New Feathers

GladeWing

New member
Oct 16, 2013
55
0
Southeastern U.S.
Parrots
Khepri - Blue and Gold Macaw
Hello,

I decided to finally up and join a bird forum or two, and this place looks pretty active!

I've had some experience with large birds. Likely not as much as other users here, but the last 5 years or so I have done a lot of work with large parrots. Before jumping in with "the big boys" I did maybe about a year of research online on parrots. I am a horse person at heart, and often find myself with clients who bought a horse "because they think they are pretty" and they had no clue how expensive and dangerous they could be in experienced hands. I KNEW parrots of all sizes are much the same so I wanted to make sure I knew as much as possible on diet, behavioral, and health issues before bringing a bird into my home. After the research I went out a small local rescue to get some hands on experience on care, noise, and behavior before looking to get a parrot of my own. I'd like to feel like I got into birds the "right" way :D

I have fostered the following birds (usually for 3-5 months at a time) for a local small rescue:
Blue and Gold Macaw, Blue Front Amazon, and Congo African Grey

I have only owned a pair of gorgeous 'tiels (Lutino and White-Face) but they passed away in February due to old age (I had adopted them from the rescue). I had been wanting to get another bird but did not know when the time would be right to get a new feathered companion but finally found myself looking a month ago. I was between a Sun Conure, Green Cheek Conure, African Grey, and Blue and Gold Macaw. Huge range right?

Well, 2 weeks ago I ended up finding Khepri, a Blue and Gold Macaw who was in a home that did not fully understand the nature of a large parrot. She is a very sweet, very willing bird, and is now a part of my home! Khepri is the parrot in my avatar. She had been bounced from a few homes before she came to me here and I am really surprised that she doesn't have any serious behavioral issues due to that.

So, I decided to finally join up with a birdie-board to chat about birds and get some good bird food recipes too, I'm tired of making the same old birdie bread!

Hi all! Please be nice to me :D :blue1:
 
Last edited:

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
Media
2
43
Parrots
Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
I would be worried about two cockatiels that passed away around the same time. My youngest cockatiel (I believe) is 12 years old. I don't know how old two of them are, and I know another is 15+ years old, but for all I know he could be 20+! And I know cockatiels have been known to live for 30+ years.

Just seems "off" to me that two died around the same time.




Anyway, congrats on your new B&G macaw! We've got a few members here who are crazy about both macaws and horses!!!!! So I think you'll fit right in! :D
 

Calace

New member
May 16, 2013
400
0
Newcastle, Australia
Parrots
GCC- Ollie 3.9.13.
Cockatiels- RIP Charlie 2012, Zac 2006.
Welcome to the forum. It's awesome that you did so much research and hands on before jumping in with a bird of your own! Congrats! :)
 

tab_xo

Active member
Aug 9, 2012
3,288
1
Queensland, Australia
Parrots
Fargo- Blue and Gold Macaw
Wow a horse person and a macaw person... We just might be twins from different countries ;) HAHA

Welcome to the forum! You will sure fit right in :)

Great to see you did so much research! I think training horses you will find macaws very easy.. Alot of people are intimidated by their size, but after riding 900kg horses, or leading 3 of them at the same time, I cant find a macaw scary at all :p hahaha

I have had my macaw for about 14 months now! and have had horses my whole life! My 3 horses are my big black clydesdale cross baby, 17.1hh OTT thoroughbred who i retrained, and my most recent is my 17hh black hanoverian gelding :D
 
OP
GladeWing

GladeWing

New member
Oct 16, 2013
55
0
Southeastern U.S.
Parrots
Khepri - Blue and Gold Macaw
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Wow guys! Thank you so much for such a wonderful welcome!

Tab_xo, I had actually seen Fargo around through Facebook I think... or maybe a Google search of Macaws. He (she?) has got to be one of the healthiest looking Blue and Golds I had come across on Facebook. The feathers are just... WOW. When I would help my clients shop for horses, I would always start from the hooves and work my way up. Healthy hooves = a reflection of the horse's health for the past few months. Sorta the same for birds. Healthy feathers = a proper diet and excellent upkeeping! Hooves can't lie, and neither can feathers!

Birds really are a lot like horses! Sounds weird to say, but when you consider the dynamic personalities that you work over the course of your relationship together to figure out... trying to establish a line of communication, and even the general upkeep (horses can be pretty dern delicate... AND EXPENSIVE ._.) I had NO idea how unique larger (and smaller) parrots were until I met my bird-friend.

Much like horses, dogs, cats... birds are exactly what you put into them. If you lock them in a cage and hose them when they scream.... they'll be psychopaths. But that's what they were conditioned to be. Same goes for the dog that spends their life chained in a backyard and the horse who gets ridden to heck-and-back and slam dunked back in their stall. I learned with horses.... the problem is RARELY the horse. It is usually always the owner. The only time the issue was with the horse it was an actual diagnosed medical/mental condition xD That's the only reason I didn't say it's NEVER xD

Oh, and I must admit my pitfall... I am a rambler :C please forgive my insufferable mountains of text. I tend to write more than needed because I am used to being members of horse forums (and other forums) where if I don't explain EVERYTHING, people will not give me the benefit of the doubt xD

I have already discovered the DIY and Recipe forum and have made myself at home there.

Oh! I also mirror my horse logic with birds in this statement: I know a lot, but I will never know everything about birds. I am always willing to listen, learn, and ask questions because even after 20-40 years of experience there will still ALWAYS be something new to learn and explore with Birds (and horses!) alike :blue1:
 

tab_xo

Active member
Aug 9, 2012
3,288
1
Queensland, Australia
Parrots
Fargo- Blue and Gold Macaw
Haha Thank you very much! :D He is a very good boy.. Think he is pretty well known for all his tricks, and his feathers actually, so many people ask me how i get his feathers so shiny :eek: haha


I absolutely love your way of thinking, its all very true.. Each is an individual and needs different approaches to training!


My warmblood i purchased only a week ago, the lady was selling him because he was too strong for her, and she couldn't control him, so said she didnt like riding him... Now this lady was TINY.. and this horse is huge.. So her legs couldnt even reach past the saddle, and she used her hands for everything, so you could imagine this horse had a very strong mouth!

After a week of training, he is like a totally different horse, he hasn't tried to run off once like she said he did, and he is SO responsive to leg contact, he doesn't NEED his mouth to be ripped around by a strong rein contact!

They all learn differently and have preferred methods.. Obviously at his first owners she was a soft rider, so he has quickly learnt to be soft again.. Just this other lady had made him stronger!



I wish you could of come with me to buy my thoroughbred ;) Only purchased him in April, honestly, he is the sweetest horse i have ever met, he would do anything for me.. But he has terrible feet, when we bought him,the lady said he just had seedy toe, and her farrier said it would be fine in a few months..

After 4 farriers, 3 vets, x-rays.. You name it.. Unfortunately he will never be able to jump, and wont be able to be ridden for 2 years ! Racing just ruined his hooves, his bones corroded, his hoof is so thin because he had shoes on him from the word go.. Now he cant walk without having his special boots on!! Poor boy!!


Talking about animals being chained up.. My clydesdale was chained to a post, in the middle of a paddock when he was a foal until a lady rescued him...

Before i really got into birds i never knew how human like they were, they are very special with the way they interact and bond!

HAHAHA Dont worry about the rambling! We all like stories on here.. and definitely, people jump to conclusions without the full amount of information! ;)



Yes every day is a learning experience, i think you will find even our members who have had birds for 30+ years still say there is ALOT to learn :p


Do you have any pictures of Khepri? And your horses? ;)

and you will love the DIY and recipe section, our members are so creative... This forum is very friendly haha
 
OP
GladeWing

GladeWing

New member
Oct 16, 2013
55
0
Southeastern U.S.
Parrots
Khepri - Blue and Gold Macaw
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
It sounds like your Warmblood is in an awesome new home. He was probably SO relieved to finally be under a rider who wanted to work WITH him not against him, haha! My horse experience is largely in Dressage but honestly, I am in just about everything (I love learning!) and have shown Western Pleasure/Equitation, Minimal Jumping (never made it to HUGE jumping shows or anything, but did the Jumping High-Point classes at local shows) Trail Riding, Speed Games, etc! I favored the process of taming and teaching ground manners though, and introducing the saddle to the horse and green breaking them.

My horses include a Solid-Bred Paint, an American Quarter Horse, an American Paint Horse, a Sicilian Donkey, and a Miniature Horse. Out here, I had a Tennessee Walking Horse that I trained from an emaciated stallion (yearling) and actually placed in a home 3 weeks ago due to a move that I will be making in March or so. I was so proud to show him off to the lady who purchased him. The other horses I listed are in California with my family. Now all my horse experience is just through training/schooling my client's horses. boo hoo ;_; oh well, when I move I am sure I will get another horse.

I have only 3 pictures of Khepri from before I got her, I've had her for a couple weeks now and need to get some pictures! She has some nice feathers coming in but overall I don't like her color/feather quality. I am getting her acquainted to baths/showers/splashytime and she is... slowly... beginning to like it!

The picture in my avatar is one of the 3 I was sent when I adopted her. It was the prettiest and least washed out of the bunch!
 

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