Macaw Weights Thread

[noblemacaw]

Valentino my RFM arrived on December 9th. He was 3 days shy of being 4 months old. After he settled in but before I hand fed him (yes he was weaned but I wanted him to have a good night with a warm full crop) he weighed 402 grams. That night he didn't really take much from me because we really didn't know each other yet.

Four days later (earliest I could get in after I found out Valentino's arrival date) I took him in for his well bird check up and he weighed 405 grams. So in the 4 days he gained 3 grams. I felt Valentino was extremely lean but Dr. Blair said he is lean but he is a baby and they take time to fill out. Personally I thought he was too lean so I picked up the hand feedings to 3 times a day along with his fresh diet and pellets fed in the cage.

Three weeks later Valentino was weighing in between 425 and 430 grams and he felt a lot better so I began to wean him off to two feedings then to only the comfort night before bed feeding. Valentino pretty much weaned off the daytime feedings himself pretty quickly especially after he adjusted to the cage and to us.

About 3 weeks ago Valentino began to moult. I watched his weight creep to 440 grams then one night I weighed him at 450 grams and was very happy. I also thought he was gaining weight too fast so I picked up his flying and cut out a lot of his nut treats. I weighed him couple nights ago and he weighed in at 464 grams and I kind of freaked out. I know RFM's can weigh between 450 to 650 grams but I feel this is a HUGE range for one species of parrot. I am still concerned by the large weight gain in seemly short period of time. I hope keeping him flying will offset this fast weight gain.

The day Valentino arrived home. That night when I weighed him he was 402 Grams

Taken a couple a weeks ago when he was around 450 to 465 grams

Taken almost 3 weeks ago. Although not a very good view of his size with his small head and large body its kind of a cute picture.

 

[Jtbirds]

Plax as for the salsa drinking a lot, our greenwing drinks a lot of water and has no issues. This was also stated by the vet not just myself. And a lot of other peoples greenwings i know do the same thing, I think it must just be a greenwing thing.

Dang 94 kinda sounds like my story with baby I really had no choice and she is a major plucker to. glad he or she is very happy now.

 

[plax]

So Brandon... obviously Monte is HUGE! But I thought you had mentioned that Jester (the poor Ruby you were helping not long ago who tragically passed away ) was a HUGE bird - please forgive me if my memory is inaccurate on that. I'd think that Jester almost had to have been considerably smaller than Monte, who is at an extraordinarily high weight for a Macaw. I was just thinking about that and got curious.

Jester was bigger...but Monte doesn't look that big compared to a feathered bird...he is big...but add feathers and he'd look much bigger...when I see video of salsa, he looks bigger than Monte...he's plucked his entire chest, back, part of his wings....

You know...now that you mention it. I don't think I ever found out what jester weighed...could it be that he was a bigger bird but didn't weigh as much?? I got jester, the vet came and saw him and took him away...I saw jester next to monte for a few moments...

Jester was longer....I do know that...and definitely seemed a bigger bird..


But I also thought Montes weight was way high..nearly 4 lbs???? It might be why he can't fly..and never has...he doesn't even flap his wings like all my other birds do...lack of exercise???

I know when he pitches on you...you know it...jester, didnt feel as heavy, but was longer, wider wing span probably too...

Ya know, I really don't know. Unless Monte is a bit (or a lot) on the obese side and just appears smaller due to less feathering. If the vet didn't take a weight on Jester then we'll likely never know. But 1880 grams is darn...

HUGE!

 

[plax]

Plax as for the salsa drinking a lot, our greenwing drinks a lot of water and has no issues. This was also stated by the vet not just myself. And a lot of other peoples greenwings i know do the same thing, I think it must just be a greenwing thing.

That's really interesting. Yeah, I really feel that Salsa is in excellent health. Maybe you're correct that's it's a common behavioral trait among GWs.

 

[94lt1]

OK..mystery solved...the tech that weighed him must've screwed up...he's a big boy...I asked the vet and he said 4 lbs would be almost impossible..I said that what we thought..

1720..that's Monte...he is obese...cause he's not a flapper...doesn't use his wings for anything..

Vet says diet, exercise......and his plucking...he's done a series of extensive tests...results should be back in a few days...minute is at home...mad as ever...

I didn't help matters...made thick wedge sweet potato fries with dinner...guess who had a few.. lol

 

[plax]

OK..mystery solved...the tech that weighed him must've screwed up...he's a big boy...I asked the vet and he said 4 lbs would be almost impossible..I said that what we thought..

1720..that's Monte...he is obese...cause he's not a flapper...doesn't use his wings for anything..

Vet says diet, exercise......and his plucking...he's done a series of extensive tests...results should be back in a few days...minute is at home...mad as ever...

I didn't help matters...made thick wedge sweet potato fries with dinner...guess who had a few.. lol

Ah, OK. That makes sense. I have a feeling that Monte is about to embark upon a daily workout routine I keep Salsa flapping away every day

 

[94lt1]

Monte has a possible viral infection....the vet says had he not been really looking, he probably wouldn't have found it...its not severe....(how can it not be?)

So....he's going on some anti biotics..and working out daily lol...

 

[plax]

Monte has a possible viral infection....the vet says had he not been really looking, he probably wouldn't have found it...its not severe....(how can it not be?)

So....he's going on some anti biotics..and working out daily lol...

Antibiotics are ineffective on viruses. They only work on bacterial infections. Is your vet sure that it's a "viral" infection?

 

[94lt1]

Re: Re: Macaw Weights Thread

Monte has a possible viral infection....the vet says had he not been really looking, he probably wouldn't have found it...its not severe....(how can it not be?)

So....he's going on some anti biotics..and working out daily lol...

Antibiotics are ineffective on viruses. They only work on bacterial infections. Is your vet sure that it's a "viral" infection?

The vet didn't say anti biotics...it was a jest in my behalf...like..."time to take so pills and get in the treadmill"..
Lol...

The vet has done some other tests to be sure...before he decides what to do with him...

 

[ParkersMom]

Keiko weighs in at about 1100 grams...but that is on a kitchen scale without a perch standing on 1 foot...lol

 

[chasroth]

My GW Toby is 7 and a half months and he weighs 1100g. He is DNA a male. I hope to see him in the 1300 range full grown but you never know. I love him even if he is a smaller GW.

 

[plax]

The vet didn't say anti biotics...it was a jest in my behalf...like..."time to take so pills and get in the treadmill"..
Lol...

The vet has done some other tests to be sure...before he decides what to do with him...

Ah OK, I see. I'm happy to hear that Monte is going to be getting some good health attention

 

[plax]

Keiko weighs in at about 1100 grams...but that is on a kitchen scale without a perch standing on 1 foot...lol

HaHa! On one foot . It sounds like it works for you

 

[plax]

My GW Toby is 7 and a half months and he weighs 1100g. He is DNA a male. I hope to see him in the 1300 range full grown but you never know. I love him even if he is a smaller GW.

Size isn't important. The important thing is that each of them maintains a healthy weight for his or her individual structure. Every one of them is loveable!

 

[Safira]

Well today was Jeeve's vet appointment. He was down to 1240 grams. The vet said he's thin, but I already knew that part lol. We did a draw for blood, a x-ray, and a culture. He's got mucus and stuff all at the back of his throat and sounds very congested. He's not sure if its a fungal infection though, so I have to wait for the results.

I'll have to keep an eye on his weight, I'm sure being sick isn't helping.

 

[noblemacaw]

Valentino is up to 474 grams as of last night. He is going to be 8 months old on the 12 of April. Last night I also weighed him after he got his night feeding just to see what numbers would come up and he was....get this...OMG...I about died..

498 grams!

That is almost half a pound of parrot. Who I carry in the nook of my arm like a baby on his back giant footies sticking straight up. This is the same parrot who will perch on my shoulder while I play candy crush in my office while taking a break from writing. I can only stand him up on shoulder for about 20 to half hour then I'm done. This is the same parrot who hangs from my hair like a wild monkey and when he looses balance he flaps and creates gale force winds.

Valentino is the largest parrot I ever had. He barely fits in the palm of my hand when I have him on his back. I can barely curl my fingers around his body so he will not roll off my hand.

My almost 500 gram parrot takes the toilet paper and runs across the vanity while saying loudly "GOOD BOY!" In what world is behavior like that being a good boy? Valentino's world.

I cannot wait for the weather to get warm enough so I can take my enlarged parrot outdoors and fly the naughtiness right out of him.

I still worry his weight gain is too fast. I try to exercise him as much as I can now but he really needs to do some flying outside while safely in his harness.

 

[Jtbirds]

I put my harlequin who is about a hmm 1400g parrot on her back and cradle her in my arms I also do this with my blue throat my bluffons and my mini macaw.. I have cradled a hyacinth on its back and a hyacinth hybrid... Idk why but most macaws I go around give me the trust to do all sorts of things to them, and then refuse there owners-.-. People that know me a the resCue say "I've got the touch" lol sounds so stupid.

Noble Valentino sounds to be growing just right I believe according to many websites and so on. You also must remember that any weight is just an average you will always have bigger parrots and smaller parrots of the same species.

 

[noblemacaw]

Thanks JT. They say the weight range is 450 to 650 grams. I wonder what a 650 gram RFM looks like..can they still fly? LOL. I keep thinking RFM grow until three years of age. Valentino still has over two years to .....grow. OMG! LOL.

Lupe imitates Valentino in a voice with a very low tone and says "MOMMA.....FEED ME!" while holding out her arms like a giant baby. She says I will be hand feeding this parrot in his thirties. I think NOT! LOL She is so funny.

 

[plax]

Last night I also weighed him after he got his night feeding just to see what numbers would come up and he was....get this...OMG...I about died..

498 grams!

That is almost half a pound of parrot.

I have some news for you, noblemacaw... You have a parrot who weighs twice what you think he does. One kilogram (1000g) is 2.2 pounds. That means that one half of a kilogram (500g) is 1.1 pounds. If your scale is accurate, Valentino now weighs approximately 1.1 pounds .

 

[noblemacaw]

HOLY CRAP! Why did I think 1000 grams was one pound. OMG...WHY DID I THINK THAT!

Okay..taking a deep breath...I have a one pound parrot. I am carrying around a pound of RFM and I love him. Enlarged parrot or not as long as he is healthy and free of heart disease he can weigh what he needs to weigh but it is how quickly he is putting on the grams astounds me.

Valentino could feed one person after he has been grilled to perfection. YUMMY! LOL. No I will not eat my baby.