Macaws as pets?
I wanted to ask how many hours of creativeness, attention do Macaws need? How bad do bites hurt? do they bite often? Should i rescue or hand raise? Can they stay on my shoulder and not rip my face apart? How often do they need to shower? What are Macaws favorite snacks? I have also heard that the more attention you give macaws, the less noisy they are, Is this true? if not i would mind. Should i buy a cage for a Macaw, or a room. Military, scarlet, or Hyancith or Blue and Gold Macaw, and do they have different personalities with their species. If you answer all these questions easy ten points. THANK YOU!!!
Please don't say that these are exotic animals and i should not get one. i already know what i am getting into.
Comments
big birds need a lot of attention, they crave people and will do everything to get to you including breaking out of a cage. since they live a long time 70 years or so, it's a very big commitment. unless you are planning to have one for the rest of your life, don't do it. If the bird was socialized properly, it won't bite. If it bites, it will hurt, draw blood etc. so if you hand raise one, you have a better way of knowing this info, but you can see what's out there in rescue, maybe there is a hand fed one whose owner died. again, they can sit on your shoulder and not bite if they were raised properly. males are much more aggressive after age 2, so keep that in mind. they need showers everyday, birds skin is flaky and dry and you can mist them everyday or let them play in the water. birds love everything people do, fruit, rice, eggs, popcorn, bread, cookies, they cant eat avocado. they are less noisy if you are paying attention to them. they need a cage for safety when you're not home. a lot of people prefer the blue and gold, look on the internet and see. birds are a lot more work than people think and unless you know you can give them a lot of attention, don't even think about it.
They need a LOT of attention, they are LOUD, yes bites hurt, they are capable of taking off your finger. They're all hand raised, they're not allowed to be caught from the wild anymore. Having one near your face is not a very good idea. When they 'step up' you need to be holding out a branch for them for transport around the room, then your arm once they get to know you.
PLEASE contact a macaw bird rescue and get the facts on this species, these are not some pet you get on a whim, they're expensive to buy, the cages have to be HUGE, and solidly built of metal, and they need interaction all their lives (which is around 90 years). The animal shelters do not take these birds - having one is a lifetime commitment. It is also difficult to find a vet trained in exotic birds.