Abused Cockatoo

So I recently got asked by the head of a horse rescue I volunteer at to take in an abused Umbrella Cockatoo with anxiety issues now i've had abused birds before and worked through their issues but never a Cockatoo with anxiety issues and I know they are very emotional even not being abused. I have had an Umbrella Cockatoo but he wasn't abused or anything so I am asking for some suggestions to help him I will be getting Skittles the abused Umbrella Cockatoo this Saturday most likely so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Everything I know about him he is banded and is terrified of sticks and brooms and vacuums and sometimes just gets an anxiety attack in the middle of the night, his wings are butchered and he cant fly, and he came from an abusive home.

I don't know what to say in regards to the behavioral issues, but I just want to commend you for your big heart.

gee Marcia, I wish I could offer some advice, but I do commend you on your willingness to help this poor bird.Sounds to me like it sure could use some TLC.

I sure hope it works out for you, I can't wait to hear what happens.... you know we will help you all the way!!

I've done some of this. Let me know if I can help...

MY SWEET SALLYBIRD WAS BEATEN WITH A BROOM UNTIL THE MERE SIGHT OF ONE CAUSED HER TO GO INTO FREAK OUT MODE. THAT ONE TOOK ABOUT 8 MONTHS TO RE-PATTERN, AND AMAZONS ARE EASIER THAN TOOS TO RE-PATTERN. So my guess is that you won't even want to start this training for about six months.

Since you will have to use those things around the bird, and it freaks him out COVER THE CAGE FIRST. Uncover it when those things are put away again. LATER when the bird is calm, I can teach you some exercises on how to desensitize them to it...

U2's are fairly needy to begin with...

First order of business is getting this bird into a place where he feels safe and secure... then, and only then, can you begin to address his psychological issues and repatterning. Take it slow, and lots of TLC. Having other well adjusted birds around will usually help. They take their cues from the other birds. TAKE IT SLOW, BUT WORK WITH HIM THE SAME WAY EVERY DAY. They take comfort in familiar routines... and become frightened again when the routine is altered. You can repattern that later, but right now, the same things, happen the same way, every day.

Night frights can be a form of birdie PTSD. Again, those get reduced when the bird feels safe and secure, but this creates emotional issues when you begin to take him out of that safe and secure place. So it's fix one problem, create another. Then fix that one.

Is he plucking too? Because that is a whole 'nother issue.

thank you everyone! Birdman thank you for taking the time to explain all that to me he has not plucked no thank goodness.

MarciaLove said:

thank you everyone! Birdman thank you for taking the time to explain all that to me he has not plucked no thank goodness.

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Well, if he isn't plucking then you are way ahead of the game!!! He can't be that bad off psychologically. Most of the ones I worked with were plucked down to the last head feathers. And quite a few of them kept on going, and had festering open wounds...

So my guess is that this won't be as hard as it initially sounded.

Desensitization to objects such as brooms...

This one depends on the extent to which they freak out over them.
With Sally, I had to cover her cage before sweeping up.

When I was done sweeping up, I left the broom outside on the patio, where she could see still see it, but it was "out there" where it couldn't get in and attack her.

After several months, I left THE EVIL THING resting up against the patio door INSIDE... but still on the other side of the room from her cage.

Each week, I left the EVIL THING that much closer to her cage. Until finally, one day, I left it leaning up against her cage. Well, it took about two days, but she finally got bold enough to "explore it" on her own, chew on it, and knock it over. This EVIL THING didn't attack her. It was no longer a threat.

And the guy using it to sweep up never once came after me with it...

So, I guess it's not an evil thing after all... I guess the Evil Thing was the evil B--- who used to punish me with it to "train me not to make a mess in the house." [You can train a bird to do a lot of things, but being neat and tidy isn't one of them!]

That's how I trained her out of her fear of brooms.

TO THIS DAY, MORE THAN TEN YEARS LATER I STILL CANNOT USE DOWEL PERCHES AROUND HER! HER FORMER OWNER TRIED TO TEACH HER TO STEP UP BY WHACKING A CAGE BOUND PARROT ACROSS THE FEET WITH IT...

So, how successful you are with this one, depends in large part on the bird, and the extent of the trauma...

Bless you for undertaking this task! I believe it will be tough but I'm sure you and Skittles can do it.
Birdman, your story about Sallybird is so sad and shocking! I'm so happy that she came to you and could learn to trust again.
To hit a bird over the feet! What sort of monster does such a thing?

MomtoPercy said:

Bless you for undertaking this task! I believe it will be tough but I'm sure you and Skittles can do it.
Birdman, your story about Sallybird is so sad and shocking! I'm so happy that she came to you and could learn to trust again.
To hit a bird over the feet! What sort of monster does such a thing?

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PUH-LEEZE! Don't even get me started on this one. I'll start ranting again...

Short answer: A PROFOUNDLY IGNORANT, INSENSITIVE, AND SELF-CENTERED WOMAN WHO SHOULD NEVER BE ENTRUSTED WITH ANOTHER LIVING THING...

Keep in mind that she took the bird to the vet to be destroyed AND HAD TO BE TALKED INTO SIGNING THE BIRD OVER TO THE RESCUE INSTEAD OF KILLING IT... !!!

Let that last one sink in a minute...

(Guess why? She got BIT!)

oh thats horrible poor Sallybird! I dont see how anyone can be so cruel and heartless to an innocent animal! Your are amazing for saving her and teaching her to trust again!

I swear, if only people could get a license before having children or animals. Unfortunately, any idiot can have a kid or buy pet.

Oddly enough, I only took her to keep her from getting destroyed.

I initially didn't want her. But there were only two people who could get anywhere near this bird without sending her into a total meltdown, and I was one of those two people.

She was totally cage bound and phobic. Had hour(s) (plural!) long panic attacks complete with broken blood feathers and the like... and was just a complete mess when I got her.

I had to force her to come out of her cage wrapped up in a towel for the first two weeks. Took me another 6 weeks to get her to the point where she was tame with me. Then another two months of "out and about" training. Then all the sensitization training, etc. This bird used to be free flighted, and was recalled. All in all, I think I spent about two years training her...

Somewhere along the line, I reached a point where I absolutely could never part with her. She's been with me for over a decade now.

Maria_Metropolis said:

I swear, if only people could get a license before having children or animals. Unfortunately, any idiot can have a kid or buy pet.

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Actually, the idiots generally have more kids... cuz birth control requires thought and planning.

As for all that "birds with baggage" nonsense.

Most of my birds were other people's throw aways.

And my best birds have been the ones that started out with "baggage."

All living things respond to love and kindness. They generally turn around pretty quickly, if you know how.

Birdman666 said:

As for all that "birds with baggage" nonsense.

Most of my birds were other people's throw aways.

And my best birds have been the ones that started out with "baggage."

All living things respond to love and kindness. They generally turn around pretty quickly, if you know how.

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Indeed! Love, kindness and a little spot of patience works wonders!

MomtoPercy said:

Birdman666 said:

As for all that "birds with baggage" nonsense.

Most of my birds were other people's throw aways.

And my best birds have been the ones that started out with "baggage."

All living things respond to love and kindness. They generally turn around pretty quickly, if you know how.

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Indeed! Love, kindness and a little spot of patience works wonders!

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Some times it requires A LOT of patience though. Parrots are highly intelligent creatures, and it can take a long time to earn proper trust. Some people just don't have the patience, unfortunately. My hat off to people that do, like Birdman.

Marcia,

Thank you so much for helping. It can be amazing what love and kindness can do

I have done quite a bit by way of crazy cockatoo rehab... We usually start with diet changes... lower protein... no peanuts (only almonds) no seed, and we add Avicalm to the fresh food daily. We play low volume gentle music in the background during the day (and sometimes at night if the bird is prone to night terrors). With one bird in particular we left whatever object he was afraid of within eye shot and let him out of his cage... he went up and destroyed it... over and over (he was terrified of childrens toys and anything brightly colored). Avicalm really does help gently and mildly lower a cockatoos natural anxiety (we love it here). It can be ordered online and is not a sedative. (we've had our fair share of crazy toos dropped off here with prescription of halodol, so we know what a drugged cockatoo looks like) Avicalm is made with the same enzyme in green tea that gives it its soothing quality.

I don't understand why you would take in another U2 after you got rid of your last one so quickly.

ShreddedOakAviary ill look into that avicalm thanks, i used to shar a tiny bit of my green teas with my U2 he loved to taste it and i read on birdtricks it was ok if they didnt have sugar and i never put sugar in it. And he is on an all seed diet no so thats gonna change for sure. And sonja i loved Monu my last U2 but after 7 months of him not being happy with me I made the tough decision to rehome him and he is so much happier in his new home now i have seen him in his new home with his new owners and its a perfect fit i know i made the right decision for him he just doesnt like women like he loves men.