Looking for macaw help

[waterfaller1]

I have always loved birds since I was a little girl. When I was a kid you could buy an Amazon, Mynahs, budgies, finches, and canaries in the pet store. We had a budgie named Pebbles when I was a kid. A friend's mom had a DYH who swore like a sailor. I thought he was cool though...lol. As I grew up I just wanted to have my own, and kept some cockatiels, conures, and budgies in the 80's. Unfortunately someone saw to it that they were all gone one day.
Then I met my DH, and he wanted me to be happy. The rest is history.

 

[Holiday]

For the average person that wants a nice pet with reasonably easy to accomplish maintenance, I'd go with the blue and gold or red front. With special emphasis on the red front.... I really think your best all around macaws would be the red front first choice for the average first time macaw owner, followed by a blue and gold or possibly green wing. The hyacinths are a step above all of them both in terms of cost of bird, daily cost of upkeep, noise, neediness, and general sensitivity that might require a little more advanced parrot experience. It is possible to be successful with a hyacinth as a first time large parrot owner, but do realize that for the sake of the bird and your pocket book, you'll need to be comparably more well read on most aspects of safe parrot keeping, avian medicine and nutrition and parrot psychology than you would for some of the more common macaws.
Melissa

I agree with a lot of things in the original post; certainly, Hys are a whole other order of difficult, and B&Gs are easier, but I'm not sure "the average person" has any business with a macaw. And, of course, I'm obligated to mention that my RFM is not easy-going and is usually more of a handful than my sweet-tempered B&G, even though she's half the size. But, then, it's already been mentioned more than once that individuals do vary...

 

[Ziggymon]

My Ziggy is very much a snuggler - he's very like a cockatoo, as far as being clingy. He has changed my life forever - I will never be able to take a vacation, or be away from him for any length of time. You have to be prepared for that. Even with Rosebud and Socrates, who grew up together and are bonded and thus are much less dependent on me for their emotional needs, there's an effect if I've been gone a few days. They're able to bluff everyone else, including my ex, so when I have returned after being gone a few days, we have our work cut out to get back on pre-absence footing, because they bluff and test me all over again.

There are people on these boards who can't have company over because of their birds - you have to be prepared for that. You basically have to be prepared to have your life revolve around any of the larger parrots in ways you will not foresee if your experience is with cats, dogs, smaller birds.

If you can volunteer with a rescue, and/or foster birds for a rescue, that's definitely the way to go. I didn't; I had lived with tiels and budgies for decades, and with amazons for several years, and I still had no idea what I was getting into with a macaw. It's a whole different ballgame.

For a macaw, unless you're willing and able to put in the time to make your own toys, you're looking at hundreds of dollars a month just keeping them in toys. My birds are the biggest part of my grocery bill, with their fresh veggies and fruit and nuts and their profligacy with flinging the same about.

My guys, other than Frisco, are all rescues. There are great birds in rescue. The rescue from which all my guys came says that people tend to keep the large parrots for ten years, then they've had enough. I can see that - it's not easy to have your life tied down by what is essentially a potentially dangerous special needs toddler. Just make sure you understand what you're getting into, so that you can truly make a commitment for the life of the bird - they deserve no less than that.

 

[Ziggymon]

I'm not sure "the average person" has any business with a macaw.

Truer words have never been spoken.


As for how I *got into* birds - when I was kid, there were a couple of budgies for sale in the local five and dime, living in a cramped, filthy cage. I showed my mother and she, in an unusual moment of sentiment, bought them for me. I rehomed them when I went to college - something about which I still feel badly. When I met my ex husband, he had a budgie in a too small cage. I bought her a companion and a bigger cage, and not long therefter, I purchased Frisco to get him out of a bad situation.

Fast forward years, and my ex SO wanted a parrot that could *talk.* That's how I came to adopt Paco, and a couple of years later, Bertie to help provide companionship/interest for Paco. I ended up being their primary caretaker, because my ex SO was intimidated by them. Then he wanted a macaw, swearing up and down that he was prepared to deal with that big beak. That's when I adopted Ziggy, and of course, my ex was too intimidated, after a couple of bites, so I became Ziggy's person. Same thing with Rosebud and Socrates.

That's the other thing - you have to be prepared to take the pain, and not let it affect your relationship with the bird. Macaws are notorious bluffers, and they will KNOW if they have the capacity to intimidate you, and they will take full advantage of that knowledge.

 

[Jessie.D]

i like what im hearing so far - maybe i should explain myself and my boyfriend better and how we live....

first the way were trying to choose a bird is off of my boyfriends personality and mine and our frequency at home so that the bird will be well looked after. both of us are usualy home, if its not one its the other, and if the bird would be alone it would be alone for short periods of the time, usualy i work early shifts (get home at 3 in the afternoon) and he works stagered night and day shifts with long periods of time off in between. both of us are calm people and dont mind noise (we live next door to a rail way that a train goes by every hour on the hour) so noise isnt a problem to anyone in our small town. cost isnt an issue because we both have high paying jobs, we have baught a house and we are only 20 and 22, both of us have animal experiance, me with large animals and small animals (cattle, horses, sheep, dogs, cats) i learn fast and animals take to me very well. my boyfriend has always wanted a bird since he was little and ive only ever had budgies (loved them and their tweeting and chirping) we plan on learning all we can and thats why i have joined this forum to learn as much as possible. so far i like what im hearing

 

[Karighan]

i like what im hearing so far - maybe i should explain myself and my boyfriend better and how we live....

first the way were trying to choose a bird is off of my boyfriends personality and mine and our frequency at home so that the bird will be well looked after. both of us are usualy home, if its not one its the other, and if the bird would be alone it would be alone for short periods of the time, usualy i work early shifts (get home at 3 in the afternoon) and he works stagered night and day shifts with long periods of time off in between. both of us are calm people and dont mind noise (we live next door to a rail way that a train goes by every hour on the hour) so noise isnt a problem to anyone in our small town. cost isnt an issue because we both have high paying jobs, we have baught a house and we are only 20 and 22, both of us have animal experiance, me with large animals and small animals (cattle, horses, sheep, dogs, cats) i learn fast and animals take to me very well. my boyfriend has always wanted a bird since he was little and ive only ever had budgies (loved them and their tweeting and chirping) we plan on learning all we can and thats why i have joined this forum to learn as much as possible. so far i like what im hearing

Horses, dogs, and cats will do nothing to prepare you for a large bird. They're still wild animals. They aren't, and never will be, domesticated. They're one of the creatures we know the least about. Just in the past twenty years, the whole belief and care-system for parrots has changed. And it will likely change again in the next decade. When they love us, that's a privilege; a dog will love you, simply because it's designed to. People can beat a dog, and it will come back to them within half an hour, tail wagging. Parrots don't work like that. One instance can scar them for life-- or turn them off to one person for good. Some birds, when they grow up, randomly decide they don't like their owners. You need to be prepared for that possibility.

 

[Holiday]

Things you should be ready for with a macaw:

1) Noise--they are very, very loud. Most ordinary people will find them hard to live with based on this factor alone. When my B&G screams right beside me, it physically hurts my ears.
2) Mess--macaws poop big and throw food. They chew up massive quantities of wood, and the splinters fly. Cleanup is a daily ritual, and their areas are hard to keep clean.
3) Need for attention--they're smarter than other pets, more like learning-disabled children, and they need interaction and teaching.
4) One-person preference. If you have a significant other, don't count on the bird liking both of you equally. Macaws often pick a favorite and may even become hostile to the other person, because they see him/her as a rival for the affections of their human "chosen one." This is why I have a B&G--she was rehomed for not liking women.

These are the big ones. But, yeah, they're wonderful "friends" as my Zoe likes to say. But, it takes patience, patience, patience...

 

[hannahbird]

Everyone has made really good points. Im just going to jump in and say it is like having a toddler, that never grows up, and has special needs. I would look around at some of the posts in macaw motorway. I think this post has a lot of information :http://forums.avianavenue.com/macaw-motorway/57625-thinking-getting-military.html
And you could also look at holidays blog posts, but Im not sure where they are.. Anybody know?

 

[waterfaller1]

Great discussion. Jessie, also consider if you plan to have a family, and also how committed are you to your SO? We don't know you well, so just from age alone, it would seem there may be many changes that await you before you really settle down. Or, you may be one of the rare few people who have truly found your soulmate, and nothing can change that. Having a baby, and having a large macaw to look after at the same time would certainly be a challenge. Just some other things to consider.

 

[waterfaller1]

And you could also look at holidays blog posts, but Im not sure where they are.. Anybody know?

Under Holidays' name, under the amount of posts, you click on the number '5' in blog entries.

 

[magni]

How about a mini macaw? They are great

 

[hannahbird]

Under Holidays' name, under the amount of posts, you click on the number '5' in blog entries.

Oh duh

 

[Ziggymon]

Carole makes a good point - one of the most frequent reasons parrots are rehomed or surrendered to rescue is because of changes in the family. Large parrots and small children are not a good combination. Aside from time issues once a baby comes along, most parrots actively dislike small children (because of their quick, darting movements, among other factors), and the beak of a large parrot is very dangerous to a small child.

Are you and your boyfriend each committed to taking care of the bird for the rest of your lives if your relationship doesn't survive - that's another question you have to ask yourselves. In my case, even though my ex was the one who *wanted* the birds, I am the only one who had that level of commitment to them.

 

[Jessie.D]

both of us are very commited to eachother and whatever may come along. he personaly wants a grey parrot or a b+g, im just trying to find out what would be best for us and trying to make a good choice by seeking information in every place possible.

 

[Karighan]

Carole makes a good point - one of the most frequent reasons parrots are rehomed or surrendered to rescue is because of changes in the family. Large parrots and small children are not a good combination. Aside from time issues once a baby comes along, most parrots actively dislike small children (because of their quick, darting movements, among other factors), and the beak of a large parrot is very dangerous to a small child.

Are you and your boyfriend each committed to taking care of the bird for the rest of your lives if your relationship doesn't survive - that's another question you have to ask yourselves. In my case, even though my ex was the one who *wanted* the birds, I am the only one who had that level of commitment to them.

That is so true. Dealing with birds during pregnancy can be extremely dangerous. And birds tend not to like children; there are MANY threads on here about parrots attacking their owner's kids. And I do mean 'many'. Even parrots that have had zero aggression issues, have turned on a child. I remember one thread about a larger parrot that used to actively hunt down the youngest son through the house-- even when the boy was nowhere near him originally.

 

[hannahbird]

Parrots for dummies is a really helpful book, for me at least. I got mine at amazon.com for like 3 bucks. Would it be okay if I type out the description that the book gives of african greys and b&gs?

 

[Jessie.D]

alot of it too would be teaching your kids not to be to quick and to respect the bird. like teaching a kid how a dog or cats tail is not something to be pulled. that and the bird i would imagin would need to be socalized with children at a young age, not just any randome kid but i mean ones who understand to respect and be slow. i understand all of that to me thats common sence for kids with any animal. if i have kids for an example and i see a dog walking down the street and know the dog, i will not let my child run up to it and do whatever i will make sure my child understands fully what may happen if you act disrispectfully and too quick. ive had many experiances with this. every child should be taught how to act around animals and animals in turn need to be taught in all situations - that is my mentality on kids and animals in general.

and yeah go right ahead hannahbird! any information is good information in my books!

 

[GlassOnion]

Have you considered a Cape parrot at all? They are about a size of a Congo African Grey, great talking ability, known to be gentle and not very nippy, quiet enough for apartment living, and also quite cuddly.

http://forums.avianavenue.com/poice...ts-enjoy-about-living-their-cape-parrots.html
Old World Aviaries: Cape Parrots
African Parrot Overview - African Queen Aviaries
Capes FAQ Page
So You Wanna Know About Cape Parrots?

This is a link to a member's blog and there are some really pretty pictures of her Cape:
http://cocosflock.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/adorable-lola-and-random-notes/

 

[waterfaller1]

Would it be okay if I type out the description that the book gives of african greys and b&gs?

Sure, but give credit to the author.

 

[waterfaller1]

animals in turn need to be taught in all situations - that is my mentality on kids and animals in general.

This is the problem though. You cannot take the wild out of a parrot.Let me also rephrase what I said earlier~ Knowing what I now know about relationships and macaws, at age 20, I would not get one unless it was MY bird.