THE BIRD THAT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

The Blue and Gold Macaw, also known as Ara ararauna, hails from South and Central America. Its wonderful temperament, prolific breeding ability and reasonable sales price turned it into the most popular and widely found macaw in the United States. Before the ban on imported birds, it came into the U.S. in astounding numbers. This allowed breeders to obtain 'good breeding stock and maintain low prices, contributing to the breed's wide availability.

Depending on a store's location, this bird can sell for upwards of $1,400. Many breeders have great success with this species, making it relatively easy to purchase young birds at a reasonable cost. Since blue and gold macaws are easily found as hand-raised babies, acquire them as tame, loving youngsters. Do not acquire a bird until it is fully weaned unless you are equipped to deal with hand feeding.

The blue and gold macaw is aptly named. With its gorgeous blue body and dark lemon-yellow chest, this bird is hard to miss. It sports a green strip of feathers just above its black beak and a partially naked face that blushes pink when excited. Its feet are dark gray or black, and a black "beard" of feathers falls just below its beak. The blue and gold's beautiful plumage earns it many admirers. In pre-Columbian society its blue and yellow feathers were turned into large tapestries.

Like other birds, blue and golds are prone to self-mutilation and nutritional disorders and a variety of diseases, including Macaw Wasting Syndrome. Avoid these problems with proper care and regular veterinary attention, and remember that larger birds like this one are infinitely more difficult to care for than their smaller counterparts.

Healthy blue and golds can live upwards of 70 years. Before making the sale, prospective owners should think of the bird as a lifelong companion, which may include a bird-related trust or clause in the owner's last will and testament.

Housing and Supplies

Make sure prospective blue and gold owners have sufficient space to properly house this bird. Because it grows very large and has a long, slender tail, it needs an enormous cage or aviary. This bird cannot live happily in a small space. By selling a customer a too-small cage, you run the risk of losing the customer once they learn about proper bird care and must buy a larger cage.

Unless your customer agrees to buy a very large wrought iron or steel cage, you may want to refuse the sale. If the customer claims to have a cage at home, question them about the cage size and find out what happened to the previous bird. Even though making a large sale provides a short-term benefit to the store, it's also important to look at the big picture and properly match pet with owner.

After determining a customer's compatibility with the species and housing has been arranged, break out the long list of supplies any new macaw owner needs to get started.

Blue and golds live for large, chewable and interactive toys. Macaws love to chew and rattle toys around, and a macaw without a variety of toys means an unhappy and bored macaw. Tell customers about toy rotation: Buy twice the number of toys that will fit inside the cage and rotate a few of them each week, making sure the bird always has new items to stimulate it.

Encourage the purchase of multiple perches of various dimensions and materials. The wider variety of perches, the less likely the macaw will develop foot disorders.

Next on the list comes coop cups, which should be stainless steel or plastic crocks. The type that locks in place are the best for these large birds, who have the tendency to dump their food cups for fun. Two sets of dishes allow the owner to use one set while cleaning the other set.

Another must is a large playstand. Encourage customers to purchase one or two portable stands and another one for the top of the cage. This is not a luxury item. Macaws need places to climb and play. A playgym with lots of toys and attached food dishes gives the bird something to do.

Also sell your customer a proper bird carrier before the bird leaves the store. A bird carrier comes in handy for travel and veterinary visits. Don't let the customer leave with the bird in a cardboard container, which the bird can easily chew apart.

Once a customer walks out, don't let the information stop there. When you make the sale, throw in a book on basic bird care or one specifically about macaws to ensure customers get the most possible information on this complex bird. You can even use this freebie as a selling point.

In-Store Care, Display

While the bird is in your store, offer it seeds, pellets and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. If the bird is not used to a variety of foods, the new owner will have trouble getting the bird to eat well. Feeding your stock properly encourages your customers to follow suit.

Display the bird with multiple toys and perches so customers see how their cages should look when they take their birds home. All too often a store manager becomes frustrated with a bird that continually eats perches and toys and refuses to give the bird new ones. An empty cage does no justice to this bird, whose natural tendency is to chew and destroy. The customer needs to know about its affinity for demolition and its need for several, mentally stimulating toys.

Also, maintain a routine cleaning schedule since this species can be very messy. A filthy cage won't sell very many birds.

The Ideal Customer

A good candidate to become the owner of a blue and gold macaw has successfully kept several parrot-type birds and has fallen in love with the species. The macaw is not a good impulse buy, and you should question your customer's motivation for buying such a bird. Be sure to remind your customer of this bird's long life span and rigorous maintenance. The blue and gold macaw needs many things to remain healthy and robust and is not an easy keeper for the novice bird owner.

Be clear with customers that the macaw costs a lot of money to maintain. All the supplies plus many years of veterinary care add up to a hefty sum. But the rewards justify the means. The blue and gold macaw is an affectionate, intelligent pet that will give loads of pleasure and joy to the pet owner for many years to come.

MACAW BASICS

• Feed your blue and gold macaw a well-founded, nutritious diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, seed, pellets and safe table foods. The more variety the better. Blue and gold macaws are not picky eaters and will relish as many foods as you offer. Begin feeding these healthful foods on the day you bring your new bird home.
• Play with your blue and gold macaw as often as you can every day. Playtime outside the cage is essential for health and well being.
• Find an avian veterinarian near you and take your new macaw for a "well bird" appointment as soon as possible, preferably before you take it home. Your avian veterinarian is your first line of defense in the case an emergency.
• Buy a few bird books and do some research about the care and training of your new pet. Blue and gold macaws are highly intelligent birds and have the capacity to learn a few tricks.
• Purchase the largest cage you can afford. The blue and gold macaw needs a very large cage in order to be happy. A confined macaw may begin self-mutilation and neurotic behavior.
• Don't skimp on the toys for the active blue and old macaw, especially toys of the chewable, soft, wooden variety. Blue and gold macaws like to destroy things and are happiest when they are making toothpicks out of a wooden toy. Stock and rotate as many toys as the cage will accommodate.
• Use locking coop cups and crocks for this bird that loves to dump its food dishes for entertainment.
• Like all birds, the blue and gold macaw has a very sensitive respiratory system. Non-stick cookware, self-cleaning ovens, scented candles and aerosol sprays can all be deadly to your bird. Remove or don't use these items.
• Supervise your blue and gold when it is outside its cage. These birds are highly curious and have a propensity to chew. A blue and gold macaw won't discriminate between chew toys and valuable antiques.

Reprinted by Pretty Birds from Pet Product News by Nikki Moustaki

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