Abused Cockatoo

[Birdman666]

I don't understand why you would take in another U2 after you got rid of your last one so quickly.

TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS...

"IF THE U2 AIN'T HAPPY, AIN'T NOBODY IN THE HOUSE GONNA BE HAPPY!" (Or is that the entire neighborhood?!)

Sometimes they turn on you, and there is really not much that can be done except either be miserable with a bird who is miserable, and miserable to have around...

Or find a place where the bird is happy again...

Some Toos are just like that. I've seen it happen more than once.

I've seen U2's that were happy and loving, and appeared bonded with their owners for more than 12 years, just suddenly turn, and over the course of a few months go from bonded happy birds to screaming and attacking... the very same person who up to that time was their buddy.

We don't know why it is. Sometimes it just is.

I commend her for recognizing this, and doing what was right for the unhappy bird... instead of trying to "force" the fit.

Rehoming Woody was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make, but it was what was best for the bird, best for my flock, and best for the people in my house. Now he is the dominant bird in a 30+ large macaw flight, and has a mate and the attention he needs from other birds, and is thriving...

And a few months later I found Maggie, MY SUPER BONDED PEOPLE ORIENTED GREENWING...

Soooo, yeah. It happens.

 

[Birdman666]

I With one bird in particular we left whatever object he was afraid of within eye shot and let him out of his cage... he went up and destroyed it... over and over (he was terrified of childrens toys and anything brightly colored).

How soon after you got him did you start that stuff? Right away, or longer>

I always assumed that with toos and CAGS (and any potential plucker) you waited a little longer, and with the hardier birds, as soon as they settled in was better.

What is your experience on that?

 

[Birdman666]

Some times it requires A LOT of patience though. Parrots are highly intelligent creatures, and it can take a long time to earn proper trust. Some people just don't have the patience, unfortunately. My hat off to people that do, like Birdman.

Well, for me, it has less to do with patience... and more to do with understanding them. And at the time I was working with them, my life had become kind of a mess. Helping abused birds heal with their issues, in some ways helped me with mine...

I always loved every minute of the bird stuff...

And I met some wonderful people doing it.

You just meet some really not quite so wonderful people as well... and you are not allowed to choke them, even when they really, really deserve it! So, for me, that's where the patience comes in...

[Remember to smile.] Just sign here. We'll take care of your bird for you.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

It really depends on the bird. But we always give them as long as it takes for them to trust me before we start introducing scary objects. They need to have solid footing before we start letting things be scary. So, if they trust me and our routine; at that point we start leaving "scary" things for them to find. I have a large rehab flock of single cockatoos so we let them become a flock member... that way their stress level isn't has high when they start to encounter scary things, because at that point they take a lot of cues from their "flock members" (myself and the other birds)... so that bond needs to be formed first. I don't stress too much about plucking... I have not yet encountered a plucker I haven't cured, so if they start plucking we simply ignore it and allow them to figure themselves out first.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

By the way, the crazy bird we left scary things to find... is the big umbrella in my avatar picture... Moe

 

[Birdman666]

That's kind of the same approach I tended to take. Thanks for that.

 

[Terry57]

Wishing you the best of luck tomorrow when you bring him home tomorrow. I bet that he will sense your big heart and come around soon. I think it's wonderful that you are taking him and giving him a future!