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Question for Cockatoo Owners

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Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby Skye » Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:43 pm

So I'm a new Cockatoo owner. She's settled in and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed! Now she's a great bird, I would never consider rehoming her! I just need some advice on how to better manage her!

Our currant routine is as follows: I get up and take children to school. I give Skye a bowl of oatmeal or egg for breakfast to eat while I'm gone dropping kids off. I get home 45 min later and let her out of her cage.

She wants me to hold her the entire day. I have a hard time doing housework. Is there things that other Cockatoo Owners can let their fids do to entertain theirselves? She has a play gym but she won't leave my side to get on it unless she is hungry!!

Is there things you use or do to occupy their time? Or do you enteract with you 'too the entire day?? I've even considered getting a second bird to help occupy her time! But I don't want her to stop being close to us! Has anyone experience with that?
Please any help will be appreciated!! C :cockatoo: ss
Skye
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 10
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Umbrella Cockatoo
Flight: No

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby stevesjk » Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:03 am

I think you'd be opening a can of worms if you were to get another bird, especially as you provide her with plenty of companionship yourself. you'd be risking fights, double the noise, double the mess, twice the hormones. If they end up not getting on you'll be screwed or if they bond too tightly together they'll probably become unhandleable (if theres Such a word). They might also become jealous and compete for your attention so i would say just work with the bird you have.

You could try giving her her morning attention then when you want to do chores put some treats in a forraging toy? It might help.

She'll probably have to be with you to do most thing but thats the same with most companion parrots.
stevesjk
Conure
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 220
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal parrot budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby liz » Mon Mar 27, 2017 6:39 am

I don't have a cockatoo but my Myrtle is a rider. She has learned to balance herself no matter what position I get into. If I bend over she walks down my back then back up when I straighten up.
Because she can fly she has the confidence to just hang on. It has been a little rough on my left ear. She uses it like a handle. I have to cover it on days that I am moving fast or she will hand on it to keep her balance. If she becomes too much of a newsants I tell her to "fly" and she will.

Her toy of choice may not even be a toy. Myrtle's favorite is shower curtain rings in a chain and hanging of the rod on the sliding glass door. When I go outside she jumps on to her chain and swings there until I come back in.

Rainbow has a thing for cardboard boxes. He likes to tare up cardboard but is partial to boxes big enough to get in and destroy from within.

I searched for Myrtle to be a friend for Rainbow. They are exact opposites and do not play together. They even argue over who gets to play with a specific toy. The only true contact they make is when eating. They eat together and make little "da da" noises to each other. I wish I knew what "da da" means in bird language.
Don't get me wrong. They do love each other and are bonded the same way as 2 and 5 year old siblings. When they realize they are not together they will call "HELLO" back and forth until Myrtle flies to show Rainbow where she is.

Hang on and the problem will solve itself.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby Pajarita » Mon Mar 27, 2017 12:10 pm

I personally need some more info before I can give you a more informed/detailed answer. How old is the bird? How long have you had her? What kind of light schedule does she have? Diet? I know you said oatmeal or eggs for breakfast (I would never feed eggs but oatmeal is fine as long as it's the old fashioned kind -without sugar, milk or preservatives- and mixed with produce) but what else? Does she have a room for herself? If not, what is the set-up exactly? A 'bird area' in a human room? What is in there?
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby Bird woman » Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:29 pm

I have several cockatoos and everyone is right about getting another. How long have you had her and we sure could use more info . BW
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Bird woman
Amazon
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Location: Southern , Oregon
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Types of Birds Owned: 2 mollucans, 2 LSC'S, 2 macaws, 1 bare-eye, 1 grey, 1 goffin and max the quaker
Flight: Yes

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby Skye » Tue Mar 28, 2017 2:41 am

Ok some additional info to help:

Skye is 9 years old. I have had her about 2 months. And I am her 3 home (I believe). I was told she was a hand fed baby! She is very affectionate and cuddly!

I started by petting her down her feathers and she will lift her wings for you to pet under them! I know now this shouldn't be done!! She is really attacked to me but she LOVES my husband. But lately she has started biting him whenever he holds her! So this has left All her care to ME!! She never bites me. We have stopped petting beyond neck and I'm hoping it will slow her hormones down and maybe calm her down with my husband!

She has a 6 ft tall cage by 6 ft long and 3 ft deep! It is in a hallway/ foyer that is not used as an entrance. She is only in it to sleep. She has a cage with a play top that she hangs out on top all day. It is in our living room. And she also likes to hang out on top of shower curtain when we are showering in the evening!!!

She gets about 10 hours sleep and she uncovers herself most mornings at 7:30 am! Should she be getting more? And her diet is oatmeal unflavored, or fruit, eggs (which I will eliminate), then lunch I offer fresh veggies, fruit, pasta, etc. and same for dinner. She has her food which is a mixture of seed and pellet that she munches on throughout the day!!

I hope this additional information may help! She found a small toy she likes to play with on her feet so I have ordered her foot toys! Maybe more little bright toys may peek her interest during the day. And also I just order a flight suit and harness to take her outside!!

I've seen 1 member mention "gloop" for breakfast. What may I ask do you feed your birds for breakfast? I like to give her something to be eating on while I am gone in the morning! Thanks!!
Skye
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 10
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Umbrella Cockatoo
Flight: No

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby Bird woman » Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:22 am

First of all you haven't had her long at all and yes by you stroking her as she asked and where she asked you were excepting her invitation to be her mate so now your husband is a threat and in the way. This problem can be overcome by getting her to except him as a flock mate , I'll explain about that later, just act like he's your friend instead of your husband when she's around so she doesn't feel she has to be on her guard. You need to get proper lighting and sleep schedule going asap to control hormones. Pajirta can help explain as I'm not able too right now. Bump up the green veggies , back off the egg and just 2 sm pieces of assorted fruits daily. Mine have a good seed mix and pellet available to them also , I got tired of the hot debate so I offer premium grade of both daily. :D BW
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Bird woman
Amazon
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 869
Location: Southern , Oregon
Number of Birds Owned: 10
Types of Birds Owned: 2 mollucans, 2 LSC'S, 2 macaws, 1 bare-eye, 1 grey, 1 goffin and max the quaker
Flight: Yes

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby Pajarita » Tue Mar 28, 2017 11:30 am

Senior discount at the supermarket today so I gotta go but I will reply in detail later in the pm today.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby Skye » Tue Mar 28, 2017 8:27 pm

Awesome Bird woman and Pajarita, I've learned a lot already. Yes I would love to hear more about the sleep schedule and lighting! And BW that explains a lot now why Skye is suddenly attacking my husband! She Never hurts me in any way!! I hope she can learn to be nice to both of us like she used to when she first came here!

Thanks so much! :cockatoo:
Skye
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 10
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Umbrella Cockatoo
Flight: No

Re: Question for Cockatoo Owners

Postby Pajarita » Wed Mar 29, 2017 11:56 am

Well, the key to getting them to stop the aggression is to keep them at a strict solar schedule (so they are only hormonal -never overly hormonal- during breeding season) and to make sure you are not feeding too much protein (it also makes them hormonal).

The solar schedule is what all birds follow in the wild, namely, they wake up with dawn and go to sleep with dusk (think of chickens or the birds out on the trees). It seems simple enough but the trick is to give them full exposure to the twilight (they need, at the very least, one whole hour of dawn and another one of dusk) without any interference from artificial light (including the light from computer or TV screens) because it's this different light that turns on or off their internal clock that determines which season it is. If you free-feed a bird protein food and keep it at a human light schedule, it will be hormonal all year round which is real bad for them AND for you!.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes


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