Blue & Gold Macaw

[jce2005]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking into getting a young ( less than a year ) Blue & Gold Macaw.

Unfortunately, I live in a small town in New Mexico and there is no pet store carrying a Macaw.

Does anyone know of a good breeder who has young Macaw's ? Perfect would be in the area of the triangle Amarillo, TX - Clovis, NM - Lubbock, TX.

Also, would not mind a little older Macaw if he/she is hand tame and someone needs a good place for his/her Macaw.

I'd appreciate anything pointing me in the right direction.

Thank you,

JCE

 

[SailBoat]

Lots of people want Macs! The majority are not prepared for the demanding life style and noise (near jet engine) level they are capable of creating. Unless you own your own home and there is really distance between your home and the closest homes as your neighbors will likely not be overly happy. If you live in an apartment, you will not be there for very long!!!

Please take the time to read the Mac Forum and read back several pages!!! The more the better!

There are truly wonderful reason to be owned by a Mac and just as many if not more, not too! You need to determine what they are and how you will handle when every thing goes wrong.

 

[jce2005]

Thanks for your advise, but I am a bird owner for the past 15 years, GCC and Sun Conures, which are also very demanding and can also be very loud. So I am certainly aware of that and that's not a problem. Besides that, I also work with birds of prey.

My problem is, to get a Blue & Gold from an established breeder or from someone who wants to find a good home for his bird for one or the other reason.

So I am still looking.......

 

[Kentuckienne]

Just FYI .... the thing about getting a young bird to bond with us overrated. For one thing, when a Mac hits puberty their personality can change completely. It’s more for being able to teach them to talk and to socialize them properly, but there’s no guarantee a young Mac will ever talk. Macs live a long time, and often wind up in rescues when their owners become unable to care for them. With an older Mac you get a better sense of their real personality and ability to talk or learn. It might take a while to find a rescue near you and get to know their birds, but you have a chance to find a bird that chooses you from the start instead of taking a chance on a random youngster. Older Macs can be just as loving and mushy as any baby.

In the Mac forum look for all the posts by Birdman666 and read them. His advice is worth gold.

 

[SailBoat]

I believe that my comments are well needed as Mac's tend to be the most common Parrot left at rescues because their owners, yes even those who have had Parrots for years are unprepared.

I fully agree with the above Post that individuals are far better considering an older Adult Mac. In addition, allow the Mac to choose you is a very important part of this process.

There are very large parts of North America in which it is a very long distance between source for larger Parrots. That also means that those areas are a very long distance from Avian Vet care and that should also come into your considerations.

 

[Kiwibird]

Are there any avian rescues within a few hours drive of you? Most will adopt out to people who live within a reasonable driving distance and will work with you. Of course, they also typically require you to take a class (or classes) on parrot care, make multiple visits and do a home check. But they also have experience matching individuals with the right bird and are generally overflowing with birds, especially large macaws. I would definitely look into it! No local store where we lived in rural Arizona sold amazons, but by contacting a rescue in a major city about 3.5 hours away, we were able to find our bird (after jumping through some understandable hoops)

 

[chris-md]

Thanks for your advise, but I am a bird owner for the past 15 years, GCC and Sun Conures, which are also very demanding and can also be very loud.

Sailboat is absolutely correct. Please take heed of his advise. Please don’t think owning some conures is in any way comparable to owning a macaw.

It’s not.

Conures are nowhere as demanding in their care as macaws are. And nowhere near as loud. Macaw calls are designed to be heard miles away. Conures, not so much.

When an angry conure attacks you, they are easy to subdue. What are you going to do when a giant hormonal female capable of cracking a walnut is lunging at your fingers intent on sending you to the ER? Conures don’t prep you for that.

It’s just a warning. We aren’t saying you’re not ready, only you know that, since it’s partly a mental state. But citing conure experience as to why you think you’re prepared for large macaws isn’t going to convince anyone.

 

[Doctress]

Thanks for your advise, but I am a bird owner for the past 15 years, GCC and Sun Conures, which are also very demanding and can also be very loud. So I am certainly aware of that and that's not a problem. Besides that, I also work with birds of prey.

I think knowing how to respectfully work with birds designed to rip flesh from bone can prepare one for a hormonal hookbill...

No one wants to see unprepared bird owners surrender their macaws, but not everyone is unprepared! Most folks don't have macaw experience until they've had a macaw. Commitment to the bird, despite behavioral issues, and being willing to work through them for a close bond is important.

Seems like JCE is looking more for advice on where to get a macaw, not if they should get one.

I had the same dilemma when looking for a new bird after my Severe died. I found a bird rescue about 3 hrs away with a variety of large and small parrots and macaws for adoption. The rescue gave the birds full examinations, ran bloodwork, and quarantined them to make sure they were disease-free. I also got a report from the owner about the bird, his likes/dislikes, and his diet. That would be a good option- I think there are some rescues in Texas.

 

[SailBoat]

Okay, now moving as a group back to a search for a Mac. Start with a Web Search for: Looking for Parrot Rescues near Amarillo, TX

Insert the other two cities!

Best of Luck on your Search.

 

[chris-md]

Doctress, for perspective I recommend you checking out this thread.

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/...d-yourself-discouraging-parrot-ownership.html

 

[DiscoDuck]

Thanks for your advise, but I am a bird owner for the past 15 years, GCC and Sun Conures, which are also very demanding and can also be very loud. So I am certainly aware of that and that's not a problem. Besides that, I also work with birds of prey.

I think knowing how to respectfully work with birds designed to rip flesh from bone can prepare one for a hormonal hookbill...

No one wants to see unprepared bird owners surrender their macaws, but not everyone is unprepared! Most folks don't have macaw experience until they've had a macaw. Commitment to the bird, despite behavioral issues, and being willing to work through them for a close bond is important.

Seems like JCE is looking more for advice on where to get a macaw, not if they should get one.

I had the same dilemma when looking for a new bird after my Severe died. I found a bird rescue about 3 hrs away with a variety of large and small parrots and macaws for adoption. The rescue gave the birds full examinations, ran bloodwork, and quarantined them to make sure they were disease-free. I also got a report from the owner about the bird, his likes/dislikes, and his diet. That would be a good option- I think there are some rescues in Texas.

IMO your post is sound. There re not many here who will post the way I do.

Interesting anecdote re BOP's..... I have started venturing in the opposite direction of yours in that I want to get a GPS Falconry transmitter fitted onto my macaw . anyways....

I think if I were in your shoes, I would go directly to a breeder then have the bird shipped to you. Afterall.... if you spread the cost over their longevity, these birds are practically free!

 

[EllenD]

I'll put my two-cents in here only because I have been an owner and breeder of Budgies, Cockatiels, a Quaker, Green Cheek Conures, Sun Conures, and a Senegal Parrot...30 years worth, and I grew-up in a bird-breeding family (small to medium parrots as stated)...AND I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF AT ALL READY TO OWN A MACAW, COCKATOO, AFRICAN GREY, ETC. I WOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER THINK THAT I AM READY BASED ON MY 30 YEARS OF OWNING AND BREEDING SMALL TO MEDIUM BIRDS!!! Owning a Macaw is very much the equivalent of owning a 4-5 year old HUMAN TODDLER FOR LIFE! Please do not think that you have any idea what owning a Macaw is like based on owning small to medium parrots like conures for 15 years, because you're going to get a very rude awakening after the initial "honeymoon period" ends, THUS THE REASON THAT IF YOU CHECK YOUR LOCAL CRAIGSLIST RIGHT NOW, search within 100 miles, and I'm willing to be you will find dozens of Macaws, Greys, Cockatoos, and Amazons that are needing to be re-homed...

Now that I've said my peace on that...Have you looked on Craigslist? You can search up to 200 miles out on Craigslist, and again, you'll no-doubt find dozens of Macaws who need a loving, stable home badly...and soon. Some will be sweethearts that are very tame and cuddly, some will have behavior issues, and some you won't be able to even approach or go near...but they need a loving, stable home...

The only other advise I can give, if you absolutely must have a baby Macaw, is to search on BirdBreeders.com - Bird Breeders Directory of Availability and Parrot Breeders or www.birdsnow.com as both private breeders and bird shops who breed their own babies advertise on these sites regularly...

 

[eagle18]

When I wanted a cockatoo I would just google cockatoo breeders and put St. Louis in. You shouldn't have a hard time.

It sounds like you have a lot of bird experience and should make a great macaw parent. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[eagle18]

Thanks for your advise, but I am a bird owner for the past 15 years, GCC and Sun Conures, which are also very demanding and can also be very loud. So I am certainly aware of that and that's not a problem. Besides that, I also work with birds of prey.

I think knowing how to respectfully work with birds designed to rip flesh from bone can prepare one for a hormonal hookbill...

No one wants to see unprepared bird owners surrender their macaws, but not everyone is unprepared! Most folks don't have macaw experience until they've had a macaw. Commitment to the bird, despite behavioral issues, and being willing to work through them for a close bond is important.

Seems like JCE is looking more for advice on where to get a macaw, not if they should get one.

I had the same dilemma when looking for a new bird after my Severe died. I found a bird rescue about 3 hrs away with a variety of large and small parrots and macaws for adoption. The rescue gave the birds full examinations, ran bloodwork, and quarantined them to make sure they were disease-free. I also got a report from the owner about the bird, his likes/dislikes, and his diet. That would be a good option- I think there are some rescues in Texas.

IMO your post is sound. There re not many here who will post the way I do.

Interesting anecdote re BOP's..... I have started venturing in the opposite direction of yours in that I want to get a GPS Falconry transmitter fitted onto my macaw . anyways....

I think if I were in your shoes, I would go directly to a breeder then have the bird shipped to you. Afterall.... if you spread the cost over their longevity, these birds are practically free!

I agree the op sounds like they will make a great macaw parent.

 

[itzjbean]

Here are some excellent resources...

Bird Breeders .com

Hoobly -- where I got my cockatiels

Also consider JC Aviary - they're in Texas and have beautiful birds.

 

[eagle18]

Lots of people want Macs! The majority are not prepared for the demanding life style and noise (near jet engine) level they are capable of creating. Unless you own your own home and there is really distance between your home and the closest homes as your neighbors will likely not be overly happy. If you live in an apartment, you will not be there for very long!!!

Please take the time to read the Mac Forum and read back several pages!!! The more the better!

There are truly wonderful reason to be owned by a Mac and just as many if not more, not too! You need to determine what they are and how you will handle when every thing goes wrong.