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Please understand "if" your pair is successful in hatching babies, that is only your first hurdle. Breeder pairs lose their tameness, become more bonded with their buddy, may get aggressive toward you, may have a personality change to the worse because all they will want to do is protect and take care of their babies. or......

They may eat the eggs, smash the eggs, refuse to sit on the eggs, abandon the eggs, refuse to feed the babies from day 1 (do you know how to handfeed a baby parrot???), babies rarely survive unless the parent takes good care of them for at least one week. The pair may maim or kill the babies too. Just because the pair wants to lay eggs is no reason for thinking you will have "success" with this pair. And, yes, it is heartbreaking when you have to bury a baby bird. Are you prepared for these things happening?

Also hybrids "may" only lay infertile or defective eggs. You are wasting the female parrot's energy to let her keep laying eggs. You may also lose the female to egg binding too. Do you know what signs to look for if your macaw gets eggbound? Please leave the parrot breeding to the professional breeders.

Also:

It is looked down upon in the bird world to breed/sell hybrid parrots.
This creates a problem down the line when the hybrid matures and wants a mate. What species does a person choose to mate the baby hybrid with (if that is what they will want to do)? Then you will have hybrid-hybrids and the true species will be diluted. So in effect hybrids will only be good for "pets". And not all parrots stay pet quality their whole lives. Yes, this is when the bird gets dumped off at a rescue organization. And that rescue organization will probably have a hard time finding it a home.

This is the vicious cycle of trying to breed hybrid parrots (which I tried to explain to you in "nonblunt" detail) .....

That is why everyone on this site is encouraging you to separate your pair, no nest box, and pitch the eggs...

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Disclaimer: My comments on this site are of my own opinion. My intent is a friendly chat, to promote the welfare and proper care of parrots, offer helpful bird advice, to alert this site to issues that may result in financial loss, or issues (pro or con) that may arise concerning obtaining, purchasing, or adopting pet birds/parrots. My intent is not to criticize or hurt anyone else's feelings. If anyone thinks my comments pertain to themselves specifically, I apologize here in advance. If you object to my comments/posts/jokes, pls. private message me so as not to offend sensitive members on this site. Thank you.

Are you still here, Macawmom? I hope so. We rained on your parade really hard. You've probably realized you might have a real problem on your hands. Let's see what options you might have now.

I'm presuming from your comment that your birds play with you that they have not bonded so completely that they no longer care for you. I'm presuming too that they are out of their cage(s) when you're home, which is probably much of the time. I don't know if they're flighted, but suspect they might be. Don't know if they're sharing a cage, but think probably so.

The advice you've gotten is to separate them or rehome one. I'd think you will probably consider rehoming only as a last resort, and separating them, especially if they're flighted, would be a very drastic change for all 3 of you, with a significant decrease in quality of life.

IMO that leaves you the alternatives of pulling eggs to prevent chicks and HOPING that as their bond with each other strengthens, theirs with you remains satisfactory to you. I'm sure there will be times when they don't want you near them. Can you live with that? Many of us move our hormonally-aggressive birds into their cages with hand-held T-perches. Can you (learn to) do that? If they're flighted, not so easy. Will your heart break if they no longer love you enough to play with you?

You can buy faux eggs online to substitute for Holly's. I'm worried about her laying so young and wondering why the vet was on stand-by each time. Was she straining so much that you worried about egg binding? Has recent blood work shown her calcium level to be in normal range? Does she eat calcium rich food every day? Do you need our help finding a good avian vet? Once you have one, you might discuss treating her with Lupron if she continues laying. It might slow her down to a healthier level.

If you have them sleep in cages next to each other, they won't be able to mate overnight. If they aren't flighted, you can try gradually keeping them out of each other's reach. Friends use those large hoop stands to keep their large macaws where they want them. I don't have much hope that you can keep them separated in the same house. Macaws are very tactile and want to be touching their mates ALL the time. I think you have a much better chance of removing eggs and learning to enjoy their joy in each other, even though that might make you feel neglected at times. My bonded pairs (including young red-fronted macaws) have loved each other while liking me too. When I approach, their body language tells me immediately whether they're interested in playing with me or if I'm invading.

I hope you and your birds are able to stay together peacefully and happily and rehoming one can be avoided.

Paca

Bluntly: don't ask the question, if you don't want to hear the honest answer.
This situation has reached the point of lose-lose.
1. We are being honest, and the responses are hurtful.
2. If we supported your fantasy, there will be more and bigger problems in the future.

I'm looking into getting another cage. No, my macaws are not capable of flying. I'm keeping them apart. I do not like hybrids myself. First, my feelings were hurt but upon thinking, everyone is just being honest. Thank you. I dearly love Beau and Holly. No, they're not a prescription for me....in raising them from being weeks old to now they're years old, I've learned much. Breeding, I know nothing. Plus, I'd never make it as a breeder, I'd worry too much about what kind of home my babies would be going to.
Thanks for your blunt honesty. I'm still learning!

Thats where I would have a problem, letting babies go and knowing they will go from home to home. I LOVE handfeeding !!!!!