bedroom front door and eventually glass it in so I can use it summer & winter. That will probably be our next spring project. We build all our own stuff too, I have always built as much as I can myself. So much cheaper & I feel proud of my accomplishments, even if they don't conform to standard ideas of how a cage or play perch should look. :th_biggrin:

I have an Aviator harness for Roscoe, got him to wear it a couple of times when he was under a year old. Now I can't get the head part past his busy beak, he wants to make it into an expensive chew toy. I have not even attemped to put the one I bought for Leyla Belle on. Ruby Jewel & Angel don't need harnesses to go outside, so they have gotten to go more than the two renegades!

[Debra]

Welcome Jacksmom! What beautiful babies you have there. Sounds like you've got a wonderful set up for them. I can't wait to hear more about them.

[plax]

Greetings, jacksmom! Those are wonderful photos of Jack & Paris :). I have a B&G named "Jack" as well. He's the 3rd bird from the left on our page banner. I'm so happy you've joined us :th_biggrin:

[jacksmom]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome!

Plax, Jack is a super name for a B&G! :D. I wish I could have named Paris, but how do you change a ten yr old bird's name? :(

Lol, Turquoise, we do sound like two peas out of the same pod...I love it that you are letting your macaws take over the house and you are moving out! ;) Now only a fellow crazy person would understand that one! :)

Okay, the dynamic duo is getting quite upset we haven't left for work yet...dang birds should cut me a break, lol! ;) Be right back, I have to play "ferryman" since the boyfriend isn't home!

Back again...got them up here with me, GOSH that cage is heavy to lug...I think I will be appreciating weekends a lot when my boyfriend can carry them in the morning! :rolleyes:

It is very nice to have someone to talk to, though, lol...the coral doesn't talk back as much as the parrots do. I wonder if I can teach Paris latin names for coral...can you say "acropora deswali" lol! ;)

[Blancaej]

Welcome Jacksmom! I bring my fids to work, too! Savannah now has a car perch and comes in on a harness. Much better then when I used to bring her in with a med. dog crate! Quincy still uses a dog crate but much smaller.

The harness is worth it if you can get them in it. Lol :rolleyes:

Love your set up, great job!

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[coltfire]

welcome and as very one else has said what great set up would love to see a pic of how it is now, it reminds me of the set up i had for my eckkies but i turned the underside of the house into bird house, the house was on stilts well the back half, they had a 22 ft x38 ft and 18 ft high play room with a skylight cage which they could come up into to see who was on the deck or when they came in side i would just knock on the cage roof and up they would fly from under neath

[jacksmom]

Coltfire, that sounds awesome, what a good idea! Ekkies are gorgeous birds also!

Blacaceaj, I really want to find that blasted thing and work on it some more! Paris may let me...Jack, well...hmm. But, lugging this crate is getting very, very old. Especially because I work about 100ft from my house, so I never really drive - that's all carrying dog crate, twice! :rolleyes:

I will get some more pics of their room now - but they are spending a lot less time there and a lot more time on these stands at the farm with me - which is good. :)

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[Mare]

Hi jacksmom! Welcome! You're birds are beautiful, healthy looking macaws that are being given a wonderful space! Good for you and your birds, that you can do this!

[ShellyBorg]

What a great set up! Welcome!

[jacksmom]

Thank you! :) I do feel very lucky that we have room out here for them...and the safe flying space in the greenhouse just occurred to me for some reason! :rolleyes:

I am a macaw health nut...I believe they are what they eat! ;) I will post my macaw tailored bird chop later if you guys want, making a new batch today! Also made some cool bird cookies last night I can share as well! :)

[Honesty]

Look forward to seeing your recipes Grace:)

[jacksmom]

Posted the cookies - sorry I did not measure more exactly! I am making the food tonight, will post up when I am done! :)

[jules]

hi and welcome to all of you. you have gorgeous birds and a wonderful home for them with their own bird room :thanks4sharingthumb

[jacksmom]

Thank you, Jules! I got bit by the "It's still not good enough" bug very early, lol...and am still affected - now nothing will do but they have a nice outdoor aviary to spend the summer in, also...yes, I am quite off my rocker, since we are by NO means well off...we do everything on a shoestring budget with 20 times the work...but it is well worth it in the end! :)

[Carefree Birdee]

Hello and welcome. I am a newbie here and just wanted to say how beautiful your birds are. I have never had a parrot bigger than a Sun Conure. I don't know if I will ever have anything larger since I do like keeping all 10 of my fingers. lol

I have been away from birds for a while and am starting in again. My current flock consists of 1 Zebra Finch. I guess I am starting out small but hope to work my up! :D

[kendrafitz]

Hi & welcome!! Awesome setup!

[jacksmom]

Thanks guys! :)

I remember your post, Carefree...I voted that your finch should be an honorary parrot. :) I have worked with some very damaged macaws in the past, and I still have every one of my fingers, lol...and the worst bite I ever had was not a macaw, but a conure. ;) That one left a scar for years!

[Pinkbirdy]

Jacksmom ,Its funny you say that about conures [my worst bites have been conures too] .I was on a forum that was super scared of Macaws [ most had conures].I always thought if you could handle and understand a conure, you are so ready for anything else [and you don't even know it] Big bird in a little body !! LOL

[jacksmom]

Indeed, lol! Lot of bird in there, all the attitude and more of one of the larger birds! Sometimes I think maybe people just don't take that beak seriously enough, and once a bird has been "taught to bite" that lesson never really leaves. By this I mean...if pushed, that bird will bite exactly as hard as it has been taught these humans need to make them stop whatever they are doing.

I have seen this so many times...and I have a perfect example here to show you. An outsider may say that my male, Jack, is the one that should be feared...he lunges at you aggressively, beak snapping, if he decides he doesn't actually WANT that toy over there, so on. However, if you continue tying the toy, whatever - once he gets to you he will grab your finger and simply try and pull it away, or just give a really rather gentle nip - won't even hurt a few seconds later. Paris, on the other hand, will give no warning, she will just nail you out of the blue - and it will hurt for possibly weeks afterwards.

This is why - when Jack was growing up, he was taught to believe the "small bite" worked perfectly fine to make the silly humans stop what was upsetting him...even a lunge could make them back up and say "Ok, Jackie Boy, not right now then" and leave him alone. Then he would be left alone to ponder that, and he would realize he really doesn't WANT to be left alone. On try number two or three, he would stop acting aggressively about the toy or whatever, and realize that yeah, he actually did want that toy, too...and then he may come try to feed your hand. ;)

I did not raise Paris, but based on her behavior and my experiences with other birds like her...I would venture to say that she was taught that the gentle bite or lunge didn't work. They test you, you know? They give you whatever they think is needed to keep you in line. ;)