My little darlings

[ibkittykat]

Hi all. I am new to this board, and would like a little advice if possible. I agreed to babysit 2 baby macaws while a lady I know went on a cruise. Mind you, she doesn't know much about birds, and has for a while now gone on a bird binge, if you will, buying birds up, kinda like hoarding them. Well she got a pair of macaws, and with them came eggs. Well they hatched. Of course I would want to help, I have raised straight billed birds, but I know hook billed is very different. Anyway, now that I am attached to the babies, she said I could keep one for watching them, but I don't want to seperate them, nor do I want them to go back to her house, because she has a dog that will kill them, he has killed 1 bird already,a nd one bird I suspect that he killed. She doesn't know how to feed them properly so the formula will not go in air pipes, and told me they would be warm enough in an incubator turned off. I knew that was not right, nor could I keep them in the incubator because they were burning thier heads on the heating element. I am doing a great job on the babies, and see no reason to change now. They are happy in thier brooder, and doing well. What do you think? Lying to her is not something I want to do. Thanks, Racheal

[MicahEspudo]

make an offer on the other one!

[ibkittykat]

Awww heck, I never thought of that. DUH!!! But I am pretty sure she wants the bird. We shall see tomorrow, BUt I will certainlyh do that. thanks.

[ReneeE]

What you need to do is show her everything that must be done for these babies.

Have her come over to your house and have everything out that will be needed. Have a very detailed (the more detail the better) booklet that you have written up with step by step instructions. Demonstrate every step that needs to be done on the one baby and then have her to do all that with the second one while you stand there and watch every move. Explain what needs to be watched for and what happens if she doesn't do things right, a dead baby.

Once she realizes that it is a lot more work than she anticipated and can see that it is not something that she wants to be 'Bothered' with, hopefully, she will be more than willing to work out a deal for that second baby.