Hi Dianne,

What kind of parrot is she? I have a a crazy bird too! He is a Hahn's Macaw. His name is Lenny and he really keeps us amused! Talk about nuts....When he hears the phone ring he shouts "Eric, telephone!!" That is my youngest son and we went through a period of time when EVERY phone call was for him so Lenny thinks that every time the phone rings it's for Eric! I suppose his favorite phrase is "time to eat!" Figures huh?

I would be interested in hearing from you bird owners about the care of the bird. First of all, is it extremely expensive to buy one? And what care follows? What does your vet bill consist of? Etc..

JJ

Macaw's are beautiful. My neighbor has one named Henry but he's so loud! Sammie is an African Grey.

With a bird it isn't necessarily the vet bill but the time you must devote to them. If left alone too often or ignored, they self-destruct by pulling out their feathers. Plus, they will develop bad habits. It depends on where you buy them as to how much they cost. Gotta have a cage too. Private breeders aren't as expensive as pet stores and the birds are probably healthier. Check your newspaper. I hold Sammie for one hour every night. I also put her on a large perch during the day so she can be next to the family activity. She takes her naps and sleeps at night in her cage. They're a handful but so worth it.

Mrsmuzz, your bird sounds cool. Sammie has learned one phrase I hope she forgets. I'm sure she'll save it for religious company!

HI Dianne,

Just to cause confusion (ha ha!) Lenny is a Hahn's MaCaw which sort of means he is a miniature MaCaw, therefore, he is not as loudmouthed as the traditional larger MaCaw. Thank Goodness for that. Someone asked earlier in the forums about cost, etc. We got Lenny at a local birdshow put on by the local breeders. We did not go the show with the intention of purchasing a bird. We just thought it would be fun and interesting. Then we met Lenny. Or rather Lenny chose me. The breeder had them (wings-clipped of course) sitting all over perches on her table. Lenny reached out to my arm, pecked me (gently) with his beak and immediately said "Stop THAT!!" I was hooked! The initial investment was sizeable especially when you consider purchasing a good size cage, toys, food bowls, and food. However, the day-to-day cost is quite small. I agree with what you said about them needing attention. You really do have to make it a point to provide enrichment each day. Lenny usually comes out and drinks coffee with me each morning in addition to adding his remarks to the local news on TV. I'd like to squawk at them sometimes, too! He pretty much stays in his cage till hubby comes home. As soon as Pete walks in he says "Whatcha doin? You my buddy?" So they have their playtime while I finish supper. Many times Pete lets him sit on his shoulder while we eat dinner, occasionally offering him nibbles. One of his favorite things to say at that point is "Mama's got PIE!" Doesn't matter what we are having it's all pie to Lenny! When I cover his cage at night he says "Goodnight Lenny!" I always mutter under my breath "Goodnight Gracie!"

Lord I love this stories! Someone should put together a book on these birds and their antics!

JJ

Lenny sounds like as much fun as Sammie. I have an old white, tattered robe that I put on every night for our "nightly loving." Just in case she wants to poop on me or pull strings. It's also a way for her to stretch her feet after being on a perch. Sammie doesn't like to poop in her cage (we bought her an acrylic cage with special lighting and filtered venting)and will try to hold it until I take her out of the cage and put her on the perch. If I'm out of town, she'll go in her cage though.

I can't let Sammie sit on my shoulder. Greys start to believe that they're bigger than you if you do this and will take a chunk out of your ear! She sits on my chest and we kiss and work on vocabulary. If I am rushed and don't hold her very long and put her back in her cage, do I ever hear about it. She gets really angry with me. Has good boundaries!

How much does Lenny weigh? I'm not sure I've seen the smaller Macaw's.

Two teen age boys came to the door last night, selling tickets for their football team and Sammie started saying, Hi, how ya doing? They were freaked out!

I found the most wonderful vet. He spent 1 hour and 15 minutes with Sammie. He said you had to approach them on their level of intelligence. He explained everything he was going to do with her before doing it. My own doctor has never given me that much time!

Here is a website with a picture of Hahn's MaCaws. Just in case you'd like to see one. My Lenny looks just like these. Except more handsome! Lenny was sexed by DNA as they cannot tell from just looks or markings. We got him as a chick and he just celebrated his 7th birthday. One of the funniest things my hubby taught him is this. He holds Lenny on his forefinger, and puts his other hand up like he is going to put the bird in a chokehold. My husband says "I'm gonna choke you like a chicken!" As soon as the moves his hand towards Lenny, the bird cocks his head to the side and screams AWWWKKKKKKKK! Just like someone was choking him. It's a scream at parties! Jaw Jaw, I think a pet story book is a super idea. Just let me know when you need my input!! LOL!

http://www.avesint.com/mini.html

Birdy Love to All!

Mrs Muzz that was sooo much fun! How adorable!

I love that web site and they are right, you could loose yourself there and stay for hours. How interesting! Thanks to this boomer site for introducing me to the wonderful world of birds.

Maybe some day I'll own one, or better yet, it will own me. I bet those birds would be great company for someone that was a shutin too, eh?

Thanks so much for sharing. As far as the book is concerned, my guess is that you would make a great writer for it! You could call it..."Bird is the Word." yes?

JJ

How cute are they?????????????

I think your bird is smaller than mine. I'm still trying to get my new camera to transfer pictures to my computer. It isn't working so this means I'm going to have to break down and read the instructions