I have a blue and gold macaw. Had him about a year. He's about 3. I adopted him from an owner who could no longer care for him.
He lives in an A&E 4 foot by 4 foot by 6 foot corner cage. I clean the water bowl daily, and feed him the following.
6 nuts in the shell daily (pecans, walnuts, hazels, almonds, and 1 peanut)
Fruits
Veges
Real Oatmeal
Whole wheat bread (in moderation)
Cooked scrambled eggs
Shredded Wheat Spoon sized as treats
Occasional yogurt
Occasional meat (chicken, hamburg,etc) in small quantities.
He hates bird seed, and wastes most parrot mixes, so I've been trying various kinds of raw seeds (pumpkin, pine nuts, soy nuts, sunflower, dried fruits, etc)
None of the usual, poison foods - salt, onion, garlic, coffee, avocado, fruit seeds.
He's out of his cage climbing around cage and perch at least 6 hours a day. Not a lot of natural sunshine in my house.
He shared the house with a Scarlet and an African Grey. They all get along, and their feathers are fine on the same diet and exercise regimen.
In the last four months, his back feathers have become ratty. Fronts fine, no plucking, and no other symptoms. Eats like a truck driver. He molted a bit about a month ago, but has not had a serious feather blow in about six months. He doesn't seem to be chewing, grooming, or doing anything crazy, other than hanging upside down like a bat and swinging from the rope toy hanging from the cage ceiling.
I used to bathe him in a warm shower or by using a spray bottle full of warm water daily in the summer, but was afraid of bathing him in the winter when the house was 68 deg F, so he hasn't had any water on him since September. He does not bathe in his water bowl.
Do I have an issue? Why are is back feathers ratty? Should I be bathing him all winter, and how do I keep him from getting cold? In the mornings, he shivered at 65 deg, but is OK when the temp is 68. I run a humidifier all winter.
Thanks for the advice. He's a great bird, and loves living in his new home.
Emmett
He lives in an A&E 4 foot by 4 foot by 6 foot corner cage. I clean the water bowl daily, and feed him the following.
6 nuts in the shell daily (pecans, walnuts, hazels, almonds, and 1 peanut)
Fruits
Veges
Real Oatmeal
Whole wheat bread (in moderation)
Cooked scrambled eggs
Shredded Wheat Spoon sized as treats
Occasional yogurt
Occasional meat (chicken, hamburg,etc) in small quantities.
He hates bird seed, and wastes most parrot mixes, so I've been trying various kinds of raw seeds (pumpkin, pine nuts, soy nuts, sunflower, dried fruits, etc)
None of the usual, poison foods - salt, onion, garlic, coffee, avocado, fruit seeds.
He's out of his cage climbing around cage and perch at least 6 hours a day. Not a lot of natural sunshine in my house.
He shared the house with a Scarlet and an African Grey. They all get along, and their feathers are fine on the same diet and exercise regimen.
In the last four months, his back feathers have become ratty. Fronts fine, no plucking, and no other symptoms. Eats like a truck driver. He molted a bit about a month ago, but has not had a serious feather blow in about six months. He doesn't seem to be chewing, grooming, or doing anything crazy, other than hanging upside down like a bat and swinging from the rope toy hanging from the cage ceiling.
I used to bathe him in a warm shower or by using a spray bottle full of warm water daily in the summer, but was afraid of bathing him in the winter when the house was 68 deg F, so he hasn't had any water on him since September. He does not bathe in his water bowl.
Do I have an issue? Why are is back feathers ratty? Should I be bathing him all winter, and how do I keep him from getting cold? In the mornings, he shivered at 65 deg, but is OK when the temp is 68. I run a humidifier all winter.
Thanks for the advice. He's a great bird, and loves living in his new home.
Emmett
2 to 3 times a week [maybe ] Molts can last a long time too [I always think they look like hell with that ] I feed my Macaw a 12 bean mix [and other things ] chop mix every other day.Her feathers are brighter since I started [I think its the beans] .
