Hi everyone,
I am not here and was wondering if anyone would have some experience they wanted to share regarding hormonal macaws. There is a lot of info out there, but also a lot of contradictory experiences.
We are interested in adopting/buying a large macaw somewhere the next couple years. This has been a secret dream since I was 11 so absolutely no rush and I want to have a larger aviary before we do. But then, what worries me is all the stories about macaws who grow up (7-15+ years) and go through a terrible hormonal phase. That I think I can deal with, although it will undoubtedly be challenging, but I worry about the normal behaviour once sexually mature. How likely is it both my and my partner can maintain a close relationship with the macaw? I read a lot most become hands off when mature, I am looking for a more hands on(not cuddly but hands on play) bird, all of mine have been hands off this far and not very playful. That’s okay but with a macaw I would think more playful, more Hands on? All of mine have been rescues(14 over my life, 9 at the moment). We may buy a baby macaw because we want to train him/her for free flight and free flight birds are rarely up for adoption and it is more risky to train an adult to free fly. I am also afraid that during the hormonal phase free flying will become near impossible and the bird even more frustrated because that freedom suddenly disappears.
Also what are your experiences with raising two of the same species, specifically macaws? Most my birds have a same species buddy and I would prefer it for the macaw as well.
I am not here and was wondering if anyone would have some experience they wanted to share regarding hormonal macaws. There is a lot of info out there, but also a lot of contradictory experiences.
We are interested in adopting/buying a large macaw somewhere the next couple years. This has been a secret dream since I was 11 so absolutely no rush and I want to have a larger aviary before we do. But then, what worries me is all the stories about macaws who grow up (7-15+ years) and go through a terrible hormonal phase. That I think I can deal with, although it will undoubtedly be challenging, but I worry about the normal behaviour once sexually mature. How likely is it both my and my partner can maintain a close relationship with the macaw? I read a lot most become hands off when mature, I am looking for a more hands on(not cuddly but hands on play) bird, all of mine have been hands off this far and not very playful. That’s okay but with a macaw I would think more playful, more Hands on? All of mine have been rescues(14 over my life, 9 at the moment). We may buy a baby macaw because we want to train him/her for free flight and free flight birds are rarely up for adoption and it is more risky to train an adult to free fly. I am also afraid that during the hormonal phase free flying will become near impossible and the bird even more frustrated because that freedom suddenly disappears.
Also what are your experiences with raising two of the same species, specifically macaws? Most my birds have a same species buddy and I would prefer it for the macaw as well.