Blending Flock

[chezron]

I have been visiting a 10yo Panama Amazon who has been in foster care for three years. He seems very sweet and docile, yet silly- a good combination I think. I would like to take him home and add him to my flock of a grey and a quaker. How do I do this? Should I quarantine him in another part of the house until I get him checked out at the vet? Should I keep him in another part of the house and only roll out his cage for small periods of time to gradually introduce him? I am worried about my birds feeling deprived if I divide my former attention in three ways, instead of two. I am also worried about my quaker bullying the new arrival. I imagine that if I finally do roll his cage permanently with the other two, when can I let him out? Do I have to keep him locked up while the other two are free? According to his keeper, Pancho (the Amazon) is very social and comes right out of his cage when it is opened. His keeper says he is very sweet and one of his favorites. He is also in a small cage in a room full of other birds in small cages. He looks like he needs better nutrition, regular baths, regular sunshine, and a toe nail clipping. I know I can provide him with a better quality of life, and I would like to do that for him.

[JDS5607]

I've always quarentined my new birds for 30 days before allowing them to come in contact with any of my birds. Also, a vet check for the new bird is always a good idea anytime you bring a new bird in the house To introduce them, I usually put their cages within viewing distance of each other after the quarentine period, and just let them check each other out for a few days. At that point, I do one of two things. I either move their cages closer (but far enough that beaks and feet can't touch through the bars) and just let them chit chat, OR I'll open both cages and take one of the birds over to visit. Only you know your birds, so whichever you think would work best, try it. But make sure you are in arms reach of either bird just in case, and I would only introduce one bird at a time, so maybe your grey first, then the quaker. It's a long process, but well worth it to have a peaceful house

Overall, make sure it's a smooth transition, and feel free to give your new bird lots of love and time out too! Just make sure to really wash your hands before going to your other birds until after that OK from the vet.

Oh! And maybe hanging a picture of your grey and quaker near the Amazon's cage so they are familiar looking to him when they do meet? I don't know, just a suggestion :) And, if you can get the Amazon's current cage, it's best to bring him home in that old cage, and wait a little bit til he's comfortable to put him in his new cage. It must be a lot of stress to leave your person you've known so long, to go with another nice person to a house with new sounds and new birds... keeping his cage will give him some familiarity

Can't wait to see pictures!

[chezron]

Great idea to post a picture of the birds!

[Luvparrots]

I am totally delighted with my zon (BF) so I am looking forward to hearing about your Panama when you bring him home. I also take my new parrots to an avian vet for a wellness check up and so my vet can know them in good health before one has a problem. I also kept my zon separate for awhile just to be on the careful side and to get him use to me alone without my grey pestering him. If you have any pictures of your possible addition, we would love to see them!!!!

[Ray P]

A zon is going to add a new twist to your life. And I mean that in a good way.

[judygram]

I agree with the others, you should quarantine the new to you bird for at least 30 days and have him checked out by your avian vet before introducing him into the flock but they may well know that each other is in the house for though they may be separated by rooms they may hear each other's calls.

I look forward to seeing some pictures of Pancho.

[MarcusCAG]

Oh, after reading your post I feel a touch of MBS coming on for me... we just adopted our two new little men to (hopefully) be buddies for Beaker once the quarantine's over... but there's a beautiful Yellow-Headed Amazon on CL who is in desperate need of a good home... I know we can't bring in another parrot already but, yes, I understand where you're coming from! I grew up with an Amazon and they are so beautiful!

 

That being said, when we brought home Marcus, Beaker was pretty curious about the 'other bird' in the other room. He really wasn't aggressive with him when we finally introduced the two. They could hear each other in their separate rooms, and before we brought Marcus' cage into what is now officially the birdroom we paraded Beaker in and out of the bedroom where Marcus was kept so they could view each other. "Beaker, this is Marcus, your new friend!" Or whatever we said then, haha.

 

I take it you got your little Quaker after you got Brutus? Beaker has really shown signs of the infamous Quaker napoleonic complex to Marcus only once (that I was there to witness)... when he landed on Marcus' cage top the one time and, such a stupid brat, lunged forward and ripped out some of Marcus' chest feathers. Oh, I nearly died!!! Marcus' eyes pinned and it would have been game over if I hadn't leapt up and shoved my arm between the two, and then there was all this flapping and Beaker--totally full of himself, I might add--flew back to his cage. But in all the time we've had Marcus, I've only ever seen Beaker do that once. And he was stupid enough to try something similar the other week, and Marcus almost got him that time, so I think he's learned his lesson because he keeps a safe distance from him now, the silly thing.

 

Soooo... I think if you end up getting this Panama beauty then just follow proper quarantine procedures, expect a lot of calling between the parrots during it, and then when you can finally introduce them all, do it slowly and with respect for a certain little somebody's heightened sense of importance. You'll probably have no major problems in the end, parrots are flock animals and as long as it's not a jolt of an introduction, and maybe you use everybody's names together in conversation in the weeks leading up to their formal meeting, it'll be a piece of cake.

[chezron]

Thanks for all the valuable advice. Jimpster, the quaker, was in our home first. Brutus came later. Jimpster is fast and aggressive, and he has amazing strategy. Brutus is slow and methodical and never stands a chance when Jimpster comes flying at him. Brutus pretty much flies away and Jimpster struts and vocalizes about his superiority and superlative skills. I think initially Brutus wanted to be friends with Jimpster, but Jimpster sees all birds as a threat to his time with me. He is an attention hog! It is funny, when we are gone Brutus and Jimpster are found usually sitting close to each other when we come back. I worry if I get this little clipped-feathered and flightless amazon will Jimmy fly at him too, and send him crashing to the floor? I do not worry about Brutus and the new bird at all, except for possibly him being worried about losing my affection for him. I hope I can convince him he is still number 1. I just thought the amazon would provide some comic relief, and I do want to make life better for him.

[MarcusCAG]

I worry if I get this little clipped-feathered and flightless amazon will Jimmy fly at him too, and send him crashing to the floor?

 

Wow. I see what you're talking about. Marcus' new pride and joy is a playgym that a friend of ours found for him recently, and the other day when Beaker was all riled up about 'strange' people being in the yard next door, he shot angrily across the boys' room--straight at Marcus--and poor Marcus flapped around wildly and essentially fell off the top perch of his new playgym! (He's not quite flighted yet, himself.) I really didn't think of that when I replied earlier, but now that you mention it, I can see your concern with this sweet, clipped Amazon. But maybe if you all take things slowly, Jimpster will be less likely to pick on... Pancho, was it? Especially as...

 

I do not worry about Brutus and the new bird at all, except for possibly him being worried about losing my affection for him. I hope I can convince him he is still number 1. I just thought the amazon would provide some comic relief, and I do want to make life better for him.

 

...if you can give him a better quality of life, then that's the wonderful goal it sounds like your striving for. I'm sure, even if there may be one or two altercations in the beginning, with enough time and patience and love shown to all three as needed, your little flock could all grow happily together.

[Luvparrots]

My grey, Ana Grey, is my first parrot and rules the roost so to speak. She is very jealous and dive bombs my zon all the time. Louie, the zon, is a big and loving clumsy guy and usually just flies away. Basically treats little Ana Grey as a pest. It has taken awhile but my two birdies seem to now have an understanding and I can leave them alone in a room. I do however always put them into their cages if I leave the house. Better safe than sorry.

[chezron]

Brutus is not jealous at all. He just adjusts. He is happy to have my undivided attention at dependable times during the day. I really am not worried about him. I am, however, worried about the little hellion-child, Brutus the quaker. He IS jealous, he DOES claim everything for himself, he WOULD rather be the most cherished and heavily worshipped ruler of the earth. He IS my problem child.