How To Raise A Hyacinth Macaw

The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest species of Macaw in the world.  Which also means that a Hyacinth has the most powerful bite in the word, with the ability to snap a finger in half if you fail to train them correctly from an early age.

The good news is that Hyacinth Macaws happen to also be the most docile species of Macaw, much like the Blue And Gold Macaw, meaning they're the least likely to develop aggressive biting problems if properly trained.  that's why Hyacinth Macaws are commonly referred to as the Gentle Giant's of the Macaw world.

So I thought I'd give you a few tips on how to properly train Hyacinth Macaws to NOT bite:

Training Hyacinth Macaws to NOT Bite...

The hands down, best way to train a Hyacinth Macaw to not bite, is to start training him from the first second you bring him home.  Help him get used to being handled by lots of people in a controlled environments that don't stress him out.

For an older Hyacinth Macaw, or a Hyacinth who's just starting to become more coordinated with his oversized, clumsy body would get a ton of benefit from frequent but short target training sessions.  This act of training a Hyacinth Macaw to obey cues and commands from you will go further than you'd ever imagine possible when discouraging biting later in life -- especially after he becomes sexually mature.

Here's how to introduce target training to your Hyacinth Macaw...

Start by placing the end of a small wooden dowel in front of your Hyacinth.  When he goes to grab at it, or play with it, reward him with praise and possibly a favorite treat.  Before long most Hyacinth Macaws will realize that they get rewarded for touching the end of the stick.  When your Hyacinth figures this out, start making him reach for the stick to earn his reward, and then take a step towards the stick to earn a reward, and then two steps, three steps etc.

Keep doing this until your Hyacinth Macaw has learned he gets a treat if he'll just walk, stumble, climb or fly to wherever you've got your wooden dowel... and that if he just goes over and touches the tip of that dowel with his beak, he'll earn a reward.

This act of training a Hyacinth Macaw to obey a simple command sets the stage for learning other skills and will make your Hyacinth learn new commands quicker and nip bad habits in the bud if they ever show their evil little heads.