How do I tell if she is Healthy before adopting?

[victoria]

I am prospectively adopting a one year old blue and gold macaw in the next few days. I am getting her from a person, and not a rescue or pet store or breeder. I just need to know how to tell if she is healthy before I get her?

They say that the only reason they are giving her up is because they dont have time for her and want her to have a good home where she will get the attention she needs, which she will get from me. The thing that concerns me is that they are only asking $250 for her with her cage.

I went and met the bird "Ellie" and she was super sweet, she asked me "whats up" and held my hand, she nodded up and down a lot like she was dancing with me. She was a little timid about getting up on my hand or arm but did get on my hand for a few seconds.

They say she just molted, and her feathers did look a little rough but not too bad, her tail feathers had a slight curl upwards in them. Is that normal?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I am a total newbie with macaws.

 

[SailBoat]

Welcome to the Parrots Forums!

Please take the time to read anything by BirdMan666 including the First Thread (highlighted in light blue) in the MAC Forums.

Does the current owner's have a Avian Vet that their MAC has been seen by at least once? If so, get the name of the Avian Vet and set-up to have the MAC seen within hours, but not more than a couple of days of your buying the MAC.

Did the current owner's have the MAC micro chipped?

What are the current owner's feeding this MAC and as important what is the MAC eating?

While you where visiting this family did any of them interact with the MAC? If so, what was the reaction of the MAC?

Does the current Owner's have the paperwork from their purchase of this MAC?

With a 'real' one year old, there are not many health problems, short abuse.

Pictures would have been very helpful. Close-up of face, feet, general angles of the MAC.

Have a couple of sizeable male friends with you when you pick-up the MAC.

 

[Loko]

Theres only so much you can tell from seeing the bird, feathers being one of them. You should also check to see if she is over/underweight, and if possible see what diet they have been feeding her. Regardless though, as soon as you adopt her bring her to an avian vet for a check up to make sure she doesnt have any infections or disease as well as to let the vet tell you anything he or she thinks would be helpful for the bird (they may recommend a specific diet or supplement in the beginning if anything is off). With time, love and patience though, if she isnt so healthy now, you can easily change that and give her a new healthy start to life.a common cause to rough looking feathers is diet (though there are many other possibilities), and Ive seen birds go from looking rough and disheveled to near perfect in a short amount of time just because of a new healthy diet.
As for the price, since youve seem the bird and therefore know its not a total scam, they may genuinely just want the bird to be somewhere else where it will be loved, or they could be short on cash, it could be stolen, who knows. Keep your eyes open though as you never know.

 

[wrench13]

First - make sure this is not a scam. Asking $250 for a mac is crazy cheap. As advised, bring a burly friend or two when picking the Mac up.
Second, young birds can wreck havoc on feathers, especially if their cage is too small.
Third, have the bird checked over by an Avian vet. If your keeping the bird, who can live 60 or more years, have a full panel of blood work, the whole shooting match of tests. Its done as a base line, so if she is ever sick, the vet has something to compare it too.
Forth and last - if every thing is true (see first point) thanks for taking her in to give her a good home. Get ready to have your life changed.