Hahn's macaw

[Tikobird]

heyy

just thinking to myself... i hear alot about hahns macaws being good pets and ive always wanted a macaw, in the distant future after many yrs of parrot owning and loving i will eventually get a hyacinth macaw, IF they are still around and i can get my hands on one... but i really wanted to know if they really are good pets im not going t get one yet because im still at school but i will when im older, like out of school and past uni (if i get in). are they really all they are talked up to be because they do seem lika amazing birds. thank-you

[Tikobird]

oh and how would they go with outdoor free flight if i wewre to train them up for it

[Shelby]

Well, I can't tell you anything about the birds themselves, but in regards to freeflight, I don't see why you couldn't train a hyacinth macaw for outdoor freeflight. Because of their size, they are more suited for it than smaller birds such as lovebirds and cockatiels, which are just hawk bait. However, freeflight is not something to be taken lightly. There are lots of risks and you need to invest lots of time training them inside before they are ready to go outside. I would even recommend getting a professional freeflight trainer to help you.

[Sarah]

I think that most people here agree parrots are great pets for the right person. I guess what you have to ask yourself is not if the hans is a good pet, but if you are the right owner for that pet. My parents have a hans, and he is a great parrot for them, but they are experienced bird people.

While the size of the hans is better for someone newer to parrots, they have the personality that matches the larger birds. Emotionally, they can be a bit of a handful for a new bird owner. For example, their hans screams at new people who come in the house. He starts out talking, and if you dont talk back to him as long as he likes, he screams. They have to move him to the back bedroom during most dinners with new people in the house. Heaven help you if you get to close to his cage when talking to him though, then he agressively starts to beat up his toys. He is bossy, and on many occasions walked over to sit on me on the couch, but bites me if I move even the slightest little bit. My finace was feeding him an almond, and the bird ate half of it, then just bit him on the hand just to be bossy.

If my parents go on vacation and leave him with someone, when my parents come home, he is angry with them. When my parents Pionus passed away their macaw was upset and was very difficult to handle while he was grieving.

All that said, he is a wonderful bird. He gives my parents kisses, he wants to spend time with him, he is a great talker. Never stops chattering away. So sure he is a bit bossy, and he is a bit difficult at times, he is a great bird. Cant say that he isn't, he is just being a parrot.

[retdpd]

Sarah you desc the Hahn's perfectly. I adopted my Elmo from a shelter he was named Nippy his original owner died of cancer over a long period so he wasn't handled much you can imagine the rest. The woman who ran the shelter was excellent with him but found him almost unadoptable because he was so nippy.

Until I came along and he adopted me. I went to look at a Quaker and Conure and came back with Elmo. He has come along great but still has some issues he seems to be resolving quickly. He talks, gives kisses, steps up and purrs at my 2- cats Bert and Ernie. He is aggressive towards strangers but warms to them after a while but lets them know he's my buddy he'll yell/screech if I leave the room. He does good when I have a sitter take care of him and is happy when I return.

Yes I have a live in sitter who takes care of my cats(Bert nad Ernie) and Elmo when I'm gone more then a day.

I wouldn't trade him for anything

[Tikobird]

thank-you im just really interested in starting a flock i guess u could say of many different birds after uni and i get on my feet (10-15 yrs) and a i like the hahns macaw aswell as lots of others

ive always wanted a hyacinth but i dont think ill ever get one because of the hard to get factor and price

but thank you

[felix11]

Three things make a bird a good candidate for free flight - size, colour and noise. The bigger, louder and more colourful the parrot the less likely it is to be attacked or get lost.

[Shelby]

thank-you im just really interested in starting a flock i guess u could say of many different birds after uni and i get on my feet (10-15 yrs) and a i like the hahns macaw aswell as lots of others

The thing with having a "flock" of birds is that it's very easy to get too many and become overwhelmed. Each bird you own needs to have high-quality food, a good sized cage, toys to play with and destroy. They also need quality time with you and time for training so they all feel special and don't get jealous. There is also food preparation, cage cleaning, baths, setting up foraging toys, etc. to think about. All that adds up and it takes a lot of time and money to care for a big flock properly.

Also, if you get birds that aren't compatible (for size/personality reasons) they will each have to be housed separately and get out-of-cage time separately too. Not to mention that birds of different sizes need different sized toys and different foods.

Please carefully consider how you put together your flock.

[aisell]

I think that most people here agree parrots are great pets for the right person. I guess what you have to ask yourself is not if the hans is a good pet, but if you are the right owner for that pet. My parents have a hans, and he is a great parrot for them, but they are experienced bird people.

While the size of the hans is better for someone newer to parrots, they have the personality that matches the larger birds. Emotionally, they can be a bit of a handful for a new bird owner. For example, their hans screams at new people who come in the house. He starts out talking, and if you dont talk back to him as long as he likes, he screams. They have to move him to the back bedroom during most dinners with new people in the house. Heaven help you if you get to close to his cage when talking to him though, then he agressively starts to beat up his toys. He is bossy, and on many occasions walked over to sit on me on the couch, but bites me if I move even the slightest little bit. My finace was feeding him an almond, and the bird ate half of it, then just bit him on the hand just to be bossy.

If my parents go on vacation and leave him with someone, when my parents come home, he is angry with them. When my parents Pionus passed away their macaw was upset and was very difficult to handle while he was grieving.

All that said, he is a wonderful bird. He gives my parents kisses, he wants to spend time with him, he is a great talker. Never stops chattering away. So sure he is a bit bossy, and he is a bit difficult at times, he is a great bird. Cant say that he isn't, he is just being a parrot.

Oh that is so cute! Can you post pics ?