Walking a Friend's Macaw?

[charmedbyekkie]

We met a friendly BNG macaw a while back. His parront runs a pet store (no birds, just cats and dogs, grooming, and supplies), so the big guy hangs out on his stand outside. He's very friendly with strangers, though I haven't tried touching him - just feeding him.

He's 8 years old with stunted flight feathers. Apparently, the free-flying community here clips wings by actually pulling out the feathers instead of cutting them, so his primary feathers never grew back properly to full-length.

We visit the store just to say hello sometimes, and the shopkeeper said that he'd like it if we took the big guy on walks with us. Now, I've never handled a macaw - our only experience with birds is Cairo, and after him, it was just cockatiels and other small-sized parrots. Also, the big guy and Cairo haven't showed any interest or aggression towards each other. But that doesn't mean I feel 100% comfortable taking him on walks with us.

TBH, I'm a bit intimidated by their beaks. Cairo is so polite with his beak - he'll gently push your finger away, then he'll give a warning with a bit more pressure, and he only breaks skin if you ignore his cues over 3x. A macaw? It feels like one mistake of me not reading his body language (which I assume will be quite different from Cairo's) will cause me to have a broken finger!

Still.... the guy is just chained there to his metal stand with no toys, just a water bowl and a food bowl. I know bringing toys and other things would be overstepping boundaries, but his owner has offered/green-lighted walks. Which I think most birds would enjoy.

Thoughts? Should we just try it one day and see how it goes? Or should I take a step back?

 

[Owlet]

Honestly, in my experience with Macaws they're pretty similar to eclectus when it comes to biting. They might push you away or give you a warning nip but not do a ton of harm unless they're seriously peeved. Obviously their beaks are bigger and can do more harm but just read the bird and usually it'll be fine. It's really up to you if you want to socialize and mentally stimulate someone else's bird. It's a weird situation but.. it's up to you. It certainly would be good for the bird.

 

[Scott]

Macaws tend to be more "responsible" using their beaks. Check out this excellent thread! http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56384-big-beak-o-phobes-guide-understanding-macaw-beaks.html

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Macaws tend to be more "responsible" using their beaks. Check out this excellent thread! http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56384-big-beak-o-phobes-guide-understanding-macaw-beaks.html

Wah! This is helpful! Thanks

And it looks like I inadvertently did the right thing with him. He started doing the head snake/head bob when we approached (I read it as excitement/playing), so I started doing it back to him before offering him a treat, which he politely accepted. That's good news to hear we're off on the right foot!

I think we'll socialise Cairo a little more with him; since last we checked, Cairo is indifferent to other birds, but I've never had both Cairo and another bird on me at the same time. I am a bit concerned because Cairo is allowed to hop from shoulder to head anytime he feels insecure, and I don't know how the big guy will react, but the big guy definitely will not have shoulder rights. I do hope the three of us get comfortable enough with each other to bring him out on walks with us.

 

[ChristaNL]

Oh wow...
you are offering to enrich yet another birds life!

That is so incredibaly sweet of you! :07:


Just one thought: has the macaw been tested?
After everything you went through with Cairo just a few weeks ago I would not like you to have to worry again.

(The pulling of the feather remark made me wince so much -- with Sunny-the-primary-mutilating-macaw here it hits close to home. That poor bird!)

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Just one thought: has the macaw been tested?
After everything you went through with Cairo just a few weeks ago I would not like you to have to worry again.

That did occur to me too. But frankly, I'd be surprised if any bird in this country has been tested for any disease. I'm pretty sure I found the only vet in the country that does blood tests for birds. And most people don't bring their birds to her - they prefer either a home-grown 'vet' or another vet who flat out does not take blood from birds at all. Our vet is a bit blunt and direct in her opinions on the treatment of birds (should be kept indoors and socialised with humans, should not free-fly or have other opportunities to pick up diseases from wild birds, etc), so it doesn't always jive well with the rest of the community, but we love her protectiveness of her patients.

So I'm really not sure. I'm absolutely paranoid when it came to a wild bird pooping on my partner - I made him wash thoroughly before handling Cairo. But other domestic parrots, there's no chance I can vet that. I must say, though, the macaw (I forget his name ) looks in amazing condition - no stress bars, no missing feathers, and pretty decent looking poop (yes, I checked it out, hahhaha).

I do feel cautious, though, because a couple weeks before Cairo got sick, we met a 47yo cockatoo who plucks (his head still has all his feathers). The cockatoo does live outside, so he is potentially exposed to other wild birds. Cairo never touched the same area as the cockatoo - in fact, Cairo was up and away from him, so only a chance of passing a virus/disease via the air. I felt bad, mentioning the meeting to our vet when Cairo was ill because his family is so sweet and loves him in their own way (they've had him since he was a baby), but it was considered an option.

:/

I really don't know, but I want to try to make it work. I've got a terribly soft heart when it comes to animals.

 

[ChristaNL]

Oh, you cannot protect your bird against everything anyway (I do not think it is healthy for them to be always in an bubble)- it is just that because he was unwell a short while ago Cairoos immune-system might not be up to full speed already.

It is like this psittacosis thingy: a lot of birds are carier but will never, ever get sick (as long as their systems are in good shape).

I love that you all get out there and experience the world

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Oh, you cannot protect your bird against everything anyway (I do not think it is healthy for them to be always in an bubble)- it is just that because he was unwell a short while ago Cairoos immune-system might not be up to full speed already.

It is like this psittacosis thingy: a lot of birds are carier but will never, ever get sick (as long as their systems are in good shape).

I love that you all get out there and experience the world

Good point! I hadn't thought of that. Going to google how long it takes avian systems to get back up to speed after a major illness.

And yeah Cairo's really our feathered/flying kid - he's rarely without one of us. If my partner and I go out for anything, he almost always goes with us, unless it's not safe for him (eg, hair salon). He's a much happier bird after spending time outside with the two of us, and he's developing well when it comes to new environments (even starting to practice his vocab in public!).

 

[Laurasea]

Would take this guy for a walk! Maybe wait a couple of week to make sure your guy is top notch. Why not offer to place a toy with him???

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Would take this guy for a walk! Maybe wait a couple of week to make sure your guy is top notch. Why not offer to place a toy with him???

Can't offer him a toy - kind of a cultural thing. It'd be considered as me overstepping myself and inserting myself into something that should be none of my business. If I were back in the US, I totally would shower him with toys! Am thinking that, in time, I might have a toy saved specially for him to play with when we're together. Then after a while, I might be able to give it to him permanently.

 

[EllenD]

While that's extremely nice of you to offer, first there is the issue of putting Cairo at risk for viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, parasites, etc. that you can't know if the Macaw has or not (you have to realize that this Macaw is outside interacting with hundreds of people all day long, every single day...You have no idea what he's come in-contact with at all...That's scary to me)...Second, and just as scary, is the fact that you're taking responsibility for this person's Macaw...So what if something happens while you're walking him, and he becomes injured or worse? That will be your responsibility...That's a big responsibility to take-on...I know you're living in an entirely different cultural environment, but in the US, if you were in this same scenario where the bird's owner asked you to "walk" their Macaw, and something happened to their Macaw while in your care, you'd be sued immediately...So that's another thing you need to think long and hard about...Honestly, the risk of interacting with and having Cairo interacting with or near a Macaw who is living at a public pet shop with hundreds of strangers interacting with him every single day is enough to stop me from doing it, just because you cannot control what you're exposing Cairo to...

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Good points, Ellen! Need that contrasting opinion

Will have a lot to think about then. I want to try to make it work and for Cairo to socialise in general. Simply because people here only bring their birds in if they look terribly ill (regular check-ups are not a thing here) and no one does blood tests or other samples regularly (the first vet I went to before our current vet just eye-balled Cairo and gave green light without weighing or listening to his heart and respiratory system, and he's the vet that even the national bird park brings in for assistance sometimes), I doubt I can find any bird, including Cairo himself, that's clean and safe. I wouldn't be surprised if Cairo does have an asymptomatic disease or virus.

If I were back in the US, I would play things very safe - make sure he's completely clean of health issues and make sure any other parrots he'd socialise with were equally good. Right now it feels like I'm running around with an unvaccinated kid, meeting other unvaccinated kids, and everyone potentially dying. But that's the reality here, and no one bats an eye (I've witnessed people smoking as they hold their birds, and I've yet to hear of anyone tossing their teflon pans). I'm trying to balance my American expectations and standards with local reality, and I do struggle with trying to figure out what's best for Cairo.

So thank you for the perspective.

 

[ChristaNL]

Well the one way for unvaccinated kids to survive is build a healthy immune-system *fast*. (LOL I am one of those old school people that just had the measels instead of getting a shot)

Cairo is - despite all the scares- a really tough little cookie.


The thing about bringing in a bird only to a vet if something is very, very wrong is also the norm here.
(Most people with parrots do not even know a forum exists- and since budgies, tiels etc are so very cheap here, just looking at the vets office costs you more than a new bird ...)