New B&G. I'm nervous.

tanyamitchellrn

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Nov 17, 2017
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Well, we have 6 parrots of all different species, so when someone needs help, I tend to be their go-to.

A 94 year old friend could no longer care for her B&G so her daughter whos in her 70s called and asked if I could take in their 30 year old Macaw.

We brought her home a week ago. I know nothing about this species. Heavy sigh. So far we have kept her in her own cage for comfort with the adjustment (even though I think she needs bigger). She LOVES to be outside of her cage, climbing all over the top and sides. She growls a lot but I dont know if its normal. she will take a treat from our fingers. We have not been able to touch her yet and I know thatll take a while. She hasnt been handled in probably 20 years according to previous owner.

Can anyone advise me where to start with learning the body language of this species? I already have a cockatoo, African grey, bf Amazon, and our list goes on. but not one of these. Any advice would be welcome.

Oh, and 2 days ago her owner was put on a ventilator so they rehomed her just in time (sad face).
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Scott

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Aug 21, 2010
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Re: New B&G. I?m nervous.

Welcome, thanks so much for adopting this macaw from your senior friend. I wish her well managing precarious health issues. BTW, reference your title, forum has known programming issue with various punctuation characters. Work in progress!!

Your large parrot experience will prove invaluable but nothing is akin to a macaw! I'd counsel the same if we were discussing a cockatoo, one of the more challenging avian species!! Your intro bodes well considering she is not cage-bound and accepts treats by hand. Macaws tend to bluff with that magnificent beak and intimidate by growling, yet far less likely to inflict significant bite. I'd highly recommend perusing the Macaw forum for posts by our resident macaw-whisperer "Birdman666." Beginning with a classic: http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56384-big-beak-o-phobes-guide-understanding-macaw-beaks.html

Macaws require a bit more fat in their diet compared with your other parrots, so make good use of almonds and walnuts as highly motivating rewards for training and good behavior.

Member "Bekki" has superb narrative of life with recently adopted macaw: http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/...houghts-pleas-advice-adjusting-life-ruby.html

Good luck, she's a beauty.... keep us updated with progress!!
 

saxguy64

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Re: New B&G. I'm nervous.

Hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of fixing up the thread title for you. :) The punctuation glitch is a challenge for sure!
 

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