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I have a 10 year old male Hyacinth Macaw who is very sweet and a great pet. I have recently found a 4 year old female Hyacinth who is also quite sweet and gentle. I wanted advice concerning whether to put these two birds into a breeding situation. My primary concern is whether these birds, once in a breeding situation, would still be able to remain as pets- ie. gentle, sweet, and able to be handled, when they are not actively breeding.
Does anyone in this chat forum have macaws which are still pets when they don't have eggs or babies? What has your experience been when you have put your pet macaws into a breeding situation? Can they still remain as pets if you are dedicated to handling them a lot or will this ruin their breeding potential?
Thanks for all your help. I am new to this forum and enjoy it quite a bit.
Bill

There is a great hyacinth group with yahoo that has a lot of experienced hyacinth people in it. Maybe they'd be more in tune with that specific breed and how your personal desires might or might not work. My pair were hand fed and weaned by me then set up as breeders. I talked to them, tickeled their toes and fed them for years. Then in 2005 they laid their first egg and they totally changed. They DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH any longer, though when I'm out of sight they have softly uttered some words but that is when they're not in breeding season. They do NOT LIKE ME TO TOUCH THEM or interact with them at all now! I've had them since 1989.

Patricia Green, Willows, California

First, your female is not yet old enough to breed; Second, hyacinths are very VERY difficult to breed successfully; Third, there is no way to predict whether a pet bird put into a breeding situation will keep its human bond or transfer it to it's companion bird. Steve Hartman of Hartman Aviary in Sunbury, Ohio is pretty much an expert on all of these topics -- please contact him before you put these birds together -- you can tell him that Shelli and Cory sent you his way!!!!