Ok, here's a (not so) quick run down:
I recently adopted 2 macaws through the bird society of which I am a board member. They were not placed with me as rescues, but as voluntary rehomes. The original owners were no longer able to care for them due to health issues, yadda yadda yadda. These birds, though loved, were a bit mistreated. They have come around beautifully. I can now handle them fairly safely and Zazu is allowing some of his feathers to grow back (he plucked himself moderatly). I got some interesting feedback as to what probably caused his phsycological problems and we have got those issues reversing themselves nicely. (It will make an interesting educational post for another thread). Anyway. The club that placed them with me is trying to get me to place these birds in a breeding program. Ok, here is my dilema:
1) if these birds had to be rehomed, what's to say that there are enough homes for the offspring,
2) breeding them would require me to acquire two more birds as they are not the same species (one's a Greenwing, the other a Blue and Gold), I am so not made of money lol,
3) breeding is such a massive undertaking, time wise, money wise, etc - again, not made of money and I'm a divorced mom of 2 teenagers who does not get child support, and,
4) I am being selfish here, I have wanted a pet macaw since I was a little girl centuries ago (it seems). I picked these birds up on my birthday last year. Seems like that was fate's way of letting me know that I waited long enough and I finally get to realize a dream. Breeding them would make them unsuitable as hands on pets as they would bond with their mates and more than likely become aggressive toward everyone else - myself included.
I was told that breeding them is wise since they are endangered species. I do not see how breeding these birds would improve the chances of their wild counterparts. I can see where it could place even more strain on an already overpopulated pet situation.
Am I missing the point here?
What do you honestly think?
I want to do the right thing.
These are handfed babies that would not be eligible for release into the wild.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I recently adopted 2 macaws through the bird society of which I am a board member. They were not placed with me as rescues, but as voluntary rehomes. The original owners were no longer able to care for them due to health issues, yadda yadda yadda. These birds, though loved, were a bit mistreated. They have come around beautifully. I can now handle them fairly safely and Zazu is allowing some of his feathers to grow back (he plucked himself moderatly). I got some interesting feedback as to what probably caused his phsycological problems and we have got those issues reversing themselves nicely. (It will make an interesting educational post for another thread). Anyway. The club that placed them with me is trying to get me to place these birds in a breeding program. Ok, here is my dilema:
1) if these birds had to be rehomed, what's to say that there are enough homes for the offspring,
2) breeding them would require me to acquire two more birds as they are not the same species (one's a Greenwing, the other a Blue and Gold), I am so not made of money lol,
3) breeding is such a massive undertaking, time wise, money wise, etc - again, not made of money and I'm a divorced mom of 2 teenagers who does not get child support, and,
4) I am being selfish here, I have wanted a pet macaw since I was a little girl centuries ago (it seems). I picked these birds up on my birthday last year. Seems like that was fate's way of letting me know that I waited long enough and I finally get to realize a dream. Breeding them would make them unsuitable as hands on pets as they would bond with their mates and more than likely become aggressive toward everyone else - myself included.
I was told that breeding them is wise since they are endangered species. I do not see how breeding these birds would improve the chances of their wild counterparts. I can see where it could place even more strain on an already overpopulated pet situation.
Am I missing the point here?
What do you honestly think?
I want to do the right thing.
These are handfed babies that would not be eligible for release into the wild.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
