|
|
|
Just Hatched
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/6/2009 7:55:17 PM
Posts: 2,
Visits: 7
|
|
| Hi, my name is Charles and my wife and I recently purchased a 16 y.o. Umbrella Cockatoo named Pocco. We saw him in a local pet shop where he was for sale on consignment. He was very affectionate and loved to be scratched and talked to. We contacted the owners who were selling him and we spoke briefly. We brought Pocco home about 2 weeks ago. He is still very friendly MOST of the time. The former owners assured us he would be no problem with other animals since they have 2 dogs that the 'too just adores. Well he doesn't adore my dogs. One of them he doesn't bother much but the toy poodle is a victim of violence every time Pocco just sees her. He jumps off the cage and attacks her. We cannot get his attention at all when the poodle is in the room. He just single mindedly goes after her.We have tried contacting the previous owners but now that he's home with us they no longer return our calls. We don't know what his routine was in his old home and never having owned a Cockatoo we don't know what he wants from us. He is out of cage most of the time. We talk to him and he loves to sit and cuddle while we watch tv. He is comical and a joy to watch. He is not particularly noisy but sometimes he seems frustrated waiting for us to do something and we don't know what it is. He puts his crest up and bounces straight up and down. He walks around the floor a lot and sometimes opens his wings and raises his crest and walks back and forth. The biggest problem we have however is his biting the dog and the fact that he won't step up if he is on his cage and this makes it difficult to put him in his cage when we have to go out. Any thoughts? They would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.
|
|
|
|
|
Big Talker
Group: Banned Members
Last Login: 10/31/2009 8:58:56 AM
Posts: 1,368,
Visits: 818
|
|
| Oh, geez, Charles, I am not saying this out of meanness but you should have done some research before commiting yourself to this bird. Cockatoos are the hardest birds ever to keep healthy and happy, it requires a HUGE commitment in time and work as well as a lot of knowledge and this is not something you can acquire over a few postings in the internet. What you described (the erecting the crest and bouncing up and down) and normal displays, mostly hormonal. They are quiet this time of the year because they go into breeding condition early in the spring and later in the fall but, for this to happen when it's supposed to happen, you need to keep the bird to a strict natural daylight schedule with full exposure to dawn and dusk. He will also need a relatively quiet and dark place to sleep. This is very important because you need to restrict the flow of sexual hormones to the seasons when they are supposed to happen or you will end up with a sexually frustrated too in your hands and believe me when I tell you that you do NOT want that! We are talking screaming and aggression galore. Keep the dog away from the bird. Cockatoos have powerful beaks that can inflict a lot of damage to a little dog and, if the dog turns around and retaliates (poodles are bird dogs, after all), you are talking major vet expenses if not death for the bird. The other consideration is diet, they need a lot of raw material, are you feeding it greens, fruits and veggies on a daily basis? And last but not least is time. They need A LOT of attention, we are talking hours and hours and hours on a daily basis... and they live a long, long time so we are talking another twenty to thirty years or so of having a very difficult child in your hands so plan for it accordingly and don't get impatient because it won't do any good.
Bea & Birds
beatriz@newyorkbirds.net
|
|
|
|
|
Feather Fanatic
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 2:25:25 PM
Posts: 5,776,
Visits: 7,532
|
|
Welcome to the forum
We need Ladyhawk 50 in here. She rehomed Fergie and Fergie was not the worlds nicest bird when she got her. she can give you some pointers on rehoming a companion too.
|
|
|
|
|
Community Moderator
Group: Administrators
Last Login: Today @ 3:01:25 PM
Posts: 330,
Visits: 1,068
|
|
Hello, here are some BirdChannel articles that you may find helpful. Please be sure to read them through even if they don't seem like they apply. There are great tips and information in all of them.
New Bird/Adopting a bird Articles:
Try A Little Tenderness With A New Bird
Use patience and positive reinforcement as part of your training tools with an insecure, newly adopted bird.
http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-behavior-and-training/bird-behavior-issues/tenderness-with-a-new-bird.aspx
Welcome Home Bird
Eight tips to help your new bird feel at home
http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-magazines/bird-talk/2008-april/welcome-home-bird.aspx
A Second Chance
Thinking of adopting a bird? Follow these tips to find your perfect match.
http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-species/bird-adoption/bird-adoption-second-chance.aspx
Cockatoo Related Articles:
9 Steps To Avoid “Unwanted Cockatoo Syndrome”
Follow these steps for a healthy relationship with your bird
http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-magazines/bird-talk/2007-october/avoid-cockatoo-syndrome.aspx
Cockatoo Behavior Issues
Look at the big picture before you give up on your bird
http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-magazines/bird-talk/2007-october/cockatoo-behavior-issues.aspx
Common Cockatoo Health Concerns
Find out what health issues cockatoos are prone to
http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-magazines/bird-talk/2007-october/cockatoo-health-concerns.aspx
FeathersNFuz
BC Community Moderator
Are you on Facebook? BirdChannel is! Become a fan and get monthly updates about what’s new on the website. Be a Fan at www.Facebook.com/BirdChannel
|
|
|
|
|
Feather Fanatic
Group: Peer Moderators
Last Login: Today @ 1:14:28 PM
Posts: 5,847,
Visits: 9,192
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feather Fanatic
Group: Peer Moderators
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 5:01:50 PM
Posts: 3,898,
Visits: 5,158
|
|
Hi Charben58 and hello to your Too. Yep, your living my life nine years ago.... I hope I can be of some help to you. First your Too has gone thru alot of changes and they are the most emotional parrot. Your Too is in a new home, just came out of a pet store and was in a home for along time and now he has no idea what to do but run wild and protect his strange new territory and environment that he knows nothing about. The dogs are not his dogs, they are NEW dogs. And they are a threat. Because he is new to your home alot of things could be a threat and fearful.
The basics with your new Too are as follows, good food, good sleep, at least three hours of out of cage interaction, good baths and keep your energy level low and calm around your new Too. You have a 2 year old child (for lack of a better explanation)that just got displaced from his home, and went thru a horrible transition of being in a petstore, and now he is anxious and wondering what he can expect. What he can trust.
The best way to keep you Too happy and controlled is start a schedule of the basics. And keep to the schedule with patience and calmness. Your Too is going to watch you and everything you do. So he can assess how safe he is. And that is how he can trust learn to trust you. Cockatoos have eyes in the back of their heads, they watch you all the time even when you don't think they are ....they are taking your measure day in and day out. So you really have to watch what you do around them.
As to the dogs, my home is set up so that my waddling Too who never stayed up on her perch or cage top for longer than two seconds, could not get at our dog.I got the fexible plastic baby gates to pen her in one half of the family room where she has complete access to the family going ons but can't get at the dog. (just recently she waited years to get at our dog, and I left the gate open for two seconds and she made it down the stairs to get my dogs poor tail on the landing ....years she waited for me to forget just one time Toos are smart and they don't miss or forget a thing) Please don't keep your Too away from the family they need to be with the flock, keeping them shut away is a slow death for them.
(I actually re-arranged the entire family room and blocked half of it with the sofa and then the baby gate and it worked out well.
Are your Too's wings clipped? Right now during this transition you might want to consider not allowing him to fly until you can control his boundaries for everyone's safety.
Right now you have to give him a trusting safe environment so that you can build your bond. So start a routine/schedule that is manageable for you and your family. Make sure you have daily exercise, like chasing a small ball, dancing, singing......I know this sounds goofy but Toos love music and bouncing to the beat, especially if you are dancing with them.
We are still working on UP, going up to the cage or the playstand.....we have been working on this for six years. I point and say up and the second she goes up, I clap and say good girl and thank you. Consider that this has to go on consistently for it to become a behavior. Too's love praise for any behavior that is good. They bask in gooey words of praise, so use them all the time.
Any behavior you want to go away, completely ignore. Or distract. Any behavior you need to remain PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE, consistently. Just like a two year old baby.
Don't count any thing you do with your Too in human time. It doesn't count to parrots. You have to repeat the same message over and over and it's counted in "bird time". Which could be right away or years later.
Too's generally bite out of fear or hormonal rushes, so learn to watch for the flared tail and the overexcitment of your Too. And crank back the emotional excitement to avoid anyone getting bitten. The dogs are a threat right now and your Too will defend go on the offensive with them. They are a predator to him and he will need along time to accept them around him.
My girl needs 10 to 12 hours of sound covered sleep each day, she goes to sleep when the sun goes down and gets up when the sun comes up. I have a seperate sleep cage in a spare bedroom for her, where she can have uninterrupted sleep. This sleeping arrangement in my opinion changed her entire tempermant from manic and anxious to calmer and happier.
Toos are emotionally geared to respond to all that goes on around them, they seem to react immediately to the emotional level in your home. I tell people you want to yell and scream around my Too don't , because she will yell and scream louder than you and you will become deaf. So keep your bad energy away from her. And we will all be happy.
Cherish your Too and you will eventually have the most endearing and wonderful companion you could ever believe possible. Challanging but like no other relationship with any animal.
|
|
|
|
|
Feather Fanatic
Group: Peer Moderators
Last Login: Today @ 1:14:28 PM
Posts: 5,847,
Visits: 9,192
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just Hatched
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/6/2009 7:55:17 PM
Posts: 2,
Visits: 7
|
|
 Thank you all for your concern. Pocco really is smart and eager to please. He seems content enough. He sits on top of his cage sometimes after playing catch. He loves his tennis ball. We are generally home. I work curing rthe day but my wife is home all day. Pocco is allowed out of his cage anytime during the daylight hours as long as someone is home and supervising him. His cage is in the family room which everyone has to walk through a hundred times a day, and everyone talks to him. His main diet is mixed vegetables to which we add pelleted food, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, beans of any kind, some nuts, sprouts etc. Oh...is it okay for him to have meat? It seems he likes cheeseburgers, chili and he ate a hot dog and today he stole my daughters bologna. As far as experience with parrots goes we don't have any. Have had canaries, budgies, cockatiels, love birds and even show pigeons but never a large parrot. We have added some toys which took a few days for him to play with but now polays with them regularly. I bought some 3/4" pvc tubing and constructed him a playground so he has a place to go to off of his cage. I like the idea of a second cage for him to sleep in. Don't know though since he has been with this cage for many years. Sopme6hing to think about. The last few days he has not attacked either dog, though I think he just wanted to let them know there is a new sheriff in town. He opens his beak and they move to another corner and he struts like he just won a war. He is definitely entertaining. I am amazed at how expressive his face seems. His gaze is piercing and he sees absolutely everything. He also hears well and knows if I have opened a package of peanut butter crackers and comes down to the arm of my chair and bounces until I give him one. Have to go for now...keep in touch, and thank you again for your suggestions. charles
|
|
|
|
|
Big Talker
Group: Banned Members
Last Login: 10/31/2009 8:58:56 AM
Posts: 1,368,
Visits: 818
|
|
I firmly believe that, with noted exceptions like vasas, parrots should never have any meat. They are classified as herbivores and not ommivores. But, if you decide to still give him meat, please make it the healthy and not the supermarket kind (pastured, organic vegetarian feed, no hormones/antibiotics, etc).
Bea & Birds
beatriz@newyorkbirds.net
|
|
|
|
|
Feather Fanatic
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 2:25:25 PM
Posts: 5,776,
Visits: 7,532
|
|
there are so many unhealthy dyes, preservatives and such in specialty meats that I would agree with Bea and suggest you do not give the bird any. A tiny bit of baked or boiled chicken or baked or poached ( and BONELESS) fish is ok on occasion. But beef and pork and such are too high in things that are just not good for parrots.
If you want him to eat with you, offer him carrot sticks while you also munch one. But even at this, you must be careful. If he wants it badly enough, he is apt to attack a FACE to get what he wants.
Birds do not have a frontal lobe to their brain ...the area that governs our actions that are guided by emotions and self interest. So they will act out of self interest and not care if that food in in your mouth and that he must bite your face to get it.
|
|
|
|