breath really hard when I first put him in stressful situations by: Linda
Birds become stressed very easily and normally settle down once the thing they fear is over with. Your Macaw needs a very large cage, and the minimum requirement in size is 4-5 feet square or the equivalent if cage is taller than wide. The Macaws have to have room to spread out their wings and flap without hitting cage sides or anything in cage. Anything less than this feels like a trap to them, and they will lose their minds in a very short time in a cage too small for them. In this case, your bird could die of heart failure from being put into too small a cage. If your cage is large enough, put a special treat he likes in one of his bowls BEFORE putting him in cage, and maybe he'll start to settle down and enjoy his new and safe home. You can also put him in and leave cage door open so he feels like he has a way out if needed. New things scare birds, so work with him a little bit at a time until he becomes sure the cage is a safe place to be. Put nice large wooden chew toys in there so he has something to play with and feel safe with.
So, if your bird's cage is smaller than the above, you must get him a cage suitable for a large Macaw. These birds need lots of space, and they also need the security of a cage when resting or when you are gone. To leave a bird out of its cage and leave the house amounts to neglect, so try and either buy or have buit the right size cage for your bird.
This message is for anyone reading this and contemplating one of the larger birds like Macaws or Cockatoos. THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN APPROPRIATELY SIZED CAGE, AND THE CAGE HAS TO BE PART OF THE PLANNED EXPENSES INVOLVED IN BUYING ONE OF THE LARGE PARROTS. They have to have a secure, safe area that can be locked when their people are gone or at night when they need security to sleep and rest well.
Thanks for writing, and let us know how everything goes.
