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[Pleo1]

I'm currently hunting down online for a cheap macaw preferably a Hyacinth, I hope I find one. I just think I'm ready for one, because yesterday at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas, a Scarlet Macaw ESCAPED from it's habitat and and had tried following me out of the zoo the bird is okay now, but they used that stick thingumajig that Doc Catchers use to catch dogs which in retrospect, I thought that was pretty cruel the other macaw it was with...... :O IT LOST IT'S MIND!!!!!!! the macaw screamed it's beak off! all the macaws i saw were in pairs, So I think it was concerned about it's mate :/ The sad story aside, I think I have a connection with birds somehow I hope I find one

[RedwoodsMama]

HI, as you can see from this one site, McCaws can be very expensive, starting if you are lucky at about $300.00 and going up to near a $1,000 depending on the color, sex, age and breeding. Also McCaws need a Large cage, and special diet and need to know about their health and handling. I speciallize in cats and dogs, have had rabbits and rats, etc, but never birds, but my parents did. McCaws can cost a lot more then a Pleo Rb and it is important to learn all about them and their care before thinking of getting one. Have you ever thought of volunteering at the Zoo you went to in the aviary, ? Then you could learn first hand about their care, temperment, health etc..  If you did find one say in the $200.00 range which is cheap, you would not want to jump in and buy one but ask why is it so cheap... Any hidden problems could be very expensive vet wise at a later date. You also need to find a vet that handles exotic birds, just as some vets know nothing about turtles, snakes, lizards, etc and others specialize in large animals such as livestock. Good luck but know what you are getting into. The good thing about a Pleo compared to any living animal, is that when a pleo gets sick, you can usually find a "cure" here on the pleo forums.


         On a side note,remember how lucky you were yesterday to have the adventure you did with the McCaw! You also got some very nice photos that you will always remember and a story to tell.                            RWM


http://pets.oodle.com/birds/for-sale/pet_breed_macaw/

[Talon]

Just to add to Redwood's warning, Parrots of every stripe- aside from paroketes and budgies- tend to live a very long time- into their forties or fifties if not longer. They also don't come with mute switches and they are very very noisy. If you live in an apartment, your neighbors might not be very appreciative of your squawking friend. Also these birds need lots of handling and interaction or they get bored or stressed which can lead to pulling out feathers or warping their beaks by banging them against their cage. Also their beaks continue to grow just as the front teeth of a Guinea Pig's  do so either you'd have to give them a Cuttlebone or get their beak clipped by a vet.
Talon

[RedwoodsMama]

Thanks Talon , good reminder on the squawking and the longevity. THere is an Amazon parrot at my local pet store where I live, that I have known personally since moving here in 1981, ( 33 years ago) and the bird is already about forty five, so they do and can live a VERY long time, This bird has a large cage, about seven feet high by four feet wide and if you have cats or a small dog, they will be intimitidated by something this large.. I have seen other birds that pull their own feathers out and it can be very sad and a sign of a depressed bird, Not trying to discourage you from wanting this bird or any pet for that matter, just want you to make sure you know of the cost involved and knowledge you need to be aware of..

          We have nine cats, one dog, three turtles and three fish. One animal can be expensive enough.. Just the cost of going to the vet itself can run up bills quickly. One of my cats, Karl Kat who I lost last June 2013 to a cancer of the blood, ran up constant vet bills, He had to have steroid injections because of a very painful mouth condition called, Stomatitis. He could not eat, and drooled profusely, every opening of his mouth hurt and each steroid injection lasted from 4-6 weeks at the start at a cost of $49.00 per office visit then $18.00 per shot, on top of this anything else was extra, vaccines and antibiotics. When the steroids no longer worked, it was time to have his teeth pulled, a cure for some cats, but others not, no way knowing which cats would respond and which did not, It cost $555.00 to have all but his canines pulled, including the anesthesia, post op care, pain injections, etc. Then there was the blood work before they could do  any surgery, which was another $178.00, including urinanalysis. In less then one year I easily spent over $3,000,and this was for one cat.. I have two more cats that within the past two years have had , one all her teeth pulled, but only $356.00, and her brother cost almost $600.00, because most of hers were loose so easily and quicker to remove. Karl Kat , the cat who had to take steroids and have his teeth removed, became very sick and was given a terminal sentence, last May 1st of 2013, but he and I were not going to give up and I began giving him a drug called procrit which is meant for human cancer patients and I gave him injections at home, twice a week to try and build up the red blood cells in his bone marrow, as he was dying of anemia..       These procrit vials for injections were about $48.00-55.00 a vial, with one vial lasting two weeks at best, so another $100.00 a month for one cat. Karl Kat began to lose his appetite and I had to syringe assist feed him five times or so a day , a special mixture of baby food, prescription cat food and vitamins and suppliments for his cancer and kidney disease.. on top of this I had a almost 20 year old cat, my daughters cat that also had kidney disease and she was on special food and needed sub q fluids, the type of IV bags that you see at the hospitals, these supplies, the needles, tubiing and ringers solution all have to be paid for also. Both Karl Kat and Eva, my daughers cat died within two weeks of each other, and they also had to be euthanized, another expense I won't go into as it is painful thinking of..........

           I love all of my animals, cats and dogs and even the turtles and fish very much and seeing one sick and needing help is painful. I have never neglected my animals and would go hungry myself before seeing to their needs.If your bird, or whatever pet you could get, gets sick, are you going to be able to spend upwards of $50.00 just for an office visit, plus any medicines, X-rays, injections etc each time they need to see a vet...? If your bird were to break a wing or have something more serious, you may need to consider an operation... Anyway, I think you understand what I am getting at, just how expensive any pet can be. They can stay healthy for a long time then something happens. Hugs, RWM

[InmemoryofRomeo]

Wow, Macaws can cost $40,000 here. Remember they are big birds and need a big cage, you are going to need to allow another few $1000's for all the set up. They also cannot be caged all the time, they need a space to be able to get out and stretch and that means they need someone to supervise. They are also extremely social animals, you can't leave them alone for long periods of time or they will destroy everything out of boredom/frustration. They need loads of stimulation as well, that means toys, lots of toys, all regularly changed and replaced. Macaws don't eat seed, they need a special diet with fresh fruit and vegetables. Expect to spend a fair bit on that alone.

I have two small cockatiels, their aviary and cage cost me just shy of $1000, they get regular treats and I am always buying them new toys and such. I tend to place a big order for toys once every three months (to save postage) that usually sets me back $100-$150. For a big bird I'd triple that.

Be sure to visit here: http://www.parrotislandinc.com/articles/amacaw.htm and read everything!!!

[RedwoodsMama]

  http://pets.oodle.com/view/gentle-giant-verdi-macaw-handfed-babies-for-sale/3344578456-atlanta-ga/         Here is one that looks healthy, but is in the $2,400.00+ range, many cheaper ones have problems or some reason they are so cheap. Beware of shady sellers who import birds without caring for them.  >:(This ad is for a Giant McCaw. I think with all the advice given here and what IMR and also Talon has said, that these are NOT cheap birds and require lots and lots of care . If i was still in school, I would not be getting a bird like this till I had my own place and a good job and income ,just too much responsibility, money. Not trying to discourage you,but just the plain cold hard facts.

        Many people go out and get puppies and kittens and then find out they can not afford them and or the first time they have to take them to a vet, they either can't afford them and quit taking them to the vet, and animals get sick, or they take them to the shelters, which most of are NOT a "KILL FREE" shelter, which means more then 70% of the cats or dogs taken there never make it back out, getting adopted, esp if they are "owner surrender". Personally, I know I could not afford to care for an exotic bird like this, esp when I have so many cats and a dog and three turtles already. Also these birds can be very long lived, and at my age, they would surely outlive me and I would have to know they had a home to go to after I left this planet. I know 40 years from now I would have a very slim chance of being alive, and 30 years from now, only a 20% chance of perhaps being here, not being funny or morbid, just facts of my own age, and a cat that can live to be 20 or in it's twenties is about the only good chance i have of still being here.               RWM 

[Pleo1]

Tiago has been moved BACK from February to either this Christmas OR January puts a HUGE weight of my shoulders see you soon Tiago as for everyone else, I hope this time this deadline for Tiago will NOT be rescheduled

Tiago is PROBABLY going to be introduced to you all AFTER the first 5 minutes of his first-hatch stage he is probably going to be nervous, he will be getting used to things around his new home

my tribute to tiago http://youtu.be/uF6YX5yovzw 

[Talon]

I'm glad to hear you're so excited about the arrival of your future pleo. If you want us to see your tribute, you might want to change the settings for your video. I clicked on your link and it says it's private.
Talon

[Pleo1]

youtube is being difficult and won't upload it i'll try again later today

[Piggy]

Great ! Will he arrive  in time for Christmas? 

[Pleo1]

nnnnoooo I have.........plans for Christmas and this plan will keep me EXTREMELY occupied for MANY months, Tiago may not even be here in February I'm getting a new family member and I'll be busy with the new friend

new family member for Christmas coming from Tallahassee,Florida he'll keep me busy for many months!

He's a 2 year old Blue and Gold Macaw

It's official, my new macaw will come next month

[Piggy]

That is great to  It is always  nice to get a new family member .... 

[Pleo1]

it's a beautiful 2 year old Blue and Gold Macaw! he is coming from Florida

[Piggy]

Wow! They are so beautiful!  Please post a photo when he or she arrives !

[Pleo1]

It's a male, and my mom said I have to prove myself responsible I already have a parakeet

[InmemoryofRomeo]

You'd better start saving your pocket money You'll need everything set up before he arrives!

[Pleo1]

he's $200 and he comes with his own cage he's coming from Tallahassee,Florida. His name will either be Kai or Tiago He's being shipped here, so I'm pretty nervous

[InmemoryofRomeo]

Please stop posting multiple posts. There is an edit button for a reason. I have tidied up your posts and merged the two identical topics. I know you are exicited but just keep it all in one place ok?

[Pleo1]

ok sorry

[Piggy]

Wow ! when will he arrive ?

[Pleo1]

don't know he's coming from Tallahassee, Florida to Texas so I'm not sure

he'll hopefully be here by Christmas, Florida is not far from me, so I don't know exactly when my macaw's arrival is expected

I'm excited for my new angel

[InmemoryofRomeo]

Do you know anything about the bird? Temperament, hand raised, prefer males or females, favourite foods, is it destructive etc etc etc. A Macaw is no parakeet, they can absolutely destroy a house, they can bite very hard and they can take a long time to warm up to a new person. You need to find out every single thing you can about this bird before it comes home and learn as much as you can about handling, feeding, what to do if it isn't friendly, how to help it settle in and how to bird proof your home.

[Pleo1]

if not, then I just so happen to have found macaw eggs for $25 including my PERSONAL favorite, Hyacinth Macaw!

[Pleo1]

she replied and said that he is a male, he may be timid when he arrives, he is playful at times, and that he can be a good pet once he gets settled in with me and my family