macaws as pets

[basia]

Hi I was just wondering how macaws are as pets .I know they are more of handful than some of the smaller birds but I was just curious about your daily routine with them,How long can you leave them alone for,how much out of cage time do they need,Are they prone or aggression or feather problems just stuff like that
thanks in advance

 

[Merlee]

I enjoy having one. I don't suggest you leaving them alone for long periods of time in or out of their cage because they won't bond with you and become very skittish. Yes there are aggression issues when they are mature and that happens in the spring which lasts for about 8 weeks. Birds have behavior and health issues just like any other pet. I suggest you join as many bird/macaw forums as you can because you can learn so much from reading what other people go through with their pets. There are never any dumb questions when it comes to dealing with birds, so please don't be shy in asking anything.

 

[WharfRat]

well, seeing that I have a small Hahn's and a huge Green Wing...........guess which one is the most affectionate and easiest to handle??








hint: It AIN'T the Hahn's :52:

 

[Conuregirl]

what is your hahn's like, wharf? i am smitten with your birds!

i have been interested in macaws. many years ago my boss had scarlet macaw he kept in the store. all the employees had to care for it when he was gone. the scarlet macaw was very stubborn and never took to women but loved all men. it always lunged and chased away any girl standing by the boss lol!

 

[WharfRat]

The Hahn's (Lani) is the "moodiest" of them all, she pretty much started out as my wife's bird but after around 2 years she seems to prefer me (depending on the day of the week, what stage the moon is in, and/or barometric pressure :20: ) She will still spend time with the wife but not like she used to. I have no doubt that adding to our flock created the change in her, was once the only bird, then all of a sudden there's 4 more & she is by far the smallest (she don't care, she'll even go after the GW's )

ReaRea is the best of them all, can interact with all of us including our 11 yr. old son. I don't trust Miri around my boy so I'm careful about that. Curiously, the Zon's have landed on him numerous times but it was cut short due to him not having a shirt on or he was doing homework at the time.

As stated many times, the Zon's are my wife's, no if's and's or but's, but I can still handle them at will but there ain't no love there. Probably due to I do most all of the feeding and cleaning of cages (and cooking)

 

[MaraWentz]

Lol I may have to disagree. If not handled they can be just as agressive as any other birds, but obviously, alot more harmful. Alot that I have met have been great birds but loud, some are fantastic, but sexist, and I've def. met a couple one person birds. I 've only owned 3 macaws. One Blue and Gold named Oscar who we took in at 21 years old, but he was a she hater lol. One RFM Elvis, who was a great guard bird- he would jump down ans=d attack anyone who came near, lol, esp. if I I gave a puppy dog look to him and yelled help when my hubby was tickling me- boy did my hubby move fast and outta that room lol. He even chased away my schnauzer and maltese who ran at me to play. but he was a huge baby fo me as he was a one person macaw and he'd show off his acrobats and was very sarcastic, and funny, and I could rick him to sleep on his back like a baby. Then i had another RFM Erin, and she was unhandled, and aggressive and within 2 weeks she was tame and social. She knows tricks and is an excellent flier and we take her camping and she gets along with cats and dogs, even hamsters and mice lol. WE'd take her to the flea markets of 500-700 people and 10 kids form 4-10 would crowd around and hold her and pet her, so she was def. friendly. Great pets. I also find that the bigger macaws, when socailized from babies are the friendliest of al parrots. The bigger the beak the friendly the parrot, I say (IF SOCAILIZED), which is why I always fall for the hycaniths.

 

[plax]

Then i had another RFM Erin, and she was unhandled, and aggressive and within 2 weeks she was tame and social. She knows tricks and is an excellent flier and we take her camping and she gets along with cats and dogs, even hamsters and mice lol. WE'd take her to the flea markets of 500-700 people and 10 kids form 4-10 would crowd around and hold her and pet her, so she was def. friendly.

Don't you still have Erin? Your past tense sounds like you may not.

 

[MaraWentz]

SOrry yes, been a long morning lol

 

[plax]

SOrry yes, been a long morning lol

Ah, good to hear

 

[JerseyWendy]

I consider myself still a newbie, because Niko's only owned me for nearly 3 years. I also have 2 Amazons, and there is absolutely NO comparison between the 2 different parrots.

The intelligence factor is almost scary with my Macaw. I'm learning along the way, lol. He is currently in his terrible 2s, but I don't think he'll snap out of it this month, when he turns 3. He is VERY lovable, VERY testy, and extremely smart. I never thought it would be possible to have so much fun having a Macaw share our household. There is never a dull moment - ever.

I'm a homemaker, so Niko is out many, many hours. Either on the playtree, on my kitchen counter helping me with chores 54, on the back of a (metal) chair (anything other than metal would be turned into toothpicks), or hanging out with me.

He's a pretty quiet guy unless overly excited. But when he DOES holler, you'd think he'd be waking the dead. Luckily he rarely does it.

And when he's in the cuddly mode, it's like owning a lapdog - literally.

But, as I said in the beginning, Niko and my journey had just begun, and I'm sure we'll have many adventures together as he matures.

 

[plax]

Sometimes I think Salsa never left his terrible 2s! And he's 4!!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Sometimes I think Salsa never left his terrible 2s! And he's 4!!

Terrific Plax. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[birdofparadise]

I have only owned at Macaw for two weeks. I went to a bird fair yesterday to buy her some huge toys and I talked to other Macaw owners there. It seems there is a honeymoon period that last a month or two and then the REAL macaw comes out. This morning Luna seems different than she has on previous days. I put her on a little stand next to my desk and she is extra hyper; she's holding on to her stand and hopping up and down, doing a "dance", and she sometimes does a "regurgitation" head movement. I've never seen her with this much energy!

I've heard Macaws can be a ball of energy. If you get a Macaw, I think you should be expecting an intelligent, mischeivious, and active creature that smells like fruity pebbles occasionally. They may not always do what you want them to do, unlike a dog or a cat. Most people would agree that owning a Macaw is a rewarding experience.