need advice/tips with newly adopted macaw

[t_sti]

There many decent pellets. Try for ones with less sugar/preservatives.
If he eats and likes the Tops, they'll do.
Most of us feed varied diets that include pellets.
Veggies, fruit, legumes, pasta, seeds, and nuts are all a part of it.
Zupreem colored is not one of the best, but it's better than none.
What dry mix are you talking about? Do you mean seed mixtures?

As for target training...do it if it works and you and the bird have fun.
If it's a stressful thing, do not do it.
You want trust above all else right now.
There's lots of time for training.

And getting control of him?
If you ever learn how, give me a few hints.
My macaw has controlled me for over 20 years!

i might have worded to controlling wrong lo

Tastes like grass clippings and has a horrible texture- I know because I tasted it lol, my bird really hated tops and when given the choice he chose every other pellet I offered over tops including his previous least favorite pellet. Tops has very little vit D3 which is extremely important for our birds. I see for some other bird owners it is their go to brand- I just personally do not like Tops. I have no bad stories regarding deficiencies from it or anything like that but I also only fed it for a very short time frame (a few months and with other pellet brands). When I spoke to my vet regarding what foods and brands of pellets I was feeding she suggested I just used the other brands I was also feeding at the time.

what pelleted food are you feeding ?

 

[t_sti]

I don't think many of we macaw owners on this forum feed a dry mix. So many dry mixes have peanuts (and sunflower) in them. Both are high in saturated fats and very low in vitamins. Peanuts are noted for aflatoxins and aspergillosis ( I lost my beloved female macaw to aspergillosis two months) ago. Rather than a dry mix most of us leave pellets available 24/7 and give nuts as treats.

I hope you are keeping your U2 and macaw in separate rooms with air purifiers. Pulmonary Hypertensive Syndrome is real and real bad.

https://www.thebirdclinic.com/docs/Pulmonary_Hypersensitivity_2017.pdf

thanks for the heads up, I know about the peanuts and sunflower seeds. The rescue lady who had him before fed a lot of peanuts and told me it’s just myth... I’ve tried to explain to her for the safety of her birds but she’s not willing to understand so I dropped that topic. Yes I know about housing old and new world parrots separately due to the U2s dander. We have a very large home and our parrots are housed in different floors in separate rooms, as well as running a very strong air purifier that’s bird safe

I do keep a higher quality seed/nut mix and feed it about 2 times a week. It's my birds favorite meal of the week!
Even so, mine is nothing like yours.
How often do you give that dry mix? IMO it's an awesome snack/special meal.
For me, chop (veggie/pasta/beans/grains) mix is the go to meal, a small bit of fruit tops it off.
Pellets are my evening feed.

so just pellets is fine for evening and the dry mix as a snack ? we’ve been incontact with an avian nutritionist whose pushed this dry mix on us as a permanent evening meal.

 

[macawpower58]

I am not a nutritionist, so I can't give 'expert' advice. Just say what works for me.
I know seeds and nuts are fatty. Nuts a good fatty and have protein that macaws need.
You have such a huge variety in your mix, it may be a solid meal....I really don't know.
I use Caitec Oven pellets as all 3 of mine like and eat them.
Mine wouldn't touch the harrisons, I just tried them a month or so ago.
I've tried lots of others, some are liked better than others.

I do think mine would also like your mix.

Just remember most experts 'suggest' something other than the other 'experts'.

 

[Hankmacaw]

I'm so glad that you are aware of both risks. There was no intent to insult your knowledge. Like your lady who runs the rescue, I ran into a woman who had had parrots for 4 years who wasn't aware of either danger.

 

[Hankmacaw]

That was 40 years not 4 years.

 

[t_sti]

That was 40 years not 4 years.

i didn’t take it in any offense, I’m actually shocked he doesn’t have any respiratory issues since she had him in a room with tons of old world parrots (different cockatoos and greys). I’ve even asked if he had anybreathing issues and she said no, as well as not using purifiers.. when I did get him he was wheezing a lot but since coming here it’s been much better with time (probably clean air)?