Macaw "Damage

[WharfRat]

Since we were talking about Macaws beak strength in another thread, I thought I'd start a new one on it. This is by NO means to turn people "off" to Macaw ownership, but it is a reality of having one. Any Mac owner has been bit (or will be), if they really wanted to do damage to the owner they are more than capable.

What the GW's think of the Zon's cage door, yes it is padlocked shut now. I have repaired it 3 times now I think but the GW's just rip it off.

Broken welds on a Mac cage

What they think of metal bells

ReaRea has since ripped this door off

 

[WharfRat]

House damage

 

[wenz2712]

OH WOW !!! Now you know why I am going to stick to Zons

 

[SandyBee]

WOW
There are mighty powerful
Thanks for sharing!

 

[aliray]

I knew there was a reason those big beaks scare me. I think I will stick to my smaller birds

 

[WharfRat]

I think y'all are forgetting who I get bit by the MOST!!!!!!

the Zons and the Hahn's :54:

 

[JerseyWendy]

WTH???? Do your GWs climb the walls?

YOWSER!!!!

Niko (by no means to be compared to a GW) outsmarted me for the LONGEST time with his feeder doors. He's in a King's cage, made for a Gorilla, really. BUT, he had figured out how to REMOVE the feeder doors in their entirety. :54: It took me quite a few months, and many inventions later to nip that problem in the butt.

 

[SandyBee]

Bitten by sweet little Amazons, no say it isn't so LOL

 

[plax]

Here are some old snaps I took not long after I got Zaf. This is a stainless steel cage he ruined - but he ruined two others as well. The last image is one of the doorstops he tore off of the frame.

 

[Kiwibird]

Full sized macaws are beautiful, and I'm sure perfectly loving and sweet birds, but there's a good reason I'm unwilling to take one into my home! Zons (my "favorite" birds) are no angels either, but I haven't ever seen that much damage caused by one. I'm pretty lucky Kiwi isn't a destroyer, there is 0 bird damage in our house. But looking at those photos, that was a mighty powerful beak to bend metal bars like that. I wouldn't ever want a beak like that ever clamping down on my finger or arm! Your a pretty special person to be willing to deal with that powerful of an animal, all XL parrot owners are!

 

[WharfRat]

Good examples Plax!

This is just further proof of what I'm trying to get across, even though we may get bit occasionally by our Macs, they could very easily lop off a finger or whatever in a heartbeat. It shows that they really mean no harm to us, they just forget how strong their beaks are and may need to be reminded occasionally.

I get bit at least 6-7 times every time I do the Zon's food and water (which is daily), they as well could do some serious damage but choose not to .

 

[plax]

Good examples Plax!

This is just further proof of what I'm trying to get across, even though we may get bit occasionally by our Macs, they could very easily lop off a finger or whatever in a heartbeat. It shows that they really mean no harm to us, they just forget how strong their beaks are and may need to be reminded occasionally.

I get bit at least 6-7 times every time I do the Zon's food and water (which is daily), they as well could do some serious damage but choose not to .

I fully agree!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Here are some old snaps I took not long after I got Zaf. This is a stainless steel cage he ruined - but he ruined two others as well. The last image is one of the doorstops he tore off of the frame.

LOL, Zaffer makes it look SO easy. :11:

Goes to show you just how gentle they really are with us guardians.

 

[noblemacaw]

Those big macaws has some serious PSI with those beaks. I once had a Hy hang from my finger with his beak and my finger was the only thing supporting this giant birds weight and all I can think of was.."don't bite off my finger...don't bite off my finger." I gently set him on the ground and he lets go..but then stared up at me and lifted his foot. "Well you gonna pick me up or what?" LOL Oh..they have really strong tongues too.

Do you think this innocent little baby can damage this big ole kings cage?

Look at the feet on this boy. His whole talon extends the length of my hand. Okay I don't have very big hands but still..those are some pretty big footies.

Please ignore the obituaries on the bottom of the cage. I didn't know any of those people.

 

[Cami]

Wow! I'm completely stunned at the damage; I am extremely lucky, never could I imagine. I'm gonna go hug my boy. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Cowtown]

I still want a B&G.

 

[Alwese]

People immediately see the damage they can do and assume the worst possible will happen to THEM. Macaws like to chew, especially wood and really like to even test their strength with things like bars. Mine will pull amazingly against bungee cords and let them snap. My three are in cages in the laundry room with a 'baby gate' type door into our dining room. Doogie my Catalina has his own heavy oak chair that he sits on observing us and he whittles away at it but it is HIS CHAIR. You can see he (and Clifford) like to also chew on the soft pine that is the door molding. I have replaced it twice, but it is really pretty easy and I know which molding to buy. I wish I could get my cats to do damage in just one place. Click on the thumbnail to enlarge. P.S. Plax, that pic of Zaf flexing the bars inward is a real classic; I had to copy that one to my computer files; SS no less! I understand a German Shepard can bite down to the tune of 150 PSI. A macaw can bite down to the tune of 450 PSI. I was watching a documentary on TV about macaws and their strength and they had this "bite meter" thing that could record the bite pressure and were trying to get two big Hys to clamp down on it, but they were not interested in squeezing it.

 

[WharfRat]

if I remember correctly, a macaw has equal to 1500-1800 psi bite strength :11:

 

[Alwese]

if I remember correctly, a macaw has equal to 1500-1800 psi bite strength :11:

Hey, I'm just quoting what they said on TV. I don't have a "bitemeter" either so I really don't know who is right. Also in the damage department; my B&G Kayko learned that he could pull up the peel and stick vinyl tiles I had on the floor. Nothing I could do could make him forget how to find a corner of a tile to latch onto and rip it up off of the floor. Eventually I ran out of spare tiles and paved the floor with real porcelean floor tile. Now there isn't any pulling up that tile and it is very easy to clean.

 

[plax]

Also in the damage department; my B&G Kayko learned that he could pull up the peel and stick vinyl tiles I had on the floor. Nothing I could do could make him forget how to find a corner of a tile to latch onto and rip it up off of the floor. Eventually I ran out of spare tiles and paved the floor with real porcelean floor tile. Now there isn't any pulling up that tile and it is very easy to clean.

Zaf just digs his beak into my non-tile vinyl floor covering and starts tearing it up. I've had to cut out squares or rectangles of it then replace them. Below is an example of one of the pieces he ruined.