Rescued Moluccan, Suggestions Appreciated!

feanor06

New member
Dec 29, 2010
15
0
Oxford, MS
Parrots
Alexandrine, Quaker, Sun Conure
Hi, my partner and I went in to my locally owned pet store today and the owner told us about a cockatoo he was recently called on to assess/ consult on. Its history: unknown for the first 6 years. Was given to someone else, who had him for 9 months before taking him to the vet. After a few months, he was again given away to someone else. Typically, this owner had no experience with birds. She stuck her hand in, it bit her, and she stuffed it into one of those little wire cages used to transport chickens at flea markets and brought it in a cardboard box to the Humane Society.

When we saw him, he was in a somewhat larger cage (I live in a small town, the largest birds ever handled at the HS were cockatiels). The poor thing! All of his tail feathers are missing so that you can see his bare rump if you bend over and look up. His wing feathers are tattered to pieces. He even has dried blood on his head from preening under his bare area.

The pet store owner (who has hand raised two of my other birds) said its more likely that his feathers were broken from living in inadequate sized cage and he plucked them out from being broken (he has no signs of feather plucking on his breast, neck, or anywhere else).

We've had him home for a few hours now. We left his door open and he has come out, been eating some fresh green beans, apples, and a few zupreem pellets. He still doesn't like us getting too close (he hisses) but who could blame him after the trauma he's been through. Other than his ragged feathering and missing feathers, he seems very healthy. His vet records from a month ago list the only problem as "continued feather picking."

So, I have an alexandrine, a sun conure, a princess of Wales, a quaker, and an Indian ringneck. Cockatoos are new to us, but we knew we had the experience and patience to get this poor fellow into a loving environment. So, what should I know about cockatoos? Lots of interaction, attention, healthy diet, of course, but does anyone else have advise on things like showering or bathing (would love to get some of the dried blood off his head and tail), best ways to earn trust that may be different from other hook bills. For example, with my quaker and Princess of Wales, I had no fear when first handling them, because if they nipped my fingers there would be no damage any more than a little pinch, like when they test you out and see that my hand causes no harm. But this guy's beak! I guess I just have to go reallllly slow with this fellow. But please, any advice or useful experience from cockatoo owners would be much appreciated, not to mention reassuring.

I'll attach pics of him so you can see the feather damage.

Thanks a lot guys!
 

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feanor06

feanor06

New member
Dec 29, 2010
15
0
Oxford, MS
Parrots
Alexandrine, Quaker, Sun Conure
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Update:
GOOD News: He started scratching his head and leaned forward while I was talking to him in front of him... I thought it was an invitation to help him scratch, so I slowly reached toward him and started scratching. He loved it! He raised a wing for me to scratch underneath lol. I'm so glad that he trusts me so quickly, even if it is just to get me to help him reach an itch! He is not afraid of affection, that's good. I was preparing myself to have to spend weeks getting him used to people, but we conquered that step already!

BAD news: his tail area looks horrible. I saw it when he lifted up his wing for me. The whole area where his tail feathers should be is scabbed over, and I even saw a little drop of blood from it. It was after he had spent a while preening himself (he finally chewed off a broken wing feather) but I think he started biting/ scraping at the skin where his tail feathers used to be and bled a little bit. I'm really really hoping that in his new huge cage with lots of toys he will stop picking. The nearest avian vet is hours away (I live in rural Mississippi) but as long as he seems happy and has a healthy appetite, I'm thinking I'll just leave him alone and let him get used to his new home. I will take him to the vet sometime in the next month, sooner if his tail area doesn't start healing up.
 

Cosmoandgeorgiesmom

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Jan 25, 2011
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YAY FOR YOU!!!! :) What a good story!

Cockatoos are well..just SOMETHING else..they are VERY special and dear to my heart!

Check out mytoos.com. They'll have wonderful advice.

I had a very special bird bond with my neighbors Cockatoo, until she sold him, because of the constant screaming. I am completely and utterly heart broken over it.

Anyway! When she got her cockatoo I used to sit by the cage and just talk to him and play eye games. I close my eyes and open, he closes his eye and open, and back and forth. I'd talk softly to him and bring him lots of fruit and veggies. After sitting down by his cage (the first time) for HOURS he finally came out and climbed down to be cuddled. Cockatoos are very cuddly and SWEEEET!

They are quick to react and to nip though. At least "my" Pearl (neighbors cockatoo) was.

Pearl had picked me as her favored person, while I had picked her to be my favorite living thing...lol!!!

IF YOU WALK AWAY FROM THE CAGE and your cockatoo begins to scream...DO NOT SCREAM BACK IN ANY WAY. This will only cause him to scream more and NEVER shut up. I stress this because of how devastated I am over Pearl and her being sold. I couldn't keep her myself because she would attack my husband if he came anywhere near me. She was very protective. (She turned out to be a he, which is why I use both terms lol). Luckily, she did go to a WONDERFUL home and I am able to stay in contact with them. I mail Pearl toys and treats sometimes! :)

I once tried to give Pearl a bath. First I tried the shower but she was scared. So I tried filling the bath with a little water and putting her in, but she hated them. So...I gave up...because I didn't want to terrify her..and I was her BFF...lol.

You can try spraying your new Cockatoo with a spray bottle of water.

With my birds that I have now I put them in the back of the shower and showered myself and let them watch. Then held them on my hand underneath the shower and it turns out that they all love showers now!! I think watching me do it first helped A LOT. Same thing with eating their veggies. If I eat it first then they'll give in and eat it.

If you have any other questions, I'd be more than happy to try and answer. I'm not an expert, but I know my PEARL! :)

-Christine
 

greycloud

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Mar 21, 2010
1,034
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Baltimore, MD
Parrots
Sammy-Umbrella Too-rescued,
Dexter-CAG-rehomed handicapped,
Sterling-CAG-rehomed retired breeder.
Sunshine-12 yo CAG-adopted
TY for rescuing this poor guy. Please get him in to see an avian vet ASAP. Infections can start on plucked areas very quickly. He also should be in Quarantine from your other birds.
 

MikeyTN

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Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
Wonderful thing you did saving this poor Cockatoo. They're very very loving birds!!!!! Head scratch and under wing scratch is a good sign he's trusting you already. He needs to go to the vet if he's picking that badly!!! Mine used to pluck when I first saw her in someone's basement so I took her home, give her a nice bath. Changed her diet and she came around pretty good. She only chews up the tip of her crown which I can't get her to stop that. That's better then her plucking, her chest used to be bare....It all grew back over time.... Like grey cloud said, quarantine is important!!!! You must have a wonderful partner to allow all this craziness in the house...lol.... My partner loves the birds so it's a good thing!!! :)
 

Spiritbird

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Aug 20, 2009
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What Greyclould has said is very important and I second her message to you. Do not wait for the vet visit!
 
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feanor06

feanor06

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Dec 29, 2010
15
0
Oxford, MS
Parrots
Alexandrine, Quaker, Sun Conure
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Another update: We've moved him into a much larger cage, adequately designed. I left the door open today while on the computer, and he came down and stood at my feet! I started petting him. I attempted to walk away, only to hear his little pitter patter following behind me. He has followed me almost everywhere today. I tried "step up", but he is still timid to this. He started trying to climb up me, yet refused my hand. Finally, I just picked him up like a chicken and set him in my lap, haha! He stayed there for a few hours enjoying his thorough petting. My partner found the only avian vet in North Mississippi. We are setting an appointment IMMEDIATELY. From the information we have given them via phone, they recommend exactly what we are giving him; better diet, cleaner and larger living conditions, and lots of love. I am excited to have him as apart of our family. He will be a wonderful fid to have.
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
IF your able to, come to Nashville for the bird fair at the Fairgrounds on April 9th and 10th. There's a very well known Avian vet that's gonna be there....I'm taking my macaw to have his nails trimmed, he only charges $25 to do it. All the other vets here wants anywhere from $70-125 He also sexes your birds for you right on the spot. I've heard many many good things about him as he come here twice a year to do this. There will be lots of knowledgeable bird people that's gonna be there. Which I know quite a few.
 
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feanor06

feanor06

New member
Dec 29, 2010
15
0
Oxford, MS
Parrots
Alexandrine, Quaker, Sun Conure
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IF your able to, come to Nashville for the bird fair at the Fairgrounds on April 9th and 10th. There's a very well known Avian vet that's gonna be there....I'm taking my macaw to have his nails trimmed, he only charges $25 to do it. All the other vets here wants anywhere from $70-125 He also sexes your birds for you right on the spot. I've heard many many good things about him as he come here twice a year to do this. There will be lots of knowledgeable bird people that's gonna be there. Which I know quite a few.


Thanks for the info on the bird fair, we went to one last month in Memphis and ended up with a Princess of Wales Parakeet lol. There is another fair in Tupelo, MS in October and we were hoping to go to another fair sooner, but we will unfortunately be in New York during that week in April =/

We decided to name our new M2 Stewey because the pitter patter he makes when he walks around the house sounds just like Stewey from Family Guy :p

Stewey's vet appointment is tomorrow with the top avian spe******t in the state. After 6 days I have not found a single feather being plucked, so I think his irritation must be strictly limited to his bleeding bald tail area. Contacted previous owner (the one BEFORE the awful one who mistreated him) and she said he had an infection, so he must be picking at the area because of skin irritation, like when we have the uncontrollable urge to pick at a scab--but we know that's bad, and Stewey just knows that his scab is itchy. I'm hoping the avian spe******t will give him an E-Collar to keep him from picking at the spot long enough for it to heal up. I'll let you know how it goes, thanks all for the support and info!
 

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