BTM or Yellow Collared?

[GreatBlue320]

So, I'm driving myself absolutely crazy trying to decide on a new baby for our family.

Seriously, I'm obsessing. Going bonkers!

I think I've narrowed it down to a BTM or Yellow Collared.

I love everything I've read about the BTM. But, I'm so afraid of its size. We had a Black capped conure (she passed away) so moving up to a BTM is a big jump. I live in a house on 2 acres with my husband and 11 year old son so noise isn't an issue. We have space for a big cage, but don't have an extra room to create a dedicated bird room.

Because I'm worried about having a bigger bird, I decided to look at the mini macaws. I want something bigger than the Hahns and read that the Severe can be a one person bird which wouldn't work for our family. I've read really good things about the Yellow Collared and the size is appealing to me.

HELP! Any comments/input/insights on both breeds would be so helpful!

Thanks!

 

[thekarens]

I could be biased....

 

[labell]

Out of those two it would be hands down no contest BTM, however I have never heard of one that didn't try and sometimes succeed in taking their cage apart. If I were you I would also seriously consider a Red Fronted Macaw, little feathered helicopters. Any macaw needs firm loving guidance so I wouldn't let size scare you too much besides the blue throat and the red front are smaller than the big macs, truth be told out of all of them the worst bites I ever got were from the mini's!

 

[thekarens]

Labell gives excellent advice! BTM is the biggest snuggle bunny I've ever met, but on the flip side she has dismantled her cage and daily tries to dismantle everyone else's cage and is a real challenge to keep entertained.

 

[Soaring]

I'm going to side with BTM's but I'm also biased lol
And I strongly agree with thekarens about it being difficult keeping them entertained, since they figure out most foraging toys quickly !

 

[GreatBlue320]

Thanks so much for your input everyone!

Karen - I have to admit that seeing all your posts about Zoe sent my interest in BTMs into full blown love! If you don't mind, may I ask you a few more questions about living with a BTM? As I said, I'm concerned about size - I worry that my house may not be big enough to live comfortably with a bigger bird. Do you have a dedicated "bird room"? How do you travel with Zoe in the car? How has she reacted to new people?

Still interested in hearing from any YCM owners!

 

[thekarens]

She's small, only about 650 grams. Our house is 1600sq ft and we also have 2 sennies, 5 linnies, 50 zillion finches, 3 dogs and a cat. We also have a human child still living at home.

We do not have a bird room. Our birds (aside from the finches) live in the living room so they can be in on all the action.

Zoe rides in a small dog crate in the car that has to be replaced soon because she's dismantled that too. I can't stress enough how much she likes to take things apart.

Zoe loves people, but she's a typical mac in that if you're not confident she will know it and act accordingly by trying to scare the snot out of you and giving you a good pinch. When we take her to the vet or the shop where we got her everyone handles her with no problem, but our son is afraid of her and she purposely flies at him when he's in the room and the few times she's landed on him she's pinched him and given him a bruise.

 

[thekarens]

One thing you also want to think about is you cannot buy a BTM out of state. You'll have to find a breeder in your state.

PS my partner used to have an illigers, which is similar to ycm. They are also great birds, fun, playful, decent talkers for a mac, but not as snuggly as a BTM.

I'm inclined to agree with Laura though, a red front would be a great choice. They are the smallest of the big macaws, followed by the BTM.

 

[labell]

Okay I snort laughed over the 50 zillion finches!!

 

[Birdman666]

Okay, first of all, one of the easiest macaws to handle by far IF NOT THE EASIEST - BTM!!!

Every single one of these guys I've ever played with has been a HUGE personality mush mac.

I have a red front, and they have a similar personality. Honestly, there isn't a whole lot of personality difference between a red front and a blue throat. These two are the mushiest and easiest of all the macaws to handle.
Hands down. No contest, and that includes Hy Hys...

BUT with ANY mac, even those two... if they sense fear, or learn that they can intimidate you, YOU'RE DONE... handle them confidently, don't jump, and use a firm hand when they act up. Pass that test, the behavior stops. (And there WILL be a test. There always is. It's in their nature.)

 

[Birdman666]

labell gives excellent advice! Btm is the biggest snuggle bunny i've ever met, but on the flip side she has dismantled her cage and daily tries to dismantle everyone else's cage and is a real challenge to keep entertained.

Absolutely true! Most mechanical macaw out there.... And these guys do tend to be velcro birds.

 

[GreatBlue320]

Someone mentioned to me that RFMs are a bit more temperamental than BTMs. Any thoughts?

Of course, I know ALL Macs can be temperamental at times. I mean, who doesn't get temperamental at times?!

 

[thekarens]

Okay I snort laughed over the 50 zillion finches!!

The finches are my partner's birds. Most of them live in my partner's office, except one large cage of africans. I have long since stopped counting or noticing when she comes home with new finches or has babies, though I'm told she has a current clutch of parrot finch babies.

And it is true that even a BTM will test you. Zoe's current thing is to fly to the linnie cage and attempt to dismantle their cage. She knows good and well what she's doing. I can see when she's thinking of flying over there. I will tell her "NO!" and she will look at me and proceed to fly over and then give me "the beak" (wide open beak like she's going to eat me) when I go over to remove her. It's a contest of wills and so far she shows sign of giving up.

Personally, I don't think RFM are tempermental. If you said scarlet or military I'd agree that they can be tempermental. I think the RFMs are very similar to the BTMs.

 

[Birdman666]

Someone mentioned to me that RFMs are a bit more temperamental than BTMs. Any thoughts?

Of course, I know ALL Macs can be temperamental at times. I mean, who doesn't get temperamental at times?!

To me, that would be splitting hairs. These are two of the easiest going macs out there. My zons and my CAG are all WAY more tempermental than any of my macs...

All of my macs have been lap birds.

 

[Birdman666]

ANYONE who knows how to play with a macaw can walk up to Sweepea, beak wrestle with her, and love on her... She may even flop over into a mushy pile of feathers.

My Greenwing will go to anyone. But she's not really gonna be interested in doing that stuff with you until she gets to know you first. You can scratch her head though, or hold her.

And that's kinda the difference. The BTM'S and RFM'S just seem to be a lot more trusting and willing to play than all the others... and they are both considerably smaller than the other large macaws, but considerably larger than most other parrots. So, they really are a nice size.

Personally, you can't go wrong with either one in my opinion!

Just don't expect the cage to stay intact with either one, because they WILL disassemble it!

Sweepea went through a phase where she drove me nuts disconnecting and disassembling things. SHE TOOK APART AN 8 FOOT PLAYSTAND ONCE... Pulled out the supports and brought it crashing down...

 

[GreatBlue320]

Love the photos of your RFM, Birdman! Thanks for posting.

I am such a Macaw person. I love their faces - so expressive.

I think the RFM would be the perfect size for us, but I am just so partial to the BFM.

How does anyone ever make a decision on just ONE bird? I was totally new to birds when I got Taylor (Black Capped Conure) and she was selected without doing much research. I got her for my son, but of course she turned out to be my bird, which was absolutely fine with me.

Now that I know so much more about birds and have done so much more research, I find the decision on one bird to be next to impossible!

Thank you again, everyone, for your responses. They are very much appreciated!

 

[Birdman666]

How does anyone ever make a decision on just ONE bird?

Now that I know so much more about birds and have done so much more research, I find the decision on one bird to be next to impossible!

It's simple really.

I have five birds, and that's down from when I had eleven.

And the last time I bird sat other macaws, my two became jealous and clingy and I had 4 big macs glued to me pretty much all of the time... which meant that I didn't get anything done until their owner came home and took the other two back...

Which reinforced the fact that I need another macaw like I need a hole in my head... even though I still want a BTM as well...

SWEEPEA would disagree, as that bird would cut into HER lap time...

They're kinda insistent on getting their lap time.

Bottom line, you can't really go wrong with a BTM. They're amazing birds.

And RFM's are just as mushy... so there is no WRONG answer here.

 

[thekarens]

And I'd like a RFM, but I'm afraid I'd have the same problem as Mark.

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah. I pretty much learned that I love my flock just the way it is right now.
Everyone is trained up. Everyone behaves. We have the daily routine down pat.

I don't need to disrupt that, or take on any more... I'm happy with it the way it is. Couldn't do without a single one of them either...

 

[Birdman666]

But that's really the thing, with any Mac you take on, they are extremely attention oriented, and it is not optional.

These guys are one step below toos on the interaction scale.