Help MrHenry

WE just purchased a red breasted Cockatoo and at the store he was fine. Day#1He would not stop talking once we got him home. My wife let him out of the cage and he was fine. When she went to pick him up he bit her. She placed him back in the cage
Day#2 he did not speak at all and appears to be shivering, again off and on. He is eating and losing a small amount of feathers. He allows us on and off to pet his head. My wife has been bitten twice by him. I am not used to birds and she is but far from an expert. Ive tried to just talk to him probably 30 times a day at short intervals without trying to really approach him. I did yesterday evening slowly placed my hand in the cage and was allowed to scratch his head. No talking day 2
Today, eating allowed my wife to pet him and he seems to be trying to pull a tail feather out. He still seems to shiver off and on.
also paces back and forth on the perch and we are kind of afraid to pick him up since hes too scared or moody/agressive

We need help!!!!!

Try to take a deep breath and calm down. Two days isn't *nearly* long enough for a parrot to settle into a new home. Birds are prey animals, so every aspect of their environment can be threatening to them, from the colour of your curtains, to the sound of the TV to pets or kids running by their cages.

You need to give your bird a week or two in his cage just to begin to feel safe in his new home. During that time, spend short periods chatting or reading or singing to him so he becomes accustomed to new people. If he'll take them, offer him some treats through the cage bars. You could offer a millet spray or pieces of vegetable or, perhaps, some pieces of peanut. Always move slowly when you are around him and keep your voice low. Quick movements will frighten him and loud noise of any kind could be really hard for him to deal with.

After a week or two, you might put your hand in the cage and offer a treat. Try not to reach to touch him yet as that could be threatening (hence the bites). Eventually, when he seems to be quite at home and easy with your presence, you might leave the cage door open and allow him to climb out.

There are many posts in our forums that discuss taming and training new birds, so spend some time finding the ones that suit you best.

You say your bird is a 'red breasted cockatoo' - do you mean an Australian galah? If so, you've chosen a wonderful species for a companion as galahs are gentle and generally easy to make friends with. If yours is biting, then it's only out of fear from being moved from his familiar home and into a new one. Try to be patient with him and proceed slowly.

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask them. We've all been where you are and we all know how frustrating it can be when the bird can't tell you what the matter is. Everyone here will help you if they can! So please stay in touch and let us know how you're getting along. I'm sure other members will chime in with other pieces of advice as well, but the main thing is not to give up!

Betrisher

Cockatoos are very complicated birds. I really hope this isn't your first bird...If so, there is much to learn (especially with a cockatoo--they are the most difficult birds to read/care for statistically). It's sort of like diving into the deep end of a wave pool when you haven't learned to swim. Rosebreasted aren't as notorious as umbrellas or moluccans, but they are all a unique challenge (even when compared to other large parrots). They are very unique in their body language/behaviors and they have extreme intelligence and a strong drive to be with people all of the time...they can self-destruct if their needs aren't met (but that is true of many birds--these guys just tend to be very needy).

That having been said, knowledge is power and they are not broken, people just don't understand how to handle them/ how intense their needs are (and how important it is to socialize them while ensuring your relationship is non-sexual and while teaching independence).
Let's just get that out of the way first----cockatoos are not recommended for people without extensive cockatoo experience, BUT in order to get you on track, I need to know if this is your first bird. Even if this is your very first bird, you can learn, it is just going to be very challenging without that prior knowledge/experience with cockatoos. That is not to say that you should give up! It is all a matter of knowing the species and learning ABA/behavioral patterns etc (coupled with specific health concerns/care needs). For a happy bird, all of these things must be fortified.

If you are up for a huge commitment on-par with a toddler that lives forever and wants to be glued to your hip but cannot be, then you can learn to live with a cockatoo eventually...That is not to say that it will be easy, but they can be great (it is a labor of love in many respects----I would lie on train tracks for mine, but she wears me out. I LOVE her deeply and we have a great bond, but she is a MASSIVE pain when it comes to lifestyle and planning etc...She also is very vocal about her needs and won't hesitate to express herself (much like a 3-year-old who has no idea what is good for them). This is part of their charm-- they are crazy clowns who love people a lot and want to be the center of attention all of the time--they are so funny (when they are not driving you mad--and even then, you love them...that is, if that is what you want)...You have to plan novel experiences for these birds, cook for them, set goals for them etc (it's like being a special-education pre-school teacher with the most adorable/crazy/loving student who sometimes wants to kill you, is smarter than peers, but cannot be reasoned with in terms of change, routine, and certain "scary" objects).

I will make a controversial suggestion though---if you are not up for a lifetime of cockatoo antics (including major lifestyle changes---e.g., no scented products, cleaners, teflon/ptfe/pfoa/ptfe, vaping, paints, insect sprays, candles etc), scheduled bedtimes/wake-ups requiring 12 hours of sleep nightly, at least 4+ hours of active interaction time each day (outside of the cage), plus tons of vet/toy/food expenditures---for over 80 years in some cases----you would be better off making up your mind sooner rather than later. These birds bond closely and if you may rehome her, the longer you wait, the larger a toll it will take on the bird. Decide now if you are in it for the long haul, for better or for worse. If not, I would bring the bird back to the store (as it hasn't been SO long that there will be as much trauma as there would be if you waited for a few weeks-months). Again, it is always overwhelming when a bird is new---BUT, while your bird will bond with you etc in time, the work doesn't stop there. I mean, if you can commit to 50 years with the bird, that is great (as many have to be re-homed when owners die etc)...But just make sure you are in this for real (as in, til' death do us part). It isn't like a dog/cat that won't live more than 20 years and tends to be fairly easy-going in terms of respiratory issues and interaction.

The behavior you are seeing now is now how your bird will stay (they are always scared/unsure at first), but they basically are hyperactive toddlers that never grow up and have extreme respiratory sensitivities (who would attach themselves to you indefinitely if they could---they should not be overly-indulged in this respect). They bond VERY tightly to people but they also need boundaries. They can be very very rewarding pets, but it is a SSSSSEEEERRRRIOUS COMMITMENT. Bouncing from home-to-home harms these birds long-term...Also, babies behave much differently from adults, so that is something else to consider.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tin5rXHuPcs"]Galah Cockatoo Galore | Answering Galah Related Questions - YouTube[/ame]

Right, let him settle in before getting him out and stuff. Afav treat here is pine nuts (shelled) available in almost every suermarket. Better than peanuts. As far as behaviour, if he was cool in the store, chances are he will be again, it will just take time, and parrots time scale is WAY slower than other mammals. Good advice above. You and the wife should read read read all the stickies at the top of our sub forums, including the ILove AMazons in the Amazon forum, 98% of it pretains to all parrots. Read them ut loud in a soothing voice while sitting close to your parrots cage.

Im glad noodles posted that video. Reading your post, I’m reminded of a video of theirs where Jamie explains how her galah is the one bird she cannot just “peel the toes off the perch to pick them up”. She will wrestle for 45 minutes sometimes to get their galah out of its cage using lures (food treats). She said galahs were particular like that.

So if your wife is being bitten, as said, it’s out of fear. Make sure your wife isn’t peeling toes up to force the bird to step up. Get it to step up using treats.

Never force an interaction.

Yes. Good advice, chris-md! When our galah first came home, I opened his cage and wired a perch from his cage door to the back of a chair. It took about a week of coaxing with treats, but he eventually waddled out along the perch and learned the kitchen table was a wonderland of discovery. After that, he only went into his cage to sleep, spending all his days on top of 'his' fridge and its connected playgym. You just need to be able to think a bit sideways with these guys.

IMHO, galahs are *the* easiest companion birds. But that's just MHO.

chris-md said:

Im glad noodles posted that video. Reading your post, I’m reminded of a video of theirs where Jamie explains how her galah is the one bird she cannot just “peel the toes off the perch to pick them up”. She will wrestle for 45 minutes sometimes to get their galah out of its cage using lures (food treats). She said galahs were particular like that.

So if your wife is being bitten, as said, it’s out of fear. Make sure your wife isn’t peeling toes up to force the bird to step up. Get it to step up using treats.

Never force an interaction.

Click to expand...

Here's the video you (Chris-MD) referenced in terms of the "toe prying" lol--I didn't post this initially because the title seems so negative lol! It is possible to have one in your home as a family member---many of us do, but it is a huge undertaking at times. You can see that she has bonded with hers over time (based on the video above) but it takes a lot of time (and adjustment to THEIR quirks, not the other way around in many respects)--they are all of what she says by human standards (but that is the trick--you can't measure them that way, even though it will feel like they are all of those things and more at times)----That is part of their charm/madness/loveability (for those who keep theirs).
I will say that mine is a total ham and will turn on the charm for any camera/audience, so it really is hard to catch them acting in a way that isn't adorable (even though it happens!)
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AmCQmKs9dY"]Why Cockatoos Make TERRIBLE Pets (Watch Mine Attack ME!) - YouTube[/ame]


Mine does let me pick her up 99% of the time IF I can call her bluff (assuming she is mad about me leaving)-- there is a lot of weird tonal communication/posturing (but not pushing) if she is already annoyed (e.g., weekday mornings) that has to happen with these birds-BUT it has to co-exist with a lot of trust and a very strong bond (Which can happen at any age, as long as you now how to react/are patient). When mine ignores my attempts to get her to step up, I act SUPER EXCITED and squawk "GIMMIE THOSE TOESIES!!!!" and then she will step up 98% of the time, even if acting like she will bite prior---this only works when you have a bond already established. You would never want to do this with a bird who didn't trust you completely, as it would make things worse and you would get bitten...it's just a lot of weird intuitive judgement that comes from being around them and bonding (plus LOTS of research/experience (including trial and error- which sometimes backfires for weeks)).

My 11-year-old Umbrella gets mad when I go to work--- she starts jerking her head at me etc--- normally I can put food into her cage without issue (heck, I can swing her upside down off of my fingers without issue--bird trusts me) BUT--- when it comes to leaving her for work, she gets mad. She HATES it (even though 85% of the time she does what I want--it took years to get here). I have to maintain eye-contact and total calm while saying, be gentle girl (as I place her fruit/veg bowl in the back of the cage and she is standing by my arm). Shortly after blustering around, she will often come out and rest her head on my chest like, "please don't leave!".She seriously rarely bites me these days (maybe 2x a year) but it has been a LONG road and I do a lot to keep it that way. When she does get mad, even her warning bites suck.

Once you have a bond, they are like eternal frat boys--- but cuter and a bit emo...
Mine was throwing food the other day, so I tossed a little link at her (and accidentally hit her on the side)--Instead of being mad/scared (which I anticipated), she got SUPER excited and wanted to play that game, but at the same time, moving a chair through the kitchen could throw her off the rails, so it is a tricky balance.

Welcome to you and MrHenry! Wonderful advice above, please know you are in the discovery or "honeymoon" phase. Acclimating a cockatoo is a deliberative process, take it slowly and proceed at MrHenry's pace. That means building trust before bonding occurs. This thread illustrates excellent techniques: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

Welcome!
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