Macaw - Uncaged

[WeimerHeimer]

So, I came across this lady a few days ago and she has a Blue Throat Macaw. She had shown me some pictures and we talked. Two days later she texts me, saying her and her huband have given more tought to adopting out her BLue Throat. She has 4 children and no spare time any longer. I started asking her questions about the birds and it's cage.

Get this, ..... she said it's NEVER been caged. She leaves it out on its play gym 24/7/365.

I have NEVER heard of such a thing!

I shy'd away from the deal because of it never being caged. First, I have two cats and two dogs in my home. I would NEVER trust leaving my Macaw, or any other bird for that matter, out 24/7/365. I think if one would take the Macaw and try and place it in a cage after being uncaged for nearly 12 years it would stress the bird REALLY bad.

Has anyone ever heard of this?

 

[MonicaMc]

I have, although generally it's bird rooms designed for birds in mind so that they don't need to be caged.

A while back, someone adopted a green wing macaw that had also never been caged. I'm not sure if I could find the thread again, but I could try. I do recall that the person had worries about having the macaw out on a play gym all the time, worrying about the bird getting into some sort of trouble and having to save up the money to purchase a cage for the bird, and wondering how to transition the bird to living in a cage.

 

[Jtbirds]

Having your birds without a cage is having a bird without a place of security. Unless you have a room designed and made for your birds you should always cage them. Even though he was never caged in the past that could change, you could make him adjust to some cage life and really this would be in his benefit. I rescued a ycm that was not caged often and she is completely fine with my schedule now. So really if you want to take in the bird just get it a cage with plenty of toys and so on and let it out on a playgym when the rest of your birds are it will take some time to adjust but will adapt quickly.

 

[sodakat]

I had a neighbor whose Macaw was not caged for many years, like from its 12th to 25th year approximately. For various reasons they rehomed the bird to a couple who had 3 Macaws who were caged. My neighbor's Macaw LOVED having it's own cage and loved the routine of the new household, knowing when it could be out, knowing what to expect.

 

[KBEquine]

I know of a couple macaws who were taken to a rescue, where it was discovered they had not been caged (they arrived with their playstands. The cages were to arrive later, but never did.)

They were nervous about the cages at first - a new experience.

I think because of how long a macaw might live and the fact it might need to live with someone else's 'house rules' at some point, it needs to be comfortable with a cage, even if you prefer it out on a stand.