Considering a B & G

[asulli]

I know someone who is re-homing his 8 year old B & G. This B & G is socialized and seems to be very friendly, but still a B & G.

I have never owned a big bird so I need to hear from some of you about the good, the bad and the ugly so that I make sure that I make the right decision for this beautiful bird.

Thanks.

[FoxersArtist]

Possible Positives:
Sweet
Dedicated
Loving
Full of Energy
Chatty
Good eaters
Somewhat independent
Stays Well on Gym
Larger Danders Harder To Breathe In
May Be Good With Family
Very Trusting Once They Bond

Possible Challenges:
Extra messy - Like To Throw Dishes Out
Bites Hard
Behavior To "Test" You
Can Be Loud
Moody
White "Fluffies" Get Everywhere
Needs Very Large Cage + Gyms
May Be Heavy Chewer (1-2 $40 toys Per Week)
May Be A One Person Bird
Like To Throw Up On Favored Person


These are just a few "standard" expectations from a B&G though every individual will be drastically different than another.
-Anna

[asulli]

respect your experience & what you are doing for our avian friends. I feel the positives outweigh the negatives. I'm doing lot's of reading & researching. When I decided on an Alex I researched for 2 yrs to make sure this was exactly what I wanted. I’m very happy with my decision. I was really thinking of a Goffin & then this opportunity came up. My family had a Goffin & he was such a sweet thing (most of the time). Darién belong to my grandmother & when she got on in age we were the perfect fit! Darién knew us well as we live near my gran. Darién left us after being in our family for 52 yrs-30 yrs at my gran’s & 22 yrs with us. We do not know exactly how old he was as my gran got him after he was a big boy. He always had dinner with us. Black beans, rice & plantains were a fav. Loved Spanish tortilla made with eggs, potatoes & peas! Well I believe what is meant for me will be easy so I will just pray for the right thing to happen for me & my next avian family member

[LoveMyBeak]

Once you have the B&G for a little while and realize it has bonded to you then it will become your life, trust me that is what happened with Hannah, the only drawbacks are that they are moody, destructive, and sometimes loud(I say sometimes because Hannah usually has something to do and then she stays quiet most of the day, the only times she gets loud is when i put her out in the aviary for that very purpose, and usually she gets loud when I am going bye bye) but you are right the positives outweigh the negatives.

[asulli]

Originally Posted by LoveMyBeak

Once you have the B&G for a little while and realize it has bonded to you then it will become your life, trust me that is what happened with Hannah, the only drawbacks are that they are moody, destructive, and sometimes loud(I say sometimes because Hannah usually has something to do and then she stays quiet most of the day, the only times she gets loud is when i put her out in the aviary for that very purpose, and usually she gets loud when I am going bye bye) but you are right the positives outweigh the negatives.

It is so very tempting! I know they are very smart. Does Hannah travel well. We take little road trips. My alex does travel well, but not sure about a B&G. As far as the "loudness" my family is Cuban so we are pretty loud and usually can hold many conversations at a time. We feel that every animal has to communicate as it is meant to be...dogs included! In fact we have very vocal cats!

Thanks for your reply.

[LoveMyBeak]

I have taken her to a few places before I learned that she needed a harness, since then she hasn't gone anywhere with us becasue she HATES the very sight of the harness.
When she DID go with us she would just sit on the head rest of my truck and pretty much stayed put, she loves to go places otherwise

[asulli]

Originally Posted by LoveMyBeak

I have taken her to a few places before I learned that she needed a harness, since then she hasn't gone anywhere with us becasue she HATES the very sight of the harness.
When she DID go with us she would just sit on the head rest of my truck and pretty much stayed put, she loves to go places otherwise

Yes, I really need to do some research on how to convience my Alex and any new addition to a harness/flight suit!

[Tom Lawless]

I think B&G's are one of the nicest of the big birds. Anna gave you a very fair and good run down on the pluses and minuses. She has lived with a lot so I've generally found her advice to be dead on. It sounds like you know birds and love animals so I can't help but be optimistic that this would be a good fit for you and the bird but I give you a lot of points for making an educated decision and not just one on impulse.

[FoxersArtist]

Some macaw love to "go buh bye" but this really depends on how social the bird is and how used to traveling he is. Many blue and golds can become over stimulated and get a bit of anxiety with new things or with lots of activity whereas I could easily see a greenwing cruising down the road with a huge silly grin on his face - just because they tend to be more laid back whereas the blue and golds are prone to being high strung. My blue and gold peggy sue loved to go buh bye with us and still does well for short outings. Unfortunately, we took her on a long roadtrip once and since that time she has not done well on overnight visits. I think we just put too much on her at once and now she is rather anxious about the prospect of being away from home long. Still, she does very well going to bird club meetings and the occasional shopping center. I even dressed as a pirate once and took her to a school to visit the kids once, and we regularly go to visit nursing homes since she is very gentle.
-Anna

[asulli]

Originally Posted by FoxersArtist

Some macaw love to "go buh bye" but this really depends on how social the bird is and how used to traveling he is. Many blue and golds can become over stimulated and get a bit of anxiety with new things or with lots of activity whereas I could easily see a greenwing cruising down the road with a huge silly grin on his face - just because they tend to be more laid back whereas the blue and golds are prone to being high strung. My blue and gold peggy sue loved to go buh bye with us and still does well for short outings. Unfortunately, we took her on a long roadtrip once and since that time she has not done well on overnight visits. I think we just put too much on her at once and now she is rather anxious about the prospect of being away from home long. Still, she does very well going to bird club meetings and the occasional shopping center. I even dressed as a pirate once and took her to a school to visit the kids once, and we regularly go to visit nursing homes since she is very gentle.
-Anna

Anna,
We would like to be able to take our gang with us on camping trips and I also go see my kidsand grandkids about a 3 1/2 hour drive away. My Alex does just fine and in fact loves to eat and drive! I better keep on reading and researching. I will also get some info on greenwings. I really do not want a baby as I feel there are so many out there that need homes and I am a firm believer that when you adopted any animal it is a life long commintment and responsibility. Well, when the time is right, I know that it will just happen specially if I am patient and patient I am! Thanks!