Help! I need advice

Hello,

Two weeks ago, I bought a lovely Goffins cockatoo and called it Iris! Iris is 1 year old and had a previous owner that I don’t know about. I have a good experience in raising pigeons and doves and find it easy, but I never thought that raising a cockatoo would be that hard.

Iris does not allow me to touch her cage or let my hands inside to change its food and water. Whenever I do that, she panics, start bitting my hand and move away from me. Iris only allows my hand into the cage if I’ll give her a head scratch, She loves it and couldn’t get enough! She bites when I stop, and tilt her head down as a sign to keep on going. She had this cage since she was with her previous owner, and I think of changing it, do you think that I should do that?

When she goes outside the cage, she is a bit calm, but still bite my hand. Although she has some toys to chew on.
I first responded to this behavior by screaming NO, which made her bite even more. Now I just walk away when she bites. I also noticed that she is afraid of the dark, and would get frightened from loud noises or sudden movements.

I started training her to step up. She only steps up when she is on a flat surface, not a perch. I find it very difficult to train her as she won’t stop the bitting habit.
My hands are full of wounds because of her biting, but I choose to be patient and treat her with love no matter what. She get along well with my brother’s
ring-necked parakeet, but not when she steps on to her cage.

Iris is a very beautiful bird, I really want to keep her and provide her with the best care possible. For that I have to be knowledgeable enough to train her. I need your help guys! How to stop the biting habit? And Is there any book I can read that would teach me to train cockatoos?

Welcome to you and Iris! Cockatoos reside on the opposite continuum scale from pigeons and doves, in part because of their temperament and vastly understated intelligence! I have five Goffins, and will attempt to share some truisms within a few cogent paragraphs!

Cockatoos are among the more challenging avian companions. Most parrots are a few generations removed from the wild and remain technically undomesticated. Therefore, instinct is powerful, yet Goffins can be tamed with love, consistency, and technique.

Iris likely carries "baggage" you'll never know. At one year of age, she is still a juvenile and after two weeks in your care is still in the "honeymoon" phase. Her cage is the only security constant, best to allow as safe haven until fully acclimated. If your cage does not have external access doors, might consider purchasing screw-on feeders for for food/water and attach to the door. I would not yet change unless too small or in poor condition. Luring her out with a treat onto a neutral surface such as portable perch or playpen will allow you to begin the bonding and building trust process. This thread has many ideas: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html Goffins have sharp and powerful beaks, thus bite-pressure training is essential: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/63988-bite-pressure-training.html Until Iris is absolutely trustworthy, please keep her off your shoulders and do not give access to sensitive flesh such as your face, ears, or neck. That beak is sharp and powerful!

Parrot behavior is influenced by health and diet. If she hasn't been checked, a baseline with a certified avian vet (or equivalent) is helpful. An all-seed diet is manifestly unhealthy and may cause secondary behavioral issues. You'll find the Food, Recipe, and Diet forum "sticky" threads helpful! Parrot Food, Recipes and Diet - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

Iris may find the dark an uncomfortable change from the past. Loud noises and/or sudden movements may be perceived as threatening; this may be mitigated over time.

Goffins are wonderful companions and with luck you'll have Iris for decades! You'll find a two-steps forward, one-step-backward experience typical. Once fully acclimated and trained, they are amazingly cuddly buddies and can be taught to self-entertain with toys more readily than other cockatoos. I am not familiar with specific books, but this and other forums have many links for training. Iris may respond well to clicker and target training: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/60435-clicker-target-training.html

One last thought, are you confident of her age? Goffins reach sexual maturity in the range of 2-3 years, bringing a host of hormonal behaviors to manage. Good luck, please share your experiences with Iris. We love pics!

First, don't scream. Ever. I know when you get bitten, especially by a cockatoo, it hurts like fury and you want to yell, but parrots only get more agitated when you do that. Two weeks isn't very long for Iris to settle in and get used to you and your household and she's nervous, which also makes parrots bite. She's only 1, so she's just a baby and if you approach this whole thing like that -- she's a baby, you have to be gentle and teach her what she needs to know, a little at a time, and not overwhelm her -- it will go so much better for all of you. Imagine being a baby and being in a new place with strangers and somebody's yelling at you because you're scared. Use baby talk. Lower your voice. Consciously lower your breathing rate when you approach her. Be very calm, very quiet, move slowly, and use every scrap of patience you have.

Dont ever scream that scares the bird , i have no experience with these type of birds however i must say i have a budgie wich we cannot compare at all ofcourse he was a bit wild and i didnt force him to do anything after 2 months he is completly tame and i can pet him etc your bird is a different story it takes even more and more patience good luck

Good for you, for caring for this bird, and reaching out in order to improve the bird's (and your) life. I'm glad you're here, and getting great support.

Thank you soooo much guys for your responses, I benefited a lot. I really thought that there was a problem with her, but it turned out that I was the problem! Because with my pigeons, we bond very fast and they are easy to train.... I definitely should stop comparing my pigeons with Iris and treat her the way that suits her >~<. I’ll try my best share with you guys our progress. Thanks again for your support and wish us luck


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Dubai said:

Thank you soooo much guys for your responses, I benefited a lot. I really thought that there was a problem with her, but it turned out that I was the problem! Because with my pigeons, we bond very fast and they are easy to train.... I definitely should stop comparing my pigeons with Iris and treat her the way that suits her >~<. I’ll try my best share with you guys our progress. Thanks again for your support and wish us luck


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That is the best mindset, you'll better understand Iris and make faster progress. Goffins are utterly amazing companions!

Good luck and please keep us updated!!