My Sweet U2

Allee

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U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
I've only had Popeye for a little over a month. I was told he screamed constantly in his previous two homes. The first couple of weeks he seemed so sad and didn't have much of an appetite. In the last couple of weeks his appetite has improved and he seems much happier. He only screams in the evening and only a few times. I was expecting it to be a lot worse. He plays and entertains himself really well. He is very clever and has already learned to open the doors to his food dishes. He loves paper and puzzles. He has the sweetest personality but he was taught to climb straight to your shoulder. His owners apparently held his feet to keep him from climbing up. He is still very cautious about his new environment and I'm not comfortable letting him climb on me yet. I let him play on a towel in a chair and he lets me pet him and seems to really enjoy it. I was hoping someone who has experience with Umbrella cockatoos could give me some advice. He reaches out with his foot and I would love to hold him but I'm not looking forward to being bitten and he still shows signs of being nervous.
 

MikeyTN

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Feb 1, 2011
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"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
Your only in the honeymoon stages yet....Screaming part comes later once he's fully settled in. This is how they lure you in until they have you wrapped around their claws. I would be cautious about letting one on my shoulders too. How did you gather his previous owners held his feet from him wanting to climb up???
 
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Allee

Allee

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U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
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My son and his wife have a mobile grooming service. The bird's previous owner is their client. My kids knew the bird before he was given away the first time about a year and a half ago. She always took the bird out of his cage and insisted they hold him. She told them to hold his feet. I've never seen anyone do that. Maybe it worked for them but it seems like for a bird in a new environment with a new owner it would be like asking him to bite.
 

Mare Miller

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13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
I have a male umbrella cockatoo and I know what you mean about being scared to trust them, their beak is very intimidating, for sure. It takes a while to learn how to "read" these birds. It took me several months to be able to truly trust my bird and you, yourself, will know when that time comes, when it does, you will have a trusted friend for life. They tend to chose a favorite person in the house to devote their love to, in my house, it happened to be me. Just be aware of that.

If I'm holding my bird on my fingers, while walking around, I'll usually put my thumb over his feet to keep him steady. I don't think I would hold his feet from climbing up on me, I would hover my hand, in front of his body/face area, to keep him back from my face then change his focus on where he wants to go, like maybe my lap. I do let my U2 on my shoulders but not often, only because I've seen the damage he has done to others.

I meant to add, birds can feel you being nervous. Try and relax more when you're with him and maybe he will, too :)
 
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Allee

Allee

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U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
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Thanks for your reply. Holding his feet to keep him steady makes more sense. You're right. He is difficult to read. He's a funny little guy. I'm having so much fun getting to know him. He likes to play hide and seek with a towel or paper. I gave him a toy guitar and pushes the buttons and dances. I'm really not nervous around him but I don't want to put him in a situation that makes him feel the need to bite. :09:
 

Mare Miller

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13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
Allee, I just learned of a program coming to PBS, Nov. 13, 7/8c time, Parrot Confidential. Cockatoos are the subject. I'm going to watch it, for sure.

I don't believe these birds do well in captivity but since they ARE here without a choice, we have to do the best we can, for them. It sounds like, to me, that you are doing a good job. I just follow my heart, when it comes to my birds, and it seems to be working out well :)
 
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Allee

Allee

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U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
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Thank you, I will watch the program on PBS. That's excellent advice, I do try to follow my heart, even when it leads to challenging places. I'm curious, do Amigo and Sassy get along?
 

Mare Miller

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sierra foothills of central California
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13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
Amigo and Sassy do not mix well. They sleep in the same room together, separate cages, and love each others company but I would be afraid to let them loose together. Sassy, I think, is the tougher one but Amigo is the bigger beak one! I don't know other species of birds, never been around anything but what is here. If what is here is any indicator to the breed, then we have a very bold, in your face, brave to the death, never say no, animal. I love that! I love their spirit!
 

terry52449

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I do not condone letting your parrot climb to your shoulder. My U2, Cameo, does all the time and we spent a lot of time during the day together. With Cameo comfortable on my shoulder I can work in my office and do the necessary task I need to do during the day. I also have a Citron Too and he will not be allowed on my shoulder only because I don`t have that kind of relationship with him. Kramer has a much different personality.
It is much safer to discourage this type of behavior and will make you much happier with your relationship with your parrot.
 
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Allee

Allee

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U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
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Amigo and Sassy do not mix well. They sleep in the same room together, separate cages, and love each others company but I would be afraid to let them loose together. Sassy, I think, is the tougher one but Amigo is the bigger beak one! I don't know other species of birds, never been around anything but what is here. If what is here is any indicator to the breed, then we have a very bold, in your face, brave to the death, never say no, animal. I love that! I love their spirit.

Mare, I just watched the show you told me about on PBS. It was great. Everyone involved with parrots should watch it. I also feel these amazing creatures should not be caged and yet they are here at our mercy. They make me feel very humble.

Amigo and Sassy sound like sweet characters. I have a friend who has a female Goffin. She's wonderful, she loves to perform and though she doesn't talk she has no problem making her opinions known. She loves humans but doesn't like other birds a bit. She's also bold and in your face, literally if you stand still. :white1:
 
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Allee

Allee

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U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
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Terry, thanks for your reply. I appreciate it. That's exactly why I was reluctant to allow him to climb up to my shoulder. He makes every indication that he wants to step up but he is still so cautious about everything including me. He's getting more comfortable every day but he wants to stay close to his cage. I rolled his play stand close to a sofa table the other day, the table had a cloth runner and a box of tissues. I was hoping he would step over to the table but he used his foot to pull the runner close enough to reach the tissue. I let him pull them out and toss them. He was obviously having a good time. He opened the food doors on his new cage by sticking his foot through the bars, holding up the latch and shoving the door with his beak. I understand that's common behavior for cockatoos but I was impressed. I handed him a whiffle ball and he transferred it to his foot and tossed it across the room. We are finding lots of ways to spend time together that doesn't require me to be a perch. I hope to spend a lot of years with him so we can take as long as we need to build trust.
 

Kimmied

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Sep 7, 2013
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I have one umbrella cockatoo. A female 3 years old named Mina.
I have an 18 month old U2. I got her at 3 months and finished up her and feeding. She was and still is sometimes a wild baby that I didn't know how to keep her off my shoulder. Well I got bit BIG TIME right in the nose. I couldn't be mad at her. It was all my fault. I'm the human/ adult. So I spoke with a cockatoo behaviorist. She explained to put your hand up and out like stop and say stop if they start going up your arm. Or doing a no no. It has worked like a charm from the first time I did it. I personally have never held Mina's toes. Only when we play the game where I flip her around and the I key her in my saying the word fun first then holding her toes so she knows what is happening. I don't hold her feet because I feel she should always have the right to move balance or adjust herself.
 

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