New to mini macaws

[Takoda]

I've wanted a mini macaw for several years now... actually I had my heart set on a yellow collared, but now a severe macaw has come into my life and after just five minutes with her, I knew she was the one for me!

Now, the biggest bird I've had has been a pionus, but they were a breeding pair so I don't have a lot of experience handling anything bigger than a quaker. Naturally, I have a few questions.

Diet... Traditionally, with a little variation among the different species I have, I feed 40% pellet, 10-20% seed, and the rest is fruits, veggies, and beak appetit. In the keeping with this spirit, do macaws require a slightly fattier diet than say, my cockatiels? Thus requiring more of the 20% end of the spectrum? My quaker, prone to obesity, gets one nutriberry a day and that's it for seed (unless it's xmas or his bday). I am open to hearing what you feed your minis. :) My usual pellet is kaytee exact, but I also feed zupreem's avian entrees for my plum heads and quaker (in addition to the exact).

Living with powder birds.... I admit it, I'm a cockatiel breeder. However, I am currently selling out of breeding birds (my first ever bird (a cockatiel) recently passed away from old age and I've become rather disheartened), but I will still have four cockatiels. My birds' cages reside, generally, in the bird room, an 11'x12' room. The cages have wheels so they take turns in my living room. I have a Sharper Image air filter in there (the big one), and also in the living room, just because of the cockatiels, and I'm an allergic asthmatic. I find with the air filter I have absolutely no problem with the tiels (currently numbering 9) or other birds. I have heard that macaws have sensitive respiratory systems and should not be kept with powder down birds. Will my setup work? I have a plumhead that is apparently also extremely sensitive to air quality, she will wheeze and have nasal discharge if it's poor... and she's been fine since I got the air filter.

Also, the shoulder riding thing. I certainly do not want, and have read everywhere not to allow, her to ride on my shoulder. She just keeps sneaking up there from my arm. Is there a better way to discourage this? She gets really ticked off and growls at me when I attempt to remove her (which I always do). Keep on doing it and maybe she'll get the point? She's only 5 months old.

Any other huge differences between cockatiels, quakers, plumheads, and severe macaws? I know to keep her away from my other birds' cages because of the jealousy thing. Most of my birds are flighted for flight time in the bird room - Havoc will not be joining in with them, of course. That's probably the biggest thing - owning small birds and a larger bird.

Any little tidbits are appreciated. I won't be bringing her home for at least six weeks, I want to be over-prepared. Thanks for reading. :D

[Miro The Macaw]

Man, are you in for a trip :)

Severes are FUN birds... But they are demanding- And, there are a lot of times that you will want to sell yours on E-Bay... Today is one of those days for us!

You hear a lot about them being one person birds. Miro is not a one person bird- but he is most definatly a TWO person bird. We are his people, and for everyone else, it's HANDS OFF. He will let strangers get close- and even act 'cute' for them, showing no sign of aggression- Until he is close enough, then he goes for blood.

He is VERY mechanical. He takes nuts and bolts out of his cage- And takes quick links apart.

You have to keep him BUSY, or he is destructive. He goes through toys pretty quickly!!

He is also an escape artist- He can work latches, open doors, and remove food dishes to get out of the cage. Just when I think that I have sealed off all escape routes, he finds another.

But, He is a lot of fun- Loves to play, and is VERY interactive. He is a talker- Though most of his talking happens when I am not in the room. I suspect that he is still practicing. He is still pretty young (about a year and a half).

Despite the pain in the butt that he can be, I am still glad that I got a severe!!

-Andrew

[MiniMacMum]

Hi Susan,
Well , Andrew filled you in on the trip you are in for, LOL, ALL of it is true!!! I have 5 Severes. 3 are pets & I also have a pair :) I feed mine a seed, veggie & fruit diet. What they won't eat veggie wise, they get in their birdy bread. Some of their favs are oranges, apples, cantalope, a grape once in a while, corn on the cob is well liked, sweet potato, squash, raw carrot, almonds, pistachios, they get chopped Kale in bread, I know there's more but my brain isn't functioning right now :)
I also own 2 Tiels & an African Grey, all powder birds. I have an air filter & bathing them helps keep the dust down. They get baths about 2 times a week. More when it is very hot out.
The shoulder ride, I let all my birds sit on my shoulder, EXCEPT when I have any company around me. They can get unpredictable around strangers at times. Now mind you my severes are all older, when they were younger they were fine around strangers. BUT later on....they can be protective & will lash out. I've been nailed a couple times when my severes tried to get the stranger & couldn't so I was the next best thing. I know they didn't mean to hurt me, but it happened. My female doesn't act that way only my 2 males. Oh, she will be blood thirsty to strangers but I can still hold her when they are around me. They sure are good at snaeking up the arm, LOL!! Just stop her or him when they try. They don't like to take no as an answer :) Very hard headed & I wouldn't trade mine for the world :) You have to be special to own severes, I think Nancy said that :) If I can help anymore just ask. I haven't been on the forum very much in the last several months. I will keep checking in, I miss this place :)

[Miro The Macaw]

Originally Posted by MiniMacMum

They can get unpredictable around strangers at times. Now mind you my severes are all older, when they were younger they were fine around strangers. BUT later on....they can be protective & will lash out. I've been nailed a couple times when my severes tried to get the stranger & couldn't so I was the next best thing. I know they didn't mean to hurt me, but it happened.

Something that I forgot to mention :)

Mine is the same way- The only really nasty bite I ever got from him was when he wanted to bite a stranger- But could only get to me. He would look at them, then bite me!!

[brds4mepdx]

Hello Susan,

Most of our 10 bird flock are invited onto our shoulder and some more than others however, no one is allowed unless invited and they all (except Pickles, YCM) step-up when asked to do so. The Severe is my bird and he is not allowed on my shoulder at this point because he tries to go up uninvited and he does not step-up when asked, I usually have to reach up and grab him. Also, he is young and needs to learn his boundries otherwise I will have an out-of-control bird. My U2 is allowed on my shoulder but only briefly and he always steps-up when I put my hand up.

Letitia
Pickles - Yellow-collar Macaw, over 20 (exact age unknown)
Jakers - Quaker Parrot, 3 yrs. old
Ozzy - Umbrella Cockatoo, 7 yrs. old
Booger - Lovebird (Dutch Blue), 9 months old
Oscar - Severe Macaw, 1 yr. old
Chief - Timneh African Grey, 9 yrs. old
Nicky - Cockatiel (Pied Lutino), 10 yrs. old
Shotzy - Cockatiel (Normal Grey),
Ralph and Alice - Married Cockatiels (Pied and Pearl) 4 yrs. old and 6 urs. old

[Takoda]

yes, havoc is already starting to hide in the small of my back when I reach to get her off if she's snuck up. Today she was being adorable like a 'too, snuggling in my arms, getting her wings tickled, and she would slowly inch up a little bit every few minutes. Sneaky!! The only time I can definitely count on her to NOT bite me is when she is on my shoulders (which I never invite her on to any more, I immediately remove her).

Today she got a hold of my knuckle and it felt like she was trying to break it - what do you do in that situation? I've read to ignore, I've read to put them on the ground, I've read to tell them no with a dirty look... I'm usually RIGHT by her cage, so I pretty much dump her on the floor of her cage and lock the door.. If I am not by the cage I do the "no" with the dirty look. Which do you find works best? She's definitely a nipper. I don't mind the nipping - I do mind broken bones. Sometimes I do find myself having to pry her beak apart because it's gotten to that point. I don't have this issue with my little guys, most they could do is draw blood, plus a little beak is not intimidating in the slightest, and they all have fairly sweet dispositions.

Oh, and she said her name today! She said "hah ick!" I guess that's close enough. :) I'm trying to teach her "murphy did it!!" (murphy is my roommate's dog, my quaker yells at her a lot).

[brds4mepdx]

Susan,

Oscar and I play very hard and part of that play involvles his beak. When he gets beaking to hard, I push my hand into his beak and repeat things like to hard, be easy. My b/f says if you close your eyes, it sounds like Oscar is shredding my hands when in reality, he rarely leaves a mark on my hand. Playing with his beak also lets me peal the dead flakes away. Severes are beaky but so are most macaws I have run into, just don't let your bird intimidate you with that beak.


Letitia

[Irish]

Ha! brds4me's Oscar is the son of Satan, and our Eddie is Satan himself! LOL!

Eddie loves Z and no one else, but even Z gets bitten from time to time. Eddie came to us as an adult bird, though, with already entrenched habits that he is only slowly learning how to leave behind him.

I've always found them to be one person birds, and am seriously jealous that something as smart, endearing and adorable as a Severe has never chosen me to be that one person.

Also, brds4me IS a macaw-type personality at heart, and macaws accept her and play with her as such. Why she hasn't been eaten alive by that little monster of hers is well and truly beyond me :-).

[The Outlaw]

I have an exceptional Severe. I've had Chi Chi for many years and he's still a favorite. He is very high strung, but generally likes to be around people and will perform at the drop of a hat. He's a pistol. Their screech can peel paint and they do have their favorites. I purchased mine because he jumped on my back in a pet store and didn't want to leave. I've had him ever since.

I love Severes. That having been said, they aren't for MOST people. They are demanding and do tend to be nippy. If you have a great sense of humor and don't have hyper sensitive hearing, you'll live happily ever after. My Severe is the one bird my husband would rehome if I'd let him. Of course, I'd rehome my husband if he did.

[Miro The Macaw]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

Their screech can peel paint and they do have their favorites.

Dead on, Nancy... Earplugs are a plus!

It is REALLY fun at my house- The Grey makes the 'Severe Screech' too now- And it is just as loud! I can't usually tell who is who!

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

I purchased mine because he jumped on my back in a pet store and didn't want to leave. I've had him ever since.

Same here! Miro crawled up under my chin and fell asleep the first time I handled him at a bird show. There was no going back!!

Miro CAN be very nippy, even with HIS people, when he is playing. Sometimes, it hurts a bit- But he isn't intending to do damage. I have seen what he can do when he MEANS to hurt someone- It isn't pretty. But, he LOVES to play, will roll over on his back and wrestle with you all night if you let him. And- He learns tricks in a matter of minutes, and preforms them on command for nothing more than a bit of praise... He is a fun animal!

-Andrew