Lesser sulfur too questions

Sadie13

New member
Jan 18, 2014
140
0
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Mango Beak-Eclectus,
Red- CAG,
Opal- LSC2,
Porkchop- Yellow sided GCC
Hi, i am a happy owner of a male eckie and a CAG, they eat TOPS pellets, fresh fruits and veggies and goldenfeast mixes.
I work from home so they only spend a few hours a week in their cages at at night.
I have fallen in love with the lesser sulfur crested too and want to put a deposit on one, but even the man whos sulfur i fell in love with advised against getting one. All i am seeing is positive, but all i hear is negative about them. I love the size with the personality of the cockatoo.
I would love any perspective on owning one of these guys and how much it differs from my current birds. Thanks in advance!

i also wanted to add that the birds are a part of the family and are often in the same room as we are. I also dont clip wings and let them get flight in around the house.
 
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MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
There was a member that give one up cause he was plain evil as he ended up going to the hospital to get stitches a few times from his attack. As long as you train them properly where they know to entertain themselves on their own without you, they would do a lot better. That means not so much holding and cuddling. Trust me in the long run its better this way. We've had Dixie the LSC2 for 8 years going on 9 years and she needed a lot of training when I took her in and she's done quite well. We wouldn't trade her for nothing.
 

BirdyMomma

New member
Aug 4, 2013
626
1
Long Beach, NY
Parrots
Lilac Crowned Amazon (Bacci- Forever on my shoulder, forever in my heart.)
Yellow Collared Macaw (Loki the Monkey Bird)
Military Macaw (Wingnut)
Citron Crested Cockatoo
(Knuckles)
Hello! I am in a similar situation to you.....except I DID IT. Just last week, I put a deposit down on a Citron Crested Cockatoo, so I'm doing it. No matter what you decide, I will tell you what happens.
I have two birds. Loki, a female Yellow Collared Macaw, and Wingnut, a Military Macaw. They are both under 6 months. Most people would tell me that I am completely insane for having the two I already have, let alone wish to add a young Cockatoo at this time. If I did not thoroughly research things, and if I was not the kind of person that I am, I would agree with them. But so far, things have been going pretty well.
My birds do not bite. Loki never screams, and we are working earnestly to discourage the minimal screaming that Wingnut engages in. We clicker train them, and use positive reinforcement. They spend very little time in their cages, but when it is necessary for them to be caged for a part of the day, we take steps to insure that they have things with which to occupy themselves, and they do not see the confinement as a punishment.
It is my opinion, that (unless you are undertaking the most selfless, and loving act of rescuing a bird who has Pre- existing behavioral problems) that anyone who puts the work in, and enjoys doing it, can have a well behaved, loving, avian companion. In essence, WE are the source of all of their "problems".
I see/hear many discouraging opinions towards getting a parrot, particularly towards getting a cockatoo. In my humble opinion, I agree that 90% of the people who have birds, SHOULDN'T, but that doesn't mean YOU shouldn't. If you are familiar with the hard work, devotion and patience it takes to live with birds, and you readily, and eagerly accept the responsibility, then YOU SHOULD have a bird, or as many as you can care for.
Both my boyfriend and I have gladly sacrificed certain things for the well being of our birds. It is our pleasure to afford them with a happy life. If you think that you can do the same, then you should make an earnest commitment to a bird, and do it.
 

Mekaisto

New member
Jan 8, 2014
503
0
Melbourne, Australia
Parrots
Zookeeper who has worked with many bird species, and owner of a cheeky red-tailed black cockatoo (Ash)
I would only advise cockatoos for 'single' parents. My experience (I have worked with about 3 or 4 cockatoos) is that they are very jealous birds, and will bond to one person, and one person only, even if you socialise them from a young age. They will be very jealous of any other pets in the household you spend time with. Obviously there are always exceptions to the rule, and it is completely up to you whether you'd like to find out whether yours is.

Having said that, the greater sulphur-crested cockatoos are a fairly common pet in Australia, being extremely cheap, and I have not heard of there being too many problems with them. Maybe the behavioural problems you hear about in American and European birds are a result of inbreeding?
 
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Sadie13

Sadie13

New member
Jan 18, 2014
140
0
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Mango Beak-Eclectus,
Red- CAG,
Opal- LSC2,
Porkchop- Yellow sided GCC
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
i have no idea...i just know that everything i see about them is so charming but all i hear is stories about these guys being nightmares....
I went through and put down the deposit (Thanks birdymomma!)
so i hope i have what it takes to be a too owner! my other 2 birds are like kids and i am often spending tons on bird toys and my husband enjoys making them, and honestly nothing calms me more when i'm stressing than scrubbing out a bird cage from top to bottom and perch/toy rearranging lol!

i have done months of research and lots of thinking and i still feel like i'm going into this with a blindfold on!
 

thekarens

New member
Sep 29, 2013
4,022
3
My MIL's LSC2 was/is a super smart bird. She can do several tricks. On the flip side she only loved my MIL. The rest of us she would hunt down and attack.

When my MIL passed away we rehomed her to a friend who had just lost her tiel and always wanted a too. The bird loves her and hates her partner.

I'm sure it will all work out. Good luck on your new baby!
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
Dixie our LSC2 is the best Cockatoo anyone could ever ask for. She's not clingy to us as she plays on her own and she entertain herself. She likes my partner more but I can handle her just fine without consequence. She's never attacked neither one of us. The only thing she begs for is if we're eating she wants something as well. :)
 

BirdyMomma

New member
Aug 4, 2013
626
1
Long Beach, NY
Parrots
Lilac Crowned Amazon (Bacci- Forever on my shoulder, forever in my heart.)
Yellow Collared Macaw (Loki the Monkey Bird)
Military Macaw (Wingnut)
Citron Crested Cockatoo
(Knuckles)
Wow, Sadie13, I am so excited for you. Please keep us updated! When are you picking your baby up? Do you know if you have a boy or a girl?
 
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Sadie13

Sadie13

New member
Jan 18, 2014
140
0
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Mango Beak-Eclectus,
Red- CAG,
Opal- LSC2,
Porkchop- Yellow sided GCC
  • Thread Starter
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  • #9
Thanks, I am hoping we will raise a well rounded too. I used the never keep a routine and always mixing it up with my other two, they are great. If i need to be away from home all day or if i have guests and they need to be caged they are perfectly happy entertaining themselves for a few hours. So i am hoping we can lay the same groundwork for this baby. I have 2 great birds without any behavior problems and as friendly and outgoing as can be, but i heard owning a too is a whole different ballgame!

I dont know if its a boy or girl yet but i think i will spend the extra on the dna test just so i know if i need to look for any egg issues in the future. I'm just gonna go on "she" for right now. She wont be ready until mid april. Just enough time to stock up on some toys/perches and figure out how i am going to arrange the cages now.....oh and cage shopping!!!

Thank you for all of your opinions! i hope you dont mind me sticking around. this seems like a great place to learn and offer advice on the birds i do know about :)

MikeTN- my birds are the same way! when its dinner time they need to be caged and they are hanging on the bar like they haven't eaten in days! They always get a little plate of what is safe for them after though!
 
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terry52449

New member
Feb 11, 2012
178
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11
4
The Villages, Fl
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo: Cameo
I have adopted an 8 year old male Citron Too, Kramer, and for the past year he has been quite a challenge to re-socialize him. He is a wonderful bird with much different needs and personality than my U2. Only issue is his temperament with other birds. He does not play well with other birds at all.
My wife & I have been bitten twice by Kramer but as we have become familiar with what Kramer tolerates, likes and dislikes he has become a real joy to our family.
Kramer prefers to play and entertain himself without our interaction as long as you have given him enough chew toys and foraging toys. He does like his personal attention and scratch on the head but would prefer not to cuddle. This is very unlike our U2 Cameo. Now that we understand our rolls in Kramer`s life he is a terrific pet and a real character in our family. Even my wife after being bit twice and vowed never to handle him again has chained her mind and is starting to enjoy him. Read up on the social aspects of this breed and how different they are from the other U2`s and M2`s that we Too lovers are used to.
Both birds seem to like each others company from a far. They will perch as close to each other as possible with the space I have given them. And will call each other when I take one out of sight from the other. But don`t let Cameo on to Kramer`s territory. LOL
To enjoy a lessor or a citron Too be prepared not to have a cuddly feathered friend but an independent strong minded little devil and watch for all his antics. They are quite entertaining just to watch.
I am now able to bring both birds for shower time together without incident just making sure I keep Kramer busy and his mind off Cameo.
 

KBEquine

Member
May 19, 2011
359
21
South-central PA
Parrots
From little to big - currently 6 Linnies; 2 Budgies; 1 BHP; 2 CAGs; 2 Zons; 1 GWM. Formerly in the flock: 1 LSC2 [fostered/rehomed] RIP: 1 budgie 1 WCP & 1 sweet Pan Am
A cockatoo rescue volunteer once told me, "Don't trust the ones with yellow" but it was too late - the MSC2 was already here.

And truthfully, I don't know what she is talking about. Not that I really understand our 'Too, but she is not evil, and she likes a lot of people [although I don't think I am one of them] Even so, she is mostly polite & only loses her temper with me when I am particularly thick about figuring out what she wants [turns out "I love you!" isn't always a term of affection when uttered by a 'Too].

Here's my main word of warning: Listen to a LSC2 scream at full volume before putting any money down. Smell one, too. Silly as it sounds, every bird has a scent and what is attractive to one parrot companion is offensive to another. What is merely a scream to one person makes another persons ears bleed.

My ears bleed from the call of a SC2, while I find a U2 at full volume merely annoying. You may not care about the sound, but better to know sooner, rather than later.

Good luck, whatever you decide. Ours is not especially clingy. She is mechanically inclined (not a good thing, as she can take apart cages & remodel anything made of wood). She is scary smart. And when she looks you in the eye and says, "Cookie's a GOOD bird!" in her baby-doll voice, it melts your heart (until you realize she just ate a big enough hole in the curtains that she can now great the sun at sunrise with a voice that can only belong to a SC2)
 

punkindave

New member
Apr 9, 2013
212
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3
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1
0
Bethlehem, PA
Parrots
Budgie Niles, Rascal RBC-2001, Jake "footloose" CAG-2015, Butchie Triton-1988, Neyteri "Chatterbox" CAG, and the "Squeak Squad" (4 Caiques) ScooterPie 8/12, Skittles 4/13, Chica 2006, Ringo 2009
Nothing can prepare you for a Cockatoo.. If you do get him, I hope it all works out well. They do have a huge personality and are lots of fun but they ALL have an unpredictable streak in them and many change completely as they mature. For many, it's like living with a manic extreme highs and lots of love mixed with occasional psychotic lows. It's about a 95% good but the 5% is a real challenge. Sometimes the screaming is not just loud, it's physically painful!
 

KBEquine

Member
May 19, 2011
359
21
South-central PA
Parrots
From little to big - currently 6 Linnies; 2 Budgies; 1 BHP; 2 CAGs; 2 Zons; 1 GWM. Formerly in the flock: 1 LSC2 [fostered/rehomed] RIP: 1 budgie 1 WCP & 1 sweet Pan Am
Nothing can prepare you for a Cockatoo.. If you do get him, I hope it all works out well. They do have a huge personality and are lots of fun but they ALL have an unpredictable streak in them and many change completely as they mature. For many, it's like living with a manic extreme highs and lots of love mixed with occasional psychotic lows. It's about a 95% good but the 5% is a real challenge. Sometimes the screaming is not just loud, it's physically painful!

This is true & here's another thing to think about: Your original message did not mention your living arrangements or how permanent they might be - shared walls (apartments or townhouses) or shared accommodations (roommates, children, parents or significant others).

If any exist, or if any MIGHT exist in the future, make sure they get to hear the 'Too scream and interact with it before deciding to take the bird, because they will need to live with it, too. And even if you don't mind the noise, it might be painful for them (and they were in your life first).

Not everyone is cut out to live with a 'Too, and many people find out only after they have fallen in love with one and taken it home.

That's when many people who live comfortably with other large parrots are shocked to find out they are not cut out to live with a cockatoo. In addition to the screams, many strike like a cobra & the bites are worse than most other birds, due to the almost serrated nature of their beaks. And a 'Too who plucks or self-mutilates makes the owner feel inadequate & helpless.

So they have the both the biggest personalities and the biggest vices. Taking on a 'Too isn't just taking on another bird, it is really a life-changing event.

Wishing you the best.
Kim
 
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Sadie13

Sadie13

New member
Jan 18, 2014
140
0
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Mango Beak-Eclectus,
Red- CAG,
Opal- LSC2,
Porkchop- Yellow sided GCC
  • Thread Starter
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  • #14
Thank you all for your input.
I did have a feeling getting a cockatoo was not like getting a "parrot"
i did visit the sad but truthful page with all of the horror stories and scream.
i am lucky enough to be one of those people that don't really register the high screams. I am married and we own our own home. I looked into cockatoos as a first bird but decided against it and went with my eckie boy.
After him we got our grey and she is a very good smoke detector and microwave beep :) mainly when she hears you starting to wake up in the morning! (that means there is 0 chance to go back to sleep on sunday mornings)
So between that and smiling as i see where my eckie ate away some of my door frame, i am hoping i am ready for the too. I don't have any real expectations, i know they are all different, but we used the "never keep a routine" approach with my guys and they are doing well.
I am prepared for cuddly, independent, funny, or clever. Whatever it may be, my grey is more of a sound effects girl than a talker and i think my eclectus has a bigger vocabulary than she does and i'm not bothered at all, in fact i think its pretty funny!
The lsc2 i fell in love with at the store was a sweetheart who would let you pet his head for hours between the bars but turned into a hissing biting flapping psycho as soon as the guy opened the cage. He didn't bother me in the slightest and i do realize i may get the same.

I was too young to remember but my parents owned a moluccan too for a bit, but it was very early 80's and the pictures i seen the cage was very tiny and had 0 toys. But he would attack and pin my mom down and when they sent him to a trainer he ripped the trainers daughters earlobe off :/ so its a bit scary....but at the same time the bird didn't have much and then they were more of a decoration than a wild animal youre making accommodations for to be able to enjoy in your home....

So i did give the breeder a deposit and i will be stocking up on things to destroy and get a bunch of foraging and puzzle type toys. I just worry because i know all of my researching and questions are going to go down the drain when my sweet cuddly angel turns into demon bird! My eckie went through his "teenage years" and we weren't happy with his attitude, but we never gave up on him and we used techniques and he is great again, but like parrots, who knows for how long :)
 

BirdyMomma

New member
Aug 4, 2013
626
1
Long Beach, NY
Parrots
Lilac Crowned Amazon (Bacci- Forever on my shoulder, forever in my heart.)
Yellow Collared Macaw (Loki the Monkey Bird)
Military Macaw (Wingnut)
Citron Crested Cockatoo
(Knuckles)
Hi! We just made another payment on our baby last night! I'm hoping to bring her home, possibly next week.
I can't wait to trade crazy cockatoo stories!
 
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Sadie13

Sadie13

New member
Jan 18, 2014
140
0
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Mango Beak-Eclectus,
Red- CAG,
Opal- LSC2,
Porkchop- Yellow sided GCC
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #16
That is so exciting! Are you picking her up locally or is she being shipped?
definitely let me know how your new baby is!
i just paid to have my too sexed so i'm using waiting to hear back about that as a little wait breaker.
I am really excited about this new experience and i will enjoy going back and forth with the new phases and stages they go through! From what i hear, crazy may be an understatement!
 

BirdyMomma

New member
Aug 4, 2013
626
1
Long Beach, NY
Parrots
Lilac Crowned Amazon (Bacci- Forever on my shoulder, forever in my heart.)
Yellow Collared Macaw (Loki the Monkey Bird)
Military Macaw (Wingnut)
Citron Crested Cockatoo
(Knuckles)
We live about 15 minutes from a very well known exotic pet store, that features one of the largest selections of birds from around the world. They ship birds all over the globe, and our baby was actually supposed to be sent to Singapore! I walked in, saw her, and said MINE!!! So I asked the owner (we have gotten all of our babies from him) to hold her for me. He said he was glad to, and that he would much rather have her go to us, than to Singapore :)
She is a six month old Citron. Her eyes are brownish red, which apparently means she is a girl....but we will find out for sure when we bring her to the vets for her first exam.
I cannot wait to find out more about her. What her favorite foods are, play with her and train her, and give her a loving home!
Do you have a name yet?
 
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Sadie13

Sadie13

New member
Jan 18, 2014
140
0
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Mango Beak-Eclectus,
Red- CAG,
Opal- LSC2,
Porkchop- Yellow sided GCC
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #18
oh lucky! you get to visit your baby to hold you over till she is home!
the only exotic parrot place around me charges almost double what i see on bird breeders because they know the are the only one around that has the bigger birds, and after talking to them when considering getting birds they always tell me bad diets from what i have read prior to walking in . we have a bunch of eckie and conure breeders and a lot of smaller parrots, but that's about it. If you want a macaw or too your going to be paying for it...
I bought my eckie off birdbreeders.com and it was a great experience so as sad as i am i don't get to meet him/her for a while, its so exciting to pick them up at the airport!
We have decided to name them opal. do you have a name picked out yet?
I will let you know when i find out what mine is, im kind of hoping it is a girl from what i have read about their temperament, but either way, i'm sure its more based on the individual bird.
 

Devine

New member
Jan 20, 2014
3
0
I felt bad for a citron cockatoo who my boyfriend fell in love with we took him home because it is better then where he was I had no intentions of bothering the bird only admire from a far but now that he's here he doesn't want me near him I need to find a man who wants an awesome talking well tamed bird. It seems many prefer one sex to the other it's crazy and very upsetting
 

BirdyMomma

New member
Aug 4, 2013
626
1
Long Beach, NY
Parrots
Lilac Crowned Amazon (Bacci- Forever on my shoulder, forever in my heart.)
Yellow Collared Macaw (Loki the Monkey Bird)
Military Macaw (Wingnut)
Citron Crested Cockatoo
(Knuckles)
Sadie, our breeder is definitely somewhat overpriced, however all of the birds we have ever met there have been amazing. He is always positive and helpful, and the proximity to where we live is also nice. The day I sprung it on my mom that we were getting her, my boyfriend and I drove her right over to meet KNUCKLES. YEP, I'm naming her Knuckles. (Knucky, NUK NUK, Knuckie-B- got all the nick names picked out.) It was awesome too, because she walked directly up my moms arm, sat on her shoulder, looked my mom straight in the eyes, and in the sweetest little cockatoo voice said "hellllooo!"
Mom was done after that. It went from "oh my God, ANOTHER bird?!" to "When is the baby coming home?!"
I have a photo, but can't upload it from iPad or phone, but I will do it as soon as I can from a computer. I can't wait to pick her up! We have a cage already. I'm gonna set it up ASAP, and try to get her home by Monday. I will keep you updated!!!
 

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