# Starting With Macaws?



## clownbarb1 (Jul 11, 2010)

Hello. i ant to have a macaw when my fish house is completed but i was wondering whether he could be kept in fish house surroundings?
which would be quite warm and probaly very humid.


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## eightball (Jan 1, 2011)

I cant think of why it would be a problem, aslong as the humiditys not stupidly high :2thumb:

ps id buy a good pair of gloves cause if they get their mouth on you it will bloody hurt


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Parrots need alot of attention and would be much better suited in a busy room in the house so that he gets attention all evening rather than for an hour while your feeding or cleaning a fish tank.

Alternatively, set his cage up in the house and harness train him, get him a stand in the fish house and then when you go out to the fish house you can take him with you on his harness and lead.


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## clownbarb1 (Jul 11, 2010)

How noisy are they?


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## cobe (Nov 24, 2010)

they are very very noisy and very distructable. they will take a welsh dresser to piecies in a matter of hours. you really need too look into macaws before getting this life long member of the family.


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

cobe said:


> they are very very noisy and very distructable. they will take a welsh dresser to piecies in a matter of hours. you really need too look into macaws before getting this life long member of the family.


Excellent advice from all - especially the above. They live a long time and of course are relatively expensive to buy. Not for a first time bird keeper either.

It depends on your future plans also as you may wish to go to university, move out for work etc and then what happens to the parrot!


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Regarding noise, put it this way - I have an african grey, and when he wants to make some noise, he will! Thankfully he chooses to talk rather than scream but if something frustrates him, he will scream like mad at it - Infact, I have had to leave the room and go to other parts of the house to get away from the noise if he wont calm down. 

Generally, the larger the bird, the louder the noise and harder the bite.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Also, Id like to add that birds can take a long time to learn to trust, Olli wouldnt let me handle him for 7 months so dont automatically expect your bird to decide your best mates after day 1, because they can be a night mare to gain trust with.


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## AraCyanea (May 30, 2011)

It being too humid can cause respiratory problems in Macaws, as you could guess before this. They also, as stated, require extreme amounts of attention, they are like a 3 year old child for the next 50-80 years of your and their life.

Harness training could be a solution to keeping them entertained and giving them attention, and keeping them away or stressing the fish out if he managed to get out while you were out. Macaws are very intelligent birds.

They can go from lovely and cuddly to noisy and destructive, they can easily bite into and open up tins of food, so think how much damage they would do to furniture and stuff. Also, if you and the bird didn't have a good bond and you tried handling him, you may be saying goodbye to your fingers and they could easily take it off.

Look more into it, look at what species are easier to keep than other, vocalization if that's a problem, foods, diets and anything else.

A parrot is a pet for the rest of your life, they will probably live past you and you will have him down in your will for when you pass away. Again though, this all depends on what Macaw you plan on getting.


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## arwen (Jan 9, 2008)

Hi, we have 2 , wow are they noisy ,the noise is defening when they start it is soo loud and carries a long way due to the deepness of their call, ours you cannot leave for even a minute as they get up to some naughtyness , i would be really worried at being in a fish room with all the electrics there would be about and the chewing of everything if you wern't giving him attention then wham something will get bitten!! As already said they are like a 3 yr old that never stops also as said they like to be with you all the time and will not tolerate being left for long periods with no-one around , we take ours to work every day with us, most macaws will not sit still on a stand for long they want to see what your doing , some birds will amuse themselves not Macaws 


Suzanne


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## sasca (Sep 29, 2011)

They don't make good house birds at all. Unless you have huge amount of undevoted time to spend with the every day they will soon easily get bored. No cage is really big enough for such a huge bird in a house so you would need to keep them out of it the whole time. Your doors will be chewed to shreds, anything he can get his beak on and pick at (fish tank lids!) These birds are designed to be flying through tree tops so i don't think a humid room is going to do his lungs much good either. 

An african grey will sound like a mouse compared to a macaw that wants to scream. Their small chatter is loud. 

I suggest a more house friendly birds personally. Though you may want to consider a hahns macaw if your set on a macaw. I personally suggest a less destructive and friendlier species. Either parrot you choose your looking at decades of commitment. They don't rehome to well, they like familiarity.


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## cobe (Nov 24, 2010)

cobe said:


> they are very very noisy and very distructable. they will take a welsh dresser to piecies in a matter of hours. you really need too look into macaws before getting this life long member of the family.


i just realised i used the word destructible and i meant to say destructive


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