Please... tell me I am crazy!

I want to adopt a Macaw SO bad! :'/ I have got to be INSANE!

Awww Man, I wish I hadn't seen this. I've considered hopping on that particular crazy train myself.

I'll give you a little heads up. You've joined a group of well-meaning enablers. Don't expect anyone to talk you out of it. Maybe they'll prove me wrong.

Should we start a support group?

In all seriousness though, a huge beak is a huge commitment. You should give it a lot of consideration and if possible spend time with a few big macs and see how you get on up close and personal. High vet bills, high food bills, they go through toys at incredible speeds, they are seriously loud, they have a very long life span, an appropriate cage, play stand and set up isn't cheap and it will take up lots of space....

Aren't support groups typically meant to deter?

Haha, you're probably right, Chris, but where's the fun in that?

Yeah, I'm of no help either. I'm already on that crazy train, with the hope of getting one in about two years.

I had that opportunity in July or august.
I decided it was not in the birds best interest as I am not meant to be a great macaw parront. I have too many other commitments.

Allee said:

Awww Man, I wish I hadn't seen this. I've considered hopping on that particular crazy train myself.

I'll give you a little heads up. You've joined a group of well-meaning enablers. Don't expect anyone to talk you out of it. Maybe they'll prove me wrong.

Should we start a support group?

In all seriousness though, a huge beak is a huge commitment. You should give it a lot of consideration and if possible spend time with a few big macs and see how you get on up close and personal. High vet bills, high food bills, they go through toys at incredible speeds, they are seriously loud, they have a very long life span, an appropriate cage, play stand and set up isn't cheap and it will take up lots of space....

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Makes a lot of sense, I should definitely get a feel before jumping in as that's kind of sort of what I did before I found my Zon. I bet they go through the food and so forth faster than the Zons too Huh? My kind of bird, a bird after my own heart "rubs belly" hehe.

chris-md said:

Aren't support groups typically meant to deter?

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Lol true true , I think I need help before I turn my whole house into an aviary. I look up the macaws OMG, the Scarlets, the hycanith, the blue and yellow, and so forth I'm in love I better snap out of it.

BeatriceC said:

Yeah, I'm of no help either. I'm already on that crazy train, with the hope of getting one in about two years.

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We'll be crazy together on the crazy train! I feel like those cartoons whet you hit the lips really fast and make some noise while the eyes are droopy and glazed.

Doublete said:

I had that opportunity in July or august.
I decided it was not in the birds best interest as I am not meant to be a great macaw parront. I have too many other commitments.

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I hear ya, it truly is a big undertaking that's for sure.

JosephNAsenath said:

I want to adopt a Macaw SO bad! :'/ I have got to be INSANE!

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So do you think it's your hormones? LOL.
Seriously they are truly beautiful birds and I'm sure that there is a small part of most parronts that would like one too. Sit and write a for and against sheet and be truly honest and see if it adds up. If you can do it and do it right then brill. Happy thinking.

Nah, I won't tell you you're crazy, Kristin, but I WILL tell you: Do NOT do it. At least not for a long while.

You just got Carlos, the Amazon. He's your first 'bigger' bird, yes? Live with him for a while. A long while. Build a relationship. See what it's like to care for him (and your littler ones) every day, 365 days a year.

By all means, go to rescues, stores, breeders (if you can) and hang with the big macs. Handle them. Ask a ton of questions.

I promise you your work load alone will double when you bring home a big mac, not to mention the cash needed to keep them fed, 'toyed-up', and possible vet visits.

I'm not saying this to be mean. A lot of people can quite easily get in over their heads. They mean well, but sooner or later realize they put more in their mouths than they can chew.

Don't rush into it! I don't have a macaw yet (but plan to get one) and I've been researching for 6 months and still have questions! I volunteer at my local aquarium which has 4 large birds (Catalina, B&G, Amazon, and a Cockatoo). Get hands on experience with them and do research, after that if you still want a macaw, go for it!

plumsmum2005 said:

JosephNAsenath said:

I want to adopt a Macaw SO bad! :'/ I have got to be INSANE!

Click to expand...

So do you think it's your hormones? LOL.
Seriously they are truly beautiful birds and I'm sure that there is a small part of most parronts that would like one too. Sit and write a for and against sheet and be truly honest and see if it adds up. If you can do it and do it right then brill. Happy thinking.

Click to expand...

I will try this, I will also do some research. I have this weird thing, luck I guess but I can research online and store it all in my memory bank whereas some individuals it can take a year or more of research. I don't know if it's the tourrettes or the spectrum not sure.

JerseyWendy said:

Nah, I won't tell you you're crazy, Kristin, but I WILL tell you: Do NOT do it. At least not for a long while.

You just got Carlos, the Amazon. He's your first 'bigger' bird, yes? Live with him for a while. A long while. Build a relationship. See what it's like to care for him (and your littler ones) every day, 365 days a year.

By all means, go to rescues, stores, breeders (if you can) and hang with the big macs. Handle them. Ask a ton of questions.

I promise you your work load alone will double when you bring home a big mac, not to mention the cash needed to keep them fed, 'toyed-up', and possible vet visits.

I'm not saying this to be mean. A lot of people can quite easily get in over their heads. They mean well, but sooner or later realize they put more in their mouths than they can chew.

Click to expand...

I definitely agree, I know I have more than enough to pay for a Mac financially but you're right I should be around them and do my research first. I did research Amazons some, but mainly I wanted a hands on approach and I absolutely adore him or her (find out next week for sure). I think I should give a Macaw longer because they are so big "giggles".

JackTheParrotLover said:

Don't rush into it! I don't have a macaw yet (but plan to get one) and I've been researching for 6 months and still have questions! I volunteer at my local aquarium which has 4 large birds (Catalina, B&G, Amazon, and a Cockatoo). Get hands on experience with them and do research, after that if you still want a macaw, go for it!

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Thanks you're right, I should definitely do more research. I am so antsy I don't know if I could wait 6 months like you have, but research is definitely key. Again I am odd in that but I look up things and I store it in my mind, well I also write tons of info down on notepads and it's helped thus far. - I will try being around them and get a feel for what it's like before I rush in.

Thank you all for helping me through my crazy flippyness

First... WHY is it that you want a large macaw all of a sudden after joining bird forums lol? Honestly, could it be based more on your emotional response, and visual impact factor? I believe you've been infected with a contagious disease called MBS (multiple bird syndrome), and you have it BAD!

I've had parrots for over 20 years, and a couple up to the size of a medium large Amazon. I love to admire the big macs for their beauty, pet and handle them at the stores, but I've personally never had a desire to own anything really large. Have you heard how SERIOUSLY LOUD they can be? When one screams full blast right by you it can be deafening. But to each their own .... I'd say don't just get experience with babies, but if a rescue can take the time to talk to you and show you some of the more challenging ones, and what you have to know to handle a mature adult. Learning all about the down sides, the negative, and serious challenges that many people face IMHO is a good way to see reality of the matter and help you to decide. Right now I have a feeling you're going off more of an emotional response of 'oooh pretty! I want one!' lol.

I like what RavensGryf has to say. I'm also on the crazy Macaw train, but everything she says about the "ohhh, pretty" idea is valid. My own personal plan is to spend a minimum of 18 months, but probably closer to two years volunteering at a bird sanctuary. I have applications started at a few places which I plan on getting submitted by the end of the month. I have training goals with my current parrots, both my new little guy and MrC's ill-tempered-to-everybody-but-him Amazon. I've been researching the average monthly cost of owning a macaw, and when I arrive at a number that I think would be appropriate, I'm going to see if I can put that much aside in savings every month and not kill the rest of my budget (this does two things...it ensures that I can, in fact, afford the added expenses, and it allows me to save for the purchase/rescue cost of the bird itself, plus all the things he will need straight away.) If any of those things don't go well, there will be no macaw in this house.

I also totally get where the warning is coming from. Until I moved in with MrC, I raised giant breed dogs, specifically Brazilian Mastiffs (The dog I had when I moved in with MrC passed away, and since he's allergic, I did not get another one...I didn't get rid of the dog just because of MrC, to be clear). These are gorgeous animals and mine were extremely well trained, so people would go "Oh, pretty! I want!", without realizing the hours I spent every day working with my dogs to make them good, well socialized pets. I found myself with a knee-jerk reaction of listing out all the "negatives", or difficult aspects of raising these dogs (google them...Brazilian mastiffs are an interesting breed).

So, all that to say, for me personally, I think I want a macaw because I miss the hours of interaction with a stubborn animal I got when I was raising mastiffs. The workload of a macaw is actually part of what appeals me to them. I think it's really important to analyze your own feelings to figure out why you want a particular type of bird and if it really is in both yours and the bird's best interests.

Well I'd be a liar to say Macaws are not pretty, but I love all birds - small, medium, and large. I enjoy caring for birds, I guess I don't see it as a chore but an enjoyment. I love shopping for them, buying them toys, gifts, food, etc. each bird is like my own little mini kid. I do want to do more research but I do find myself intrigued by macaws, just like I'm intrigued by amazons, especially mine.

So yes it's definitely more than the pretty factor, it's the need to baby and nurture something.

JosephNAsenath said:

I definitely agree, I know I have more than enough to pay for a Mac financially but you're right I should be around them and do my research first. I did research Amazons some, but mainly I wanted a hands on approach and I absolutely adore him or her (find out next week for sure). I think I should give a Macaw longer because they are so big "giggles".

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Yup, just a tad bit bigger than Carlos...ooooh, depending on what type of big mac, I'd say at least 4 times the size. :54:

Honestly, I never recommend doing just 'some' research. Research extensively, after all, this will be a life long commitment.

BeatriceC said:

Yeah, I'm of no help either. I'm already on that crazy train, with the hope of getting one in about two years.

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Actually, you're not. You're just thinking about climbing aboard...

I on the other hand, have one on my lap, and one on my shoulder.

The one on my lap has been there all weekend.

Macaws are the most "toddler-like" of the bunch.

You are essentially contemplating taking on a permanent toddler with feathers, that never grows up. Same IQ. Same attention needs. Except macaws bite harder than toddlers do. And these don't grow up and move out. EVER!

Birdman666 said:

...The one on my lap has been there all weekend.

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Now that's hard core! Those bathroom breaks must be ROUGH!

Anansi said:

Birdman666 said:

...The one on my lap has been there all weekend.

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Now that's hard core! Those bathroom breaks must be ROUGH!

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OH, WE GET MEAL BREAKS, AND POTTY BREAKS. AND SHE SLEEPS ON TOP OF HER CAGE... OTHER THAN THAT THOUGH, I SET HER DOWN, AND SHE PRETTY MUCH EITHER FLIES OR WADDLES RIGHT BACK TO ME.

And actually, there are two more right behind her... Sally's in "breeding season" mode. She's made of velcro and jealous of the other birds.

Sarah opened the flood gates on this one when she taught her to climb the stairs...

JerseyWendy said:

JosephNAsenath said:

I definitely agree, I know I have more than enough to pay for a Mac financially but you're right I should be around them and do my research first. I did research Amazons some, but mainly I wanted a hands on approach and I absolutely adore him or her (find out next week for sure). I think I should give a Macaw longer because they are so big "giggles".

Click to expand...

Yup, just a tad bit bigger than Carlos...ooooh, depending on what type of big mac, I'd say at least 4 times the size. :54:

Honestly, I never recommend doing just 'some' research. Research extensively, after all, this will be a life long commitment.

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I agree for sure.

Birdman666 said:

BeatriceC said:

Yeah, I'm of no help either. I'm already on that crazy train, with the hope of getting one in about two years.

Click to expand...

Actually, you're not. You're just thinking about climbing aboard...

I on the other hand, have one on my lap, and one on my shoulder.

The one on my lap has been there all weekend.

Macaws are the most "toddler-like" of the bunch.

You are essentially contemplating taking on a permanent toddler with feathers, that never grows up. Same IQ. Same attention needs. Except macaws bite harder than toddlers do. And these don't grow up and move out. EVER!

Click to expand...

Just what I want.

Birdman666 said:

Anansi said:

Birdman666 said:

...The one on my lap has been there all weekend.

Click to expand...

Now that's hard core! Those bathroom breaks must be ROUGH!

Click to expand...

OH, WE GET MEAL BREAKS, AND POTTY BREAKS. AND SHE SLEEPS ON TOP OF HER CAGE... OTHER THAN THAT THOUGH, I SET HER DOWN, AND SHE PRETTY MUCH EITHER FLIES OR WADDLES RIGHT BACK TO ME.

And actually, there are two more right behind her... Sally's in "breeding season" mode. She's made of velcro and jealous of the other birds.

Sarah opened the flood gates on this one when she taught her to climb the stairs...

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That's too cute!

Kristin, you said 'Just what I want'. They don't 'come' like that.