Could i get opinoins on macaws as pets please?

Our clinic has a Scarlet Macaw, African Gray and Yellow headed something (cant rememebr right now)

All were dumps because of various issue (screamer, health problems, and owner went into hospice)

The Macaw screams if he doesnt get attention and even when he does. He makes a huge amount of mess (can we say projectile poop). and destroys things not stop. He say Hello and refuses to learn his name (Big Bird). While he is beatuful, he is a pill

They live a huge amount of time and require a devoted owner who has the time, engery, money, and space for them.

 

Start with a baby, need very large cages. they also can get mean at 5 yr when ready to breed. most will bond to a man or woman, but not both.

 

My neighbor has one who is about 13 years old, and yes they do take a lot of time and $$, but she is as sweet as can be. Just like with any other animal, personality depends a lot on the individual, and less on the breed.

 

Check out phoenixlanding.org. They are a non-profit parrot rescue. Their main mission is education and you can find all you need to know on their website.

 

adult bird can have 'issues'. in any event the parrots need attention as they have a high level of intellegence. my cockatoo is a sweatheat but i wish i had more time to spend with him. some breeds are not as forgiving. mine has lately chosen me as the preffered provider over my wife. it happens. there was a macaw that a friend / pet store owner had that would bite about anyone that came near her but me and the owner. she liked men and that was all there was too it. i missed out on that bird and still regret it. you need to understand that these birds are on another level and must have personal attention. some say they are at the level of a four year old child.

 

I've owned greenwing macaws. Unless you are incredibly lucky, get a baby, if you have to have a large parrot. The Green Wings are the more mild (and largest) of the macaws.

You will have to alter your life quite a bit if you get a bird. Cages must be hospital cleaned every day or you risk illness. The birds do not easily show illness, they normally just die. It's horrible.

They are noisy, need LOTS of attention, usually are one person, or one sex birds. You need to feed them a wide variety of expensive fresh food, in addition to their packaged feed.

You cannot use scented candles or many different aerosol cleaning agents or risk killing the bird. If you, in error, allow a Teflon-coated pan to remain on the stove and it smokes, you can kill the burn. Self-cleaning ovens can kill the bird.....

A macaw sized cage that is bird-safe runs around $1200 plus. The bird is usually around $3500. Vet visits...gotta make sure the bird stays healthy or you can get germs from the bird.

They are fun and beautiful and they can amaze you, but they are messy, messy, messy. PLUS, I have a part of my finger missing because my rescue greenwing, who hated men, decided to come to me and when I moved my left hand, he thought I was my husband and attacked me. BIG BEAK..lots of damage.

Despite all of this, I just LOVE these birds, but I am not willing to do all of the cleaning necessary to keep them.

 

As much as I think macaws are wonderful birds I would not own one, unless it was one of the mini macaws. To be honest they are just to big for most people and need a huge cage.

If you feel they are right for you then go for it, but you need room for the cage and a lot of time for the bird. You must also remember that macaws have a life span of people and probably will outlive you.

We have three parrots and we love them but two are small to medium and one is medium sized. They all have long lifespans but not as long as the macaw. You should also consider the traits you are looking for in a bird. Maybe write down the traits first then find the bird that best fits those traits.

 

my dad has a blue and gold macaw, has had sam for about 22 years. he talks, and laughs, he is part of the family. he is potty trained, only goes in his cage, he will run across the room and climb up on his cage to potty!
you have to be careful on clipping wings, one mistake and the bird can bleed to death.
you need to handle the bird a lot, when my dad first got sam, we were around a lot and my brother and I always handled sam, he would lay on his back in our hands, climb up our arms and give us kisses. sam loves my daughter and even if he hasn't seen her for over a year, or 2, he still remembers her. he will go right to her, and blush, and make little baby noises, cuddle!
sam eats what my dad eats, and he gets his veggies every day, clean fresh water always, nuts, he will even eat the marrow out of a chicken leg, that is funny seeing the bird eating a bird leg bone!!
also macaws live a long time, my dad is leaving sam to my daughter in his will, if you get a bird, it is a lifelong committment.
they will bond with your family if you work with them and love them.
my daughter and sam