would love some advice/input from aussie macaw owners or breeders!

[snackies]

Hi guys!

Well I'll give you a little back story first... so heads up for a bit of wall of text!

It's always been a life long goal of mine to own a macaw, one which I never thought I'd actually be able to achieve... since they are SO expensive here, but since I've gotten a better job and been saving, it's looking more and more likely I'll have enough ($10,000 is my figure for a macaw+cage+starting toys etc... I hope this is substantial enough) by around this time next year, taking into account other expenses like my car loan, board, spending money etc, I will have saved just over $10,000, if not more.

Anyway! I am just wondering if there is anything I should be doing at this point in time to prepare for my macaw, I plan on getting a blue and gold, and have researched prices and found they seem to be anywhere from $5,000 to $6,000 from breeders. I have only found breeders via google though, so I am not sure if anyone knows of others that may be better? I was particularly interested in these breeders from NSW; Blue and Gold Macaw - the colours of their macaws are just beautiful and the information they wrote about their babies seemed nice, also the video of them petting the babies lined up on a perch melted my heart!

So I guess what I'm trying to determine is, if it's a good idea to start looking for breeders now... and go on a waiting-list type thing, or wait closer to the actual date. I am not sure how "in demand" exactly macaws are in australia, but considering how rare they are here, I assumed it might be hard to get one... or am I wrong?

I'm also curious from any macaws owners here who they bought from, and if they would recommend some good B&G breeders.

I also wanted to know if any of you guys had any good aussie sites (or stores in victoria region) that sell great macaw toys and/or cages, I have bought a lot of my toys from a great company called 'Parrots Play Bird Toys' but they don't seem to have a HUGE amount of macaw toys. Also, I have had a look at my local grocery stores but haven't being able to find any shelled almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts etc, I was hoping to be able to give these to my macaw so he/she can have fun cracking them open - does anyone know where I can buy them online?

The only (large) cages I can seem to find online aren't exactly as big as I wanted, but here are some pics below; the first one says it is 185cm(H) x155cm (W) x123cm(D) and the second, 185h x 180w x 102 cm - (the middle has a divider, but it is removable apparently)



I'm really looking for as big as possible!... any suggestions?

I guess I'm just really looking for some tips and hints to finding and preparing for a macaw in australia.

Thanks for any advice, I know it's almost a year away now but I want to get prepared as soon as possible, and go on waiting lists and things if possible... as they say, time flies! I don't want to be unprepared and rush into anything when I do have my money together next year.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Bumping this up for you

 

[igors mum]

i think there is only one other aussie here that is owned by a macaw and that is stevo who just got one. as for the nuts in the grocery store christmas time is about the only time i have seen in shell nuts.you can try on ebay and see what toys they may have but like you i have not seen to many macaw toys. there is a pet shop in cessnock nsw that does have some and they also have a hand reared b/g macaw for 7500.Hand Reared they have changed the name to just birds and reptiles recently.they do not have the large toys on the site but in the store they had one that was about 3 foot long made out of wooden blocks for 60 dollars i think .other places for toys http://www.parrotrescuecentre.com/ubg/shop_home.php]My Parrot Shop - Parrot Toys and Parrot Supplies in Australia[/URL]

 

[Stevo]

I'm off to bed now but will get back and respond to this thread tomorrow. I should have some useful information for you

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[snackies]

I'm off to bed now but will get back and respond to this thread tomorrow. I should have some useful information for you

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

Oh yay, thanks! n______n

I also wanted to add... do you ever get scared he is going to get stolen? I'm terrified of it! D: mine would be indoors of course, and I planned on having a padlock on the door... not only to make sure he doesn't escape if he figures out how to open the cage, but also so he would be safer if we were broken into... Is there any kind of pet/parrot insurance you can get…?

 

[snackies]

i think there is only one other aussie here that is owned by a macaw and that is stevo who just got one. as for the nuts in the grocery store christmas time is about the only time i have seen in shell nuts.you can try on ebay and see what toys they may have but like you i have not seen to many macaw toys. there is a pet shop in cessnock nsw that does have some and they also have a hand reared b/g macaw for 7500.Hand Reared they have changed the name to just birds and reptiles recently.they do not have the large toys on the site but in the store they had one that was about 3 foot long made out of wooden blocks for 60 dollars i think .other places for toys http://www.parrotrescuecentre.com/u... Parrot Toys and Parrot Supplies in Australia

thanks for the info!

aw that B&G from their store looks so cute... they are a bit expensive though!? their amazons too... I was originally looking into getting an amazon instead of my sun conure and found prices and visited breeders who were selling blue fronts for about $1,800-$2,000. I think pet shops always charge more though… I visited some pet stores and they were selling sunnies for $900 and greencheeks for $400, my current sunny cost $400 and my breeder also sold greencheeks for $150.

I can't believe I didn't think about eBay! O_____O they have some good toys on there... many of the best ones are over seasons though... but, the shipping is cheap - do you know if you can ship toys? I worry because of our strict quarentine, due to them being made from wood and rope etc.

 

[Stevo]

Oh yay. n______n

I also wanted to add... do you ever get scared he is going to get stolen? I'm terrified of it! D: mine would be indoors of course, and I planned on having a padlock on the door... not only to make sure he doesn't escape if he figures out how to open the cage, but also so he would be safer if we were broken into... Is there any kind of pet/parrot insurance you can get…?

Yup - Having a Yellow-nape Amazon and GW macaw in the same house is a security risk, hence security for the house is much better than would need be otherwise. I also live in a pretty 'tight-knit' area with good neighbours keeping an eye out for me.

To answer some of your other questions - most definitely get your bird direct from a breeder. I can give you a list of some good breeders that I know for B&Gs when you're ready to buy. There's no real need to go on a waiting list for B&Gs as there are plenty of them being bred and raised each year now; that's why their price has fallen dramatically over the past 5years (From ~$10k to ~$5k).

My Parrot Shop - Parrot Toys and Parrot Supplies in Australia and Parrot Rescue Centre | Caring for Parrots in Australia are 2 online sellers that sell suitable toys, food and supplies for the larger birds. My Parrot Shop is located in Melbourne, but I dont think they have a retail shop front. Coburg Birds and Mad About Pets (Mountain Gate) are 2 good retail shops in Melbourne. The majority of my toys come from our AA vendors

PRC sell nuts in the shell and I've found, but not bought from yet, another couple of suppliers online - the problem being that most only sell in bulk (20kg bags). I'll let you know how I go when I need to order my next lot! You can also stumble across whole nuts at some green-grocers; Belinda and I picked up a bunch of them in Canberra a couple of weekends ago

To be very blunt - Cages in Australia are crap!! I looked at importing one from the US, but have instead resorted to importing it from the UK. It seems that Australians are too cheap to show any need or desire for quality cages so the standard importers only bring in the cheap and nasty ones... You do find the occasional shop that imports their own - The 'Australian Pet Superstore' (sic) in Springvale do import HQ cages but when I checked last month they had no double macaw sized cages in stock. The dimensions you quoted for the double macaw cage in your original thread post also includes the skirt - take off 20cm or so for the actual cage L & W. The 'best' of the cages I've seen are imported by BonoFido (Our Products) and there's a lot of pet shops that stock their lines and can get you the cage if you want. Also check out buyster.com.au

Hope that rambling has answered some of your questions.....

 

[snackies]

Yup - Having a Yellow-nape Amazon and GW macaw in the same house is a security risk, hence security for the house is much better than would need be otherwise. I also live in a pretty 'tight-knit' area with good neighbours keeping an eye out for me.

To answer some of your other questions - most definitely get your bird direct from a breeder. I can give you a list of some good breeders that I know for B&Gs when you're ready to buy. There's no real need to go on a waiting list for B&Gs as there are plenty of them being bred and raised each year now; that's why their price has fallen dramatically over the past 5years (From ~$10k to ~$5k).

My Parrot Shop - Parrot Toys and Parrot Supplies in Australia and Parrot Rescue Centre | Caring for Parrots in Australia are 2 online sellers that sell suitable toys, food and supplies for the larger birds. My Parrot Shop is located in Melbourne, but I don't think they have a retail shop front. Coburg Birds and Mad About Pets (Mountain Gate) are 2 good retail shops in Melbourne. The majority of my toys come from our AA vendors

PRC sell nuts in the shell and I've found, but not bought from yet, another couple of suppliers online - the problem being that most only sell in bulk (20kg bags). I'll let you know how I go when I need to order my next lot! You can also stumble across whole nuts at some green-grocers; Belinda and I picked up a bunch of them in Canberra a couple of weekends ago

To be very blunt - Cages in Australia are crap!! I looked at importing one from the US, but have instead resorted to importing it from the UK. It seems that Australians are too cheap to show any need or desire for quality cages so the standard importers only bring in the cheap and nasty ones... You do find the occasional shop that imports their own - The 'Australian Pet Superstore' (sic) in Springvale do import HQ cages but when I checked last month they had no double macaw sized cages in stock. The dimensions you quoted for the double macaw cage in your original thread post also includes the skirt - take off 20cm or so for the actual cage L & W. The 'best' of the cages I've seen are imported by BonoFido (Our Products) and there's a lot of pet shops that stock their lines and can get you the cage if you want. Also check out buyster.com.au

Hope that rambling has answered some of your questions.....

Well... I planned on putting deadlocks on the back doors... LOL. The locks are already very good but I want better when I have my macaw. o_____o I would care more about it been stolen then my expensive house hold items, haha. I was also kind of looking into getting a security camera... lol. They are not that expensive!? I thought that would be awesome security, should something ever happen...

I had noticed their price dropped a lot, actually... I remember pining over all the macaw adds a few years ago, seeing they were like $15,000+ and thinking; "oh god, I'll never have one!!!" - haha. :3 I was also not working back then and still in school with no concept of how to save money, heh - and thanks so much for the bird toy links, they look great. I only just noticed some of the people that sell toys on this forum too... I think I will definitely check them out! Those stores in Melbourne aren't too far to travel, either.

Cages are crap here... aren't they? Does it cost much to import from the UK? I worry about having to assemble it myself, but I have a few handy friends I could bribe with some of my baked goods to come over and help put it together... n_____n

Noo don't apologize for rambling, I need all the rambling I can get! I want lots of information so I'm prepared and have the best stuff possible for my macaw. hehe.

 

[Stevo]

Well... I planned on putting deadlocks on the back doors... LOL. The locks are already very good but I want better when I have my macaw. o_____o I would care more about it been stolen then my expensive house hold items, haha. I was also kind of looking into getting a security camera... lol. They are not that expensive!? I thought that would be awesome security, should something ever happen...

I had noticed their price dropped a lot, actually... I remember pining over all the macaw adds a few years ago, seeing they were like $15,000+ and thinking; "oh god, I'll never have one!!!" - haha. :3 I was also not working back then and still in school with no concept of how to save money, heh - and thanks so much for the bird toy links, they look great. I only just noticed some of the people that sell toys on this forum too... I think I will definitely check them out! Those stores in Melbourne aren't too far to travel, either.

Cages are crap here... aren't they? Does it cost much to import from the UK? I worry about having to assemble it myself, but I have a few handy friends I could bribe with some of my baked goods to come over and help put it together... n_____n

Noo don't apologize for rambling, I need all the rambling I can get! I want lots of information so I'm prepared and have the best stuff possible for my macaw. hehe.

Security cameras are handy, as are the improved locks. Dont forget the windows. It's not much to spend considering the amount spent on the bird....

The costs arent too bad from the UK but it is a bit of a pain in the ar$e.. I managed to find an awesome member here that was able to take delivery of the cage (to check it for warranty issues and to act as the UK shipper) and am still in the process of getting it to the Shipper and then through Customs, etc once it arrives in Australia. The cage companies wont ship internationally so you have to do all the leg work yourself, but I think it's worth it in the long run. I'm getting the Montana brand Los Angeles cage from: Specialists in Parrot Cages, Bird Cages & Pet Homes

All large cages come flat packed and require assembly.

 

[snackies]

Security cameras are handy, as are the improved locks. Dont forget the windows. It's not much to spend considering the amount spent on the bird....

The costs arent too bad from the UK but it is a bit of a pain in the ar$e.. I managed to find an awesome member here that was able to take delivery of the cage (to check it for warranty issues and to act as the UK shipper) and am still in the process of getting it to the Shipper and then through Customs, etc once it arrives in Australia. The cage companies wont ship internationally so you have to do all the leg work yourself, but I think it's worth it in the long run. I'm getting the Montana brand Los Angeles cage from: Specialists in Parrot Cages, Bird Cages & Pet Homes

All large cages come flat packed and require assembly.

Oo yes, our windows all have locks on them too!

That cage you are getting looks really nice... much nicer then the ones from the aussie sites/eBay. sigh! I might have to look into international shipping too, but I might check the melbourne stores first. I want to get as big as possible so he can stretch his wings (I have flighted birds) and his tail won't get ruined, and he has plenty of space to play. Though, he is only going to be in his cage at night and while I'm at work - he will be out all the other times. And if all goes will with my study next year and I can open my own business like a plan... he'll be coming to work as well.

By the way, is Elmo microchipped? I read a lot of breeders do this and it sounds like a great idea.

And, do your amazon and greenwing get along OK? I don't plan to leave them alone but I really want my sunny and macaw to be able to be on a big stand together.

 

[Stevo]

Oo yes, our windows all have locks on them too!

That cage you are getting looks really nice... much nicer then the ones from the aussie sites/eBay. sigh! I might have to look into international shipping too, but I might check the melbourne stores first. I want to get as big as possible so he can stretch his wings (I have flighted birds) and his tail won't get ruined, and he has plenty of space to play. Though, he is only going to be in his cage at night and while I'm at work - he will be out all the other times. And if all goes will with my study next year and I can open my own business like a plan... he'll be coming to work as well.

By the way, is Elmo microchipped? I read a lot of breeders do this and it sounds like a great idea.

And, do your amazon and greenwing get along OK? I don't plan to leave them alone but I really want my sunny and macaw to be able to be on a big stand together.

Both Elmo and Danny are chipped and have had their leg bands removed - both a necessity IMO.

Unfortunately Danny is in 'that time of the year' and anything that takes up my time away from him is worthy of attempted murder........ That includes birds more than twice his size and other humans... I'm hoping things settle down after Xmas, but will cope either way.

 

[snackies]

I didn't know you could get bands removed - does a vet do it?

 

[Stevo]

I didn't know you could get bands removed - does a vet do it?

Yes, with either 2 x pairs of pliers or a dremel.

 

[snackies]

that's awesome... so it's better to get it removed?

I always thought leg bands must be annoying for birds, but I thought they were important, for what reason though I don't know, haha. I just thought they must put them on for a reason, maybe it helped if they ever get lost? /shrug

do you think I should have mine removed?

 

[Stevo]

that's awesome... so it's better to get it removed?

I always thought leg bands must be annoying for birds, but I thought they were important, for what reason though I don't know, haha. I just thought they must put them on for a reason, maybe it helped if they ever get lost? /shrug

do you think I should have mine removed?

It's really an individual choice - I have microchips in both my birds, and they're registered on both Australian databases, so I don't feel the need for any other means of identification. The rings serve no other purpose and, like you say, can irritate the birds. They also carry the risk of getting caught in toys or some cage bars which can cause, at the minimum, a lot of stress or, at worst, a serious injury.

Some breeders have the bands removed when they get the bird microchipped, most leave them on.

 

[snackies]

well it's definetely something to think about... I'd love to get my sun conure's removed but I think he'd be too little for a microchip?

I would really love to get it removed, though.

 

[chompie_puppy]

Nope, not too small for a microchip. I'm pretty sure they can put a microchip in birds as small as Cockatiels.

The Blue and Gold Macaw (or was it our Greenwing..?) we have at the sanctuary almost lost his leg last year! He had managed to crush his leg band around his leg and was screaming in agony! It happened minutes before everyone left for home for the day. Luckily we have vets on staff and they could put the Macaw under anaesthetics and have the ring removed.

If it had happened after everyone went home then who knows what could have happened! Those beaks are so strong!

 

[snackies]

aw no! poor thing. ): glad he's ok, though!

I think I will definitely look into getting my sunny's taken off, I always thought they must bother them but I didn't actually know you could take it off! I know that sounds silly, haha.