Soon-to-be macaw owner

[VRSparks]

Hello everyone! I'm going to be getting my first bird soon, which will be either a B&G or Red-Fronted. Here's a little bit about me:

I live in Maine with my fiance, three dogs, two cats, three snakes, two geckos, a ferret, and a couple of beta fish. I only work three nights a week, so every day is free. I want a bird who will deal well with the other pets in the house (the bird will never actually interect with the cats or the two younger dogs, and will never be out of his cage unsupervised) and who can go out with me sometimes, for walks and car rides. I want a very playful, intelligent bird who likes to cuddle, but is ok playing by himself for an hour or two a day while I run errands.

I've picked out the B&G and RFM because they have just the right sort of personality to fit in here. Now I have to decide between the two. I had decided on the RFM, but my fiance brought up B&G's so now I'm looking a bit harder into them.

I'm wondering if ayone here has experience with RFM's and can tell me more about their personalities. They're so uncommon it's hard to find much information on what they are like. I've been to Wendy's Parrots, and that the most info I've found on them so far. I'd like to know of they are as smart and playful as B&G's. I'd love to hear examples of their behavior and see some more pics of them.

Thanks in advance to everyone!! I'm having the hardest time making up my mind between these two wonderful birds!

- Victoria

[pbyeerts]

Hi! My name is Pam, and I live in NJ. I have a BG macaw, NIMO.

Your post caught my eye because you are considering adding a macaw to your life - hooray! The BGs are fabulous, and I'll answer any questions you have about them.

"I live in Maine with my fiance, three dogs, two cats, three snakes, two geckos, a ferret, and a couple of beta fish."

Will you be able to secure your macaw from your other animals?
Snakes are the natural predator of parrots in the rain forest! Ferrets are also extremely deadly to birds. Please remember your macaw will need 3 hours every day outside of the cage for exercise and interaction with you. A determined ferret can and will find away into a macaw cage because the bars are wide. I assume your snakes are in cages and not free, but your parrot will be absolutely terrified of them. PLease keep this in mind as you are planning the location of your new macaw so he doesn't become someone's lunch. Sorry to be a party-pooper... Pamela

[VRSparks]

That's ok, this issue always comes up. My ferret is elderly and sleeps most of the time. His cage is not in the same room the bird will be staying in. My three very small snakes are kept in a rack system...plastic tubs on very tight shelves. They aren't even visible through the frosted plastic. Because I only work three night shifts a week, every day is completely free to spend with a bird, and he will rarely be in his cage (only to sleep, for the most part).

Tell me more about your B&G. I was talking to someone on yahoo chat the other night who told me her B&G bited her no less than three times every day. That would be a deal breaker for me. I love B&G's but I have heard that can be high-strung. I realize bited happen sometimes, but if they happen more than once or twice a month, that's too much IMO.

I'd really love to hear more about your fid. There's a lot of species info online, but not much personal inforamtion about what a "day in the life" is like with a B&G or a RFM. What does he do that you think is cute or funny? What does he do that really irritates you? Those are the kind of things I want to hear. Thanks!

- Victoria

[Celeste Hutchinson]

Victoria,
My name is Celeste and I am a new member of this group.
I got a B and G when I was recovering from surgery a little over three years ago.
He is a huge responsibility and a very rewarding pet...most of the time!
Oliver has only bit me hard one time. About a year ago he reacted with great fear (serious screaming) when a guest stood too close to his cage. I reached out to comfort Oliver and put my hand on the bar of his cage and he bit me so hard and so quickly ( w/o warning!) that I can still feel the pain just writing about it!! I am pretty sure he was as surprised as I was. He does this other minor-ly agressive stabbing motion with his beak when he is feeling feisty or obstinate but it neither hurts nor leaves a mark. I may be lucky---I don't know any other B and G owners.
He is a very loud bird though I would not characterize him as a screamer.
He is very loud when he plays in his cage---( I guess the game is "kill the toys". Others (family and friends) call this screaming and feel it is annoying but I don't mind. (There would be no point answering the phone while he is doing it though.)
When we are outside he calls VERY LOUDLY if he sees a large bird. Hummingbirds and goldfinches are only mildly interesting to him but seagulls and crows need to be told that he is alive too!
Okay here is a typical day:
We wake up 6ish and pass by the cages to make coffee. On the way out of the kitchen we say a quiet good morning to Oliver and Homer (our Amazon)
and slowly and gently slide the sheets off their cages.
While they stretch and perk up a bit we drink our coffee and give them a few moments to blink and adjust to daylight (or artificial light).
After 20 or 30 minutes we take them out of their cages and place them on their perches near us. Oliver starts his day with a treat usually an organic unshelled nut, immediately followed by hot cereal--whatever I am having. If the cereal is taking too long to cook he will squawk for a piece of toast---he wakes up very hungry.
Generally they stay out and relax and munch and sing and talk and get loved and scratched until we go to work around 9. Just before they are put away I take 20 + minutes to clean two cages and refill some toys that we hide treats in. After they are caged again I make two large bowls of dinner leftovers and fresh fruit and say good bye as I hand it over.
Oliver begins loudly calling BYE BYE as we gather up keys etc. to leave.
We always answer bye bye pleasantly but he yells BYE BYE like he is really pissed that we are going!
When we get back around 5ish they are thrilled at our arrival. Homer yells for joy until we get him out. Oliver used to be anxious to get out, but he has figured out that he can get more attention from me if he pretends to want to get out and then changes his mind at the last moment 4 or 500 times! This started after his last molt. Instead of stepping up when I ask him to,he hangs his head way below the perch. Any feedback from a pro would be great. I am not sure what he wants but I scratch his head for a few minutes and offer him one more "step up" ...command?or uh suggestion, before I close the cage and go start dinner.This new thing lasts about an hour but after a few tries he comes out and stands around the kitchen snacking on healthy food. By the time dinner is served he retires to his perch in the quiet living room with a big bowl of brown rice and munches happily until the kitchen is cleaned up and we drag the perch to our bedroom where he hangs out while I read e-mail and interact with him every so often.
Bedtime is around 10. He is always happy to get a long drink and pick out his favorite orange pellets from a fresh bowl of Zupreem. when he is put back in his cage. When the crunching noises die down we cover the birds and say goodnight and don't hear a peep out of them until we pull the cover the next morning.
If we got a dinner invitation out I used to try to bring the birds...funny no one ever invited us twice!!! Now we stress a bit and leave them but it is a guilty night out. Hmmm. I would hire bird sitters if there were such a solution. Mostly we stay home.
If you lived near, I would share Oli with you 50/50! I'm only half kidding!
Good luck with your fid.
Your (new boring) friend Celeste

[The Outlaw]

Hi. I have 10 birds, 4 of which are BGs. They are hands down, my personal favorites. I have two pair (not set up as pairs, but as pets in seperate cages) and they are the most fun you can have with your pants on. Mine are ALL cuddly, athletic, good talkers, smart and curious. Dreamer is a legend around here for every single day he does something so nuts I'm laughing out loud.

I have a good friend who has a RF and he loves her to pieces. He purchased her many years ago from a breeder in NJ and I think she was his first "large" bird. She is still his favorite, and he has a Caninde (Blue Throat), Scarlet, and did have a Hahns until fairly recently. You are correct about them being a bit scarce. As for Wendy's birds. They are THE BEST. However, she usually has a long waiting list for her babies.

All of my BGs are very sweet, not at all prone to biting and I don't think particularly loud. All things are relative. I actually have NO screamers here a ********** and I think that's because I simply meet their needs. I'm a stay at home granny and can usually figure out what they need before they do.

Since I have no personal knowledge of RFs, I can't really help you there. However, I will say this: they don't seem to get rehomed very often. That probably speaks volumes.

The BGs are probably the MOST popular family pet among the large macaws because they LIKE people, will usually interact with the entire family and are large enough to feel secure in their surroundings. They seem to do fairly well if you don't have a lot of time to spend with them, for they are not flock animals in the wild. They tend to live in small family groups.

In any event, I suggest that you simply meet some birds, consider time, space and money and that will probably lead you to the right bird. Both are wonderful examples of macaws at the very best. Good luck.

THE OUTLAW

[pbyeerts]

Thanks for taking my concern about your other pets in the right vein..... Many people just don't think of these things, and it's great that you already have.

I adopted Nimo when he was 4, and we are his third, and final home. So I had a lot of significant behavioral problems with him from his previous owners that I've had to deal with. Therefore, my experience is different from yours because you are getting a baby macaw that you will love and properly raise. I 100% recommend you purchase Sally Blanchard's book on raising parrots - you can get it on Amazon.

The best thing about Nimo is he astounds and entertains me every single day. From his wonderful macaw murmur while he is shredding newspaper to his enthusiastic "Bye Bye" when I go out for errands are a delight. He and ny husband also play catch with a whiffle ball every night, and it's really fun to watch.

There are 2 downsides to having a macaw, in my opinion. The first is the noise, and the second is the mess. An out of control screaming macaw will drive you insane and literally rattle the windows. However, a well raised macaw should not scream unnecessarily, like Nimo did. Macaws do need to clear their lungs twice a day with a good old fashioned scream session, and this should never be punished. They must clear the dust and other little items from their respiratory track.

I did not have other birds before I got Nimo, and the daily mess still astounds me! I am not naturally inclined to do a lot of cleaning, and it's been a challenge to sweep up his mess everyday.

Good luck on your new macaw! Pamela

[All4birds]

Hello,

I'm glad to see your doing your homework, asking everywhere to get differing opinions before you make your choice. As to adding a bird to your already diverse family, I can't help you there. We only have one dog and an aquarium. The aquarium catches the birds attention from time to time when the fish are moving around a lot but there's no chance of interaction there. Our dog is old and half blind now. All the birds know his name and call out to him, it keeps him very confused. :D

In the Macaw family I have B&G, Hahn's, Nobles, and Red Fronts. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the Red Front. They aren't as colorful but are more playful than the others. I have two RF's, one is 19 years old and one is 1 year old. This is the one bird species I've found that doesn't seem to lose it's attachment to humans. My 19yo wasn't handled in quite some time and had been set up as a breeder. She's stepped up from day one, given kisses, and loves to spend time with me. The 1 yo is more trusting, She'll somersault over onto her back into my arms or lap and go loose like jello always expecting me to catch her each time. You have to be quick to catch her because she'll do it without warning to get your attention focused on her. :D The Red Front is an escape artist, they keep me hopping trying to keep them in thier cages when they are supposed to be. They dismantle everything. Any cage you house them in needs to be welded and the food bowl holders need to be secured well. They are extremely smart, good talkers, and they learn quickly.

Good luck with your homework, be sure to let us know which you decided on!

[The Outlaw]

Hi Terry;

I wondered when you find this board.

THE OUTLAW

[All4birds]

Hi Outlaw,
I've actually been a member since the board first started up and I get their newsletter. I hadn't been here in awhile and forgot my password so I just signed up again.

Terry