Red shouldered Macaw
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. red shouldered macaw
Aviary Notes: Level Of Knowledge Required: Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced / Specialist Breeders Only. Government Regulations & By-Laws: Refer to " Government Laws " web page. Housing Requirements: Refer to " Macaws " web page for general details on the housing of Macaws or read on for specific details for this parrot. The Red shouldered Macaw or Hahn's Macaw are a more social bird than the other species of Macaws and have been bred as a colony in a large aviary. Needs a good supply of fresh branches to chew. They are the smallest of the macaws and prefer an aviary of about 3 - 4 metres long. Can be housed and bred in a suspended cage if they have access to an aviary during the non breeding season. An aviary of longer than 3 metres will allow these active birds room to fly and keep fit. As per the other macaws, they like to bathe in a suitable sized water bowl or under a sprinkler. A single pet bird is often housed in a cage of about 1000mm wide x 1000mm deep and up to 2000mm high. Diet / Feeding: Refer to " Macaws " web page for general details on the feeding of Macaws or read on for specific details for this parrot. The natural diet includes a variety of fruits and vegetable matter along with nuts, berries, flower and leaf buds. Insects and insect larvae may form part of their natural food intake. The aviary diet includes a variety of fruits and vegetables along with nuts, seeds, sprouted or soaked seeds, leafy green vegetables and greenfoods such as chickweed and dandelion. Many parrots will eat insects such as grubs and mealworm larvae, pupa and mealworm beetles. Supplementary feeds, calcium food additives and mineral and vitamin supplements as directed by veterinary advice. Commercial Parrot pellets can form part of a balanced food intake. The feed bowls should be fixed in place or made unmovable. Loose bowls will often be upturned or played with as a toy or play item. Nesting: A basic overview only. Dimensions are typical / average and can vary widely, influenced by the owner's preferences and the birds preferences. Parent bird's preferences can also be influenced by the size and type of nest-box / log in which the bird was hatched and reared. If space allows, offering a choice of sizes and types of logs or nest-boxes, and placed in various locations within the aviary, can allow the parent birds to make their own choice. Once a pair has chosen a specific nest-box/log and been successful in it, offer that one to them each breeding season. Try and keep that one for their exclusive use. Once a pair has chosen its log or nest-box, the other ones can generally be removed. If the "spare" boxes are to be removed and moved to another flight, ensure the log / nest-box is cleaned to ensure the receptacle has the minimal contamination of mites, parasites and pathogens.
It is important to have a strong "chew proof"
ladder (10 gauge wire mesh is often used ) on the inside of the nest box, below the
entry hole to allow the birds to climb down to the floor of the nest instead of
jumping. The internal ladder is essential in nest boxes that are in
a vertical or near vertical position. The ladder also allows the birds to
easily and safely exit the nest. With nests placed in a horizontal or near
horizontal position a ladder may not be required. Breeding: Egg Colour White. Clutch/s per year 1 - 3. Eggs per nest 3 - 4. Incubation approx. 24 - 26 days. Fledge approx. 9 - 12 weeks. Independent About another 3 - 4 weeks. Hahn's Macaws are a more prolific breeder than the larger macaws. Being the smallest macaw, Hahn's Macaws are the easiest macaw to be bred indoors. These birds can become aggressive at breeding season and may attack the keeper. Nest boxes are best positioned so the nest inspection can be carried out from outside the aviary. Nest inspection is best done when the adult birds are out of the nest. Artificial incubation and hand rearing or fostering will not be covered on this web site. It is too complex and diverse in nature to be attempted here. Health Issues: Refer to "Avian Health Issues" web page for information and references.
General References: Refer to references listed on "Book References" web page. Specific References:
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