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Owning a Scarlet mccaw

Beakz

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165
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Melisa
I’m new to this but I’m loving it, I love that there’s a whole community to talk to all the bird lovers out there. Anyways, here’s what’s going on.
Im getting a baby scarlet mccaw, it wasn’t on purpose but it wasn’t on accident either, more like I wanted it but I didn’t expect to actually get it and then I felt bad about the way one was being kept and next thing you know I put a deposit for a baby scarlet mccaw who is coming home in two week. Now, I have done extensive amount of research and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit scared, I know it’s a huge responsibility, and I’m ready to give the little baby a loving home. But I must be prepared for the worst lol, All you mccaw owners out there, I need you to tell me what it’s like to own a mccaw, and what I should expect, the good the bad the ugly, Hit me with it all.
 

Zara

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OK Mike

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Welcome to AA. I am owned by a Verde Macaw (hybrid cross between a Scarlet and a Buffon's) named Blu. Blu will be 3 years old in June and I've had him 2 1/2 years. Check out the Macaw Motorway section and just start reading. There are quite a few Macaw people here and all of us have experienced "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". All of us are ready and willing to answer any and all questions. Don't be surprised if you get a variety of answers from different people because each and every one of is as unique as our Macaws are. We've all had different experiences with different birds and can only give you our slant on the issues.
 

Macawnutz

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It's rainbows and unicorns when they are young. Then they go through a toddler stage where you think you can't take it anymore. Just when your ready to to flip out they find a new routine. Then a few years later the sexy hormones kick in and you are pulling out your hair again. Back and forth up and down... Your sweetie may hate your friends, kids or spouse. Your sweetie may love everyone but you. You just have to be committed enough to love even when your feelings are hurt. Committed enough to give this baby a forever home like you were adopting a child. Unconditional love and understanding... even if you understand nothing. :laugh:
 

JLcribber

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Toy

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Locate a local Avian Vet now so you know where to take your baby if he gets sick. Your baby will go thru stages sort of like human kids. Baby, toddler, teenager, adult. In baby stage they will eat, poop & sleep a lot. In the toddler stage they are learning to use that big beak. They grab everything. They don't know their own strength at this point & that beak can take a nice bite out of your beautiful wood furniture, cabinets, etc. Then they learn to use their voice. Screaming, yelling, any old sound they can muster up. Teenage years they can be a bit head strong. When the hormones kick in they can get grumpy and/or aggressive. Usually the first 3 years are the hardest. Once they reach 3 they tend to calm downa bit. Macaw breeding calls are loud, did I mention loud??, LOL. Now having said all that Macaws are amazing parrots. They love silly, love to play & be involved in everything you do. They need huge cages & lots of toys they can destroy or beat up daily. Heavy metal toys or very thick plastic toys are good for long term beating up toys. Wood toys are great for daily destroying toys. Check out the vendors here, as some have great toys for macaws. Swings are a must, as macaws love to swing. A nice big play gym would also be a benefit. Get your baby on a good diet from the start....pellets, veggies, some in shell nuts & a little fruit. The more you socialize the better. It doesn't mean they will like everyone, in fact most take to one person, but it can help greatly. I would also suggest rubbing the feet, so he/she gets used to having feet touched. This will help with grooming toenails. If your bird grabs on to you, do not pull away, as you may get injured, as they often hang on. Stop & try to lift the beak off you. Even tho the top beak looks huge it's the lower beak that has all the strength. Macaws are the only parrot that takes time each day to actually play in the wild. Dance, sing, act silly, share meals. They love it. Introduce any & all new things by showing them & telling them what it is. Example: touch the frig, tell bird this is the frig, let bird touch it with it's beak, etc. Once they know it's safe & wont hurt them they won't be afraid of it, usually. Macaws can live for up to 50-100 years depending on their health. So you're in for a life long companion. Have fun & enjoy your macaw.
 

Macawnutz

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Usually the first 3 years are the hardest. Once they reach 3 they tend to calm downa bit.
Mine were rainbows and unicorns UNTIL they turned three. :rofl: Three was okay... four was worse. By five I thought I was going to just lay in the middle of the floor and let them take over.... Then it just went away and they were normal for a few years. :cautious: I think the calm before the storm. They are 8 now. Korbel and Sam have gone through phases where they want a biopsy sample from me... Knock on wood as that was a hard 6 months. :rolleyes: My three youngers are Korbel 8 BG, Sambuca 9 Camelot, Maui 8 Scarlet. All male. EACH BY FAR MORE DIFFICULT than all my 5 other adult macaws put together.
 

Beakz

Walking the driveway
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Melisa
It's rainbows and unicorns when they are young. Then they go through a toddler stage where you think you can't take it anymore. Just when your ready to to flip out they find a new routine. Then a few years later the sexy hormones kick in and you are pulling out your hair again. Back and forth up and down... Your sweetie may hate your friends, kids or spouse. Your sweetie may love everyone but you. You just have to be committed enough to love even when your feelings are hurt. Committed enough to give this baby a forever home like you were adopting a child. Unconditional love and understanding... even if you understand nothing. :laugh:
Haha sounds like I’ll be having my hands full
 

Beakz

Walking the driveway
Joined
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Messages
165
Location
Florida
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Melisa
Locate a local Avian Vet now so you know where to take your baby if he gets sick. Your baby will go thru stages sort of like human kids. Baby, toddler, teenager, adult. In baby stage they will eat, poop & sleep a lot. In the toddler stage they are learning to use that big beak. They grab everything. They don't know their own strength at this point & that beak can take a nice bite out of your beautiful wood furniture, cabinets, etc. Then they learn to use their voice. Screaming, yelling, any old sound they can muster up. Teenage years they can be a bit head strong. When the hormones kick in they can get grumpy and/or aggressive. Usually the first 3 years are the hardest. Once they reach 3 they tend to calm downa bit. Macaw breeding calls are loud, did I mention loud??, LOL. Now having said all that Macaws are amazing parrots. They love silly, love to play & be involved in everything you do. They need huge cages & lots of toys they can destroy or beat up daily. Heavy metal toys or very thick plastic toys are good for long term beating up toys. Wood toys are great for daily destroying toys. Check out the vendors here, as some have great toys for macaws. Swings are a must, as macaws love to swing. A nice big play gym would also be a benefit. Get your baby on a good diet from the start....pellets, veggies, some in shell nuts & a little fruit. The more you socialize the better. It doesn't mean they will like everyone, in fact most take to one person, but it can help greatly. I would also suggest rubbing the feet, so he/she gets used to having feet touched. This will help with grooming toenails. If your bird grabs on to you, do not pull away, as you may get injured, as they often hang on. Stop & try to lift the beak off you. Even tho the top beak looks huge it's the lower beak that has all the strength. Macaws are the only parrot that takes time each day to actually play in the wild. Dance, sing, act silly, share meals. They love it. Introduce any & all new things by showing them & telling them what it is. Example: touch the frig, tell bird this is the frig, let bird touch it with it's beak, etc. Once they know it's safe & wont hurt them they won't be afraid of it, usually. Macaws can live for up to 50-100 years depending on their health. So you're in for a life long companion. Have fun & enjoy your macaw.
This is very helpful, thank you!!
 

Beakz

Walking the driveway
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Florida
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Melisa
Mine were rainbows and unicorns UNTIL they turned three. :rofl: Three was okay... four was worse. By five I thought I was going to just lay in the middle of the floor and let them take over.... Then it just went away and they were normal for a few years. :cautious: I think the calm before the storm. They are 8 now. Korbel and Sam have gone through phases where they want a biopsy sample from me... Knock on wood as that was a hard 6 months. :rolleyes: My three youngers are Korbel 8 BG, Sambuca 9 Camelot, Maui 8 Scarlet. All male. EACH BY FAR MORE DIFFICULT than all my 5 other adult macaws put together.
Oof, That’s good to know, I’m mentally preparing myself for every possible scenario lol
 

Toy

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Mine were rainbows and unicorns UNTIL they turned three. :rofl: Three was okay... four was worse. By five I thought I was going to just lay in the middle of the floor and let them take over.... Then it just went away and they were normal for a few years. :cautious: I think the calm before the storm. They are 8 now. Korbel and Sam have gone through phases where they want a biopsy sample from me... Knock on wood as that was a hard 6 months. :rolleyes: My three youngers are Korbel 8 BG, Sambuca 9 Camelot, Maui 8 Scarlet. All male. EACH BY FAR MORE DIFFICULT than all my 5 other adult macaws put together.
My B&G is female. Got her when she was 2 years old, she had been abused. She is now 21 years old. I can't say I've not had issues over the years, but they weren't bad issues. I think having more than one macaw at a time may add to issues, as their hormones drive them. I think if I had several macaws I'd need some serious therapy to get me thru each day, LOL.
 

Picasso’s

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Ames, IA
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Becca
I’m new to this but I’m loving it, I love that there’s a whole community to talk to all the bird lovers out there. Anyways, here’s what’s going on.
Im getting a baby scarlet mccaw, it wasn’t on purpose but it wasn’t on accident either, more like I wanted it but I didn’t expect to actually get it and then I felt bad about the way one was being kept and next thing you know I put a deposit for a baby scarlet mccaw who is coming home in two week. Now, I have done extensive amount of research and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit scared, I know it’s a huge responsibility, and I’m ready to give the little baby a loving home. But I must be prepared for the worst lol, All you mccaw owners out there, I need you to tell me what it’s like to own a mccaw, and what I should expect, the good the bad the ugly, Hit me with it all.
Well I would suggest training him from the get go with the Bird Tricks Training System! Make sure you have a Avian Vet! MaCaw’s require a lot of attention. They can be really really loud! You can get bit badly too if you don’t understand their bird body language! They are lifetime companions and will outlive you, so make sure you have a good home set up for them if something would happen to you. Make sure you understand their diets. They require daily showers, or sprays. They need pressed pellets, fresh or dried fruits low in sugar content. Sugar will hype them up and they can become very aggressive. They also require vegetables in their diets. I got my ruby, a first generation hybrid (Dad was a Scarlet, Mom was a green winged) at 6 months old. He will be 13 this year. You must interact w them in a gentle loving way. Never force them to do anything. It takes time and repetition to get them to trust you! It may be slow going at first, but the pay off is awesome. They require a big cage! They require heavy duty toys. Owning a MaCaw is very expensive! It’s like having a child! So I need to be honest about that! I too bonded to my bird in a pet store. The man who owned him couldn’t sell him and just gave him to me along w cage, toys and food for a month. Don’t say bad words around your bird. You can’t break that behavior! Also males will challenge their boundaries, so you always have to show them you are in control! Bad behavior should never be rewarded. Picasso goes to the cage whenever he bites, or charges me. Never let your MaCaw on your shoulder, never! Always on your arm. If your MaCaw screams, do not enter his room until he is quiet. MaCaws are highly intelligent and can open cage latches easily. I have had to use heavy duty wire for toys and cage escape areas. There is tons of Bird Tricks Videos on you tube. Watch whatever videos you can! I would not add any other companion birds, as you will have your hands full! Wishing you the best of luck with your new companion! Let me know how it goes!
I’m new to this but I’m loving it, I love that there’s a whole community to talk to all the bird lovers out there. Anyways, here’s what’s going on.
Im getting a baby scarlet mccaw, it wasn’t on purpose but it wasn’t on accident either, more like I wanted it but I didn’t expect to actually get it and then I felt bad about the way one was being kept and next thing you know I put a deposit for a baby scarlet mccaw who is coming home in two week. Now, I have done extensive amount of research and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit scared, I know it’s a huge responsibility, and I’m ready to give the little baby a loving home. But I must be prepared for the worst lol, All you mccaw owners out there, I need you to tell me what it’s like to own a mccaw, and what I should expect, the good the bad the ugly, Hit me with it all.
 

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Matt0071

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I have a 2 1/2 year old blue and gold macaw from what I can say is that is no harder then owning a pet dog
I own a hyper active pitbull that demands alot of work and attention so since owning a blue and gold macaw it's really no different
U got to be a bird person or no there personality as there quite talkative throughout the day atleast my b&g is and I do live in a condo with people in a building and she does squak from time to time throughout the day maybe once or twice a day and only last a minute or two and that's it but my neighbors say they cant hear nothing or they are not bothered by it
Myself personally I find nomore work then taking care of a dog, but that's me as I am a animal guy myself and love animals in general!!
Good luck
 

Shezbug

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Rainbows and Unicorns is all I know about Macaws :roflmao: - my boy is still a youngster and I love everything he does...... yes, I even love that he thinks it’s ok to damage my clothes and furniture and have the odd window shattering scream that makes the dog run and hide when he sees the neighbours in their yard or one of them scary dragonflies outside the window. They are certainly very full of character and curiosity and are very much like having an ADHD child around.
 

Beakz

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Well I would suggest training him from the get go with the Bird Tricks Training System! Make sure you have a Avian Vet! MaCaw’s require a lot of attention. They can be really really loud! You can get bit badly too if you don’t understand their bird body language! They are lifetime companions and will outlive you, so make sure you have a good home set up for them if something would happen to you. Make sure you understand their diets. They require daily showers, or sprays. They need pressed pellets, fresh or dried fruits low in sugar content. Sugar will hype them up and they can become very aggressive. They also require vegetables in their diets. I got my ruby, a first generation hybrid (Dad was a Scarlet, Mom was a green winged) at 6 months old. He will be 13 this year. You must interact w them in a gentle loving way. Never force them to do anything. It takes time and repetition to get them to trust you! It may be slow going at first, but the pay off is awesome. They require a big cage! They require heavy duty toys. Owning a MaCaw is very expensive! It’s like having a child! So I need to be honest about that! I too bonded to my bird in a pet store. The man who owned him couldn’t sell him and just gave him to me along w cage, toys and food for a month. Don’t say bad words around your bird. You can’t break that behavior! Also males will challenge their boundaries, so you always have to show them you are in control! Bad behavior should never be rewarded. Picasso goes to the cage whenever he bites, or charges me. Never let your MaCaw on your shoulder, never! Always on your arm. If your MaCaw screams, do not enter his room until he is quiet. MaCaws are highly intelligent and can open cage latches easily. I have had to use heavy duty wire for toys and cage escape areas. There is tons of Bird Tricks Videos on you tube. Watch whatever videos you can! I would not add any other companion birds, as you will have your hands full! Wishing you the best of luck with your new companion! Let me know how it goes!
yess I love bird tricks, I’m currently training my baby Ringneck with what I’ve learned from their videos. Your Mccaw is so handsome!! Hah Thank you for all the information it’s really helpful:)
 

Shezbug

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There are much better and actually qualified trainers and behaviourists out there that don’t charge a heap of money to teach you something the best way.

Birdtricks are entertaining because that is exactly what they are.... entertainers - not bird behaviourists or specialists of any sort.
Do some more research on them and you’ll find all their cut and shut very expensive content either for free or costing much less and presented by a qualified experienced behaviourist. You could possibly even find all the information you need and want right here on this forum if you search enough - info on BT and the content you want to best engage and teach your bird ;)

Before anyone tries to take my head off for being ‘negative’ about BT’s..... I have had personal experience with them and I still do actually watch Jaime and Capri sometimes as I love their birds. I was hooked on watching them before I paid a good whack of money to learn nothing from them, but, I did have a really good chat and I never did get the full consult time I actually paid for :(
Then to top it off I found bits of information here about things and I followed the information and names of real behaviourists till I found some stuff that made me realise that BT were not only not qualified or experienced but were not even giving credit to those who’s content and information they borrowed without permission.
I normally stay quiet about this stuff and my experience with them when I see newer members pushing and praising BT’s simply because I understand that they’re the easiest to find and watch when you’re new to birds and training. Plus I don’t want to sound awful by dumping on them or disagreeing with a new member. It’s got to the point where I simply can’t stand to sit by and watch anymore as others have their money taken from them like I did by Youtube stars just because they don’t know the information doesn’t have to cost that much and there are actually qualified people available to everyday people like us.
 

macawpower58

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Macaw ownership is a roller coaster ride for sure! As Sarah said, rainbows and unicorns until not.
My until not didn't start to happen until about 5 or 6 and grew to devil in feathers at about 10 to 12.
One good thing is the rainbow stage is so wonderful, that you fall head over heels in love with your bird.
This helps you survive the apocalypse of the not so wonderful years.
They they start to mellow. Whew....15 years in and you've got a bird you can live with again.
What a lifestyle we dive headfirst into! :laugh:
If anyone mentions you're nuts for wanting a macaw, just nod your head while smiling. :yes3:
You've got this covered.
 

Matt0071

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Also to add
I do have a open cage where she is free to come and go out of her cage even at night time and she hardly ever comes down to the floor unless she is very excited lol
I find daisy perch aggressive meaning I try to get her to step up but she will lunge right now
How I do it is I have a perch I hang from the ceiling and she steps onto that from her cage
Then I remove the perch from the chain and she then steps up on my table
And she will always step up from the table on my arm haha
She loves to be handled it's just getting them there cause there so stubborn and it's there way I guess hahaha

My b&g loves truck rides too lol
Daisy and my pitbull Winston get along just fine too it's kinda funny as someone will approach the cage without winston knowing the person to good and he will growl showing them dont mess with his macaw haha
Sleeps like a baby at night as well
From 8pm to 7 or 8am she will sleep on top of her cage perched up without a peep
Every macaw has there own ways but as far as my experience goes it's no different then owning another animal like a dog just gotta spend time with them and enjoy your time together and they'll be your best friend for life
 
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