Cockatoos?

[captwest]

Nah, he's a big time breeder in NY, lots of macaw and rare mutations and such.

[Vikki]

Never heard of him, will ask the rescue owners, I am sure they have.

[kaylayuh]

I feel bad now. Cockatoos are getting a really bad reputation in this thread. Definitely not for everyone though.

[Vikki]

I was thinking the same thing, but I will sayw hat I say to all would be cockatoo owners who come to us looking to adopt one... they are a handful and one of the most high maintenance companion birds available. People buy them because they are charming and funny and talk well and are cuddly to no end, but like all things beuatiful, the beauty blinds you from their true nature. Every rose has its thorn .

If you have allergies of ANY kind, do not own a cockatoo. The dander they produce will clog AC units, fans and cover everything in your house with a thin white sheen. You will need to dust continually (no lie). We have an industrial air purifier in one of our cockatoo rooms that houses 15 cockatoos and we have to literally dump it out daily.

Cockatoos like feet and often attack toes. So if you like to walk barefoot in the house, be prepared to take bites. if you wear slippers or crocks, be prepared to replace them regularly if you plan on letting your too roam. Toos are ground birds, many people don't know that, and they prefer to be on the ground, but once there, they get VERY rambunctious and often territorial (hence the foot fetish)

Toos are LOUD. They have one of the loudest and farreaching vocalizations, meant to be heard over a mile away, and trust me, you can. Keep this in mind based on where you live, how close your neighbors are and if they are forgiving of being woken up at 6am by too screams.

[kaylayuh]

I used to live with one as a child, so I know how they are. My parents were awful to him and left him chained in a cage under a blanket in their dark room, so we were never allowed near him. But when they did take him out, I was always so fascinated and in love with him. In the future, I'd love to have a Moluccan cockatoo. I think they're absolutely beautiful. And surprising, their noise doesn't bother me nearly as much as an Sun or Jenday conure does.

[captwest]

The worst thing about them is the babies, OMG just complete snuggle bunnies, they're so hard to resist ,I find the best thing to do is not ever pick one up.

[kaylayuh]

The worst thing about them is the babies, OMG just complete snuggle bunnies, they're so hard to resist ,I find the best thing to do is not ever pick one up.

I've been avoiding a local bird store/breeder here because I know she has Moluccan babies. If I saw one, I'd need to sell a kidney to pay for it.

I think all baby birds are pretty irresitable, though. I always wish that I had baby pictures of my three now.

[Vikki]

Moluccans definitely have a much more passive presence and though they can be just as loud, aren't most times. I think the bare-eyeds are probably the quietest, but they do still scream at times. We had an Eleanora that was so gorgeous and lovable but she hated men, wouldn't deal with a single one. We got a sulfur crested last year that used to belong to Busch Gardens and knows a ton of tricks, problem is that we don't have his instruction manual and have only figured out a few of his trigger gestures. he is so hysterical to play with but is very tweeky and snaps in seconds and will draw blood without question.

Bryan is still convinced that cockatoos are poisonous, hence the forked beak.

[Vikki]

The worst thing about them is the babies, OMG just complete snuggle bunnies, they're so hard to resist ,I find the best thing to do is not ever pick one up.

I find that true about most any animal I've dealt with. Babies are infectuous with affection and make it impossible to resist them.

Oh, and the owners of the rescue have never heard of Lin Lu either, so apparently we've never been blessed with any of his offspring that we know of. Curious as to what hybrids he does. I've always love the harlequin (which is obvious) and alwasy wanted to see a shamrock and a camelot, but haven't yet. They are pretty rare.

[kaylayuh]

Bryan is still convinced that cockatoos are poisonous, hence the forked beak.

I have a slight phobia of big grey beaks because of that Cockatoo. They just really make me nervous because I can never figure out what they're going to do.