My first Cockatoo! (Questions)

Hello there,

First of all i would like to inform that i have done my research about cockatoos and I've seen a lot of videos, and forums explaining the life with a cockatoo. so i can say i know what I'm getting myself into (i hope, lol.) <3

lets start about myself Im a 21 years old student (no siblings), i live with my grandparents in a large-ish house. our neighborhood is big and the space between the houses are large (so no one will be complaining of the screams in the future, i hope). my college is near my house so i only leave for classes and come back home.. well and also hangout here and there with friends of course :09: so like i wont be absent for a long time nor will i neglect the time with my parrot. I've always wanted a cockatoo since i was 12 and its my favorite bird of all. but its recently that i found out how unsuspected they can be later as they grow (even scary how some forums have issued it) made me think twice about getting one. it breaks my heart seeing a lot of cockatoos given up by owners and end up in rescues, i would love to adopt one I've searched but we don't have any in our city to adopt, and i didn't want to tell my family to get me one because its expensive and i didn't like to ask. but yesterday mom found out that i wanted this bird since i was 12 and she got it for me as a gift (my heart literally broke <3) i was excited and scared at the same time because i wanna offer the best to my Roxy!

Roxy is a 4-5 month old umbrella cockatoo and she is just weaned, though she is eating little by little i offer her fruit flavored pellets. she gets up on my hand and she likes her toys (she played first thing yesterday when she first got in her cage, but she is off-ly quiet today seems like relaxing/sleeping a lot is that normal? :/ ) though i let her out today morning and offered a fun play time with games but she seems only want to rest in my lap and preen her self. she doesn't roam around she just want to be either on my hand or on my lap!

Ok so here is what I'm trying to do (will do), things I'm doing, and some questions. feel free to correct me even harshly i don't mind i just want whats best for her;

1- Im trying to make her more independent by letting her be by herself often with games and also tv/radio on when im not there so she can keep herself busy, so she wont get way attached to me and starts screaming/frustration later on when she is old when i get out or go to college or simply when i cant be there.
*if you have any another/right way of accomplishing this please let me know*

2- I'm trying to offer new fruits in her fun time so she can accept it easier, but also i keep the fruits with her bowl of pellets always in her cage.

3- i have a congo african gray in the living room and she is staying in my room. is it okay that they see each other (different cages) or should i keep them away from each other (Different rooms) ?

4- is there anyway to minimize the screaming later on ?

5- is it true that they will bite when hormones hit and is there a way to minimize that and how to manage it when that happens?
* i'm trying to not let her get used to stay on my shoulder is it right what i'm doing or its okay to let her stay there? *

6- is there some type of special recipe to get a just weaned cockatoo ?
* they say not to offer mushy stuff as she will get used to it and think its baby bird food is this true? but i'm scared she will get hungry and she wants her baby/mushy food and i don't know how to give it to her she is eating pellets little by little though *

7- how much time (play time/attention) and affection should be spent on her because as i said above i don't want her to hurt herself later on by getting overly attached to anyone? though this is hard on me 'cuz seriously cant resist her i want to hug her forever <3 but she and her own safety comes first.

if you have any other advice or questions you need to know please mention them.

Thanks in advance. much love.

** P.S. i forgot to mention i have an 8 day vacation coming up in a month and also friends planning to travel for spring vacation. how will the bird handle this and also how to manage any results from this if there is any **

Hi there, congratulations on your new cockatoo
I know it can be tempting to adopt one from a rescue, but for your first ever cockatoo a young 'new' cockatoo is a better choice, good job by your mother!

1. That's a good start! Making sure she also has a variety of fun toys that don't require your interaction, such as puzzle feeders, foraging toys and the good old 'shredding' toys. It would also be a good idea to introduce her to as many people as possible - friends, family, just tons of different people. This will help prevent her from getting overly attached to you.

2. A variety of fruits is important, but I've found cockatoos can be very fussy when it comes to certain fruits. Vegetables will be a much more important addition to her diet - too much fruit can make her fat, but veggies such as leafy greens (not cabbage), carrot, peppers and corn are a vital source of vitamins and minerals.

3. It would be a good idea to keep her away from any other birds for the moment, until you are sure she isn't carrying any transmittable diseases. The breeder you got her from should have given you a copy of the vet report, but it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to get her bloods checked again in a couple of weeks. When you do introduce them, make sure both of them are in their cages, and try not to interact with either of them whilst they can see each other - at least to begin with. What you do afterwards depends a lot on how they are acting towards each other.

4. Screaming always happens for a reason. There are a lot of horror stories about cockatoos screaming for hours on end, but you shouldn't have any problem with a bird that has a good start to life, and has been adequately socialised and trained. Your bird will naturally scream in the morning, and sometimes at dusk, but excessive screaming is the result of something - maybe there's a new sound or item nearby that she doesn't like, maybe she's bored, it's up to you to figure out what's causing her to scream if she does.

5. I'm a fan of the 'no shoulder birds' - many people will disagree. In my opinion no bird (especially large birds) should be permitted to sit anywhere near a person's face. They may not bite you, but if they fly onto someone else's shoulder and get scared or excited, it's a recipe for disaster. Hormones can indeed cause aggression in cockatoos, although it doesn't tend to happen to females quite as much as males. The best way to avoid an overly hormonal bird is to socialise them properly. This is not a magic cure-all, and you may still get a bird who will lunge when breeding season begins, but it can help a lot.

6. As long as she is eating pellets and not losing weight - great! If she is weaned, she will not need any baby formula at all - the breeder should have already moved her onto pellets, and they should be the same type of pellets as you are currently offering her. If this isn't the case, and the breeder has suggested you still give her baby formula, give it to her quite thick - you can put some on a spoon and she should be old enough to eat/lick it off. If she isn't, you should contact your breeder for advice.

7. As she's getting used to you and her home, give her lots of cuddles and love. Once she's settled, the general rule of thumb is to give her as much time as she'd be getting on a regular day, once the excitement/novelty has worn off a bit. If you have 3 spare hours on a regular day to devote to her, that's how much she should be getting. Especially at this young age, she should be getting playtime with you alone, with other people alone, and with other people all together. This will help prevent her from getting overly attached.

What Mekaisto said! (very well put BTW). That was a GREAT post with excellent answers to your questions!

I will say I am also not a fan of allowing large bird on your shoulder. I allow my bird near my face when I am able to see him (like for kisses, but he's sitting on a perch or my hand), but I would not allow him near my face where I couldn't be gauging his behavior/warnings he could bite at all times. He is allowed to be on my arm, but not allowed past my elbow. Since your too is very young, do not get her in the shoulder habit now and then find yourself needing to train her to stay off 5/6 years down to road when she becomes sexually mature.

Another note, toos are VERY active birds. If you won't be able to be with her 24/7, you should definitely look into making toys, especially foraging toys (which also help teach self rewarding behavior and independent play). It will save you A LOT of money in the long run to make toys vs. buy them. I also hope you have got her in the largest cage possible, as they are a species who will use every square inch of their home. Best of luck with your new too!

Congratulations to you and Roxy!!! I'm glad you found the forum, it's a wonderful place to get your questions answered. Makaisto and Kiwibird have given you excellent advice. Glad you read all the horror stories about Toos before you got Roxy. It's good to be informed and forewarned. I love all the Toos, but I admit, I may be a little partial to the Umbrellas.

When Roxy reaches maturity five or six years from now, it will be much easier if she's already a happy, well adjusted Too. I agree with the others, as tempting as it is to have your baby on your shoulder, it's safer not to. There are a lot of ways to entertain a Too. My U2 loves music and cartoons, foraging toys are his absolute favorite pass time. I keep a huge box of toy parts to replace the ones he destroys daily. He loves climbing and hanging upside down. A wide variety of perches will help keep those big feet healthy. Have fun and keep us updated on Roxy's progress, we would love to see photos of your little sweetheart.

Thank you for your answers, i appreciate it!