buying my first bird

[awmgcg]

i have been looking into buying my first bird (blue and gold macaw) and doing some research on the internet about them. One thing that I am worried about is what does everyone do with their birds when they go to work? Are they ok to be at home alone during the day, do they need a companion if they are left alone? I work a regular 8 hour shift and didnt know if that was to long to leave them. Also we occasionally go camping on the weekends and didnt know if taking the bird with us would be a healthy or hazardous thing to do. Do people ever take their birds on vacation with them? Any tips would be helpfull!

[expressmailtome]

The bird should be fine while you are at work if you have a large enough cage. My question is have you spent time with macaws before? They are not usually (if ever) considered a good first bird unless you have a lot of hands on bird experience. Large macaws can be intimidating with their beaks and size. I suggest spending time with some macaws at a store or breeder's.

Matt

[andyparade]

I agree. I would say a macaw is usually if not always not a good first bird. It all depends I guess though.

[nene142]

I agree also espically for a first bird I have had experiance with small birds but Dahlia (even though she's a mini) intimatates me still after 2 months but mind you she is very aggressive. And the bigger macaw's freak me out lol! So I HIGHLY recommend spending time with them alot of time! It's a huge huge huge responsibility but yes I work also a 10 hour day but as soon as I walk in the door they come out for 2-3 hours till bedtime at 9:30. Anyways I would love to be able to not work believe me but that's not gonna happen so we just kinda gotta make them a priority when we get home :) Good luck with your new bigg guy or gal :)

[loyallyroyal]

8 hours should be ok as long as you leave them something to do and a large enough cage. Make sure you have enough room for a large cage, a large playstand and a large bird. I would definitely make sure you are ok with the sound level and the large beaks.

Most birds love to come along on vacation, just take precautions so you know they are safe. I know several people who take their birds rving.

What size cage are you looking at?
I like this one because of the size (lots of room for perches and toys):
HQ Giant Double Bird Cages - Presented by BirdsComfort.com
and this one because I'm partial to the victorian top:
HQ Victorian Macaw Bird Cage - Presented by BirdsComfort.com

There are lots of great things to leave your parrot to do during the day,
Here is a great free activity book:
The Picky Parrot
Some different foraging toys:
The Picky Parrot


Make sure you look into dry foods, such as different seed, pellet and other mixes:
Avian Naturals* nutritious healthy natural parrot food parrot supply treats gifts parts
Phoenix Foraging Rolls

Playstands:
This is a great foodstand, trust me its HUGE:
Bird Feeder Stand - Presented by BirdsComfort.com
I made my own version of this (but where I live where there is a lot of bottlebrush and cajeput trees):
Bottlebrush Parrot Play Gyms, my original design, handmade parrot gyms you and your bird will love.

Make sure you ask the breeder how they socialize the baby, heres an article on how one breeder socializes their babies:
Cedar Mountain Aviary

Hope that helps!

[chaos]

Oh Please reconsider a large bird such as a macaw. Any responsible store or breeder would not be selling you a large bird such as a macaw unless you had some experience.
Too often these birds end up in rescues because their owners didn't realize what they were getting into. Birds that large scream twice as loud, bite very hard, have hormonal issues as they get older, and many more issues that I cannot list here.
Please think of this long, long term commitment. No more birds need to end up in rescues or being rehomed a dozen times. Think this through carefully, please!

[Lori~D]

Many Peoples first bird has been a Large Macaw. As long as you do plenty of research and know that you will be bringing into your home the equivalent of a Two Year old who never grows up, and never moves out that comes with a fog horn (which you cannot remove) and a pair of large bolt cutters (also which cannot be removed) then you will be just fine. If you plan to take it camping make sure you have a travel cage and might consider harness training - clipping wings is not enough to keep a Macaw from flying away. All day work is fine as long as you provide plenty of stimulation and chew toys. It is nice to have another bird in the house. I got a small bird when I brought Liz home so she wouldnt be alone while we worked (heh, now I have many birds). Plan on spending a bundle each month on toys as they destroy them. If you get the ones they cannot destroy then they may destroy themselves or your house. They MUST destroy and they MUST have times where they can scream your fillings out of your teeth to be healthy happy birds. Often they will be quiet, until your on the phone with a buisness conversation then mine did death moans yesterday he learned from tv while I was talking with my new employer,LOL. Learn all you can about them and how to start off right so you teach them HOW to spend time by themselves...Oh so often the new Macaw comes home and is spoiled with constant attention and then cannot handle being alone and will scream for you when you put it down and leave the room.
I will suggest two books BEFORE you buy your bird: Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior and Guide to well behaved... by Mattie Sue Athan
Amazon.com: Guide to companion parrot behavior: Books
BEFORE YOU BRING YOUR BABY HOME!! PLEASE, I cannot stress it enough.
Let us Know how it goes - WELCOME, you are already doing the right thing by coming here first, just remember opinions will come from all kinds but nothing outweighs knowledge of the species of wild animal you bring into your home.

[Mango27]

Welcome to the Birdboard! I can completely understand you wanting a macaw. To me they are one of the most beautiful parrots and I am in awe of them. With that being said I personally would be shaking in my boots (well high heels) to bring one home. If there is anyway that you can spend time with one first and see if you can handle a bird that size that would be great.

I would love to recommend a sun conure as a first bird. To me they are the most precious and loving companion birds. My Mango loves to cuddle with me, ride on my shoulder in the car, give kisses, shower with me, eat with me and everything else. He is a smaller parrot with a big personality.

Goodluck with whatever decision you make and keep us updated :)

[Astrid660]

"you will be bringing into your home the equivalent of a Two Year old who never grows up, and never moves out that comes with a fog horn (which you cannot remove) and a pair of large bolt cutters (also which cannot be removed)"

hahaha so true!
although sometimes i would rather hear a fog horn than the sound my Cockatoo makes. hehe

[FidTrio]

Excellent suggestions above. Aside from making sure they have plenty of toys to keep them occupied, I also always have on some classical music while I'm at work. I'm not a big fan of boarding birds. Taking them out of their regular environments is stressful to them. The best option if you can't take them with you is to have someone come in and look after them while you're on vacation, but I know that's not feasible for everyone.

I strongly agree that you should spend as much time as possible being around the larger macaws and handling them before getting one. It's great that you're researching. Owning a bird...any bird....is not something to be entered into lightly. It's a huge responsibility that many people don't realize, and it saddens me to see how many birds are given up or re-homed.

Have you read anything about the Red Fronted Macaws? They're smaller than Blue and Golds, beautiful, and in my experience easier to handle.