parrot problems.

[Matt Alyk]

So some of you might recognize me as the person reporting that my cockatoo won't step up. Now, I know how to train her. By not making her do what she doesn't want. However, during school hours when she's alone, if not in her cage she could get into serious trouble. So do I force her to go into her cage on that occasion? Also, she has aggressive behaviors towards me because she is bonded to my dad and brother to the point where she has mating behaviors around them. Any idea of any techniques I can use to train that out of her? And it is important that she likes my company because she is moving out with me. In conclusion, do I force her into her cage during school or not? How do I stop mating behaviors (by the way, we only pet on her head)And how can she bond to me a bit better?
Thanks in advance, I really want to start a healthy bond with my cockatoo and put an end the the heckteck process to force her in her cage before school.

[Wolf]

The only thing that you can do about the bond that she has with your father and brother is to take her with you and keep them away from her until she finishes grieving their loss and hope that you don't end up with a naked bird in the process. Then you may be able to re bond with her.
What to do about time out of the cage and your school issue may be as simple as changing the time that you have her out of the cage. But I don't know for sure, so what time will you be going to school and when will you return home?

[Pajarita]

Hmmmm, yes, that would work but it would make the bird suffer and you know, Wolf, that I don't agree with any method that benefits the human and harms the bird so, to me, that's not an acceptable way of gaining her affection. My recommendation is to try harder. There is a reason why she likes them best (are you a girl? was her previous owner a man?) but a parrot (especially a cockatoo) is not an object but a being with deep feelings and this needs to be respected so, if she likes them best, that is the way it is. I have two birds that prefer my husband to me and, although I would wish them to like me best (mostly for their own sakes as my husband is not a bird person), I am happy they found somebody to love even if it's not me.

As to her trying to masturbate on them, if she does, she is overly hormonal and that means the wrong light schedule and, possibly, also the wrong diet so you need to re-evaluate your husbandry.

Now, resenting going into the cage only happens when they don't spend enough time out of it (minimum of 4 hours) or is done at the 'wrong' time of the day (they go into it very willingly when it's eating or resting time) so, again, husbandry and schedules need to be re-evaluated.

[Wolf]

I don't really much care for it either but he is taking the bird away soon so it was my thought that a clean break would be better than drawing it out and stressing this bird any longer that necessary. Now, I could be wrong about this but I really don't think so.

[Pajarita]

Yes, I did read about his/her moving out and I did take it into consideration but, in my personal opinion, it's best that the OP tries harder now without preventing her socializing with the father and brother because, this way, if and when the OP finally moves away, there will already be a bond (even if it's a slight one) between them without her having to live in a house with two chosen humans but not been able to reach them which would stress her out something terrible.

[Wolf]

Agreed!! Thank you.

[Matt Alyk]

Thanks for the responses! My hypothesis is I'm 13(male) and brother is 17 and my dad is 50 so I think she has a thing for older males, and while I'm male, I'm young so I think that is way. But then, she also gets along with my mom so I think she just likes older people better.

[Wolf]

Ok then, moving out is not an issue for several more years right?

[Pajarita]

I don't think that parrots can actually tell when a human is young or old, I think it has more to do with the manner one uses with them and that does have a lot to do with age. If I were you, I would observe VERY carefully their interactions with her and make a mental note of the differences between what you do and what they do. Background has a lot to do with it, too... like, for example, do you bring her into your room to interact with you while they do it in an more open area? Do you play loud music or have the TV on loud? etc