It's nice to see people who are genuinely concerned with what's best for their birds! My parents began taking in abused parrots and rehoming them when I was a junior in high school. 5 years later, they are about to buy their SECOND hyacinth macaw. 
We found our first hyacinth about a year and a half ago. She is only 3 years old, and I like to call her my big blue baby. She's sweet, a serious cuddler, and like all macaws can be cranky and difficult to deal with at times.
But...She is a feather picker. I don't think my parents are concerned about her feather picking from an aesthetic standpoint, since it started long before they decided she was the "one". I go to MSU and go back and fourth frequently between my parents house, which gives me the opportunity to see that the picking has gotten worse. It could be because the winter has been particularly harsh this year and it is very dry. Her diet mainly consists of in-shell brazil nuts, macadamias, walnuts, as well as palm nuts (which she struggles with). My parents have taken her to an avian vet several times and tried a million different strategies to deter the picking, all to no avail.
The new member of the family is a 28-year old female, Heidi, who has been passed around from home to home due primarily to the fact it takes her a long time to warm up to people. Consequently, she has been living in a pet store on and off for a couple of years. She isn't aggressive, just shy.
I'm just looking to get some good advice on how to smooth over this potentially stressful transition. I believe that no matter how the two of them get along, Heidi will not be returned to the pet store, but it would be nice if they did!
We found our first hyacinth about a year and a half ago. She is only 3 years old, and I like to call her my big blue baby. She's sweet, a serious cuddler, and like all macaws can be cranky and difficult to deal with at times.
But...She is a feather picker. I don't think my parents are concerned about her feather picking from an aesthetic standpoint, since it started long before they decided she was the "one". I go to MSU and go back and fourth frequently between my parents house, which gives me the opportunity to see that the picking has gotten worse. It could be because the winter has been particularly harsh this year and it is very dry. Her diet mainly consists of in-shell brazil nuts, macadamias, walnuts, as well as palm nuts (which she struggles with). My parents have taken her to an avian vet several times and tried a million different strategies to deter the picking, all to no avail.
The new member of the family is a 28-year old female, Heidi, who has been passed around from home to home due primarily to the fact it takes her a long time to warm up to people. Consequently, she has been living in a pet store on and off for a couple of years. She isn't aggressive, just shy.
I'm just looking to get some good advice on how to smooth over this potentially stressful transition. I believe that no matter how the two of them get along, Heidi will not be returned to the pet store, but it would be nice if they did!
Good luck!
