want a macaw

[basia]

Hi everyone ,before one of my birds died our family was planning to maybe consider adding a macaw.I'm still for it but I want to make sure I would definitely be able to take care of one properly and for it to be happy.I've done my research on this and I would not just get a macaw on impulse. I'm fine with the mess ,the noise, the occasional aggression, nips and so on, what I always worry about even if I know its all good is the attention it will get from me (I'm a worry freak).It would really break my heart to see one of my birds not happy,plucking and just miserable as I love animals and especially birds,so I would definitely not get one if you guys said I couldn't handle it.So this is basically my schedule of how much time I would be able to spend with it a week.

mon 7/8h tues 3/4h wed 3/4h thurs 4/5h fri7/8h sat all day sun all day


sorry for giving such detailed description of my life but I really want to make sure I can or cannot do this.Do you think this is enough time or no?I am not getting one any time soon but its been on my mind for quite a while and I was too shy to ask
thanks for everyone's help,
barbara

 

[MacawGuy]

you work over 8 hour days

 

[Merlee]

You used the word "family" in your post so there would be socialization with other people. I don't see why a macaw wouldn't be happy in your household.

 

[ann]

i think you could get one. with a roomy cage and lots of toys, the amount of time you are able to give is just fine . dont give him any more attention now than what you will be able to give him in the future or he will become spoiled. macaws are great, and it sounds like your well on your way to having a happy macaw im just gona go out and say it now lol, i think you should get a GW. IMO they are very sweet gentle birds, but like all macaws, they do push their boundaries.

 

[basia]

i think you could get one. with a roomy cage and lots of toys, the amount of time you are able to give is just fine . dont give him any more attention now than what you will be able to give him in the future or he will become spoiled. macaws are great, and it sounds like your well on your way to having a happy macaw im just gona go out and say it now lol, i think you should get a GW. IMO they are very sweet gentle birds, but like all macaws, they do push their boundaries.

If I were planning to get a macaw or even any other bird,I was planning to build an outdoor aviary for them (obviously separate the birds) in the summer and spring (since its kinda cold in winter lol). And about the GW those are nice but I also really like the BG hows the temperament and (i know every individual is different) but is there one species that is easier to leave at home without him or her getting upset (PLUCKING,aggression,screaming is fine )thank you for replying, don't worry my bird pushes her boundaries too lol.

 

[JJones1719]

It seems to me that you can spend time with a new Macaw however, I did not see that you can provide for one. Macaws unlike other Birds are very expensive. The cost of the Macaw will very in every state or country. Vet visits, grooming, fresh fruit and veggies. Pellets, dried fruit, Veggies, nuts, some seeds. and not to mention the cage. When I first purchased my Green Wing, the 2nd week that I had him, I put out over $6,000.00 . It's true that my baby had some real issues at first due to my baby regressing and having to be tube fed the 1st week I got him home at at $800.00 per week in vet bills.
Although most Macaws do not have such a bad start in life, these things can happen and you have to have the money set aside just incase they do.
Macaws need no less then 2-3 hours outside their cage per day, Lots of toys to chew on, they need to be fed 2 times per day with pellets in their cage always. change the water 3 times per day.
Macaws need to be bathed no less then 1 time per week, 2-3 times when they molt.
The cage must be cleaned no less then 2 times per week.

If you think you can live up to their schedule, I would say go for it, but if you don't think you have the time, money and most important the love it takes to handle and care for a macaw, Then I would have to advise you not to get a Macaw and perhaps a smaller more independant parrot. There are lots to choose from .
I hope you make the right choice for both you and the Macaw. Best of luck. Joe

 

[basia]

It seems to me that you can spend time with a new Macaw however, I did not see that you can provide for one. Macaws unlike other Birds are very expensive. The cost of the Macaw will very in every state or country. Vet visits, grooming, fresh fruit and veggies. Pellets, dried fruit, Veggies, nuts, some seeds. and not to mention the cage. When I first purchased my Green Wing, the 2nd week that I had him, I put out over $6,000.00 . It's true that my baby had some real issues at first due to my baby regressing and having to be tube fed the 1st week I got him home at at $800.00 per week in vet bills.
Although most Macaws do not have such a bad start in life, these things can happen and you have to have the money set aside just incase they do.
Macaws need no less then 2-3 hours outside their cage per day, Lots of toys to chew on, they need to be fed 2 times per day with pellets in their cage always. change the water 3 times per day.
Macaws need to be bathed no less then 1 time per week, 2-3 times when they molt.
The cage must be cleaned no less then 2 times per week.

If you think you can live up to their schedule, I would say go for it, but if you don't think you have the time, money and most important the love it takes to handle and care for a macaw, Then I would have to advise you not to get a Macaw and perhaps a smaller more independant parrot. There are lots to choose from .
I hope you make the right choice for both you and the Macaw. Best of luck. Joe

thank you for that Joe, it really helped.Im so sorry that your baby had a not so great beginning but I'm sure he/she is really happy now.Thank you especially for bringing the expenses up.Im sorry I did not mention anything about it but from what you said it sounds like macaws get pretty expensive.We are fine with all the food,fruits,accessories to the cage and so on.Also vet bills are really expensive here (avian vets ,there is only 2 in my area)but we have a really good one and would be ready to spend money on our macaw(or any other bird) any time.Speaking of money also when we had our GCC (I know its a tiny bird compared to a macaw but...) we took her in from someone who didn't want her any more.She was an awesome bird but one night she started vomiting and shaking and being fluffed up and lifeless.We didnt know what to do ,all the avian vet clinics where closed so we decided to go to an emergency veterinary hospital.After waiting 5 hours the vet checked her out and gave her an antibiotic.(it was 4 am ) We got home and gave her the antibiotic.We then made an appointment for an avian vet check up.We took her to the avian vet and she was not looking so good.They gave her a crop wash and then told me it was a systematic fungal infection so she gave us new medication.The vet said she was probably going to die,Also she wasn't eating so i had to stay home and hand feed her with baby mash.I hand fed her 5 days.Then it was time to take her off the medication form the emerg and she got worse.We called the vet and she said there was nothing we could do.I stayed home yet another day with Coco(gcc) and she died in my arms. I dont remember how much we spent but it was a lot .But I was glad we did because she lived a bit longer and at one point it even looked like she was gonna live.BTW she was only 2 years old when she died

 

[mtdoramike]

Never get a bird due to your current schedule or living conditions. I always tell folks thinking of getting a pet to consider what their life and lifestyle will be like 2-4-6 years and even longer down the road depending on the pet, such as a bird. Your life and schedule will change more often than you can imagine.

I'm guilty of always using the phrase "look past the tip of your nose". My daughter hated that as well as " stop worrying about today, it's already here, think about tomorrow instead".

 

[basia]

Never get a bird due to your current schedule or living conditions. I always tell folks thinking of getting a pet to consider what their life and lifestyle will be like 2-4-6 years and even longer down the road depending on the pet, such as a bird. Your life and schedule will change more often than you can imagine.

I'm guilty of always using the phrase "look past the tip of your nose". My daughter hated that as well as " stop worrying about today, it's already here, think about tomorrow instead".

thank you for bringing that to my attention.I will consider this before getting any bird let alone a macaw