JIM, your thoughts on.........

[amazing greys]

Ok the breeder called and said she knows someone who needed to give up her 4yo B&G because of allergies. Whether this is true or not (as hubby says people don't give up good birds) but thought of me and wanted to ask if I may be interested.

She is picking her up today, and going to see how she does for her, and call to tell me the status of the cage and size, along with any vet history.

Please tell me your thoughts on this. I would love a baby B&G, but if one was really in need of a home.....well u know me ;)

My main concern is how this bird would do around my child. She said she was taken care of very well and socalized around other people and dogs. Said she has been around kids, but I don't know if they were actually handled by them.

All I can do is hear what she tells me and take a look myself. I can determine then. Also price what she will take for her with the cage (if it's a good cage) and determine if it's worth it to get her or put into a baby.

Tell me your honest opinion on what I've told you, and how workable she can be at 4yrs old.

Please if you could respond soon, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

[Jim]

Probably some of what you're asking will tell you my thoughts on a baby vs a re home in the cage thread.

Ya know Barb I appreciate you asking my thoughts, it's nice. Honestly from what I've been reading and what you seem to want in a bird I would get the baby. That's me. My heart goes out to birds that need a home so I know how you feel.

What can I tell you with confidence from what I have learned and know. Old behaviors are hard to "unlearn" and very hard for us to understand much less trying to teach new ones we want.

Somethimes it's hard when your heart says one thing and your head saying something different.:heart:

[amazing greys]

Jim, I appreciate your honesty and help, I really do :agree:


Yeah I really really wanted a baby for the reasons we have spoke about, expecially with a child involved. If it were just me & hubby or even just my 14yr old, then I would worry less as I can try to take on any challenge. But I MUST also consider my family's ability, and not just base it on my own boldness, lol.

I have no idea how this bird was raised and how it is around kids, let alone its unpredictableness.

I still am curious, lol to take a look and see how she is, but I know my heart & hubby both would love to raise a baby and mold it completely from our upbringing.

Anyways, the breeder mentioned Aug/Sept when a new clutch would probably be ready to lay, so I can wait until then if I need to. And put a deposit on him to ensure my baby :)

dagnamit, why can't I have a mansion and take those who need homes in?? lol

[parrotgirl]

Oh wouldn't that be great Barb, In fact I've already seen my mansion, just got to get the owners to give it to me and pay for its upkeep,


I think also if I were thinking of getting a macaw I would want Jims opinion, have loved reading your replies to this Jim, have even tried to answer questions myself and then see if they match yours. I am sadly lacking in that department, but I'm learning. Thanks.

[amazing greys]

lol Peta, I love your humor :p



Jim is very helpful when it comes to Macaws, isn't he :thumbup: Who better to ask than an expert in that area, lol.

[Shirley]

All I can add is that people do have to find homes for very good birds, sometimes... even very large birds sometimes need new homes for any of a variety of reasons. I would ask to observe the bird for periods of time at different times of the day. Also, if they seem to be truly bird-loving people, they should want to tell you his vices and good points, for his own good.

How about a baby and the 4-yr-old?? :agree:

[Jim]

All I can add is that people do have to find homes for very good birds, sometimes... even very large birds sometimes need new homes for any of a variety of reasons.I'm glad you said that Shirley. I totally agree. Life happens with it's many changes. I'm not real sure on this one, but I'm thinking there are times a certain bird just doesn't hit it off with a person and vise versa also.

[amazing greys]

oh I agree on that also, hubby is always the skeptical one, ya know ;)


Shirley, lol.......2 Macaws?......OMG hubby would love that wouldn't he :roflmao2: I'd have to have 2 bird rooms then, maybe after Tina moves out :agree:

[Griminsdj]

I've been on both sides of the re-homing issue. I was the recipient of a wild caught 10 1/2 yo African Grey in perfect feather and was not a screamer. She was re-homed for alot of reasons, she hadn't bonded with her previous owner of 9 or 10 years, she was tamed and trained but not bonded, she bonded to the woman's Amazon. She was an African Grey that didn't talk. She wasn't cuddly. The woman also had a B&G, a cockatoo (can't remember the kind I think a U2), the amazon (also can't remember what kind but I know it's name was Trinity), and a few conures. I think she really just needed the money..I remember it was pretty much either Cocoa the grey went or the half moon conure. For $500 I went home with the Grey, an awful small old,cage (maybe 24"x24"x30), a list of her favorite fruits and vegetables and the varied diet she was on, and a not to be careful of leaving her access to the walls; ) LOL Her previous owner obviously loved her and knew her, but she had to go for some reason.She bonded to me, she let me cuddle her (not 2 cuddly but scratch her head and hold her close to my chest and kiss her and never bit me once (however she did eventually bite my mom twice, my dad once, my toddler nephew once, and literally lured my first boyfriend in with the kissy sound and nailed him hard once)She never screamed and she learned to talk and her personality just blossomed. I lost her to a tumor on the operating table, while I was in the room, it was traumatic.


I tried to fill the loss a few months later with a hand fed U2, that i finished handfeeding and weaned. I was so totally unprepared for the intesity of the bond and the additonal training experience needed for this larger bird who was like a 2 year old. Now I had worked in a pet shop and I had trained their hand fed B&G macaw baby, I thought i knew what I was doing, he could be held and snuggled and turned on his back and even would fall over and roll on his back if I shot him with my finger and said "kapow", but the whole U2 personality was stronger and more intense and took me by surprise. wiley's jealousy came on fast and strong. From running down the sectional couch to bite my sleepign roommate's big ear (still not sure of that was just a territory thing or because my friend's ears were big and he just had to taste them?) to screaming at decibel piercing levels only when Itried to have a conversation with my live-in bf(now my DH)...in a one bedroom studio that can be difficult. The straw that broke the camel's back was when I was holding him and my live in came up to us and he lunged at his face, if I hadnt' had my thumb on his feet I think he would have launched himself into DH's face. It was heart breakign to me knowing I had gotten way in over my head, heartbreaking to my DH who had laid on the floor and hand fed him peas one at a time when he was weaning. I was 6 0r 7 months pregnant (unplanned), we were temporarily staying with a friend (the same roommate Wiley had ran up and bit on the ear, still let us come back after that, lol) trying to find a new place to lease, with a baby on the way in a few months and we still weren't married yet and having a hard time finding a home . I rehomed him with a woman who knew her U2s, who had a Dh who was not imtimidated by the U2, who's home life was stable. She knew every one of Wiley's not so endearign behaviors and his loving adorable side too. It broke my heart but I know I did the very best thing for Wiley. Had I planned out my life a little more carefully at 22, I probably could have worked through the behavior with him, but I was too overwhelmed and in way over my head.


I guess what I am trying to say is sometimes good people rehome good birds, sometimes good intentioned people have to rehome a good bird before he goes bad because of them.

I'm glad you said that Shirley. I totally agree. Life happens with it's many changes. I'm not real sure on this one, but I'm thinking there are times a certain bird just doesn't hit it off with a person and vise versa also.

[amazing greys]

Thank you for sharing your story Griminsdj, I know it had to be hard to do what you did, but more so out of love for the bird, wanting to give her a better oppertunity to be what she can be and with someone who knew how to deal with her.


I agree, well meaning people are out there and having to give up their birds for many reasons. I would say the fact of a really well trained - well behaved bird given up for medical reasons are more slim than ones who end up having behavior problems or not fitting into the family.

I am certainly NOT blaming anyone who gives up their bird for whatever reasons, expecially when they do all they can to find a loving suitable home. I have no reason to judge, that comment was not meant to be condesending, just the fact people usually give up a bird because of problems the are facing. If the bird had no problems and it does well in the home, why would they give it up unless they HAD to, KWIM?

The breeders daughter took that bird anyways, so happy to hear that he can be in a home taken care of.

[Griminsdj]

Glad to hear the bird was re-homed. Sorry it wasnt' in your home though, sometimes that can be a bummer when you are giving serious thought to an opportunity and it passes you by before you even have a chance to think about it.

I didn't take offense to anything that was said, lol. I just have been on both sides of the fence. I am sure it is rare, btu Cocoa was a $500 bird that ende dup beign priceless...how can yuo beat a bird that has teh sense of humor to let out a nice, loud wolf whistle just as the neighbor lady bends over into her garden and the only person that can be seen is my innocent father walking across the pool deck?! LOL 15 years later and that still cracks me up!

Thank you for sharing your story Griminsdj, I know it had to be hard to do what you did, but more so out of love for the bird, wanting to give her a better oppertunity to be what she can be and with someone who knew how to deal with her.


I agree, well meaning people are out there and having to give up their birds for many reasons. I would say the fact of a really well trained - well behaved bird given up for medical reasons are more slim than ones who end up having behavior problems or not fitting into the family.

I am certainly NOT blaming anyone who gives up their bird for whatever reasons, expecially when they do all they can to find a loving suitable home. I have no reason to judge, that comment was not meant to be condesending, just the fact people usually give up a bird because of problems the are facing. If the bird had no problems and it does well in the home, why would they give it up unless they HAD to, KWIM?

The breeders daughter took that bird anyways, so happy to hear that he can be in a home taken care of.