My dilema

[ssbwd]

So, I have this dilema and am newly referred to this site, so I thought I'd give y'all a shot at it! My fiancee and I are getting a big bird of some sort. I did hours and hours of research, and narrowed our choices down to a macaw or a U2. We went to the bird breeder, and since we live in the middle of nowhere, this is our best option. She has both u2's and macaws. She had one baby macaw that had its toes bitten off by its parents, so it would be a special needs bird, but that's no problem. We met both baby birds that we would be adopting, and my fiancee was really set on the too, but i felt a stronger bond with the macaw. I know that he would fall in love with either of them once we got them home, cuz that's just how he is. But my question is do i call the lady back and ask if we can switch the deposit (or is that even something people do?) to that macaw, because all I can think about it seems is how i think that baby would thrive so well in our home since I have the luxury of being able to be home from work whenever I want (i do event management). I also found this site www.mytoos.com and it kind of freaked me out about getting a too. Maybe this is a silly question...but I thought I'd get some other opinions from people who have more experience with birds than i do!

So, thanks a ton in advance!!!

Erin

[greyburd]

Is this your first bird? Macaws can be a bit much for someone who hasn't had previous experience with large birds. And adding in it's special needs could make for a difficult time. What species of Macaw is it?

Either way..... good luck with your decision.

[tiger2]

Have you had birds before? Most people start out with a cockatiel for the first bird. Will you be living in a home or apartment? Macaws and Cockatoos are "loud" so not a good choice for apartments. They can be destructive. We all can show you pictures of eaten walls, moldings, will this annoy you? Messy, birds are messy, no matter how clean you make it 5 minutes later there is food thrown on the floor. Will this bother you? It sounds like you will be the prime caretaker so make sure you get what you can deal with. The breeder should have no problem switching the deposit within a reasonable amount of time. Good luck!

[The Outlaw]

Over the long run, you are far more likely to still have the macaw in 10 years. Not so for the U2. Unfortunately, both the U2 and the M2 are among the MOST often rehomed of the big birds. Most will have many homes before they hit 10, averaging about 5 homes.

Why? Well that beautiful, needy, snuggly and fun bird can become a screamer, plucker and often very, very aggressive.The cockatoos have the MOST damaging bite of any of the parrots, with a scissor action. Many will select a favorite family member and attack any other family member who gets too close.

Call a few bird rescues and get an idea, first hand, of the associated problems. Add to that the unbelievable dust and commonly associated asthma and respiratory problems, and I think you'll agree that the baby macaw is probably a pet that is a better choice for the long haul.

I, too, would ask what species of macaw your are considering? If its a military or a scarlet, you might want to rethink that. Both can be quite headstrong and difficult. Both are very pretty and very smart, but the scarlets tend to be nippy and stubborn and the Militarys are often worse. A BG or a GW would be a better choice. JMHO

[Irish]

I agree wholeheartedly with Outlaw's take on the two species. Just last night, my beloved U2, Gracie, attacked my face, and I have a nasty bite just above my lip. That beak, with the "fangs" on the lower mandible, can do a lot of damage. I'm lucky it wasn't worse. Gracie has been in 6 homes, and twice on commission in a pet store, in her 4 1/2 years of life (and frankly, if the behavior continues, she might end up in home #7, as I'm the only one here willing to handle her--so far).

We have 3 macaws. In my experience, the are a LOT "lower-maintenence" than the average M2 or U2. We have both a Blue and Gold and a Greenwing, and they're WONDERFUL birds.

As for other options, I don't know what to suggest. We have a wonderful Sun Conure, but according to my family, they're noisy! I know that our Severe Macaw (one of the mini-macaws) is a strictly one-person bird, and I hear from others that theirs are the same way. So maybe not one of those....

Good luck in your choice. Welcome to the Board, and let us know (with pictures!) what you decide :-).

[bgmacaw]

Our first and subsequent birds are macaws. If you do your homework through reading, visiting suppliers, handling birds and talking to owners (being here is a great big step on the information highway) you will be way ahead of the curve. With macaws you have to maintain no fear of "The Beak". Respect yes, but no fear. The other's comments on destruction and messiness are right on. Oh and the noise. With a lot of interaction and proper toys, the beak, noise and other issues will be minimized. Just keep in mind that these wonderful creatures crave and need our attention on a daily basis, whether that involves actual holding time, wrestling or just sitting and talking to them. They can be awesome companions.

[ssbwd]

Wow, you guys are fast! haha, thanks for all the replies! We have a green cheek conure already, and I was around bigger birds all through high school because i worked (all the time that i could) at a petstore where we hatched and hand fed and all that good stuff for all kinds of birds, including bg and scarlet macaws, greys and every once in a great while a random species of too. I've read lots on both species and did get to meet both of them at the breeders, the macaw is a green wing btw, and i had never read all the dangerous stuff about toos until after we put the deposit down (of course) but i did so much research that I thought we would be okay. I guess there aren't too many sites out there that tell you all the bad stuff about them, which is unfortunate in my opinion. Anyways, I've been thinking about it constantly, didn't sleep last night in fact, and I think that for our first big bird, we should go with the macaw, because i think they are better for a first big bird (my fiancee's only experience with birds is our green cheek, and she still doesn't like him yet hehe). So, thanks for the replies, now i just have to call the breeder back

[Lisa B]

Just thought I would add, that it has recently been observed that the reason many toos become unmanageable is that, in the wild, they do not mate with the same mate each year. They seem to choose new mates for offsping each year, and in captivity, they are forced to have us as one mate ...........forever. I had the statistics somewhere, but can find them now that I need them. Its something like after three years, given a choice, 70% off toos have switched while observed in the wild....
Us, being thier only mates,makes for a very unhappy too, and thus adds to thier plucking, screaming, and nasty bites.

Now, I am certainly not dissing the too owners. I think they are great birds,as my family has lived with a citron, Lesser sulfer, Moluccan, Umbrella, and a triton.
I have asthma and allergies, so a too is out as far as living with me now that I am out on my own, and I would be the primary caregiver.

teh Green wing baby sounds like a good choice, as I also have lived with several special abled birds. The love the special abled ones give you in return is priceless.

good luck with your choice.