best macaw for a first time macaw owner

[hollmer]

Before you decide on any macaw, make sure you do your research, Each kind of macaw has its own traits good and bad, but EACH Macaw is an individual and their personality comes as much from how they are handled and raised as to the kind of Macaw they are, Many people suggest Blue and Golds as a good first time macaw, but reality is, It is still a Macaw and you need to be prepared, You most likely will be biten at some point, You will have to deal with screaming, temper tantrum fits and anywhere from a 40-80 year commitment.

Blue and Golds are One of the Most "Rescued Macaws" Just this month I found at least ten listed with Various rescue agencies in my area, and The rescue agency I am working with to adopt my next Birds has 4.

That is a lot of money spent by people unable or unwilling to properly care for these Wonderful Birds, not to mention the stress these poor birds hve been put through.

We have already expressed that you are unsure of that large Beak and you should be.

I have worked with every kind and size animal including assisting the Marine mammal Trainers at our aquarium during an internship, I worked with dolphins, sea lions and seals everyday, I worked for a vet and Rottweiler Breeder, Have trained Several large dogs including my 8 and 9 year old Rottweilers and I own and ride an Purebred Belgian horse that weighs 3000 pounds. But by far my most challenging of Pets has been and will always be my Macaws.

I started with a Military Macaw, not knowing they have a simalar personality to a scarlet and can be moody(thats putting it nicely) He has a serious attitude problem and even though he does not intentally bite me, he does like to grab my fingers and regurgitate in my hand to show me I am loved, what he does not realize is how many bruises he leaves behind as well. Now my Blue and Gold is a Shy and nervous bird that feels the need to hang on for dear life with her beak to anything she can. She is never intentionally biting, she is just a very beaky bird.

They call a Parrots Beak it's third foot for a reason, they use they beak as much as they do their feet if not more, so at some point your Bird will try and climb on you or taste you or preen you and it Hurts.

I don't want to scare you off macaws, I love them and I don't think there is a greater pet out there(and I have quite a few) but these rescue organizations are overrun with unwanted and abused Birds, as well as Birds that the owners just could not handle and this is because no one tells the down side to these Wonderful pets, As a parrot owner there are certain things you have to live with and either you learn to love it or you get frustrated and your Bird ends up rehomed.

Please do not in anyway take this as me telling you not to get a Macaw, just make sure you are really Okay with everything owning one intails, and Find a good Breeder that will let you handle various kinds of Birds, Find the Kind you feel most comfortable with and then go from there, If you are fully know what is to be expected than you and your bird will have a much more enjoyable life.

[darkmage3]

Thanks for all your info. To ask some of the questions, we currently have a yellow-sided GC conure, she is great and is our first bird. We have had her for over a year. We chose her because of her temperment and it was the right choice as it has been a great experience for the whole family, even my wife who really didn't want a bird. But now that we know what is required, and how much fun they are, I want to get a larger bird that has a better chance of talking along with being friendly and handleable. This bird would be mine as opposed the GC which has really turned out to be my daughters.

I have read that you need to be firm, and not shy away from a macaw, but the funny thing for me is that is all i read about. And by that I mean, the books say "be firm", "don't let them intimidate you" but I never see any "rules of thumb" or ideas on exactly what I should or should not do. I have been frustrated because everyone always says in regard to biting or bad behavior, don't hit, don't yell, don't do this that or the other thing. So ok, that's great, I get what not to do, but what CAN i do? I can't seem to find answers to that question, and I don't want to get a larger bird, that is more intimidating until I find out those answers. Make sense?

[mmr]

Originally Posted by darkmage3

So ok, that's great, I get what not to do, but what CAN i do? I can't seem to find answers to that question, and I don't want to get a larger bird, that is more intimidating until I find out those answers. Make sense?

Biting, screaming and behavior that is not acceptable you ignore it. Parrots will bite 90% of the time just to get your attention positive or negative. So a yelp, scream, an "ouch" is what they want. If they bite you simply just put them back on their cage with out a word! Screaming is the same thing. If their belly is full and they have had plenty of attention then you ignore it. Eventually they will learn that you won't come runnign over because they are screaming and thus eventually will stop the behavior.

I do want to note that I have a macaw and a U2 and I can assure you that there isn't another bird louder than a macaw. You can't even hear yourself think, so ignoring takes every effort you have!

[SDavid]

"I get what not to do, but what CAN i do? I can't seem to find answers to that question, and I don't want to get a larger bird, "

My best advice because there's no simple answer is to read a book or two on parrot training and behavior.


Don't know if it's been mentioned but have you taken neighbors into consideration. How close are you to them? You may be able to ignore the screaming but will they?

[loyallyroyal]

You might want to take the noise factor and consider your neighbors, you may be able to live with the the screaming and noise but your neighbors, wife and kids might not.

If you are just looking for a larger bird that talks (I'm going to assume you have already gotten the "not all birds talk" spiel) you might want to look at various amazons, african greys, and the eclectus which are all good talkers. Mini macaws might be what you are looking for too Pet Bird Mini Macaw FAQ

Why not take a trip down to your local bird store and play with the diff types of birds? See which ones you like best. Only you can determine what would fit best in your family.

I dont know how old your kids are but you might want to take that into consideration too, along with how comfortable your wife will be handling a bird that size, since from my experience birds are really a family affair.

So do your research, meet tons of birds, talk to lots of breeders, and good luck getting a new bird for your family!

[Irish]

KimM, young hyacinths are much more delicate and prone to higher rates of illness and infant mortality than other macaws. Mikey had several yeast infections (stress-caused, and almost anything can stress a Hy) until he was weaned, and to this day will vomit when he's stressed. I try to keep stressors to a minimum.

His diet is somewhat different than the others'. Hys need higher saturated-fat, lower protein diets than other macaws. So he gets very little in the way of animal protein, and a lot more in the way of expensive in-shell macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, coconut, etc., than the others. Indeed, only he and Arthur can crack the mac nuts. He refuses all carbs, but will eat veggies quite happily.

Mikey needs a very large, strong, Stainless Steel cage, and he goes through a lot of wooden toys. He has an active mind, and loves to work out "puzzles", including breaking things like cage bars if he gets bored. We don't like Mikey Blue to get bored! He is flighted, as all our macaws are, but he prefers to play on the floor, so we have to carefully watch him while he's walkabout to make sure that he doesn't get his huge, curious, destructive beak on anything. He demands more attention than the others, and he is very particular about his friends. Basically, a happy Hy is a healthy Hy. Keeping him happy and healthy just takes a bit more effort (and money) than with the others.