New member with quaker, researching macaws

[JJNg]

New here, and just wanted to post an intro. Birds have been a part of my life for about as long as I can remember. My parents got me a pair of budgies when I was 6 (in response to me begging for a dog), and I got a couple other budgies a few years later. When I lost my last budgie in high school, I got a quaker named Jadey who is still with me today at 20 years old. She was with me through college and vet school, and has been a constant in my life.

Over the years, I've been involved with managing the Quaker Parakeet Mailing List and helping start the Quaker Parakeet Society. I stepped back from those activities while I was in vet school. I'm now a practicing vet, but only see dogs and cats. I'm also involved in rehoming retired racing greyhounds, as well as lure coursing and amateur racing with my dogs.

My main reason for joining the group now is that I may have the opportunity to adopt a macaw, and I'm doing all the research I can. I do have some experience with larger birds, but nothing as large as a macaw. When I was in college, I had the opportunity to work with the African Greys at Dr. Pepperberg's lab for a year. And I've also handled a few Amazons who belonged to friends and relatives.

Right now, my info is limited, but I'll post under the Macaw forum when I find out more. All I know at this point is that it's a large blue macaw (I'm guessing a B&G) who used to be part of a magic show at Six Flags in Atlanta. The owner has had the bird since a hatchling and it's 15 years old now. Sadly, the owner has terminal cancer and his wife has made it clear that she's not keeping the bird after he passes. I don't know the couple, but they are friends of the groomer at my clinic. He's supposed to be finding out more info for me.

Jennifer

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Welcome! That's awesome you've had your quaker so long, and amazing history that you have. I'm envious that you got to work with Pepperberg and her greys

We have a ton of fantastic macaw parronts here who can help you with any info you may need

 

[MikeyTN]

Welcome to the forum!!!! It's great to have a vet around here on the forum, thanks for joining us!!!

B&G Macaws are wonderful birds, they bluff a lot to try to scare you off, especially when they don't know you yet. But if they were trained properly like the one your describing, I'm sure he's well trained to be in a magic show, he should be easy to handle. Ask any question you may have, there's plenty of Macaw owners on here to answer all your questions including me.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Hi there Jennifer, and welcome to the forum. So glad to have you on board.

Please let us know how it goes for you when you meet this B&G.

If the bird was in a magic show, he may be extremely well socialized, which would be a GREAT!

 

[henpecked]

Hey jennifer, welcome to the forum. We have lots of great macaw parronts here. You should post pics of Jodey.,we love pics and stories about your fid. Hope you hang around, we need a vet !!!

 

[JoeR]

About 90 minutes north of Columbia is a GREAT parrot rescue place. If you are looking for a hands-on education on birds, they are a great place to start. They offer regular classes and I bet they'd be willing to answer any questions for you, and probably let you handle some birds. There is another rescue place near Winston Salem NC and they have plenty of macaws.

 

[JJNg]

Thanks for the welcome! Not sure how much use I'll be in the vet department since I just see dogs and cats now. I did a couple rotations through the Exotics service in vet school and my first year out, I worked at the only clinic in a smaller town that would see exotics, so I do have some basic knowledge. But since moving to a larger city, I prefer to let the more experienced avian vets handle the medical cases.

JoeR, is Parrot U/Companion Parrots Re-Homed the rescue place you're referring to 90 min north of Columbia? I've been doing some research and have a list of parrot rescues in the area in case things don't work out. I just like to be prepared - I did the same thing and had the website/contact info for whippet rescue when I brought home my whippet 6 years ago. Still have him, and I now volunteer for the whippet rescue.

I've contemplated a larger parrot, and I've hesitated because I know the mess they make. I'd pretty much decided I wouldn't go out and buy one, but I also wouldn't turn down a bird if the opportunity came up. But by larger bird, I'd envisioned something along the lines of a Grey or an Amazon. I'm both excited and a little nervous about the possibility of a macaw.

I really have no idea what the time frame will be for this macaw. From what my groomer says, it could be weeks or months, or longer. The wife has said that she's definitely giving him (the groomer) the bird when her husband dies, and he doesn't want to keep a parrot (he's told them this, so they know he'll be finding another home for it). So if nothing changes, it looks like I'll be getting the bird, but I'm not going to count on it until it actually happens. I've asked if they'd be willing to let me meet the macaw and maybe spend some time with them before the husband gets too sick, but I also don't want to intrude if they are private people. Will see what the response is.

And as requested, here are some photos of my quaker. I got Jadey when she was about 7 wks old and still on 2 handfeedings a day. For the first 5 years, I called her a 'he' until I got her DNA sexed. Since then, she's laid eggs a couple times to confirm those results. She was a little bit of a feather picker when she was younger, and although she hasn't plucked in years now, she has some follicle damage and has a permanent bald spot over her breast.

And I dug through my old photos to find this one of me, Irene Pepperberg, and the Greys. IIRC, I'm holding Griffin, Wart is on the playstand, and Irene is holding Alex. Very sad that Alex and Wart are now gone. I'd have say that Griff was the sweetest, and he was my favorite. I just saw recently that they're adding a young female Grey to the lab.

Jennifer

 

[MikeyTN]

Thanks for sharing the pictures!!!! I do miss my Quaker......