Should I get a miltary macaw or a blue and gold macaw?

[Parrotlover101]

I'm 13 and very into birds and have been researching parrots a lot. Especially macaws. I know the requirements and I know they can live up to a 100 years. I know that they can bite and I know how serious it can be. I know that they make TONS of noise. I've found a good breeder in my area. I've read good things about both species. I can't make up my mind so I would like to ask experienced bird lovers about which one would be better for my family. I have younger siblings but they wouldn't interact with the bird if I wasn't there. Please don't rant on and on about how I'm not ready. I just would like some good stories or some bad ones about each and a little bit of input for each species. Thanks to everyone. ​

 

[andrea.faerie]

The only thing I ask you to consider about your age is if you plan on going to college, a lot of college's barely allow fish. So PLEASE keep that in mind when getting a pet, especially a long lived one like a parrot.


Experience: Parrot in college. Junior in college. Have own apartment off campus lol

Other than that, everyone here, especially the macaw owners are fantastic, I'm sure one will respond to you soon

 

[wibitywab]

I'm not trying to rant about how you aren't ready, but do you have any prior bird experience, like what other pet birds have you had?

 

[wibitywab]

And if you do see the breeders, just check out the personalities of the birds, because both macaws are almost the same, the only big difference is the color!

 

[mtdoramike]

You need to have prior bird experience before getting a large intimidating bird like a Macaw. I also would prefer to see a post like this from your parents who I hope is fully on board with this. Unfortunately, kids tend to gravitate towards the shiniest thing in the box such as a macaw rather than fully understanding the commitment required to care for one of these birds. Yes, they can live 60+ years, but they also require regular vet care and that can get expensive. I tell folks when asked, make sure and keep at least $500.00 on hand for those unfortunate vet visits that aren't routine. They also require not just a cage, but a BIG CAGE that alone can set you back $1000.00, not to mention toys, which can run $25.00 each and up. They go through toys like a Buzz Saw through butter. They are also quite messy and require daily clean ups.

But you also need to look at your living conditions like do you own your own home, rent, apartment, condo???? Because the older you live the more you realize that people become less tollerant of noise than when they are younger. So if your neighbors are fairly close by, a Macaw WON'T WORK FOR YOU. You see, it's not you that I worry about tollerating the noise level of a large bird, it's the people around you. If more people were considerate enough to look at animal ownership this way, there would be less re-homings or animal in shelters because owners could no longer care for them.

But I applaud your love of birds and doing your homework regarding birds before making that final commitment.

But for my vote, I would go with the Blue & Gold Macaw.

 

[mnsalani]

If you decide to get a bird, you must think YEARS in the future. What happens when you go off to college? Most colleges require you spend at least one year in the dorms, some even more so. They do not allow animals in dorms. For the birds' sake, you must fully & realistically think about future plans. I would also not suggest buying a macaw (unless a mini macaw) if you have never owned a bird. Please, think!

 

[xreinx]

(the info on the link changed, it Had said the owner was 18 and was getting ready to go to collage and couldent take her bird with her, and her parents werent going to take care of the bird)
Alaska's List : Umbrella Cockatoo


Look at the link, This May happen to you. That poor bird is being rehomed because shes going to collage, whats going to happen when you turn 16 and suddinly have a life? They need attention, and cant just be ignored if your busy. or when you turn 18 and you need to get out of the house and go live on your own?

a bird costs EASILY 2000 dollars a year. Whats going to happen when your parents are nolonger going to support you and your parrot addiction?

I Dont have a parrot of any kind, I have to wait.... AGAIN, because my living situation has changed and I am 31, I have been researching parrots for the last 8 years, TAKE YOUR TIME. you dont need one today, it wont be the end of the world.

 

[mellykyitus]

you definately need your parents on board with getting a macaw, or any pet. but blue and golds are super cute!

 

[Parrotlover101]

I've raised many baby birds that had fallen from their nests. I raised a crow, a robin, and some kind of sparrow. Many of my friends have birds and I interact with them at least twice a week... My parents aren't the type to give away a pet. Especially after they've had it for a while. It'll be like part of the family. Everyone will pitch in and help...

 

[Parrotlover101]

Also I don't want to get a budgie or a cockatiel. They can't really show how much they care for you and love you like the macaws. I also go to a drive thru animal park often. I handle a cockatoo they have there every time I go. I feel bad for it though because it normally is just screaming its head off sitting inside a tiny cage.

 

[mtdoramike]

Also I don't want to get a budgie or a cockatiel. They can't really show how much they care for you and love you like the macaws. I also go to a drive thru animal park often. I handle a cockatoo they have there every time I go. I feel bad for it though because it normally is just screaming its head off sitting inside a tiny cage.

A hand feed Parakeet or Cockatiel can show love and be little cuddle bugs, more so than a HUGE Macaw can. A Cockatiel, Senegal or Pionus are small enough to walk around on your shoulder, set in your lap, crawl all over you. Macaws, not so much.

I walk around most of the day with my Senegal on my shoulder, she will climb all over me, down my back, across my chest, up to my cheek and give me kisses, nuzzle against my neck and coo. If that aint showing love, I don't know what is.

But I'm glad to see it would be a family pet and your family is on board. But if you get a Macaw, PLEASE go to a breeder and buy a baby hand fed bird. It will be easier to deal with right out of the gate.

 

[Parrotlover101]

if you don't think i should get a macaw, could i get an amazon

 

[xreinx]

your really not looking at the big picture here, anything bigger then a cockatiel IS a huge responsibility, and even then A cockatiel can live 20 years or longer, we arnt trying to crush your dreams, believe me keep dreaming, I am!

But we are trying to warn you that ANY large bird is going to be about the same amount of work, each are going to be diffrent, and act diffrent but the basics is about the same. What about when you are going to go to collage?

you cant take a Amazon/Macaw/Cockatoo/ect. with you to the dorms. It is easier for you to find a home for your cockatiel then it is for a larger bird, if you finally relize that you want to MOVE forward with your life. travel is going to be near impossable, and what about moving?

your 13... Grow alittle more, wait until your 18 before you take the plunge. Though I really dont know why your asking us when you keep asking the same questions with just a diffrent twist to it. each flavor of bird has the same basics.

You want Our opinions. we gave it to you, WAIT before you get a bird... ANY bird.

 

[JJones1719]

I think it's great that your interested in Macaws, let's stay on the subject, You asked for our opinion on the Military VS the B&G. out of the two, i would say the B&G. Their personalities are much more friendly then the Mil Macaw. The Mil as they mature become pretty mean. I know a few of them and they are pretty nasty unless you get one and raise it very young and spend lots of time, I talking about 4-5 hours per day. The B&G too demands your Attn but has a much more independant personality so 3-4 hours per day will keep you close bonded. If your parants allow you, I would advise you on the Green or the Hy Macaw, yes they are much bigger then the B&G and Mil Macaws but they are like no other Macaw out there. I would advise you to do your homework on this subject before purchasing a Macaw. You can visit a rescue, join a local bird club and get the chance to meet many Macaws out there and see first hand how to interact with them and see what care they need prior to a purchase. Since you are so young, you have lots of time that you can spend with a Macaw and I only wish i would have purchased both my Green wing Macaw and SI Male eclectus when I was 13. I hope you and your Family make the right choice for you and best of luck. Please keep us posted. Joe

 

[Conurekidd]

Umm I think I already discussed the dangers of having an amazon with you on another thread. That's far far to much for a 13yo. They have the hardest bite and will turn on you as well pick up bad habits if not trained well. Honestly feel that this is a 18 and up bird as well you should have 3+ years experince in parrot care

 

[Amber]

Also I don't want to get a budgie or a cockatiel. They can't really show how much they care for you and love you like the macaws. I also go to a drive thru animal park often. I handle a cockatoo they have there every time I go. I feel bad for it though because it normally is just screaming its head off sitting inside a tiny cage.

LONG POST AHEAD! Sorry guys!

They can't really show how much they care for you and love you like the macaws.

They can't really show how much they care for you and love you

can't really show how much they care for you

Please don't take offence to this, but I would disagree immensely on that topic. My mother has two beautiful cockatiels and has had in the past, many budgies. Each and every one has been a beautiful, caring animal with the capability to show how much it loves you. Perhaps even more so then my friends hyacinth macaw. Regardless of whether from a pet store, or hand reared, or even a show english bred budgie costing quite a bit from a breeder, they all came around with time and love and care and were wonderful pets. You are dismissing the merits of smaller parrots far to easily.

Now a life story It's a bit boring, but I think learning from other peoples personal experience is the best way to go about this!

When I was your age I wanted a parrot of my own. I had handled many large birds and even helped a hyacinth breeder (aunt of my friend who has her own hyacinth now) out a lot for the experience. But my mother and stepfather very wisely told me that a bird would not be a good idea for me at that time, because in five years I would probably grow up and leave home and then what would happen to my bird? My mother already has two of her own birds, my stepfather has two very high energy dogs and as it is they have been taking care of my cat since I moved out (hes actually the family cat, but I've been his favourite since the first day we bought him home, so he is seen as mine). They also work full time. Another pet was not something they could find the time to deal with and care for. And so, I decided not to get a bird then.

Fast forward five years. I'm now 18 and at university, it's my very first year here. I chose to move to the town my boyfriend goes to uni at, halfway across the state from my parents town! Where would this have left a bird if I had moved into the university dorms like most first year students? No pets allowed there after all. What would happen to this now homeless bird? Pets are not disposable, when you adopt one you adopt them for life!

Back onto houses though. The right house is important with pets of any kind, especially loud birds because chances are you couldn't live in an apartment or unit with one. I, however ended up being very lucky (I stress that, finding a house was HARD!) in that a few of my friends were looking for a house at the time I was looking at moving here, so we all got together and rented this place. But what if you don't know anyone when you move to a new place? As a uni student, trust me on this, you can't afford to rent a place on your own. Or pay the bills. Or sometimes, even feed yourself (There have been times when I have had to go hungry to afford Alex's formula. I kid you not. Is that a sacrifice you are willing to make as a broke student? To sacrifice your own well-being, being able to buy new clothes and nice things and go out all the time with friends, in order to pay for your bird and his stuff?)

But back onto getting a bird. Now that I know I'm self sufficient and my hypothetical pet would have a safe and steady environment, I made the decision to finally bring a parrot home. After all, I have a house of my own (even though we may move around a bit between rentals) I can AFFORD the vet bills, toys, food and anything my bird might need (Although this may involve having to sacrifice some things I WANT on occasions, like decent meals that week to pay for his microchip, or skipping buying those beautiful shoes on sale because he needs a new pack of formula, or new toys, or he's low on pellets or any other myriad of things), and I have a rough plan of where I am going with my life. I know I will be here for the next 3 and abit odd years for uni, then I plan to move back up north to my hometown and look for work there (currently studying teaching, would love to work in a primary school back home, so wish me luck!). A parrot would fit these plans easily, especially one I taught to travel young so I could take him places with me, and eventually the planned move up north. I travel alot between my hometown and my 'unitown' too so I needed a bird that was small enough to live in a travel cage for a few days while we visited my parents.

ENTER ALEX!

After looking all over for the perfect bird, I found Alex at Joans, a WONDERFUL woman who hand raises and breeds the most gorgeous birds you ever saw. Alex is a jandaya conure. Strangely enough, like you I originally wanted a 'big' bird, and why not? I had experience handling large birds. In fact while visiting my grandmother we saw a beautiful blue and gold macaw girl for sale, and she would have been a dream to have, but it just didn't feel 100% right. She wasn't meant for me, sadly.

I first encountered Alex while on my missions to look at birds I was interested in. Ekkies. Amazons. Macaws. Greys. All those BIG BEAUTIFUL birds everyone dreams of having. He was being hand fed by Joan, and he was tiny and had no feathers but he was perfect. I knew a bit about jendayas and suns from my reading, but they weren't the bird I really wanted. It's only since I've had him that I've realised how perfect he is for me. He's small enough to travel easily, he's affectionate with the personality of a macaw shoved into that tiny conure body. He's loud, but so am I and my housemates, so it doesn't bother us. In fact a quieter bird would probably hate all the loud music and yelling we do here!

And now I shudder to think about what might have happened if I did get a bigger bird. It may have ended up like another girl on this forum, just incompatible with each other and each others lives (although I believe their story did have a happy ending which is good!) And thats despite the fact that I have handled macaws and other large birds regularly for some 10 odd years now!


LONG STORY SHORT

It sucks, I know, but at this time in your life, the bird you want is not a suitable choice for you at all. Do the right thing by yourself and your hypotheticial pet, wait until you are in a good position in the not to far future and self sufficient before you get a pet of your own, or look into a more suitable species for your current lifestyle. For instance, I would LOVE to own a horse right now (I'm actually an endurance rider. Akhal tekes and arabians are my family's prized possessions), but thats not something I can do currently, because even though hypothetically I could what would happen when I moved away again in 3-4 years to my horse?

I believe you made a similar thread before asking much the same, but about greys and other birds. Please listen to the members here. They have a wealth of knowledge I wish I had found sooner, as maybe they may have told me straight away what kind of bird it was that I really wanted and should have had! You have that chance though, so don't waste it!

 

[wibitywab]

I'm not trying to crush your dreams, but it all comes down to this. YOU DON'T GET IT! Like XreinX said, anything bigger than a cockatiel is way past what you should have. If you haven't owned a bird before, you're not ready. if you have interacted with a bird, nomatter how big it is, that doesn't prove that you will be able to have one in your house 24/7. Also there are a lot of safety precautions. You CANNOT have non-stick pans. They contain toxic gas and it goes into the air usually when a high flame is on. I'm sure your parents have non-stick pans, so they would have to replace those. Also, you can virtually have NO air fresheners, and candles. You would have to stick with only soy candles. Birds also hide their illnesses so they need a regular vet check. Just please, please think about this. I started out with a green cheek conure, and that almost was EAR-SPLITTING when he screamed. And when I'm in the store and it's near feeding time like 5:00 PM (I help out everyday at an exotic bird store), the macaws go CRAZY! They scream, jump off their perches, and when you put them back on their perches, they jump off again.

 

[wibitywab]

I'm sorry if it sounded mean, but we are trying to help you! Once you get this bird, and a few months pass, you will regret it. And I am not jealous, I just got a sweet, loving, wonderful Hahn's macaw! You wanted advice, and we gave you it, you are just not absorbing it!

 

[rlchic93]

Ok just my two cents I am only 17 (almost 18 in under 2 weeks) and we have also had birds since I could remember. But we started with cockatiels it was my moms dream to have a cockatoo since she was young however she made the dream to wait until she knew she could handle it and also that we could we actually had to have a family meeting, because it was going to change everybody's lives. Then once the decision was made that everybody could deal with it she was looking she finally found her bird and the only reason she got her was because she had picked my mom as her person. So from one person to another I promise I an not trying to insult to I am just trying to prompt you to do what is best for you and a bird please wait.


Another little piece of information every single bird will bite!!! So you will get bit it is just a matter of when where and how hard so please take everything into consideration. No person on this forum wants to insult you.

 

[Abzeez]

Isn't this the same kid who wanted a grey in another thread? This thread is going nowhere just like the other one.