It only took me a few months...

[HappyHummingbird]

Noblemacaw, I am so, so, so sorry for your pain. I understand that awful feeling you had at the clinic. I couldn't even speak, I was blubbering.... I took Max, after he had passed on, from my husband and took him to the ER to be examined right away. I just held him in a towel for an hour sobbing. They probably thought I'd gone crazy the way I carried on. I blubbered and sobbed. How did you come to acquire Valentino?

 

[noblemacaw]

We share the same pain. I really am glad that I am not alone and please know that you are not alone either. Someday, maybe if I can actually make it happen, I would love to have a Golden Conure in my life but right now Valentino is enough. I do realize that RFM's do better in a flock with not being the only bird and I may down the road get one more parrot. I know deep down I will probably get one more parrot and although I think it would be so very wonderful if that parrot could be a Golden Conure I do not know if I would ever be able to get one where I live.

After Diego passed so suddenly in June 2011 I did not take his passing well at all. I began to use the internet as a grieving tool. I read a lot about other people's parrot stories, I would watch youtube videos of parrots especially Illiger's macaws. One day I found a video of a Illiger's macaw with a Red Fronted macaw. I then remembered why I loved the RFM's since 1997 when I met my first one at a parrot meet and greet. I then began to research and learn about them.

It was during my research I found Wendy Craig of Wendy's parrots. In my quest for knowledge I emailed Wendy questions about the RFM and got to know her. Through emails and phone calls I learned so much about Wendy and her parrots that I began to contemplate getting a RFM. My Noble macaw Mihijo was the only parrot and although he has been the only parrot before I knew he would do better with another parrot in the house. As much as I grieved my Diego I knew that I needed to get just one more parrot, not only because of Mihijo but because I knew a parrot from Wendy would be the way to go.

What really helped me move forward was the day Wendy and I shared about experiencing the death of a beloved parrot. She not only understood where I was experiencing with the loss of Joaquin (eclectus parrot who died in December 2005) but how Diego's death affected me. She told me when ever I was ready she would have a parrot for me.

After I put a deposit on a "male Red Fronted Macaw" it took me almost a year and a half of paying off the RFM. I know that Wendy did not have to take payments for that long and it would of been better business sense for her to take the payments quicker but she never once told me my slow payment schedule was not okay. When my payments were almost done she emailed me and told me two clutches were all female and that she had a pair who laid late and she "hoped" there would be a male in this last clutch of the season. The day she emailed me and told me she had "one male" she began to call him Valentino that day.

On the morning October 7th 2012 Lupe found Mihijo on the bottom of his cage and called to me in such a voice I ran down the stairs because I knew something was wrong. She could not even talk but was standing by the cage whimpering "whats wrong?" I ripped open the cage door and took my Mihijo in my hands and clutched him to my chest and cried so hard I had a bad asthma attack. Mihijo's necropsy revealed that he had a heart attack much like your Max. Mihijo was going to be 18 years old in Feb.

I almost cancelled taking Valentino after he was weaned and ready to come home. When I called Wendy to tell her about Mihijo she simply told me I will need Valentino more now than ever. She told me how Valentino was such a sweet parrot and he liked to spend time with her, that he loved people as much as he loved to be with his clutch mates and other parrots. She told me that Valentino has such a joy for life and she felt I would really enjoy him. She told me he was easy to love.

Valentino came home December 9th and I traveled to the airport to pick him up during a dangerous snow storm. Not only the flight was not delayed or cancelled but it came in 20 mins. early. I feel Valentino was meant to be with us and I am very glad I didn't cancel taking him.

I think you will feel the same way about Georgia. Baby parrots are very easy to love. They depend on us so much it helps our grief to take care of them and to love them. I think you will probablly get to the point when you look at Georgia you will melt. That happened to me for the first time when Valentino flew to me and made the baby cry as he layed on my chest and went all mushy.

I would love to know how Georgia came to be with you and your family. She seems to be such a sweetie.

 

[Alwese]

Welcome to the forum. We have quite a collection of macaw owners here and plenty of good advise. Both of your birds are beautiful. A golden conure is one very special bird. I have only seen one once. We love pictures of your birds too!

 

[goalerjones]

Happy, your story brought back my Jendays passing. Imagination has our loved ones passing away peacefully and serenely. However my George went out seizing after most likely poisoning himself after an escape from our home. We got him back but he passed the very next evening, on a Sunday night around 11pm. No avian vet within a 30 minute drive.

I held him as he took his last breaths. He was my first parrot and it never dawned on me the he would ever get sick or die. He had escaped and we had gotten him back 5 times! I know how Pollyannish that sounds but he was 6 when he died and Jendays are supposed to live into their 20's.

Now, with my Hahns I read all the time, have vet numbers, hours, diet management etc. but George still lives in my heart.

 

[Big Blues]

Losing a feathered friend that is such a huge part of our lives never gets easier, so very sorry for your loss of your Max. Max will always be with you in your heart and memories for you to cherish. Other feathered friends need love too and any new addition will never replace Max, only give you a chance to give another one the love they desire and deserve. Georgia isn't a replacement, she is an addition and can bring so much happiness into your life. Time heals, hugs to you and your family.

 

[Vdavis0789]

I am just wondering ..I have a B&G macaw and I noticed ur baby is already weaned. my baby is 7 1/2 months old and is not weaned yet. Is there any tips you can offer? When was your baby eating mostly on his own? What tricks did you use?Thanks-

 

[HappyHummingbird]

Davis --- My macaw is definately not weaned... she is over 4 months old now but is still on four hand feedings a day. I have no tips to offer as I thought we'd have reduced a feeding or two by now.

 

[Big Blues]

Davis --- My macaw is definately not weaned... she is over 4 months old now but is still on four hand feedings a day. I have no tips to offer as I thought we'd have reduced a feeding or two by now.

I have experienced weaning two of our macaws and both did not wean totally until they were 10 months old. I believe in offering other foods and letting them wean at their own pace and not to rush them, they will fully wean when they are ready.