Feeding Blue and gold macaws with okra !

[GuppyAteMyDog]

I have had these bastards longer than i can remember they have successfully raised three chicks and i hope they will try for more next season
i grow most of their food myself, mostly pawpaw(papaya), okra, sorrel , mangoes , bananas and sunflowers (when the wild birds don't massacre them ) and the occasional dry coconut which they take days to open up with me laughing the whole while, they also get mineral block supplements , the odd piece of bread or roti and the tips of my fingers every now and then lol
if you don't know any of the stuff i refer to just google them

[Aeonflame]

Awesome birds and video. If you ever have any of the chicks for sale, I would be very interested

[GuppyAteMyDog]

got a long waiting list lol, but i will bump you up , they haven't been successful for the past three seasons i am trying a new nest box design this season and you will have to apply for annual permits and submit your enclosure for inspection by forestry before you can legally own the bird , i think the minimum requirement for a b&g macaw is 8 sq feet , my birds are captive bred by a guy from valsayn he died a few years ago and his birds went to braigand hill and the zoo , there are many up and coming breeders in the country but forestry has not alleviated any of the procedures for keeping captive bred birds as they should , i mean isn't breeding them for the pet trade better than taking them from the wild ?

[Crispy]

awesome birds! they are worth a fortune here. best of luck with any chicks in the future!

[Aeonflame]

I have been considering a parrot enclosure for a while, and those birds are too beautiful to pass up. I would meet all needed regulations and exceed the enclosure size. I agree that captive breeding is much better than wild caught macaws

[GuppyAteMyDog]

awesome , if i do get chicks i will keep you in the loop and i always loved cacique parrots & i've seen unweaned chicks at petstores in central but i don't want to contribute to the problem plus it's illegal ( only laws i am willing to obey are those pertaining to wildlife lol), i will try to tame another budgie instead cuz my last one was really tame but died before i got him fully weaned

[Rue]

Cool! I wish it was that easy for us to go out and harvest fresh foods for my parrots...

However, for the most part they just have to suck it up and make do with the same grocery store produce we eat...

I wonder if my African Grey (the plucker) would want a coconut? More nut time, less pluck time?

...I also agree there's no need to capture wild birds for the pet trade. There are enough breeders. But they do need to crack down on the 'parrot mill' folks...some are as bad as puppy mills...

[GuppyAteMyDog]

it is easy to grow your bird's food , not much space required in fact some of the stuff actually comes from my aquaponics system , coconuts are great they provide enrichment and help trim down beaks and nails to some extent , just make sure they aren't opened before you put it in the cage cuz if it is it will rot quickly on the inside and funk up the place, i leave some of the husk on so they have something to shred and pull at ,
most of the breeders in my county are regulated by the forestry division to ensure animal welfare is up to standard , but when it comes to selling chicks breeders have trouble because of the length of time it takes to become legally permitted to keep them

[tetrageek]

I love macaws but they get too large for my space.

[GuppyAteMyDog]

conures are a great substitute so are cacique parrots and they're not as noisy lol