Owning a Blue and Gold Macaw Takes Your Time and Devotion

More and more people consider owning a Blue And Gold Macaw. The truth is only a very few should actually do it.

Simply pay attention to the numbers of Macaws being sold by private owners. Far to often people simply bite off far more than they can chew or don't understand the amount of time, dedication, work, commitment involved with owning a Macaw parrot.

It is likely the beauty, the out of this world colors, the affectionate/playful natures and overall intelligence of Macaw parrots that make these birds nearly irresistible for animal lovers.

To many people unfortunately buy on impulse when they buy one of these magnificent birds. Buying a Macaw is to often based on a delightful casual introduction and not any appreciable amount of before purchase research.

Properly trained, loving and intelligent Macaws are not something that just happens. That bird is the product of love, care, devotion, understanding and work. For those who own and love the Macaws, it may be the most gratifying work but it is work none the less.

The work begins with reputable dedicated breeders hand feeding and socializing the chicks. After purchase that socialization must be a continuing process. Breeder commitment and dedication is the reason that hand fed babies make the best companions.

By hand feeding the babies the breeders instill humans as essential to the babies existence and as a natural and normal part of his flock. This makes humans a recognizable part of the birds family.

It takes a real expert to tame a Macaw Blue And Gold or other that is not a hand fed chick. Most of those will just never become as loving, gentle and happy to be a part of the family as will the hand fed bird. The first step in socializing any large companion bird is hand feeding the chicks.

Personal attention by the breeders goes a very long way, helping to insure anyone willing to continue the process will likely continue to have a good natured, trainable and loving bird.

Unfortunately most or too many prospective owners do not fully grasp the importance of continuing the socialization process initiated by the breeder. So having a great deal of time and even more desire to continue the process is mandatory before anyone should buy a Macaw.

With large birds like the Blue And Gold Macaw the socialization process must be ongoing for life. Left alone to fend on their own Macaws can easily revert. They may become far more wild than a loving, gentle companion.

Left alone to long and or to often the Macaw can easily lose any interest in being that lovable bird and companion you first purchased. He can become that feather plucking, aggressive, extraordinarily loud and destructive bird he is quite capable of becoming.

Done correctly owning a Macaw parrot is every bit as gratifying as owning any other pet, for me it is more. I can think of no other pet that will bond closer or for as long as the Macaw or other large parrots.

For me and maybe because Macaws are not domesticated animals bonding is of a more personal nature. Perhaps it is the sole fact that the Macaws are not domesticated that makes bonding so very remarkable and heartfelt.

The Blue And Gold Macaw is not for the casual pet owner. If lacking the time, dedication and commitment to supply a his needs the Macaw is not a good choice. The Blue And Gold Macaw almost demands you spend your time and that you provide him not just physical care but emotional support also. He can be almost maniacal in his need of your attentions but can be just as maniacal when it comes to showing and giving his affection to those within his flock.

Primarily due to his loving and friendly nature. It's seldom that a Blue And Gold Macaw will prefer to be left alone. A well socialized Macaw will want to be included in everything you do. Most of the time A Blue And Gold Macaw simply wants to be with you helping to do whatever you're doing. He can't help it. It's his nature.

Without a doubt it is your time, your caring, your devotion and understanding that allow a Macaw to become such an amazing companion. He easily becomes just another beautiful bird without your commitment.

Because owning a Macaw means giving so much of yourself. It is unlikely to ever duplicate the experience with any other type of animal. Life with a Macaw becomes intensely personal and gratifying. The bonus is. The experience can last your lifetime.

The Beauty and Brain of the African Grey Parrot

The "Cadillac of Parrots" is definitely the African Grey Parrot, which it is referred to often among the parrot community. This beautiful parrot is adored for both its beauty and its brains. The African Grey not only has a mixture of beautiful colors they have a mixture of extensive words. Among the parrot family, the grey bird can learn the most extensive vocabulary. Aside from their extensive vocabulary, they are quite the entertainers, as they can learn to play toy instruments such as a baby piano and mimic sounds like the car motor, providing their owners much enjoyment.

The African Grey Parrot is intelligent, observant and focused. They can learn and teach themselves many things and are able to think in a cause-and-effect manner. Which, often times just as in a child, can result in a manipulation to the owner. It is important to train this parrot to ensure the happiness of the bird and that you are not faced with troublesome behavior. This bird has the strongest ability to bond with humans of birds in the bird kingdom.

Of the African Grey Parrot, there are two different families- the Congo African Grey and the Timneh African Grey, with the difference being their color. The Congo African Grey is distinguished through a lighter grey color with a red tail and the Timneh African Grey has a darker charcoal grey with a cherry-red tail. These parrots grow to 12 to 14 inches in size with a lifespan of up to 60 years of age. So, obviously, the African Grey Parrot is an addition to the home that will be among you for many years.

Because of their ever curious and intelligent personality, the gray bird needs the surroundings of an interesting and challenging environment. If you are unable to provide the parrot with a stimulating environment, you should not consider the parrot.

With such a highly intelligent nature comes the risk of stress and depression. This bird does run the risk of becoming stressed when all their needs are not provided. Signs that the birds are becoming stressed can be an eating disorder, picking at their feathers, attitude, or trouble behavior, such as chewing at cords.

This creature is a fast learner and requires attention and companionship. It is very easy to train this bird to perform tricks, and talk. Their vocabulary can actually become quite large, and they are capable of learning words on their own.

Although the bird does enjoy and need petting and affection, it is not a big admirer of overly endowment. This by no means ignores the bird, daily petting and affection is needed. Your home should provide this creature with much affection, compassion, enjoyment, training, and care. With proper care and love for the parrot, you should have a happy long companion in your pet.

Where to Start When Looking to Purchase a Parrot

Parrots have always held a special magic. With a humanistic personality- and eyes that can relate to you, the parrot has been admired in pet stores, story books, and in nature for centuries. Not only is the parrot beautiful with pastel and bright colors, they are intelligent, and they are one of the few animals in the animal kingdom that can talk- just another of their many wonderful qualities to admire.

If you have been considering purchasing a parrot it is necessary to purchase this bird that has had the proper introduction to life. Parrot breeders are the best place to begin. The parrot breeder is often a much better choice than a pet store, due to the fact that the parrot is receiving "specialized" parrot care with the surroundings and time spent just upon these birds instead of divided among many animals and the fact that a good parrot breeder will know much more about the birds needs and health requirements than the pet store often times.

Parrot breeders are the beginning introduction to the human in your future bird. Therefore, it is necessary to select a breeder that has the knowledge and has cared for your pet animals in the necessary manners. The parrot breeder should have provided an optimal diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and pellets, a sanitary and safe environment, weaning between 10 to 12 weeks, an introduction to bathing when the birds feathers begin to develop, time to fly free each day, plenty of interaction and handling and love and affection, and how to diagnose and treat illnesses. These will provide your bird with the attributes that will ensure a quality pet.

When searching for a breeder, you should begin looking for a breeder that is close to home. Parrot breeders will be someone that you will want to depend on in the future, for when concerns arise and when you need support and advice. You will also want to ensure that the bird breeder is will to provide you with, and sign, a purchase / contract agreement.

These are all factors that will help ensure that the breeder is reputable. Discuss with your breeder how future needs will arise and what role they are willing to play in support. When you think you have found the "perfect parrot" visit this bird randomly before you purchase and make sure that the parrot is as fond of you as you are of him this is extremely important the parrot can live to 60 years old, and a relationship that "fits" is extremely important for the both of you. Select a parrot that is good with you, and select a parrot breeder that you are not only comfortable with, but you know has met the qualifications and cared for your parrot properly. With the right ingredients you will enjoy a long well-balanced life together.

Koi Carp Diseases

There are several diseases that Koi fish can suffer from and many of them are related directly to fluctuations in temperatures and extreme weather changes. Koi fish are very susceptible to the cold and tend to fall very ill if exposed to the cold for too long. Broadly speaking Koi Carp disease causes can be classified into five major categories - bacterial, fungal, viral, internal parasites and external parasites. Apart from this there are several environmental factors that can disturb a Koi fish's lifestyle and health like too much exposure to the sun and sub zero temperatures. Koi fish are generally very strong fish and it does not take much effort to keep these fish as pets. Some diseases among Koi fish take care of themselves but others may cause a lot of issues for the fish and can even be fatal.

A disease known as Ichthyophthirius multifilis causes white spot like formations on the body of the fish. This disease is not visible to the naked eye but can be seen clearly under a microscope. This disease usually takes over when the immunity of the fish is weak and the surrounding pond temperature is low. This disease can be fatal but only to smaller fish as the adult fish can fight it off. As far as treatment in concerned, the best way to do away with this disease is to raise the temperature in the pond.

The velvet disease though not very common in Koi can be a source of great discomfort for the fish. It is caused by an external parasite called as Oodinium which basically attaches itself to the outside of the fish ad begins to spread its tentacles until it covers a major part of the skin of the fish. After that it begins to kill off the cells it is nearest to eating away the nutrients from inside. Once that is done, it leaves the fish and begins to multiply, releasing more parasites into the water which have to seek out their own hosts. An entire fish pond can get sick with this type of disease in no time. The most apparent symptom of this kind of disease is a gold dust like formation on the skin of the fish. In many cases this disease causes very tiny puss filled pockets on the skin of the fish that can only be seen through a microscope. These puss pockets cause itchiness and therefore the fish are seen rubbing themselves against objects in the pond.

Koi fish are attacked by worms as well and a very commonly found one is the Lernea elegans which can be a very big problem for the Koi. These worms attach themselves to the belly of the fish and stay there for about a fortnight causing a lot of damage. The worst thing about these worms is that they reproduce rapidly and also leave the fish with bad gashed in the areas they have infected. Fish that are attacked by these worms have to then cope with the wounds on their bodies getting infected by other bacteria and fungi. Once these worms are spotted, immediate action is necessary otherwise the fish will develop multiple problems at one time.

Another type of external parasite are the Argulus lice. They are much easier to spot because of their green color and therefore can be nipped in the bud. The problem with these lice is that they attach themselves to the fins and the sides of the fish and begin sucking out their nutritional needs. While they are attached, the skin of the fish can undergo quite a bit of physical trauma leading to ulceration and infection.

More Than Just a Pest - Duckweed

Regarded as a common pest by many pet stores and found inn a variety of situations in nature, Duckweed is often overlooked by aquarists. However, Duckweed can be beneficial to your aquarium and your fish may find it very enjoyable.

Duckweed is a floating plant which will grow on the surface of your water. It reproduces very rapidly, with even one leaf being able to form hundreds even in a short amount of time. Duckweed requires virtually no maintenance from you and will be available from many pet stores, in many cases quite possibly for free aside from an odd look in your direction. It is recommended if you have never grown plants before or plan an aquarium which will do well with a low level of light.

Keeping Duckweed is very easy, as it will grow under virtually any conditions. It uses up a lot of nutrients and will spread across the surface of the water very quickly, so it is not a very good idea to try to grow it if you are keeping other plants. If you experience a lot of growth in your aquarium very quickly, it is extremely easy just to net most of it out of the aquarium. If even one leaf is left in the water Duckweed will regrow quite quickly, so if you attempt to remove it it is important to keep on checking to make sure that all parts have been completely removed.

Although Duckweed may sound like a nuisance in much the same way that algae can be, it does offer certain benefits to the aquarium just like other plants would do. There are quite a few species of fish, especially goldfish, which seem to enjoy eating it. Virtually no maintenance is required, it is easy to grow without any particular focus on providing the right colour temperature and intensity. Being a floating plant with very little demands, it will do very well with almost not interaction from you apart from watching your fish occasionally snack on it and removing some of it if it grows too well.

Duckweed may seem like an irritation to begin with, but it does have several benefits to offer your aquarium and fish. If you are new to plants and would just like to introduce something to help you with water quality and as extra food for your fish, you can do well with Duckweed.