| Feisty macaw a handful - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| Alex Clayton |
"Toucanldy" <toucanldy@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040824153859.04966.00002804@mb-m24.aol.com...
> This is what being a "companion animal," is all about.
> http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/35270.php
>
> Regards
Very, very good story. Certainly shows exactly why a bird especially a Macaw
is not something to be taken lightly, or given as a gift. Sounds like this
was one very lucky bird. The owners had no idea what they were getting into,
but I'm glad they fell in love with the bird and finally learned how to
handle him. I had to laugh when reading it as I had just finished a
wrestling session with my Macaw.
The letting the bird fly free makes me nervous though. They are playing
with fire there, and I sure hope they remain lucky. It could easily turn
tragic.
--
25% graduate functional illiterates. We should remove the warning labels
from everything and let nature take care of the problem.
Peter Weisbach
|
|
|
| Starlight |
On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:00:40 GMT, "Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> The letting the bird fly free makes me nervous though. They are playing
>with fire there, and I sure hope they remain lucky. It could easily turn
>tragic.
Exactly what I thought, Alex. They ought to clip him enough that he
can't reach roof altitude!! Also, a harness might be a good idea
when they're out.
Becky
|
|
|
| Louis Boyd |
Starlight wrote:
> On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:00:40 GMT, "Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>> The letting the bird fly free makes me nervous though. They are playing
>>with fire there, and I sure hope they remain lucky. It could easily turn
>>tragic.
>
>
> Exactly what I thought, Alex. They ought to clip him enough that he
> can't reach roof altitude!! Also, a harness might be a good idea
> when they're out.
It could be they're hoping the bird will fly off. I have my BCC
because it flew out of a tree and landed on a neighbors shoulder. The
neighbor tried for a month to find the owner. I suspect the bird was
encouraged to leave the previous owner. He is rather noisy. He remains
fully flightworthy and he's my cuddliest bird.
|
|
|
| owly |
There are lots of folks who freefly their birds, and don't tell us we should
freefly ours. So I won't tell them that they shouldn't freefly theirs. All
those good folks whose birds are strong and confident flyers - "birds" in
every sense of the word - that actually recognize their homes from the air,
do reliable recalls, and know how to fly down (a hard thing to learn, and
impossible to get a handle of for a bird without flight capability) do a
great job with their birds and don't lose them, like the "but he was clipped
and I thought he couldn't fly!" folks do.
It's a treat to be on lists with the freeflight folks and read about - and
see pictures of - birds who are still 100% bird and not feathered rocks.
Their training is amazing and their abilities are truly awe-inspiring! :)
Maybe some of us wouldn't do it - but it's quite a jump from "I would never
do that with my birds!" to "Nobody should do that with their birds!".
--
owly
http://www.ittybittybirdiebites.com - healthy natural treats for birds
NEW on Itty Bitty Birdie bites:
- AUGUST SPECIAL & NEW FOOD! (click on Specials)
- Check shipping status from our site!
Dozens of sprouting links! (Click on Sprouting Resources)
|
|
|
| Starlight |
On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 05:35:59 GMT, "owly" <dealweaver@comcast.net>
wrote:
>There are lots of folks who freefly their birds, and don't tell us we should
>freefly ours. So I won't tell them that they shouldn't freefly theirs. All
>those good folks whose birds are strong and confident flyers - "birds" in
>every sense of the word - that actually recognize their homes from the air,
If his bird can recognize his home from all those places they take it,
that's impressive. My feeling is that circumstances can't be
predicted, and the bird could end up flying into a strange situation,
away from the comfort of his home, that could be harmful.
All my birds are free flighted, although they remain in the house at
all times. I don't tell anyone what they should do, but I still see
the owner's behaviour as careless.
Becky
|
|
|
| owly |
Circumstances can't be predicted if ground our birds or keep them behind
bars its whole life either - cage accidents are a reality, even choking on
food happens. I've been interested in (but no plans to do it with my own
birds) free flight with parrots for quite a while and know of only one lost
bird among them. I know, however, of many many more lost clipped birds, or
accidents in homes, including in cages. Life itself is a risk, we each have
to assume our own acceptable risk levels for ourselves and our pets I
guess...mine won't be yours and yours won't be theirs.
My birds are also flighted...and many would consider us "careless" as well
because we let our birds be birds<sigh>...such is the world of people who
know better than us what is best for our birds, eh?
--
owly
http://www.ittybittybirdiebites.com - healthy natural treats for birds
NEW on Itty Bitty Birdie bites:
- AUGUST SPECIAL & NEW FOOD! (click on Specials)
- Check shipping status from our site!
Dozens of sprouting links! (Click on Sprouting Resources)
"Starlight" <homehealth_rnDELETE@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:hquoi0p24frduh0a385s91cqnoo11qh7ej@4ax.com...
> If his bird can recognize his home from all those places they take it,
> that's impressive. My feeling is that circumstances can't be
> predicted, and the bird could end up flying into a strange situation,
> away from the comfort of his home, that could be harmful.
>
> All my birds are free flighted, although they remain in the house at
> all times. I don't tell anyone what they should do, but I still see
> the owner's behaviour as careless.
> Becky
|
|
|
| Wheeler |
Sherry, of course we all have the right to make judgments regarding our
birds and utilize our own belief systems. I only respond to these types of
threads when the guilt card comes out: "You're depriving your birds
of......."
A friend of mine Chris Biro free flights his birds in shows, he has lost a
couple to hawks, in public, at shows. Me, I choose not to take that risk,
you all do as you so choose.
Oh and gee I have not lost any birds to accidents, choking on food or
cages.......
Bob Wheeler
--
Check out our web site,
A few new features and new pictures.
http://www.onemorebird.com/
"owly" <dealweaver@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:Q51Xc.42377$9d6.6055@attbi_s54...
> Circumstances can't be predicted if ground our birds or keep them behind
> bars its whole life either - cage accidents are a reality, even choking on
> food happens. I've been interested in (but no plans to do it with my own
> birds) free flight with parrots for quite a while and know of only one
lost
> bird among them. I know, however, of many many more lost clipped birds,
or
> accidents in homes, including in cages. Life itself is a risk, we each
have
> to assume our own acceptable risk levels for ourselves and our pets I
> guess...mine won't be yours and yours won't be theirs.
>
> My birds are also flighted...and many would consider us "careless" as well
> because we let our birds be birds<sigh>...such is the world of people who
> know better than us what is best for our birds, eh?
> --
> owly
> http://www.ittybittybirdiebites.com - healthy natural treats for birds
> NEW on Itty Bitty Birdie bites:
> - AUGUST SPECIAL & NEW FOOD! (click on Specials)
> - Check shipping status from our site!
> Dozens of sprouting links! (Click on Sprouting Resources)
>
> "Starlight" <homehealth_rnDELETE@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:hquoi0p24frduh0a385s91cqnoo11qh7ej@4ax.com...
> > If his bird can recognize his home from all those places they take it,
> > that's impressive. My feeling is that circumstances can't be
> > predicted, and the bird could end up flying into a strange situation,
> > away from the comfort of his home, that could be harmful.
> >
> > All my birds are free flighted, although they remain in the house at
> > all times. I don't tell anyone what they should do, but I still see
> > the owner's behaviour as careless.
> > Becky
>
>
>
|
|
|
| Alex Clayton |
"Wheeler" <rivercst@pacifier.com> wrote in message
news:10ipelrbk4os0d1@corp.supernews.com...
> Sherry, of course we all have the right to make judgments regarding our
> birds and utilize our own belief systems. I only respond to these types
of
> threads when the guilt card comes out: "You're depriving your birds
> of......."
>
> A friend of mine Chris Biro free flights his birds in shows, he has lost a
> couple to hawks, in public, at shows. Me, I choose not to take that risk,
> you all do as you so choose.
>
> Oh and gee I have not lost any birds to accidents, choking on food or
> cages.......
>
> Bob Wheeler
>
> --
> Check out our web site,
> A few new features and new pictures.
> http://www.onemorebird.com/
>
>
And this guy I assume is a professional, since he is showing birds. What I
meant was the article showed these two bought a Macaw and had no idea what
they were doing. They sound like the bird has become a beloved pet, but they
waited 4 years to try to find out what they were doing wrong, and now allow
the bird to "occasionally fly up in a tree or on the roof". This is what
made me cringe. I certainly hope and pray they NEVER have to watch as a Hawk
swoops down and takes the bird while he is on a roof, see him fly down just
in time to get hit by a car. They are still learning, and I hope they decide
on their own it's not wise to allow the bird to get on the roof.
--
25% graduate functional illiterates. We should remove the warning labels
from everything and let nature take care of the problem.
Peter Weisbach
|
|
|
| owly |
Most of us haven't...thank God :). If we had, then keeping birds as
companions wouldn't be worth the heartache would it...
I'm with you, freeflying isn't an acceptable risk for me either, like it is
for Chris and many others.
--
owly
http://www.ittybittybirdiebites.com - healthy natural treats for birds
NEW on Itty Bitty Birdie bites:
- AUGUST SPECIAL & NEW FOOD! (click on Specials)
- Check shipping status from our site!
Dozens of sprouting links! (Click on Sprouting Resources)
"Wheeler" <rivercst@pacifier.com> wrote in message
news:10ipelrbk4os0d1@corp.supernews.com...
> Sherry, of course we all have the right to make judgments regarding our
> birds and utilize our own belief systems. I only respond to these types
of
> threads when the guilt card comes out: "You're depriving your birds
> of......."
>
> A friend of mine Chris Biro free flights his birds in shows, he has lost a
> couple to hawks, in public, at shows. Me, I choose not to take that risk,
> you all do as you so choose.
>
> Oh and gee I have not lost any birds to accidents, choking on food or
> cages.......
|
|
|
| Digital_Cowboy |
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
And "Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com> opened up and revealed to the
world news:_j3Xc.12947$3O3.10006@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net:
> "Wheeler" <rivercst@pacifier.com> wrote in message
> news:10ipelrbk4os0d1@corp.supernews.com...
>> Sherry, of course we all have the right to make judgments regarding our
>> birds and utilize our own belief systems. I only respond to these
>> types
> of
>> threads when the guilt card comes out: "You're depriving your birds
>> of......."
>>
>> A friend of mine Chris Biro free flights his birds in shows, he has
>> lost a couple to hawks, in public, at shows. Me, I choose not to take
>> that risk, you all do as you so choose.
>>
>> Oh and gee I have not lost any birds to accidents, choking on food or
>> cages.......
>>
>> Bob Wheeler
>>
>> --
>> Check out our web site,
>> A few new features and new pictures.
>> http://www.onemorebird.com/
>>
>>
>
> And this guy I assume is a professional, since he is showing birds. What
> I meant was the article showed these two bought a Macaw and had no idea
> what they were doing. They sound like the bird has become a beloved pet,
> but they waited 4 years to try to find out what they were doing wrong,
> and now allow the bird to "occasionally fly up in a tree or on the
> roof". This is what made me cringe. I certainly hope and pray they NEVER
> have to watch as a Hawk swoops down and takes the bird while he is on a
> roof, see him fly down just in time to get hit by a car. They are still
> learning, and I hope they decide on their own it's not wise to allow the
> bird to get on the roof.
>
Alex,
Don't forget fly down to be attacked by a dog, cat or some other land
based preditor.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP 8.0.3
iQA/AwUBQSzyzx/i52nbE9vTEQIR2QCcChlJ+qqG9GzX122XDzltrVK9TGwAoOo4
d+5W9o3WdWplrmxwDHCroHCj
=H5iH
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
--
Digital_Cowboy
Live Long and Prosper
___________________ _-_
\==============_=_/ ____.---'---`---.____
\_ \ \----._________.----/
\ \ / / `-_-'
__,--`.`-'..'-_
/____ ||-
`--.____,-'
|
|
|
| Alex Clayton |
"Digital_Cowboy" <nobody@nobody.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9550A4FD4C72Anobodynobodycom@24.168.128.86...
>
> Alex,
>
> Don't forget fly down to be attacked by a dog, cat or some other land
> based preditor.
>
Yep, all kinds of things come to mind. My Macaw got away from me one time a
couple years ago. He was clipped, but he is VERY strong, and I had no idea
he could still get around. One day outside a couple fighter jets flew over
very low, very loud, I was watching them, when I looked back he was gone.
Scared the **** out of me. I was running around the house and up and down
the street calling to him. He was across the street and two houses down in a
large bush. A cat was staring at him, and I saw him because I heard him
yelling at the cat, if it had been a dog I would probably have been at best
on my way to the Vet, and at worst burying the bird.
--
25% graduate functional illiterates. We should remove the warning labels
from everything and let nature take care of the problem.
Peter Weisbach
|
|
|
| GOOD GOLLY MISS mOLLY |
"Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:278Xc.405$W_5.242@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> "Digital_Cowboy" <nobody@nobody.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9550A4FD4C72Anobodynobodycom@24.168.128.86...
>
He was across the street and two houses down in a
> large bush. A cat was staring at him, and I saw him because I heard him
> yelling at the cat,
I can imagine the cat telling his feline friends about the one which got
away "Honestly guys, it was *this* (holds paws wide apart) big". Hehe.
|
|
|
| Alex Clayton |
"GOOD GOLLY MISS mOLLY" <alpha.bitchREMOVETHIS@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:PciXc.45$Pr6.8@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...
>
> "Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:278Xc.405$W_5.242@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> > "Digital_Cowboy" <nobody@nobody.com> wrote in message
> > news:Xns9550A4FD4C72Anobodynobodycom@24.168.128.86...
> >
> He was across the street and two houses down in a
> > large bush. A cat was staring at him, and I saw him because I heard him
> > yelling at the cat,
>
> I can imagine the cat telling his feline friends about the one which got
> away "Honestly guys, it was *this* (holds paws wide apart) big". Hehe.
>
>
LOL, and the cat said "it talked in human too, and one came running over to
help!!"
--
25% graduate functional illiterates. We should remove the warning labels
from everything and let nature take care of the problem.
Peter Weisbach
|
|
|
| GOOD GOLLY MISS mOLLY |
"Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:yCqXc.14195$3O3.7816@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> LOL, and the cat said "it talked in human too, and one came running over
to
> help!!"
I will now never know the pleasure of owning a macaw :0(
Now that I have made the decision to move to France, I am sticking to the
parrots I have, rehoming some of the untame aviary birds. Ah well, we cannot
always have everything we want in life can we. And I do after all have some
really wonderful pets.Will always be very envious of macaw owners though.
|
|
|
| Louis Boyd |
GOOD GOLLY MISS mOLLY wrote:
> "Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:yCqXc.14195$3O3.7816@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
>>LOL, and the cat said "it talked in human too, and one came running over
>
> to
>
>>help!!"
>
>
> I will now never know the pleasure of owning a macaw :0(
> Now that I have made the decision to move to France, I am sticking to the
> parrots I have, rehoming some of the untame aviary birds. Ah well, we cannot
> always have everything we want in life can we. And I do after all have some
> really wonderful pets.Will always be very envious of macaw owners though.
You're better off remaining envious. I live with two B&G's and a
scarlet. They're sweet and cuddly about five minutes a day. The rest
of the time they spend chewing the woodwork.
|
|
|
| Alex Clayton |
"Louis Boyd" <boyd@apt0.sao.arizona.edu> wrote in message
news:cglirm$bvn$1@oasis.ccit.arizona.edu...
> GOOD GOLLY MISS mOLLY wrote:
> >
> > I will now never know the pleasure of owning a macaw :0(
> > Now that I have made the decision to move to France, I am sticking to
the
> > parrots I have, rehoming some of the untame aviary birds. Ah well, we
cannot
> > always have everything we want in life can we. And I do after all have
some
> > really wonderful pets.Will always be very envious of macaw owners
though.
>
> You're better off remaining envious. I live with two B&G's and a
> scarlet. They're sweet and cuddly about five minutes a day. The rest
> of the time they spend chewing the woodwork.
They are a great pet, and "can" be destructive, but that can be controlled
to some extent. While Charlie has been responsible for his share of damage,
a couple mouse cords chopped in half, many phone cords with the ends
removed, the end of my lap top power cord that has to be taped "just right"
to work, a hole chewed in the couch, are a few that come to mind <G>. All of
these were my fault though not the birds. Each one resulted from me leaving
him out of my line of sight for just a few seconds too long. I have found
that it helps a lot if he is provided with plenty of "acceptable" things to
destroy. I found a while back that I could build him a wood stand to place
in front of his cage. This served 2 great purposes. 1, he stays on it most
of the time and poops on a towel, instead of all over the cage, much easier
to clean. 2, it gives him lots of wood to chew other than his expensive Boda
perches. He used to go through one of them about once a month. He has 5 in
and on his cage, and the damn things are expensive. Since I started making
the stand I have not had to replace any of them. I hang toys off the stand,
he chews the toys and the stand, both made of 1x2 firing strips, and as he
destroys them they are easily and cheaply replaced. It has made life MUCH
easier. There are huge sections of his cage where the paint has been chewed
off, wish I had thought of the stand before, may have saved his $1,200.00
cages paint job <G>.
From what I have seen of them though this is really no different from
having a Grey or large Too. They seem to have the same need to chew and same
ability to destroy stuff either what you give them, or what they find.
I guess the one real difference I see between the Macaw and the Conure is
intelligence. The Macaw when he is not playing or sleeping, seems to be
always "watching" and "plotting". He is constantly learning new ways to get
to things and places in the house he has not "explored". From what I have
seen and heard this is also something common with other large Parrots too. I
know when you watch them it's like you can see the wheels turning in their
head, and you find yourself constantly wondering "what is he planning now".
<G>
--
25% graduate functional illiterates. We should remove the warning labels
from everything and let nature take care of the problem.
Peter Weisbach
|
|
|
| GOOD GOLLY MISS mOLLY |
"Louis Boyd" <boyd@apt0.sao.arizona.edu> wrote in message
news:cglirm$bvn$1@oasis.ccit.arizona.edu...
> GOOD GOLLY MISS mOLLY wrote:
> > "Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:yCqXc.14195$3O3.7816@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> >
> >>LOL, and the cat said "it talked in human too, and one came running over
> >
> > to
> >
> >>help!!"
> >
> >
> > I will now never know the pleasure of owning a macaw :0(
> > Now that I have made the decision to move to France, I am sticking to
the
> > parrots I have, rehoming some of the untame aviary birds. Ah well, we
cannot
> > always have everything we want in life can we. And I do after all have
some
> > really wonderful pets.Will always be very envious of macaw owners
though.
>
> You're better off remaining envious. I live with two B&G's and a
> scarlet. They're sweet and cuddly about five minutes a day. The rest
> of the time they spend chewing the woodwork.
That would not matter at all. They can join Pandora the U2 in doing so.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
