Hormonal Moluccan male attacked my umbrella female.

[Lesleybird]

Hi, I had a lot of fun with my husband on Friday night last.....We were up all night taking our umbrella female to the animal emergency clinic. We got home from shopping and it was after 10pm. and our cockatoos had not had much time out of the cages. I sat on the couch holding my U2 female and my M2 male was running around on the back of the couch. My moluccan suddenly pounced at the female and she jumped onto the floor. He ran after her and grabbed her by the toe and bit a big chunk out of it that was hanging on by a skin flap. She was bleeding and we could not stop the bleeding and it needed to be sewn back together.

Thank God my husband found an animal emergency clinic that had an avian vet on call all night that met us at the animal hospital. We were there until 2:30 in the morning. Sophie had to have anesthesia and have her toe sewn back together. $530 dollars later we took her home with 4 stiches and a little cast like bandage around her toe and part of her foot. She has to wear a large plastic collar so she will not chew on the dressing or remove the stiches. My poor baby has to wear the collar for the next 12 days. She cannot hold her food in her foot with the collar on. We were out until 4 am. Friday night to find something soft for the bottom of the cage because parrots can fall easily with the big collar on and may get hurt. After going to 2 Walmarts at 4 am. we came home with three king size pillows and a plastic tablecloth to put on the bottom of her cage. Well, had to tell this story to somebody.....Have to hold her down screaming twice a day for oral antibiotics too. Lesley

 

[Spiritbird]

Sorry this happened to you and your female too. Good thing you had help to manage the birds. What are you going to do in the future to avoid something like this from happening again?

 

[greycloud]

I am sorry this happened. It is not uncommon for males to attack other female Toos. You will have to be very careful from now on.
When you give her meds are you toweling her and holding her close to reassure her? This should make her feel more comfortable.

 

[MikeyTN]

Greycloud, I've heard from my breeder friend their male toos kills the female when they want to mate. Its happened to a lot of breeders that I know of. Then they tried to pass the male to me to go with my girl. I said I don't think so!!!!

 

[Lesleybird]

Hi, Thanks for the replies. She is doing well so far with the collar on and is eating well even though she cannot hold food in a foot due to the collar. I don't think that I am ever going to have the male out at the same time as U2 Sophie again. This attack was one in which I was sitting on the couch holding the female and he pounced on us and my umbrella jumped onto the floor and he jumped on the floor and ran after her. I ran to break it up but it was too late. Lesley

 

[MikeyTN]

I would be wary to let them both out together again after that incident. You know the moluccan might of see you as his potential mate and that might of been the reason why?

 

[Lesleybird]

Just got her stiches out today and her toe looks good. I thought that after twelve days of wearing a plastic collar that she could take it off but the vet said that she needs to wear it for another week or two while it heals some more. The vet said and I agree that until it is fully healed she would most likely chew on the scabs etc. and she may tear it open again. Got some special ointment to rub on her foot to help it to heal better. I am sad that poor Sophie has to wear the collar still, but really happy that Dr. Chen did a good job of sewing together the toe where a big chunk was hanging there and saved her foot. Lesley

 

[MikeyTN]

Glad to hear she's doing well after the stitch removal!!!