History

I raised birds in Houston (1970's), and my dream was to have enough room to set up big avairies well away from other people so the bird noise wouldn't bother neighbors.

Part of our farm move was to include an exotic bird facility.

We bought one pair of B&G's as 'pair bonded' only. They were guaranteed to be a male and female, and the fact that they accepted each other in the same cage was the only guarantee.

Bird breeding has certainly come a long way since my Houston days! Domestic raised birds have become quite common, and have shown to be more reliable breeders than the wild-caught birds. I was lucky that our pair was ready to work.

Perhaps people expect things to happen too quickly, or maybe the birds were more relaxed in a farm environment. At any rate, the following Fall, they went to nest, and the year (Fall) after that, they produced one clutch of blank eggs. Believe me, this was cause for celebration! It meant the hen was getting ready to breed, her system worked, and they felt comfortable enough to have their young in the current environment.

General Observations

Depending on the rains and general moisture, the pair now set eggs from (roughly) September until November.

They lay a few 'practice' eggs, then a clutch of 3 fertile ones. If it's extremely hot and dry, I don't look for her to go to nest until the end of the year. If it's been a rainy, damp summer, she can begin her family as early as September. And it's been as late as February when some clutches hatch.

From August on, I change their diet to include much more soft foods, and cereals than hard seed. There are many high quality parrot pellets on the market. Birds are often reluctant to change to unfamiliar diets, so make any changes well before the onset of nesting.

When I notice the hen bathing in the water dish, I also include a big shallow bowl for her to bathe in. The male rarely joins in. The first two clutches of eggs ,I incubated, but later let the hen raise her own broods.

Handfeeding baby birds is a tremendous amount of work! I feed my parent birds a diet generally the same as the handfeeding diet for the chicks only in pellet form. Parents also get a wide assorment of raw fruits and vegetables.

When a chick is pulled from the nest, a change in formula can add to the shock of having to accept a syringe as 'Mother'.

Most of the chicks are sold as pets, but I have retained one to use as a breeder. "Jay Bird" is now 4 years old, and we'll soon pair him with one of the opposite sex. "Igor" is an older female who has been plucking her feathers in anticipation of mating and starting a family. She must hear her biological clock ticking! She and Jay have been side by side for a year and now only need a joined flight and nesting area.

Sexing Hookbills

Sexing birds has become as routine and easy as drawing a blood sample. ZooGen is one of several laboratories that accept bloodwork for this purpose. Note: I was unable to locate a direct link to Zoogen. The link goes to an article published in RealMacaw online about DNA testing overall and Zoogen's participation.

Mark Valentine was one of the first to 'crack the DNA code' in parrot type birds. I was extremely lucky to have been able to visit his laboratory while he was with the Houston Zoo.

Before then, there was a lot of 'voodoo' tall tales, and horse hockey in guessing the sex of breeder parrots.

The problems start with the fact that both sexes look the same. A male should be a bit coarser and broader than a hen, but unless they were raised in identical situations, this is usually a misleading clue.

The fact that two birds accept each other sexually is not an indication, either, as same sex matings are frequent in adult pet parrot types.

Behaviors may be an indication, but no absolute surety. For example, a mature hen may be more drawn to men than women. Again, this is speculation because it primarily denotes past enviornments.

Pricing Index

Blue and Golds Macaws are among the more successful big breeder birds, so are usually readily available. Birds are a huge committment as they are likely to have a lifespan equivalent to that of a human.

Young may grow to full size quickly, but they don't fully mature for many years afterward. They're loud, destructive, messy, and demanding pets.

Raising hookbills is also one of the more rewarding pastimes anyone can venture into. Most major cities have a parrot or bird breeder club, and there are several cage bird magazines and books to learn from as well.

As the home habitat of these beautiful birds is depleted more each year, knowledgeable breeders are depended on even more to ensure that the species does not become (or remain) on the endangered lists.

Contact Flylo for a great pair of proven breeder Blue and Gold Macaws!