Could i get opinoins on macaws as pets please?

[deerman]

Would be best to start with greys or amazon to see if you like the bigger birds, these are also the best talkers.

 

[Calebs Acre]

Sam is gorgeous!! You guys did it right...spent the time and effort on a consistent basis! Congratulations! So great to see!!!

 

[ninny]

All that is great to know! Thanks! I have always dreamed of having one and two of my dogs are 13 now so i thought i would start researching now. As i would like to get one when they pass.


I am gonna to try and visit as many macaws as possible before i make a descion.

I didn't know about all the cleaning though. I was planing on doing talks at schools. If i got a baby and socialized the snot out of it would it still only like one person? If it talked that would just be a bonus.

Do they need shots like dogs?

My biggest concern is how are they with kids? We don't have kids yet and i wouldn't want to rehome the bird because of something i should have know.

Could i get info on scarlets?

Is screaming in birds like barking in dogs? A behavior that can be channel into other things or turned on or off? ( the speak and quiet command)

Sorry im asking a lot of questions but i need to do this right. I will not screw up some poor birds life cause of my stupidity.

Im only 22 so i think i would out live the bird ( i hope).



Sam is just awesome!

 

[mwdh1]

I would say, find a good avian vet in your area, any try to schedule a time to talk with them about the macaw. most expirienced vets have seen just about everything and would be willing to share expiriences with you.

 

[zatsdeb]

if you go to youtube.com and type in talking macaws you will find lots of videos of macaws, I was watching them and they were pretty cool.
I know sam laughs and then we laugh, and then he laughs again... its so funny. he says bye bye when you grab your coat. he says, buster... woof woof, a dog I had when my kids were young, my mom used to tell him Debbie and the kids are coming, and sam would say.. buster woof woof, and she would say yes, buster too! they say birds arn't smart that they just repeat words, but I think they are wrong. sam plays peek a boo, when we cover his cage at night, he goes to the bottom and sticks his head down where he can see us, and says "peek a boo" and then hides, and keeps doing it. it is funny!!!!
as far as I know, you don't give birds shots. just make sure they eat lots of good food, you have to trim their toenails, and clip their wings if you don't want them to fly away

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I work at a parrot sanctuary and we have a couple of macaws. There is a greenwing named Jazz (The bird in my profile picture), a year old blue and gold named Meadow, and a scarlet who is creatively named Scarlet.

I've been able to hold Jazz a few times, but I still don't trust her. Her idea of playing is grabbing your hand and biting as hard as she can! She's tricky about it too. Sometimes she'll be as sweet as pie and other times she will try to grab me. Meadow is as sweet as can be, but it took her a little while to get used to me so that I could hold her. Now she will let me do anything. It was hard for me to trust her though. Those beaks are BIG! However, Meadow turned out to be just a big sweety. Scarlet was ok when we brought her to the sanctuary and now I wouldn't trust her at all. We used to be able to take her out and put her with the other macaws but once she felt comfortable in her surroundings she starting biting.

The cleaning can get to be a lot, but with just one bird it wouldn't be as bad. It takes me about three hours to clean the sanctuary and we have about 40 birds. One bird would probably take about a half hour daily to clean, feed, and water. However, that's just the very basic care. They also need to be held and given tons of attention and many people will even steam veggies and cook for their birds (Things like noodles, rice, and even birdie bread)

Macaws are also very, very messy. A parrot is like having ten ducks in a very confined place...except these ducks will destroy everything they come in contact with! Be prepared for chewed walls and molding, thrown food, shooting poop, and knocked water bowls! Its amazing the mess these birds can make sometimes...even the small ones!

Even though these birds can be messy and sometimes unpredictable, I still love them to death and so do so many others. They can be a real joy to have around. My BEST advice is to try and volunteer a few hours at a bird sanctuary. Most parrot people are very friendly and more then willing to help you out. You may even find a potential bird to adopt through one of these sanctuaries. There's nothing better than getting to know a bird before you adopt....and I mention adopt because I don't really believ ein purchasing a bird when there are so many great ones out there looking for homes. Not all birds who are up for adoption have been abused or are mean and dangerous. Of course, if you are looking for something super specific sometimes the only way to get it is to buy it. Just be sure you are ready for such a commitment.

Oh, did I mention that macaws are incredibly LOUD? Not quite as loud and obnoxious as some cockatoos I've known, but boy can they scream! A macaw's scream is actually louder (decible wise) than the approved military jet engine. That is a very LOUD sound and there's not much you can do other than put up with it. A good pair of ear plugs is a nice investment when you have a macaw!

As far as doing presentations with the bird - I think it is definitely possible. The lady I work for brings Meadow to "show off" for the sanctuary at different events. The only thing we are adamant about is not letting people touch or hold the bird. Even if you have the sweetest bird ever, there's no telling how they will act around someone else or under different circumstances. All it takes is one quick nip for a child to lose a finger or two. However, people can enjoy the birds just as much without holding or touching them. Its also a good idea for the health and safety of your bird because there's no telling how some people will act when the bird does somethign they don't expect. I know a lot of the birds where I work are very mouthy. I am not afraid to put my fingers in their mouths, but others may flip out and throw the bird if it tried to put its mouth on their hand!

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions! I can easily ask the lady I work for if I don't know the answers to something.

 

[Foxhound lady]

Our Scarlett's scream can be heard next door and from the parking lot if that helps.

They dont really need shots per say but wing/beak/nails trims need to happen freq.

I will say this most macaws are smarter then dogs they have the thinking capacity of a three year old if that helps.

Ours get fresh fruits and veggies everyday along with and organic bird food and fresh water daily. They live in what I would call palaces and come out an hang out on the big free standing perches (those cost quite a bit too) to socialize almost daily.

 

[ninny]

You guys are the best! There is rescue that i could try and visit. Good idea.

I am glad i can do the talks!

Chickerdoodle13 thanks for all the good advice!

Are there any good up to date books out right now?

Are scarlets as nippy as they say?

 

[ninny]

Quote:
Thank you for sharing! Can you just sit on the couch and hang out with yours? Would it be possible to build what they need cheaper?

 

[deerman]

You are only 22, well Macaws live longer than people, so if you get a baby macaw odds are they would out live you.

Would never trust any of my big parrots around a small child alone.
Even a tame one may bite if spook. And a bird that size could take off a finger.

My birds do well with my grandkids, but I know when they get upset. So I am alway near.