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Harliquin Mac Caw

21 16:41:42

Question
I recenlty purchased a 6 month old male Harliquin macaw from a woman who breeds minimal amount of birds.  She said he had his shots and was vet checked.. He is fine doesn't have any signs of sickness but I have been told that birds (poo poo) carries possible diseases on a natural basis.  That it can be transmitted in the air or by touching.. My bird is awesome and I love him but I have children and fear this issue.. any ideas or info you can give me to clear my mind.

Answer
Shots? Birds don't need shots except in cases of certain illnesses and even then, the shots are usually an ongoing treatment needing follow up by an avian vet.
Get in touch with the vet that saw this young bird and ask for a copy of the visit and what was done. You're entitled to this and absolutely need it when you establish your bird with your own vet.

Healthy bird droppings do not carry any illnesses typically transmitted to humans. Some birds may have a bacterial or 'yeast' infection that MAY be transmitted to people, but to be honest, many birds GET these infections when their humans kiss them or share food from their mouths. The infections are usually more of a problem for the bird than the human.

With a macaw, children should absolutely never, ever be allowed to handle the bird without an adult that the bird trusts right there with them.
Learn to recognize the signs of a frightened or aggressive bird and respect it (or some serious biting could occur). When the bird 'fluffs' up AND the pupils of the eyes 'pin' (get really small) - the bird is likely to bite - and trying to change it's mind will only annoy it.
 Handling a macaw every day, frequently throughout the day, is also very important.

Your macaw has a life expectancy of 60-65 years. Your children will likely end up being it's caretaker into their retirement and long after you're gone. You need to have a "well bird" visit with an avian (bird) vet in your area just like your kids visit their own doctor regularly. This establishes a baseline and makes the bird known to the vet so if there's ever an emergency, everyone knows each other.
Bring him in once a year just to be sure all's well.

Learn to recognize any slight difference in behavior (and droppings) so any health problems are caught early enough to address.  Birds are the BEST fakers in the animal kingdom! They hide illness so well that by the time it's obvious, it's usually pretty far along.

Please let me know any other questions you might have about behavior, health, care - anything.

Is he your first bird? How old are your children? Do you have a large enough cage?

Rev. S. Abbott     www.4AnimalCare.info