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Post by siobhan on Apr 19, 2015 8:17:02 GMT -5
My friend who rescued the cockatoo on Friday has decided her dogs are too interested in him and he's not safe there after all. She wants to know if I want him. You all know the answer to that question. However, I'm wondering how to have him here with my birds. How would a 'too get along with mine? Would I need to keep them separated? Or could he live in the birds' room? Anyone have experience with that?
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Post by easttex on Apr 19, 2015 9:40:04 GMT -5
Of course I've never had one myself, but I would be very leery of leaving a cockatoo unsupervised with much smaller birds. I think they are lovely birds who can make wonderful pets if you have the time for them, but I also think they can have kind of mercurial natures. It might be best to leave him caged when you're not present, making sure he has lots of room and plenty to do. Just my two cents.
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Post by cnyguy on Apr 19, 2015 19:35:49 GMT -5
I think easttex is on the right track. It might be risky to leave the larger 'Too loose with the smaller birds. 'Toos typically have sweet dispositions, but aren't necessarily tolerant of other birds.
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Apr 19, 2015 19:42:22 GMT -5
Regardless of what you decide to do in the future and even if the new Too is healthy, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND quarantining the new Too for 30 days. I know that absolute quarantine is impossible since most people do not have separate heating and ac vents/ducts for each room of the house but there are also bacteria that are carried in droppings and feather dust that can infect other birds. I used to think this was totally unnecesary until I started fostering and heard all the horror stories of how a new foster that seemed healthy and skipped quarantine wound up getting the other birds in the house sick.
Better safe than sorry!
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Post by siobhan on Apr 19, 2015 20:23:19 GMT -5
He's in a separate area from the others. He was an only bird in his previous home so he probably doesn't have any immunity, either. Germs mine have that aren't bothering them could make him sick, too. My hope is that we can keep him in the main part of the house instead of in one of the birds' rooms, even after quarantine. He was gabbing earlier and both dogs were so puzzled as to where that voice was coming from. Neither one realized it was Rocky.
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Post by siobhan on Apr 19, 2015 21:43:55 GMT -5
I am pleased to report that he tried his new pellets and liked them. It took me weeks to get Clyde onto pellets and Rocky's already eating his after being on an appalling diet of the nastiest mix of everything wrong that you can imagine. I've never even seen stuff like this. Once I'm sure he'll eat the pellets regularly, that stuff's going outside for the wild birds (who eat a better mix than that out of our bird feeder, but it won't be as bad for them since they get so much exercise).
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Post by Jan and Shah on Apr 20, 2015 2:14:32 GMT -5
Well, well, well - why am I not surprised? Rocky will have an absolutely wonderful life with you. Good on you for giving him a home.
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Post by biteybird on Apr 20, 2015 2:18:48 GMT -5
I'm kind of surprised that your friend didn't give it a bit more time to decide this - Friday to now isn't very long, after all. Perhaps the dogs might have been OK once their curiosity was satisfied? I don't know...anyway, congratulations Siobhan.  |
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Post by siobhan on Apr 20, 2015 8:53:01 GMT -5
I suspect there was more to her deciding not to keep him than just the dogs. For one thing, she said he started squawking very early on Sunday morning and woke them up. He didn't squawk here this morning until Hubby uncovered his cage, but when he did it was LOUD. We knew he'd be loud but maybe she didn't. I also suspect she didn't discuss Rocky with her husband first. And she said her granddaughter, who's there every weekend, was a problem. She didn't elaborate so I don't know if she was worried about what Rocky would do to the child or what the child would do to Rocky.
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Post by easttex on Apr 20, 2015 9:20:00 GMT -5
What kind of 'too is Rocky? And when do we get to see the pictures? Was he given up for a specific reason? What can you tell about his behavior so far? Sorry for the twenty questions, but I am sooooo curious. |
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Post by siobhan on Apr 20, 2015 12:58:36 GMT -5
He's an umbrella 'too and I posted a photo on Facebook (Dani? will you post it here for me?). I've only taken one and he didn't show off his pretty crest for that picture, but I'm hoping with time he'll relax and maybe I can even teach him to pose. I don't know why most of his previous homes gave him up, but the one where my friend and I got him from needed the money. Yes, you read that right. They needed some fast cash so they SOLD THEIR BIRD. Somebody did a butcher job on clipping his wings and I think he's picked at his feathers himself, too, though he's not doing that here. In fact, he's preening (properly) as I write this. I went to the store a little bit ago and my husband said he was not pleased when I left and yelled and fussed for a while, and when I came home, he stepped up -- which he's been reluctant to do -- and gave me a big snuggle and looked at me like "I thought you were gone FOREVER!" Which is sweet but also sad. I should probably gently accustom him to the idea that I leave and come back all the time. Does anyone know if 'toos tend to be one-person birds? I want him to be as fond of Hubby as me because he'll see a lot more of him when I go back to work (I'm on vacation this week).
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Post by msdani1981 on Apr 20, 2015 15:32:33 GMT -5
Here's Rocky!  Dismantling a toy:  Sorry, Siobhan, the video didn't work. |
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Post by siobhan on Apr 20, 2015 16:40:56 GMT -5
Thank you! I've figured out what happens to his feathers. When he's just sitting relaxed, he uses his foot to stroke his own feathers and his toenails tear them. I think it's a self-comfort thing like a baby sucking its thumb.
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Post by easttex on Apr 20, 2015 16:50:38 GMT -5
Rocky is gorgeous! What a good time you will have with him.
From what I've read about them, they can become one person birds, like greys. My grey is, but she is never handled by anyone else. If you're able to start off with multiple people, and don't let him get overly hormonal, I think you'll be okay. The real problem comes when people unwittingly encourage it, or, as in my case, have no alternative. |
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Post by aaron on Apr 20, 2015 18:06:48 GMT -5
Wow very pretty! I am excited to hear how this goes!! I've certainly been around 'toos that are extremely social with just about anyone that comes up to them... but all of them may not have had that "special person" they had chosen given their circumstances.
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