Basic Breeding Requirements :

 

courtesy to :  www.upatsix.com/fyi/breeding_macws 

 

Breeding Stock :

 

It is imperative that the would be breeder find the best possible birds for his breeding facility. The selections does not include the unsuccessful discards of other breeding facilities salvaged, poor quality birds or drastically reduced birds (which usually means problems). What it does mean is finding the best quality, healthy birds of the species you are interested in breeding.

 

Searching for these birds will take some time and diligent effort as all birds are not created equal. If at all possible, go and see the birds you are interested in buying. Especially if the person selling them is someone unfamiliar to you. Unfortunately this is not always possible. If you are unable to go to the birds, ask for references and contact those people to determine if these are the type of people that might be good to do business with.

 

Common Terminology :

 

Don't be in a rush. More mistakes are made by people that are anxious that they found the male or female they have been looking for. This is especially true with the "proven pair" syndrome. For newcomers that might not be familiar with all the terms here are some you might encounter. "Proven Pair" means that the pair of birds produced eggs or young at sometime in their life. "Producing pair" implies that the birds have recently produced either eggs or young. "Bonded pair" just means that the birds appear to be compatible with each other (this does not assure that they will necessarily breed or are of the opposite sex). Proven or producing pairs normally cost far more than two separate birds of the opposite sex as it is assumed that these birds will breed faster than, lets say, a bonded pair.

 

Choosing a Seller :

 

Ask questions of the seller to determine as much information as to what housing conditions the birds are in, the environment (indoors or outdoors), their diet, and overall feather and health condition. If the seller seems uncomfortable answering your questions before the sale, it is unlikely that they will get any better after you have the bird. For some experienced buyers this might not be so important, however, newcomers might need more information or at least be guided to where they can find answers to their questions. We have answered so many questions from our own clients and others over the years that five years ago I put together "The Macaw Care Guide" for our clients which answers the more common questions. Most owners will write out the diet fed to the bird if asked along with some helpful hints.

 

Determining Health Status :

 

Whether you are interested in just a pet bird or a breeder, it is advisable to request some type of health check prior to your receiving the bird. We recommend a complete physical, blood work, cultures from the throat and vent and a chlamydia screen done by an avian veterinarian. In addition, you might wish some of the new viral screens to be done on your bird for PBFD and Papovavirus. This will add a couple of weeks on to your receiving the bird, but might be a worthwhile investment. Each breeder or seller has their own policies regarding how they sell their birds. Some automatically include health testing in the price of the bird. For the buyer this has a great advantage in that an initial screening was done. Should you wish to still have a follow up exam by your own veterinarian when the bird arrives, then the bird has two chances to discover any potential problems.

 

Not all bird owners are willing to have the bird veterinarian checked for you. In those cases it might be advisable for you to have some type of contract that allows you a specified amount of time for your own avian veterinarian to examine the new bird, with the stipulation that the bird can be returned if the bird has an incurable problem or a major anatomical defect. An example would be if you had purchased a bird for breeding only to discover it had a viral disease, was the wrong sex or perhaps was ancient and likely unbreedable. The time frame for return should be short to protect both the buyer and the seller, commonly 48-72 hours is suitable to most people.

 

Quarantine :

 

It is always wise to separate you new bird from any other birds you might have for a period of thirty to forty five days. You should discuss this with your veterinarian prior to getting your bird. Make sure a special area has been set aside for your new bird. Switching homes is stressful for even the most hardy, even tempered of birds. Careful attention should be paid to them during this quarantine period to insure that they are eating and adjusting to their new environment. It is helpful to know if there were any special food that the bird enjoyed at its old home and provide them for them now. Stress from the move might bring latent diseases that might not have shown themselves before. Despite your being anxious to introduce the new bird to a new mate, fight the urge to break this quarantine period.

 

Housing :

 

Due to their large size and powerful mandibles, macaws require special housing. The larger the structure the better. For breeding purposes we house each pair of our macaws in an outdoor aviary eight foot wide by twelve foot long by eight feet high. This allows them room to fly and play. A shelter area four foot wide by eight foot high by four foot deep provides shelter from the heat or cold. The nest box and their feed bowls are inside this shelter. Larger flights of twenty or more feet have been used successfully by some breeders. Larger housing also minimizes their interest in destroying their aviary. Small cages where they are bored can lead to their destroying the wire and their possible escape. The concept that if too much space is provided the birds will not breed is false. More room encourages a healthy, well exercised pair and long term breeding success.

 

In a home situation, macaws are best housed in the largest space available. Their powerful mandible can eventually break all but the most sturdy cage welds. Specially designed cages should ideally be large enough for them to open their wings and have ample room for their tail or head without hitting any cage surface. Their feeding and water trays need to be quite large in order to accommodate their large mandible and head. Bowls that are eight to ten inches in diameter are ideal as the birds can see the variety of food available and access it easily. Because of their immense size, proper housing is sometimes difficult to find.

 

In addition to commercially available housing, some owners have built beautiful environments for their macaws. They may incorporate enclosing a porch, building a backyard aviary or remodeling a room in their home to properly house the bird. Some have even incorporated waterfalls, rope swings, and wooden jungle gyms as play items. This type of environment is not only more stimulating and healthy for the bird, but more enjoyable for their owners. Watching them swinging from a cotton rope, bathing in a small pool under a waterfall, or climbing all over a wooden structure is much more enjoyable then seeing them in a small cage.

 

Diet :

 

Throughout the birds growing process and prior to breeding the bird should have a well balanced diet. An ideal diet would include, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables and possibly some form of pellet diet as a supplement. They must be on a good diet long before you see the first egg to insure optimal fertility. Extra calcium is often needed in the hen's diet and a good natural source for calcium is almonds. Nuts are readily eaten by macaws.