Hand Raising 8 week Blue & Gold Macaw

Hi! I thought i would take a moment and introduce myself, I'm Montana & i have a new baby Blue & Gold Macaw. This is my first macaw but not my first time hand feeding. I used to raise ducklings and fostered a 5 year old african grey for about 6 months.

I'm super excited about my baby!! His name is Shorty by the way lol. I got him at 4 1/2 weeks the day after mother's day and he's been doing great. The people i got him from had me feeding him only twice a day andtold me to keep him in the dark. After my first two days following their instructions it didn't seem right with some slow crop problems. We went to the vet and got his feeding schedule right with the right consistency and he's doing great!

Shorty is about two months now and I'm excited about all the developments he has been making day by day.

I'm wondering what are some of the best ways to bond and spend time with him at this stage. We hand out a lot practicing getting on perches and balancing on his basket and stepping onto my hand. He likes to follow me around ad stand on my foot while i prepare his formula. I've tried watching animated moves like Rio, the Little Mermaid and Aladdin. He seemed to look at rio a bit but I'm not sure he is interested in tv or music.

Any tips about bonding and raising a macaw this young would be greatly appreciated!! I'm so in love with him already

Any time you can spend hanging out with him, even if it is reading or doing computer work with him nearby, is valuable. Lots of hand training,, etc., sure, but being together makes a big difference!

Hello and welcome to the forums!!

I suggest you read through the first 5-10 pages of the macaw forum threads.

I also suggest reading up on everything Birdman666 has written here, he has tons of macaw experience and lots of great advice! It is no small feat to take on an unweaned baby macaw, and you were right to go to your vet to help you with your baby. The people you got your baby from were wrong to give you this baby with those instructions, so please maybe next time if you're getting a baby, wait until it is weaned to pick it up and go through a more responsible breeder who can make sure to feed it and care for it properly.

Welcome to the forums, Montana and Shorty!!

In addition to the links provided by itzjbean, check these threads:

http://www.parrotforums.com/new-mem...friendly-warnings-keep-your-parrots-safe.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html