Any advice? Please!

[Jub_jub_bird]

Hi,
I have never posted on this forum before, so, HELLO! first of all!

I am looking for any advice with regards to my 5yo Male Lesser Sulphur Cockatoo, Sophie (I didnt name him, and shhhhh!, he doesnt know shes a he!)

Firstly, I should explain that I do have a bit of experience with parrots, I have worked with many species over the past 6 years or so, and hand reared many bapies in that time. I also have had a bit of experience in working with rescued 'toos, not alot, but some!

The problems i have been having with sophie have been going on for about a month now, this has happened a couple of years ago (which coincided with a house move, and this is what i put it down to then) and it all blew over. Basicaly, she 'flips out'. Thats the only way i can describe it! some days shes fine (shes usually really well behaved, cuddly, really playfull, and happy to entertain herself, not particularly noisy etc) but for some reason she just freaks out, and is PETRIFIED of me/anything! over the past month shes been fine one day, crazy the next etc, no rhyme or reason.
The only thing which has changed in the past month, since this behaviour started, is that her wing clip has grown out, and shes fully flighted. I would like to clip her again, but obviously i dont want to risk stressing her out at this moment in time?

anyway, diet is fresh food and pellets, and has always been, treats of millet and pine nuts etc occationally.

Its really starting to worry me now, and i understand that she reacts to my mood and emotions, when she flips out, i get stressed, never ending cycle, i know! She freaked out so violently the other day that shes got two scratches on the top of her head (the baldy spot under her crest) from flying into her cage at full pelt!

Any advice greatfully recieved, this is really getting to me now! =(

Kat

 

[wildheart]

Welcome to the forum Kat!

There must be a reason for this behaviour, something that scares s/he that you are not aware of yet? What about a certain shirt that you might wear? Other animals in the house, something that s/he can see through a window?

What about moving the cage to a corner and see if it makes a difference?

Maybe it will be a good time to have s/her wings clipped and have an overall vet check.

 

[wildheart]

Maybe a toy in the cage?

Where does he sleep, is it totally dark with no sounds? Maybe he has nightmares and it affects him through out the day as well.

After having a baby parrot I know that they definitely dream because this one even talks in his sleep.

 

[HRH Di]

Apparently something has changed that is obviously so subtle that you haven't noticed it. Have you had any odd weather in your area? New anything in your house that may smell/look different? Any new sounds in the neighborhood?

IMO, 'toos seem to be more sensitive to sublties than other parrots and seem to be disturbed more than others that I've been around. I suspect this is why they can be challenging fids and aren't always appreciated as they should be.

Luckily, unlike people, animals don't behave like this on a whim. There's always a reason. It's up to us as parronts to find out what it is...not always an easy taks.

 

[mellykyitus]

my lesser has freak outs too, i thought she might be a bit mental or something. she'll only let me handle her if i have my dressing gown on, if i approach her cage dressed she freaks out! she's always been a bit odd, maybe its a cockatoo thing! lol

 

[Pedro]

Jub Jub Bird you have just explained my 10 year old SC Too. He is scared of his own shadow sometimes. Started at around 5 years old as well. He is healthy & for the life of me i can't identify any reason for this behavior. I don't stress to much as i figure if i make a fuss he will only get worse so i just comfort him with calm words & ask him what is the matter. If he freaks out to much i put him back in his cage & cover him & that will also calm him down. I just think he is a highly nervous bird & i put that down to the previos owners neighbor's kids being mean to him & throwing sticks at his cage. The reason i took him in was because he screeched 24/7.

 

[Jub_jub_bird]

Wow! thanks for the replies, i really appreciate it!

I cant pin it down to any specific environmental changes, we have had the crazy british winter which has been exceptionally harsh this year, so ithought about the possibility of it being a hormonal thing ( I fully understand this is the 'fun' bit of cockatoo owning, breeding age usually brings out the crazy lol) so maybe its a combination of being fully flighted and age? Plus i have been a bit of a stress head of late, so i know that wont help at all!

I try to keep to a routine to a certain extent, as i mentioned shes on a low fat diet, and gets about 10 hours sleep in a seperate sleep cage in a bedroom, so shes quiet and dark- this is something that has been done from the day i brought her home. I do work quite a lot but she always has a good selection of toys which are rotated regularly, and whe i handle her, she always has an 'activity'- we do a few tricks, or use an interactive toy or game. About twice a month i go and visit family so she enjoys travelling ( I dont drive so shes fine with travelling by bus or train - I get a few looks lol!) and she stayswith my gran for the weekend (interestingly, over the time shes been having these episodes, shes never had one at my grans house?!) She will gladly be handled by and interact with others, and isnt phobic of anything- quite the opposite!

I have had her from about six months old, she was a baby i sold in my shop to a lovely couple whos wife was allergic to the dust and so i bought her back. Myself and my old business partner hand reared her ( which i didnt ever intend keeping a bird i had personaaly hand reared, but she left on weaning, and was with the new family for several weeks, then came straight to my home when i bought her) and it coincided with the loss of my citron crested rescued 'too, so i was a bird free household, and decided to take her on.

Again, thank you, its helped to put my mind at rest that im not allone, thees birds are a pain in the bum sometimes, but of course, shes worth all the stress!:smile009:

Oh, and sorry for the essay!
Kat

 

[Pedro]

That's OK i was also wondering why our Too was so funny sometimes. It just seems all is well for a long while & then all of a sudden he will freak out at the sight of a bug, his shadow, my shadow even a strange noise. But most of the time he's a cool dude. So far i haven't had any hormonal problems with him.

All in all he is a joy to have as part of our family & i would never part with him.

 

[EdiferiousRex]

Hi there Jub Jub, I'm also new here (First post) and have a lesser sulfer crested. She will have those freak-outs when I do small things, such as paint my nails, or wear a different necklace or a new clip in my hair, she's around 2 years old.

 

[Motif_ES8]

Hello....I have owned Mr. Bailey for years, and I can tell you.....He is #1 awesome, but #2 is a flake !!! Sulfers are VERY loud and obnoxious normally, however, about once a day, Mr. Baily will start squawking with ALL of his feathers extended over and over again as if he is a broken record for about 2 mins or so. I just let him do his thing.....I think it is a cockatoo thing....

 

[Jub_jub_bird]

Well, at least i know im not alone, and dont feel as if its something i have done!

I have arranged for my friend to pop over at the weekend and clip her again, so im hoping that will help - i think she gets all hyper because she flys about like a lunatic and thats what sets her off.

we have had lots of ups and downs over the past few days - one day shes lovely and cuddly, the next is petrified of me? Im hoping that things will return to normal post weekend wing clip!

Ill keep you informed!
Thanks again!
Kat