Goffin - Pick Lock Expert

I just have a simple question.. What do you do once your cockatoo has learned to unlock and open their cage on their own? What second means do you use to secure the cage door?? My little goffin is quite smart LOL.

I used a bungee cord for a while with a macaw. It worked for about a week.
Then I used those plastic computer tie straps (or cord straps) but then you have to keep scissors close by so that you can cut him out of the cage. Can you send a picture of what kind of lock he has picked? There are different locks on the market that you can put on the cage after market.

I don't have any direct experience, but I've heard that cockatoos love the challenge of opening locks. Some owners even have to resort to a padlock (the type with keys) to keep their Toos from escaping when they have to go out. They are definitely smart little guys! Good luck with yours.

Dopey said:

I used a bungee cord for a while with a macaw. It worked for about a week.
Then I used those plastic computer tie straps (or cord straps) but then you have to keep scissors close by so that you can cut him out of the cage. Can you send a picture of what kind of lock he has picked? There are different locks on the market that you can put on the cage after market.

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So for one I know he is in the wrong "type" of cage for his breed, its LARGE enough but the doors are more suitable for little birds so the door has this long metal bar that goes through 2 loops, well he has figured out "oh I just pull up on this bar, and looky there the door opens". So what I tried to use are those toy clips (the "d links" that screw shut) Took him about oh a week to figure those out, most of the time he will leave them alone. I've also tried a dog leash clip, well he figured that sucker out in a day! LOL! I'm saving and hope to have his new cage for him by January, with "bird proof" locks (is there such a thing?), but until then I'm trying to find a way to secure my little monster in his cage especially when we are not home, we are keeping him flighted in the winter time so he def has learned that if he can get out he can fly around the house.

LOL I posted about the Dog leash clip thats what I use. Gus can unhook the D link screws.

I don't have a picture of this but the cage I had my Too in - the previous owner had to place plastic clips above and below the latch so that the too couldn't get his foot and beak to the latch. The clips were like those that hold plastic foods dishes on the cage. I don't know if you could do something like that or not. My too wanted out of the cage...my macaw didn't try. He was smart enough but he just didn't try.

Dopey said:

I don't have a picture of this but the cage I had my Too in - the previous owner had to place plastic clips above and below the latch so that the too couldn't get his foot and beak to the latch. The clips were like those that hold plastic foods dishes on the cage. I don't know if you could do something like that or not. My too wanted out of the cage...my macaw didn't try. He was smart enough but he just didn't try.

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I think my Too just likes the challenge. He is spoiled and has TONS of toys so its not like he is "bored" I think he just figures he "should" be out. LOL... I wonder if I can do a plastic "plate" that I can secure on the cage where it prevents him from pulling up the bar. What brand of cage do you have for your Too?? Cause right now I'm torn between a Kings cage and an Avian Adventure (Midwest Pets). I love the lock on the avian adventure cage cause you have to twist it then pull it I don't know if he could do that ??? then again he shocks me every day!!

Dopey said:

I don't have a picture of this but the cage I had my Too in - the previous owner had to place plastic clips above and below the latch so that the too couldn't get his foot and beak to the latch. The clips were like those that hold plastic foods dishes on the cage. I don't know if you could do something like that or not. My too wanted out of the cage...my macaw didn't try. He was smart enough but he just didn't try.

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See if this works: This is picture of his current cage its a large "Flight cage" , the pet store that I got him at said that it was fine for his type, Yeah right?! This would be fine for my love bird, not so much for a small TOO... Its perfect in "size" cause its very large but....its def not parrot proof, and I ended up having to buy all new perches for his size and different bowls and secure all the doors. Again this is very temporary and hopefully by January I will have enough for his new cage!!!!

http://www.birdscomfort.com/Image/flight_cage_l.jpg

funny thing is, he leaves the bottom door alone. Its just the top door

The Too was in a corner type cage. BIG cage. He has gone to my sister in law's home now and she has him in a big macaw cage.

Try using a chain and a padlock. You may have to try several things before you find what works with him. It's just part of the fun owning a big bird.

My dads goffin has to have all openings of his cage padlocked shut (door, dish doors, bottom grate). Cage size-wise, as big as you can fit is good, cockatoos need as much room as possible because they are so active! I think my dad's is in a macaw size cage. Just be sure you get a cage that screws together or is a solid piece. Alfie had a cage once that kind of "snapped" together and he managed to pry the top up, escape, and ransack the house so bad my dad thought he'd been burgled when he got home. Sneaky, devious little birds those goffins are!

Edit: They are a lot more expensive, but you MUST get stainless steel padlocks. The regular kind could contain zinc which is fatally toxic to parrots. It is 100% worth it to invest in stainless (which is non-toxic to parrots)!

Kiwibird said:

My dads goffin has to have all openings of his cage padlocked shut (door, dish doors, bottom grate). Cage size-wise, as big as you can fit is good, cockatoos need as much room as possible because they are so active! I think my dad's is in a macaw size cage. Just be sure you get a cage that screws together or is a solid piece. Alfie had a cage once that kind of "snapped" together and he managed to pry the top up, escape, and ransack the house so bad my dad thought he'd been burgled when he got home. Sneaky, devious little birds those goffins are!

Edit: They are a lot more expensive, but you MUST get stainless steel padlocks. The regular kind could contain zinc which is fatally toxic to parrots. It is 100% worth it to invest in stainless (which is non-toxic to parrots)!

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I 100% agree!!! Goffins are very much the nosy devious birds! But I have had him now for almost 2 years and I just love him. He def has his TOO moments.

Goldenbaby said:

I 100% agree!!! Goffins are very much the nosy devious birds! But I have had him now for almost 2 years and I just love him. He def has his TOO moments.

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Wait till you've had him 40 years like my dad has Alfie They'll have been more than one time you pondered how BBQ cockatoo tasted

Kiwibird said:

Goldenbaby said:

I 100% agree!!! Goffins are very much the nosy devious birds! But I have had him now for almost 2 years and I just love him. He def has his TOO moments.

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Wait till you've had him 40 years like my dad has Alfie They'll have been more than one time you pondered how BBQ cockatoo tasted

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LOL!!! OK that made me laugh out loud!!!

An my Too has the perfect name if anyone watches Big Bang Theory - Sheldon. He is totally a Sheldon!! LOL!!

I have 5 Goffins, and several of them are extremely adept at escapism.

Cages equipped with the mechanism that flip 180 degrees before sliding unlocked are easy to defeat, though locking the flip-handle with a C-clamp is helpful. Others cages with a spring-type latch are picked apart and are now jury rigged shut when needed. My first brainstorm was to slide a 3" bolt through the now vacant mechanism secured with a bolt. My oldest Goffin learned to unthread the bolt by rotating it dozens of times with his tongue! I now use a 6" section of thin but flexible wire that is bent into a "U" shape passed through the slot; so far that is impenetrable.

In the days prior to securing the flip-lock with a C-clamp, the Goffins enjoying free time would often unlatch a seed-dish compartment, thus allowing the Goffin inside the cage to push the dish through the opening and escape!

Goffins are perpetual motion machines that have outsized personalities and are my favorite parrot. I am fortunate none of them are particularly neurotic, and all can be left outside the cage for hours without supervision.

Scott said:

I have 5 Goffins, and several of them are extremely adept of escapism.

Cages equipped with the mechanism that flip 180 degrees before sliding unlocked are easy to defeat, though locking the flip-handle with a C-clamp is helpful. Others cages with a spring-type latch are picked apart and are now jury rigged shut when needed. My first brainstorm was to slide a 3" bolt through the now vacant mechanism secured with a bolt. My oldest Goffin learned to unthread the bolt by rotating it dozens of times with his tongue! I now use a 6" section of thin but flexible wire that is bent into a "U" shape passed through the slot; so far that is impenetrable.

In the days prior to securing the flip-lock with a C-clamp, the Goffins enjoying free time would often unlatch a seed-dish compartment, thus allowing the Goffin inside the cage to push the dish through the opening and escape!

Goffins are perpetual motion machines that have outsized personalities and are my favorite parrot. I am fortunate none of them are particularly neurotic, and all can be left outside the cage for hours without supervision.

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The cage I really want is the Avian Adventure - Medina - it has a "knob" that twists to lock and then once its twisted to unlock it has a spring where you have pull. I am sure the little goffin will figure it out. He is content once the door is open on his cage, and I will say his door is usually open 90% of day. But for the times we aren't home it would be nice to be able to secure him in a cage LOL (if there is such a thing).
I will say the Goffin was not my first choice in parrot, the pet shop was over flowed with them so they were pushing them onto everyone to get rid of them. Unfortunately they do this quite a bit. I went there several times watched this particular guy and read up on them, talked to my exotic vet, and ended up with him LOL. He would react to my voice any time I went to the shop, I loved the cockatoo species, my original goal was to get a Rose Breasted, so glad I got a Goffin. He is quite comical, but young, almost 4 yrs old. He can do a couple "tricks" but def not the greatest talker, its rare you hear him talk, though he does love to scream at sports (learned that from the wonderful husband) and do not turn the channel if sports is on. Throws a Fit!!! LOL.

Goldenbaby said:

do not turn the channel if sports is on. Throws a Fit!!! LOL.

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Now that made me LOL! Sounds just like a goffin!

Takes a special kind of person to appreciate a cockatoo and there aren't that many out there, which is probably why the store had so many. They get rehomed a lot because they are just naughty by nature (though very cute, and can be sweet). It sounds like you have the cockatoo gift though!

Dusty, my goffin, is 14. She loves puzzle toys, picking pockets, looting purses, destroying pens and figuring out cage latches. If it is possible for her to open a latch, she will figure it out. There is even a lab in Vienna that uses Goffins to investigate non human intelligence. Goffins are great problem solvers and great mischief makers. Dusty started talking at age 6 and with work could probably be pretty good. She has figured out how to swear in an appropriate fashion.