A Macaw?!

[Peskypigeon]

How exciting!
I always thought it would be fun to get a macaw when my kids grow up. I love birds. My daughter has a green cheek that is so sweet. My husband got him from a pet store out east. He was not tame at all, but my daughter is very patient. It only took a day or two before she won him over. Lol

I can’t wait to see pictures of your new baby!

Birds are always so rewarding when you give them the time and effort!

 

[Quailobsessed]

I haven't owned a macaw but I've had experience with other parrots from budgies to princess parrots to cockatoos (namely galahs).
Might I ask what diet you're going to feed your macaw? This is one of the most important steps one must get right to have a good life with their bird. A good diet can even fix and prevent many behavioural issues in parrots.

 

[Peskypigeon]

I haven't owned a macaw but I've had experience with other parrots from budgies to princess parrots to cockatoos (namely galahs).
Might I ask what diet you're going to feed your macaw? This is one of the most important steps one must get right to have a good life with their bird. A good diet can even fix and prevent many behavioural issues in parrots.

Roughly 30% fresh fruit and vegetables (if it’s different than my Ekkie, I’ll have to collect the list that says what they can eat) with 70% of Kaytee pellets. I might switch brands if I find something better, but my doves eat a mix of that brand and another brand, and I do like their reviews/ingredients. I know he only gets nuts as treats, but never peanuts, and of course the known things like sweets, avocado, and anything too fatty.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Roughly 30% fresh fruit and vegetables (if it’s different than my Ekkie, I’ll have to collect the list that says what they can eat) with 70% of Kaytee pellets. I might switch brands if I find something better, but my doves eat a mix of that brand and another brand, and I do like their reviews/ingredients. I know he only gets nuts as treats, but never peanuts, and of course the known things like sweets, avocado, and anything too fatty.

Vegetables should be the main component of a bird's diet. I give my birds a veggie chop for breakfast and provide pellets in the afternoon to fill in any gaps in the diet from the veggie mix. Fruit is not good for them in excess because of its high sugar content so I would suggest to save fruit for treats along with nuts and seeds.

I haven't heard of kaytee pellets before, but I did a google search on them. Do you feed the coloured pellets? Coloured pellets aren't good for birds because they have added sugar and artificial colours in them. I don't want to force anything on you, but if you wanted to consider a new pellet brand, I'd be happy to provide you with some good ones or what to look for in a brand.

I don't mean for any of this to come out as overly picky. Diets are so important to a bird's health so getting it right is key to a good relationship. This is why I try to share all the research I've done with others. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Peskypigeon]

Vegetables should be the main component of a bird's diet. I give my birds a veggie chop for breakfast and provide pellets in the afternoon to fill in any gaps in the diet from the veggie mix. Fruit is not good for them in excess because of its high sugar content so I would suggest to save fruit for treats along with nuts and seeds.

I haven't heard of kaytee pellets before, but I did a google search on them. Do you feed the coloured pellets? Coloured pellets aren't good for birds because they have added sugar and artificial colours in them. I don't want to force anything on you, but if you wanted to consider a new pellet brand, I'd be happy to provide you with some good ones or what to look for in a brand.

I don't mean for any of this to come out as overly picky. Diets are so important to a bird's health so getting it right is key to a good relationship. This is why I try to share all the research I've done with others. Hope this is helpful.

I’m happy to hear your recommendations. I know I have very nit-picky breeders that get on me for everything as though they’ll scare me away. I adore and pride myself in giving the best domestic life for my animals, so I do want to hear what everyone may have to offer as how to give them just that. Especially since someone said his cousin’s cockatoo only lived until 28.

 

[Quailobsessed]

I’m happy to hear your recommendations. I know I have very nit-picky breeders that get on me for everything as though they’ll scare me away. I adore and pride myself in giving the best domestic life for my animals, so I do want to hear what everyone may have to offer as how to give them just that. Especially since someone said his cousin’s cockatoo only lived until 28.

I've gotten a lot of feeding advice from Birdtricks. They have very good resources that have greatly improved my parrots' lives. If you haven't heard of them, here's the links to their website and youtube channel:
https://birdtricksstore.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/BirdTricks

For veggies, I make a chop with different veggies and other grains. I got the recipe from the birdtricks website, they have a feeding course of three cookbooks which have some really good info on feeding and preventing diet-related illnesses. I wouldn't push you to buy it, but if you wanted extra info, I'd totally recommend it. Here's the link if you're curious:
https://birdtricksstore.com/collections/main-store/products/natural-feeding-system-digital-download
(there's also a hardcopy of it available, though I bought the digital because it's cheaper)

If you weren't to get the cookbook, you can still make a veggie chop with a variety of vegetables and grains. I make large batches and freeze it, making it really easy to make and feed.
Here's the chop I make:

For pellets, I did a lot of research when I was trying to find a good brand for my galahs. Most brands aren't that great. Coloured pellets, as I mentioned before, are no good. Most pellets are made with cheap filler ingredients like corn or wheat. Many are also added with unnecessary added vitamins and minerals, which they already get if they eat veggies. Giving them too much artificial vitamins can lead to hypervitaminosis.
Good pellets should also be cold pressed, rather than baked and extruded. By baking them, all the nutritional value of the ingredients is destroyed.

I have only found two brands I really like. These are birdtricks organic pellets and TOP's parrot pellets.
Neither of these brands I am able to acquire in Australia at the moment. The birdtricks pellets only ship in the USA, and TOP's which does ship internationally, are currently out of stock at the only place they are available here. I feed a pellet brand that I am not as happy with, but they are cold pressed so I manage with them until I can get TOP's.

Are you in the US? If so, either brand should be available.

Here are the links if you want to check them out:
https://birdtricksstore.com/collections/health-and-diet
https://topsparrotfood.com/collections/organic-pellets

I hope this info is helpful. Again, I'm not pushing you to buy or do any specific thing I've suggested, but this is what I've found to be the best captive diet for parrots based on my own research. I'm really encouraged by your eagerness to listen to people's advice, your beautiful macaw will be in good hands

 

[LittleFalcon]

He’s still just a baby (four months, not yet weaned because he’s a brat), so he’s a bit awkward looking. But his name is Asrael!

Omg, I love him! I used to have an eclectus named Korky, sweetest little thing! He called me mama and knew how to get in and out of his cage. I miss the lil baby...

 

[Peskypigeon]

Pictures of the ugly little baby. We’ll know the sex by the end of next week.

 

[black_cat]

Pictures of the ugly little baby. We’ll know the sex by the end of next week.

Ugly but still adorable! It's going to be so cool for you to be able to see updates as the feathers grow in and you can see the colors.

 

[tripletfeb]

There is something so grossly adorable about baby birds when they don't have their feathers yet! They are like the ugly duckling, ugly at birth but then the feathers start to come in. You can see the potential! Then they are fully feathered and gorgeous! Have fun with your new little one! Keep posting pictures of him/her please