just bought two b&g macaws, one may be blind

jq24

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Hey Guys
new member here. Im new to macaws but very experienced in birds in general. i breed many different species from finches to pheasants. i also have thee amazon parrots
after a few months of research i decide i wanted a pair of macaws. i dont ever buy single animals. Everything from my dobermans to my bengal cats and the rest of my birds i get in pairs because i feel they are happier with companionship, especially so with the social creatures such as parrots.
the first macaw i bought last week was a beautiful tame 10 year old possible female blue and gold. She came with a huge king cage . The owner was friendly knowledgeable and obviously knew how to care for this species. He even has a severe that i might go back for because the price is so good and the bird was just so well socialized
Now the second blue and gold i bought last night was being kept in a tiny cage in a small shady apartment with a few young people who non of which seemed to be the owner or new anything about macaws, but all took turns answering my questions. The bird was surprisingly in great feather and was robust and large in size. however one eye was totally opaque and obviously dead and his bottom bill was highly over grown. i asked more than once if there were any other medical conditions with the bird and if there was anything i needed to know . They assured me everything was perfect besides the one eye and the bill(which i knew was an easy fix). At first i was going to say no and leave the bird but then i realized how unhappy he probably was in such an unfit cage and that no one in the apartment seemed to know anything about macaws in general, so i made arrangements to have them deliver the bird to my house the next day(last night).
When the bird arrived he seemed ok. i did a quick check for possibly anything else i could see and found nothing. i paid the shady people and was just happy he was now in a better place, and they left. it was once they left that i realized something was wrong. i realized that the bird was probably fully blind. it was not untill he was touched that he reacted . i could wave my hand in front of his "good" eye and no reaction from him. In the cage when he wanted to move around he would open his beak from side to side until he hit something and then try to climb on it, kind of like a blind person using their hands to move .HOWEVER when i put in a water dish he quickly climbed down and walked to the bowl and drank. So i really dont know, is he blind, almost blind, or just smelling the water?
i did call the seller back demanding my money back and he said no problem he would take the bird back. but now that i think about it don't want that bird going back to live in a cockatiel cage with irresponsible owners. So i want to ask you guys, do you think i should just keep him? does he even sound blind?

oh i also want to add that they said he was tame with the owner. yet now that i have him he doesnt even know how to step up. When the "owner" came to drop him off i asked him to hold him . he refused saying the trip made him cranky and that would make him bite. so chances are not only will he be blind but he will never be handle-able. i hoping to possibly breed them in the future but that was not my sole reason for getting these birds.but im wondering , if they do bond , can they mate with him being blind? they are both 10 years old
 

MonicaMc

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First and foremost - get the bird to an avian vet for a full exam.

Second - birds can do a 180° turn in behavior from one home to the next. Whether or not the people were telling the truth doesn't mean anything in your home.

Third - if this bird is in such poor physical shape that you mention, breeding him may not be recommended at all, regardless of whether or not he can breed.

Fourth - pet birds may make terrible breeders
 

1500

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Well I could say any number of things about the "owners"...

I am sure you know the first thing is Quarantine. Then if you are going to keep him, take him to a Vet instantly.

If he is in fact blind, it will require a lot of work on your part. When he went down to the water, had you placed it in the same place as before? If so then he could have memorized his cage. If not, good bet he can see to some degree. If he is truly blind, then when you move him to a new cage, you are going to have to set up a feeding and water regiment, by presenting him his food and water. Then you have to be consistent in where you place that food and water in the cage. Over time as he explores he will find them and that feeding regiment will not be needed, but til then its up to you to make sure he gets food and water at appropriate amounts though out the day.

Not reacting to your hand until touched could be due to a number of factors. Shock can manifest its self in the form of the bird freezing and not reacting to anything, until you push past a threshold. So not reacting to your hand in front of his eye is not that surprising. It could also be from condition training from his past owners, in other words he learned to not react. In either case, I would not push him or force interaction.

Given enough time, I am sure he could come around and you will be able to handle him.

Oh and I would not take anything the "owners" said as the truth, you will most likely never know how old he is. Or even if he is a he.
 

Mariar

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Awww don't give the bird back..it sounds as if he could be happier with you and if blind..do you really think the shady people will care?? Get him to the vet. And I'm not judging, but why do you want to breed??? To make money? So many unwanted pets out there...keep us updated please.
 

JerseyWendy

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Most excellent points, Monica! The only thing I'd like to add is that I truly hope you quarantine your new arrivals from the rest of your flock until they were thoroughly vetted to prevent any potential 'nasties' from spreading.
 
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jq24

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Thanks for the replies guys.
he will be going to an avian vet in the next few days,but id like to reiterate that he is actually in great feather for some reason considering he came from a bunch of people who look like they know nothing about avian care. He also has a nice well muscled chest, something you dont see often in birds that dont fly . Im familiar with how sick (bacterial or viral infections)birds act and he seems fine. the issues he does have is an over grown lower beak and one bad eye that's totally opaque. And of course the last thing is i think he might be blind
In terms of the water bowl, no he had no idea where it was before he went into the cage. when he came home he went into a brand new cage about 5 times the size of his ridiculous other cage. he was in the cage and i put the water in and i then saw him climb down and drink water. writing this i know it sounds like he can see from the fact that he found the water but there are so many other things he does or doesnt do to make me think he is blind.
 
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jq24

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@jerseywendy i breed because its my passion. i have been breeding exotic and rare species of animals both domestic and wild since i was in highschool. My animals are all well taken care of and i dont ever breed any animal with out knowing i have a line of people wanting the young.
and yes wendy its is absolutely for the money as well, and any breeder who tells you otherwise is lying otherwise they would not charge anythiing or very little. Its an amazing feeling that im helping to create lives that will make people very happy who will in turn give those animals great lives as well. theonly problem is finding the right homes. On top of that im getting money in my pocket to then put back into my feather and fur babies (because thats where all my money goes lol)!
 

JerseyWendy

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@jerseywendy i breed because its my passion. i have been breeding exotic and rare species of animals both domestic and wild since i was in highschool. My animals are all well taken care of and i dont ever breed any animal with out knowing i have a line of people wanting the young.
and yes wendy its is absolutely for the money as well, and any breeder who tells you otherwise is lying otherwise they would not charge anythiing or very little. Its an amazing feeling that im helping to create lives that will make people very happy who will in turn give those animals great lives as well. theonly problem is finding the right homes. On top of that im getting money in my pocket to then put back into my feather and fur babies (because thats where all my money goes lol)!

Thank you for addressing me with this, however, I didn't say a word about breeding. :rolleyes:
 
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jq24

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my apologies, i got you mixed up with another poster
 

Hawk

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Blindness of a bird is not a total deficiency. I have a blind chicken.

That girl can sense sun up and sun down, can follow my voice
and is really a great chicken. Her other senses have increased 10 fold.

But do get the birds to a vet. Sometimes blindness could be a temporary thing
and not always permanent. Miracles can and do happen. trust me on that.
I have rescued animals that many would have put down or turned their backs
on only to see that good care and prayers go a long ways.
 

MonicaMc

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Although he may appear healthy, he could have some serious issues going on inside that could potentially make him unfit for breeding.


I met a blind ruby macaw once. She was blind due to head trauma. (physically abused) Watching her and hearing about her, you'd never think she was blind! She didn't *LOOK* blind, but you could tell she couldn't see if you moved around her. She relied a lot on hearing and touch. Although blind, when given a basket full of baby toys, her eyes would light up with delight!


Hope this macaw is doing better now and has seen an a-vet...
 

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