Former breeder 2 with issues, please help!

[Terbear]

I don’t mean for this to be long winded, but I feel the need to give history and what I have tried to do to give a full grasp as to where we are at with this lil man. I have a 16 year old Rose Breasted Cockatoo; he was a breeder bird for 12 years and “never touched” according to his previous owner. He was kept in an “unheated barn with 11 other breeding pairs” and he lost his mate in an “unusual cold snap”, and he started to pluck. I have no information on his first home, and believe the breeder to be his second, besides the breeder he originated from.
No one wanted him as a breeder as he would not bond with another female, and because no one had touched him in 12 years, no one wanted him as a pet… As a result, this little guy was caught in limbo and we brought him home.

He has been vetted; he is perfectly healthy with the exception of his missing feathers. We changed his food just to be sure it wasn’t food related, and I have taken to spraying him with aloe juice just in case it’s dry skin. He has 5 food foraging toys in his cage and yet, he still continues to pluck. His legs, chest, neck, under his wings, the tops of his wings, his back and his neck are as bald as bald can be. He is also barbering his feathers. I offer a huge variety of foods and he won’t touch anything other than his pellets or the “FEW” seeds we give as treat or in his foraging toys. What else can I try?

His feet are badly damaged, he has 5 ½ toes, he does not grasp your hand when he steps up. As a result he’s as graceful as a buttered turnip. We’ve made modifications to his cage to ensure his safety. He won’t even use his feet to hold his food. We have dowel perches, limb perches, the real gnarled wooden perches, swings, and the sand comfort perches, and hubby has made him a corner shelf to give him a sturdy wide place to rest. All of the pictures the previous owner sent me show nothing but 2x4 boards in the cages as perches. I asked my avian vet how I can make him use his feet more, and he told me he wasn’t sure. That’s ok; he’s a younger man and is just starting out in avian medicine. We all need experience to learn… So I am hoping someone will know how I can help him. Any ideas?

He refuses to stay low in his cage, we actually had everything low to try and keep him lower in his cage but he’d climb up anyway and because nothing was there he’d drop like a lead balloon! We put everything higher and took a piece of foam and cut it to fit his cage bottom, wrapped it in heavy plastic, and then covered it in old sheets the nursing home saves for me. He soils them and I just throw them away and add another one. Any other ideas how I can try to keep him safe in his cage?

This guy is a trooper! Very food motivated, and I have started clicker training him! He is doing amazingly well! We’ve done the target, and he is now learning how to get a ball and put it in a small metal bucket. We did start to teach him the wave, but his feet are so badly damaged that he gets very frustrated and falls off the perch, or even falls over on a table. So we bypassed that one and went to the ball trick. Our issue is when he falls; he becomes mean as all get out! He becomes a little pink biting machine; he will attack feet, legs, table legs, chairs, even a sweater hanging on the back of a chair. Until he calms down, or until you towel him and put him back in his cage, you cannot get anywhere near him. Even for a good hour afterwards he sits in his cage and is just gnarly, the way he holds himself, the way he looks at you just screams he’s in a nasty mood, but he does not favor his feet. I thought that perhaps the fall caused him pain and spoke to the vet about it. But the vet will not prescribe anything for pain as he said that it could cause other issues and to date any topical pain relievers, for neuropathies and such, cannot be used on birds in case they lick it off their feet. So we are in limbo how to deal with this issue. NOTHING distracts him from these rages. The target stick, treats, speaking to him, nothing works. Obviously this is unsafe for not only him, but for us as well. What can I do about these fits? Rages? What’s even the correct word for it?

He is attracted to my couch and to my husband’s flannel pajama pants; he rubs his beak on them and makes clicking noises. There is no prying him away from either, with any sort of distraction. And if you so much as make the slightest move – he will attack with the same fierceness as mentioned above, without warning! I don’t get it, but obviously my husband’s not thrilled with the prospect of him being anywhere near his jammie pants! I don’t get why he does it or what triggers the aggression unless he feels he is being disturbed. It’s to the point that we can’t even have him near the couch as he jumps on it and all hello breaks loose, so how can I stop this insanity?

Other than these issues, he is super sweet; he is our lil jabber box! We were able to pet him in the cage on day 2, and were reaching in to pet him on day 6, and had him out of the cage within 2 weeks. When he came to us all he could say was Hello, and now he sits and practices his words and noises every night. Here is a video clip of him, I removed the dead spots so it looks like he is chattering nonstop, but in reality there’s a minute or more between his words. But this is the loudest this little man gets! He is such a charmer. But I really need to know how I can help him more and how I can keep him safe. I need to combat these fit / rages quickly as we hope to move cross country in the spring, and need to be able to handle him safely, and hubby would like to go back to wearing his flannel pants lol!

Thanks so much!

[Terbear]

The video isn't loading so here is the url
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbfsK8o7Ie4
Hope you enjoy!

[pennyandrocky]

first i want to thank you for taking this on that poor little guy is lucky to have you.the only thing i can think of is to ask if your husband has a pair of flannel to spair, he may leave the ones he's wearing alone if he has his own.

[brfussne]

I don’t mean for this to be long winded, but I feel the need to give history and what I have tried to do to give a full grasp as to where we are at with this lil man. I have a 16 year old Rose Breasted Cockatoo; he was a breeder bird for 12 years and “never touched” according to his previous owner. He was kept in an “unheated barn with 11 other breeding pairs” and he lost his mate in an “unusual cold snap”, and he started to pluck. I have no information on his first home, and believe the breeder to be his second, besides the breeder he originated from.
No one wanted him as a breeder as he would not bond with another female, and because no one had touched him in 12 years, no one wanted him as a pet… As a result, this little guy was caught in limbo and we brought him home.

He has been vetted; he is perfectly healthy with the exception of his missing feathers. We changed his food just to be sure it wasn’t food related, and I have taken to spraying him with aloe juice just in case it’s dry skin. He has 5 food foraging toys in his cage and yet, he still continues to pluck. His legs, chest, neck, under his wings, the tops of his wings, his back and his neck are as bald as bald can be. He is also barbering his feathers. I offer a huge variety of foods and he won’t touch anything other than his pellets or the “FEW” seeds we give as treat or in his foraging toys. What else can I try?

His feet are badly damaged, he has 5 ½ toes, he does not grasp your hand when he steps up. As a result he’s as graceful as a buttered turnip. We’ve made modifications to his cage to ensure his safety. He won’t even use his feet to hold his food. We have dowel perches, limb perches, the real gnarled wooden perches, swings, and the sand comfort perches, and hubby has made him a corner shelf to give him a sturdy wide place to rest. All of the pictures the previous owner sent me show nothing but 2x4 boards in the cages as perches. I asked my avian vet how I can make him use his feet more, and he told me he wasn’t sure. That’s ok; he’s a younger man and is just starting out in avian medicine. We all need experience to learn… So I am hoping someone will know how I can help him. Any ideas?

He refuses to stay low in his cage, we actually had everything low to try and keep him lower in his cage but he’d climb up anyway and because nothing was there he’d drop like a lead balloon! We put everything higher and took a piece of foam and cut it to fit his cage bottom, wrapped it in heavy plastic, and then covered it in old sheets the nursing home saves for me. He soils them and I just throw them away and add another one. Any other ideas how I can try to keep him safe in his cage?

This guy is a trooper! Very food motivated, and I have started clicker training him! He is doing amazingly well! We’ve done the target, and he is now learning how to get a ball and put it in a small metal bucket. We did start to teach him the wave, but his feet are so badly damaged that he gets very frustrated and falls off the perch, or even falls over on a table. So we bypassed that one and went to the ball trick. Our issue is when he falls; he becomes mean as all get out! He becomes a little pink biting machine; he will attack feet, legs, table legs, chairs, even a sweater hanging on the back of a chair. Until he calms down, or until you towel him and put him back in his cage, you cannot get anywhere near him. Even for a good hour afterwards he sits in his cage and is just gnarly, the way he holds himself, the way he looks at you just screams he’s in a nasty mood, but he does not favor his feet. I thought that perhaps the fall caused him pain and spoke to the vet about it. But the vet will not prescribe anything for pain as he said that it could cause other issues and to date any topical pain relievers, for neuropathies and such, cannot be used on birds in case they lick it off their feet. So we are in limbo how to deal with this issue. NOTHING distracts him from these rages. The target stick, treats, speaking to him, nothing works. Obviously this is unsafe for not only him, but for us as well. What can I do about these fits? Rages? What’s even the correct word for it?

He is attracted to my couch and to my husband’s flannel pajama pants; he rubs his beak on them and makes clicking noises. There is no prying him away from either, with any sort of distraction. And if you so much as make the slightest move – he will attack with the same fierceness as mentioned above, without warning! I don’t get it, but obviously my husband’s not thrilled with the prospect of him being anywhere near his jammie pants! I don’t get why he does it or what triggers the aggression unless he feels he is being disturbed. It’s to the point that we can’t even have him near the couch as he jumps on it and all hello breaks loose, so how can I stop this insanity?

Other than these issues, he is super sweet; he is our lil jabber box! We were able to pet him in the cage on day 2, and were reaching in to pet him on day 6, and had him out of the cage within 2 weeks. When he came to us all he could say was Hello, and now he sits and practices his words and noises every night. Here is a video clip of him, I removed the dead spots so it looks like he is chattering nonstop, but in reality there’s a minute or more between his words. But this is the loudest this little man gets! He is such a charmer. But I really need to know how I can help him more and how I can keep him safe. I need to combat these fit / rages quickly as we hope to move cross country in the spring, and need to be able to handle him safely, and hubby would like to go back to wearing his flannel pants lol!

Thanks so much!

Hi Terbear! First off, I just wanted to say how awesome it is that you rescued Buddy!

As for the plucking behavior, is he bored? I know you said he has 5 foraging toys in his cage, does he play with them?? Since he's been a breeder for 12 years, he may not know how to play. You should show him. Take the toy out of the cage, sit with him & show him that he has to find the treat inside! Also, I heard birds like to shred paper for fun. You could tear up old newspaper or just plain printer paper in front of him till Buddy gets the idea to tear it up himself.

For the food situation, what food was he eating previously??? If you have changed his diet and he is not eating, I would suggest you mix some of his old food in with the new food you are giving him and gradually mix in smaller & smaller portions of the old food until it is completely removed from his diet all together. I've read that some birds don't eat their new food if you change it all in one setting. Totally Organic pellets, RoudyBush, Harrison's and Goldenfeast are all good food brands. You may want to try one of those out and see if Buddy likes them better. Here are some other foods you can try out with Buddy: Apples, Oranges, Honeydew, Corn, Yams, Bell Peppers, Papaya, Cantaloupe, Raspberries, Zucchini, Cauliflower, Chili Peppers, Pears, Apricots, Kumquats, Spinach, Bok Choy, Sweet Potatoes, Pineapple, Kiwi, Grapes, Broccoli, Nectarines, Fava Beans, Cranberries, Bananas, Peaches, Cucumber, Peas, Green Beans, Plums, Mango, Blueberries, Kale, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts, Cooked Rice, Cooked Beans, Cooked Squash, Mashed Potatoes, Macaroni & Cheese, Cooked Chicken, Spaghetti, Kale, Wheat Bread, and Scrambled Eggs(with shell). One last thing, have you tried making "birdie bread" for Buddy? Look up a few recipes and see if he likes it!

To promote feather grow you could add flaxseed oil to Buddy's diet for a while, add lots of veggies (no pasta) to his diet, plenty of outside time (weather permitting or purchase a UVB bulb. Buy the flaxseed pills from walmart and sqeeze the contents onto that days food every other day for about 3 weeks. I read this info from a website and the woman said "The red lored amazons I have were two of the crappiest looking birds I'd ever seen. I put them on a fresh food only diet for 2 weeks with flaxseed oil and added avian essentials (for trace minerals) and they shined right up. They're now on pellet and fresh foods like the rest of the flock." http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-a ... rowth.html

You also may want to check out mytoos.com. It's a cockatoo website with all kinds of helpful information. They have a message board. Maybe some one there can better answer your questions or give you some helpful advice.

Best of luck to you & Buddy!!

[Terbear]

first i want to thank you for taking this on that poor little guy is lucky to have you.the only thing i can think of is to ask if your husband has a pair of flannel to spair, he may leave the ones he's wearing alone if he has his own.

Someone had to give him a chance; I was told that the breeder was not keen on keeping him if she was not getting a “return” on him. We had to buy him from her as she could not see “giving” him away, but he’s home now… We knew we may never be able to do anything with him, but were content to try...
We have not tried giving him his own piece of flannel, for fear it might feed the aggression and make the issue worse. A cockatoo attracted to and attacking your flannel pajama pants is a vasectomy waiting to happen, according to my husband.

[Terbear]

As for the plucking behavior, is he bored? I know you said he has 5 foraging toys in his cage, does he play with them?? Since he's been a breeder for 12 years, he may not know how to play.

He does not play with them, I take his toys out of his cage daily and show him how to play with them and empty them into a bowl and refill them with him watching so he see’s daily that they are to be played with and what was put in them in an effort to motivate him into playing with them.

For the food situation, what food was he eating previously??? If you have changed his diet and he is not eating, I would suggest you mix some of his old food in with the new food you are giving him and gradually mix in smaller & smaller portions of the old food until it is completely removed from his diet all together.

He was on “Roudybush low fat” and I cannot get it here, being in rural Wisconsin the mail is greatly impacted by the weather, so I opted to put him on something I could get locally (Zupreem). He does eat his new pellets, and he does eat the Lefeebers treat balls, but he does not eat fresh. It’s offered, it’s provided, and he will not eat it even if I entice him with the “num num” game. He is given whatever we are eating as well. He loves pancakes with cinnamon, and birdie pizza, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and noodles, He is a carb junkie! Even if I try to put fruit in his pancakes and veggies in his potatoes, noodles and eggs, he picks around them and refuses to eat them. I make birdie bread in the small muffin tins and he is given a small muffin 2x a day and he eats the bread, won’t touch the fruits or veggies. I’m trying to get him to eat right!

To promote feather grow you could add flaxseed oil to Buddy's diet for a while, add lots of veggies (no pasta) to his diet, plenty of outside time

I didn’t know about the flax seed oil. I will send hubby to get some today! Again, he will not eat fruits or veggies no matter how presented, so right now that’s still one of our battles. As far as outside time, that’s just not an option being in Wisconsin. He does have an outdoor cage waiting for him, but the temps are too cold for him to be out.

or purchase a UVB bulb

I never thought/knew to do that, I’ll see what I can do to scare one up for him.

You also may want to check out mytoos.com. It's a cockatoo website with all kinds of helpful information. They have a message board. Maybe some one there can better answer your questions or give you some helpful advice.

I’ll look into that as well. Right now my objective is getting him so he can use his feet more, and to curb these fits so we can move him safely across county when we move. I am afraid if he can’t use his feet more, then he may have issue while in the carrier being transported (3 day car ride), and of course these fits are just plain dangerous for all involved.

Thank you so much for your help, I am off to find a UV light and flax seed oil

[liz]

With what he has been through it is a miracle that he can do quiet time and talk to himself.

Bless you for his rescue.

[brfussne]

He does not play with them, I take his toys out of his cage daily and show him how to play with them and empty them into a bowl and refill them with him watching so he see’s daily that they are to be played with and what was put in them in an effort to motivate him into playing with them.

How long have you had Buddy?? OVer 2 weeks? Do you think that he still may be getting use to you guys & his new home?

He was on “Roudybush low fat” and I cannot get it here, being in rural Wisconsin the mail is greatly impacted by the weather, so I opted to put him on something I could get locally (Zupreem). He does eat his new pellets, and he does eat the Lefeebers treat balls, but he does not eat fresh. It’s offered, it’s provided, and he will not eat it even if I entice him with the “num num” game. He is given whatever we are eating as well. He loves pancakes with cinnamon, and birdie pizza, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and noodles, He is a carb junkie! Even if I try to put fruit in his pancakes and veggies in his potatoes, noodles and eggs, he picks around them and refuses to eat them. I make birdie bread in the small muffin tins and he is given a small muffin 2x a day and he eats the bread, won’t touch the fruits or veggies. I’m trying to get him to eat right!

Zupreem isn't all bad but be careful of the ones that have all kinds of dyes in it such as the FruitBlend Flavor! Try to get the natural ones.

I didn’t know about the flax seed oil. I will send hubby to get some today! Again, he will not eat fruits or veggies no matter how presented, so right now that’s still one of our battles. As far as outside time, that’s just not an option being in Wisconsin. He does have an outdoor cage waiting for him, but the temps are too cold for him to be out.

I hope the flax seed oil helps! Let me know how it works out for you & Buddy.

I never thought/knew to do that, I’ll see what I can do to scare one up for him.

I believe you can buy a UVB at most pet/reptile stores such as PetSmart & Petco. Pricing is generally around $20 I believe. I was a previous owner of many lizards lol ...


Good luck with Buddy. Please keep us updated on his progress. I would love to see pictures of him!

[Terbear]

With what he has been through it is a miracle that he can do quiet time and talk to himself. Bless you for his rescue.

He is our blessing, he really is a good boy, he just needs to learn whats acceptable and whats not. He’s GREAT with the exception of those fits he has… But really, he loves to be around people, and craves affection and food, so he’s been pretty easy to work with. I am so thankful we took a chance and brought him home.

[Terbear]

How long have you had Buddy?? OVer 2 weeks? Do you think that he still may be getting use to you guys & his new home?

He’s been here for 3 ½ months, and I am very sure he is still getting used to us, as well as living in the house. He was kept in a barn with other birds and had very limited human contact, flown to Wisconsin and brought into a home with small dogs, (my big dog is 5 pounds) cats, and 3 humans. There are things that still catch him off guard, and startle him. He paces in his cage when I sweep and mop, when the washing machine switches cycles he literly jumps, and a toilet flushing makes him shake. So he is still getting used to us and the sounds and movements of a house. As well as being handled. He has had a huge adjustment to make and while he has done fantastic, we just have to learn how to curb these fits / rages he has.
I guess I think of him like I do a child and believe in showing him good manners from the start before the issues compound and he ends up fully plucked and a problem child with little or no hope for rehab.

Zupreem isn't all bad but be careful of the ones that have all kinds of dyes in it such as the FruitBlend Flavor! Try to get the natural ones.

Those dyes are no good for anyone! I do feed the natural, and limit his intake of sunflower seeds and “fat” as galahs are prone to the fatty tummors.

I believe you can buy a UVB at most pet/reptile stores such as PetSmart & Petco. Pricing is generally around $20 I believe.

Sweet, I didn’t get out today as I had hoped, the nearest town is 40 minutes away (one way) and I got side tracked cooking and cleaning as my good house keeping fairys failed to show yet again!

I don't have a lot of pictures of Buddy, he flails when the camera flashes and without it the pictures are crap. I keep a blog of their progress for friends and family, and to rub in the nose of a "Kaytee products avian professional" who insisted we needed to put him in a santuary as we'd never be able to touch him...
There's a few more there... http://mytribulation.wordpress.com/buddy/
Its basicly my progress with him and our abused goffin.