Thinking of getting a macaw

[erik7181]

Hi,
Iv been a member here for about a year, I own both a sun conure and a green cheek conure, me and my girlfriend took a trip to bird paradise in NJ
Yesterday(Sunday) and we are now considering buying a macaw. Now we would like to get a baby and hand feed it ourselves, I hand fed my sun conure, I bought him when he was three weeks old. Now they said the earlier they can sell it is when it is down to two feedings a day, I would like to let them hand feed it till it is done but the problem is, we live in staten island and we both work full time so I know it is recommended to go there as much as possible and see the bird and handle it, they even have a lounge set up for the parents, there are big comfy chairs and java trees, this is what I want as I feel it would be best for the bird, but I'm just not sure I have the time to do it. Is it possible to take it home after it is done and have it adjust to us or will it never be as tame with us as it would be if we went through the process?

Thanks Erik

 

[MikeyTN]

You can train them yourself! Does the breeder have quite a few to pick from? If they do, the bird that's meant to be with you will choose you.

 

[erik7181]

They get baby's regularly

 

[JJones1719]

Eric, please do not buy an unweaned Macaw. It is better you both you and the Macaw if they come to you fully weaned. Why take the risk trying to feed the Baby and make a mistake and the food go down the wrong way and end up killing your baby. Unless you are an expert breeder,I would not try this.
It is true that while the baby grows, Meetings with your new baby will be easier for your baby to adjust to your and your Family, it is also said that bring home a Macaw who you did not visit, too after a short time will adjust fast to you. Macaws and other Parrots adjust pretty fast. They soon learn that your are the provider and new flock. I know you said that you work as well as your GF but if your cannot spend no less then 3-4 hours per day with the Macaw, please do not buy one, they are much more demanding of you then Conures. I wish you well. please keep us posted. Thanks Joe

 

[erik7181]

What I ment was we don't have the time to go to the store regularly because it is an hour and a half without traffic, but we have the time for them to be out, my bird is out for around six hours, three to four hrs in mourning and around three to four at night, my girlfriends averages around six to seven. She works days and I work nights. As far as the feeding goss I agree with you 100 percent that is why I would rather them do it. I just want to make sure that the bird will not be terrified at new owners. I plan on buying the cage the day we put down the deposit as we will have six months before we can bring them home.

 

[Lesleybird]

You can train them yourself! Does the breeder have quite a few to pick from? If they do, the bird that's meant to be with you will choose you.

I agree 1000% with this statement. It does not take hand feeding a parrot for it to form a close bond with their human....They leave their parent that raises them in nature and pick a mate and form a close lifetime bond with an unrelated to mom and dad being. I hand fed and weaned my female amazon and she did not wish to have a close bond with her human, she wanted a bond with an amazon male. My moluccan cockatoo male was hand fed by me when he was on two hand feedings per day and he will take me or my female umbrella for his choice of a mate. My closest relationship is with my second hand umbrella female who is a one person bird and only wants me as her life partner. Her whole world revolves around me and I love her to death. She was at least 5 or 6 years old when we met. It was love at first cuddle for both of us and still the same 10 years later.

Our new Harlequin macaw female was purchased at 8 months old and is weaned but still very much a sweet baby. After two months she has formed a very close and loving bond with me and my husband. We saw a lot of macaws here in Houston and this one was the one that clicked the most with us when we held her. After my husband and I holding her for at least an hour and a half, and holding others too, this one felt right for both me and my husband. When I walked with her back into the room where her large cage with two other macaws were she looked back up at me and kind of gasped with her beak open like what do you mean you are bringing me back in here? It was like she wanted to be with me and my husband. It was closing time at the shop. The next morning we were there when the door opened to put down the deposit. We both love Marley!!! To answer your question if the bird will ever be as tame if you weaned it yourself, the answer is yes, they are tame around humans if they were hand fed by humans. It may take a few weeks or a month or so for the bird to fully trust you because there is fear of the unknown human, but the fear goes away as the bird gets used to you and the bond is just as strong, especially if the bird is under a year old and the world is new to it. If it is hand fed and then left alone in a cage for years it will take more work for the trust to build, but by all means don't be afraid to get the newly weaned bird instead of doing it yourself. Newly weaned birds are very open to learning about life with a new family. In the wild this is when they would leave the nest and form relationships with other non-related birds.

So from what I have seen it does not matter if you get the bird before weaning or not in order for it to form a close bond with you. You are really better waiting for the bird to be near the end of weaning or a young bird under a year old. This is better than if you get the bird too young before it shows and develops some of it's own personality. If you visit a lot of birds at this stage you can make sure that the bird's personality clicks with you and it picks you. This is important that the bird gives you a sign that it picks you because all birds will not be a good match with their personality in relationship to your personality. Better to get a bird that is at least old enough that the personality has had some time to develop into an individual so that you can tell if you and the bird are a good fit. Again, the most important thing is not only that you like and pick out the bird, but that the bird likes and picks you. Parrots have different personalities just as humans do....we like some and get along well with
them, and others we are indifferent to or don't like. Getting a very young baby parrot is more of a crap shoot, when they are a little older you get to have a better picture of what you are getting personality wise.
Lesley

 

[MikeyTN]

Ok, this is coming from someone "Me" who used to breed. I handfed them since they're young, some when they just hatched. Only very few stays with me when they're weaned. They tend to go to my roommate before, they fly to him and not stay with me. I can handle them and they let me do anything to them. But they see me as their parent, they want someone else they can bond with other then me. The few that stays with me have a great bond with me. But eventually all the babies have to move on into their new homes.... :/

 

[HRH Di]

Wow, I just got a bit of deja vu here. We picked out our Jade from a breeder who lives on the other side of the DFW metroplex...1 1/2 hrs away without traffic. We drove out at least every other weekend to get to know her. We started when she was about 2 months old and eventually took her home at about 6 months old. I definitely recommend this process if one is getting a baby. Jade never missed a beat when she came home. She settled in perfectly. We did the same thing with our CAG, Ruby. Both were fully weaned and eating regular food well by the time we got them home. Personally, I wouldn't want to hand feed.

 

[Cecilia]

So your saying you recommend waiting till they are completely weaned before you bring the baby home, MikeyTN?

 

[MikeyTN]

Yes! But if you already got it just do what's right!

 

[Hound73]

It is very easy to aspirate a parrot if you have only some experience hand feeding. I never sold unweaned babies except to other breeders. For the novice, it is better to buy fully weaned.

 

[JJones1719]

Just my 2 cents,
When I purchased my GW Neleno and making many 6 hour trips to visit him while he was being weaned and at 9 months old, he was fully weaned. I drove to VA to pick him up and I live in MD. He really enjoyed the trip and at the time all he could say was Hi and hello. He cracked me up the entire trip. We finally got home and I took him out of a Gray hound carrier, it was the largest they had. My Neleno really adjusted pretty well. After the first week, I noticed that he was not eating as he did when I first picked him up.
I did not think anything of this but still called my Breeder and Vet to see if I needed to have him checked out. I already had an appointment on the 2nd week to have all tests performed to be safe. My Vet advised me that she could move the appointment up and I brought Neleno into the Vet. They checked his weight and it was lower then what his weight was when I picked him up. My Vet advised me that sometimes Macaws will regress and sometimes needs to be weaned again. I gave it 1 week and having him tube fed and after $800.00 later, I called my Breeder and advised her that I was making the trip back to VA so she can wean him all over again.
I made the trip and after 2 more weeks with her, he was again fully weaned.
I picked him up and he has been great ever since.
I would never purchase an unweaned baby Macaw, they can drop weight so fast and it's really not worth it.
Eric, what kind of Macaw are you interested in at this pet store. Please do your homework on these wonderful birds. I'm glad to hear that you and your GF have plenty of time to spend with a Macaw and your current conures.
I agree with you about the cage, Please make sure you buy the largest one you can find, your Macaw will thank you. Have it ready before bringing home your Macaw. Have plenty of food as you will need it. My Green Wing eats me out of house and home. He is a very big eater and at almost 1700 grams, he's a big boy. Best of luck Joe

 

[A Helping Wing]

Eric, did you ever think of adopting one? I run a rescue and take in mostly large birds and have several great macaws that are looking for homes. Currently we're still located in Dutchess County (Hopewell Junction, NY) but are waiting on our closing date for property in Blairstown, NJ.

 

[merlinsmom13]

I'll say you have some great macaws. I stold this picture from facebook. I wish you were closer, I would like to come & visit.

 

[A Helping Wing]

I'll say you have some great macaws. I stold this picture from facebook. I wish you were closer, I would like to come & visit.

Thanks! If you're ever in the NY/NJ area come to visit. We're currently getting ready to close on a 25 acre farm in Blairstown, NJ so we'll be relocating shortly.