Bought new doucorp cockatoo from petshop

[richiec82]

Hi to all I recently bought a doucorp cockatoo from a local pet shop he had been there for a year and no one had taken him, I felt sorry for him he was missing feathers from his chest the pet shop did not have very much info on him ie how to handle him what sex he was assuming he is a male. He is friendly but continues to pluck his feathers. Do you think it was a bad decision to buy him after this long in a pet shop should we have been better informed should they have sold him to us without any cautions?

 

[Leahzebelle]

As long as you are seriously committed to taking care of this bird for the rest of it's lifetime then i don't see any problem with you getting it. You obviously knew what was involved in getting this bird. It's not a move that is usually advised. Start to give him the attention you plan to give him for the rest of his life. Take him to the vet!! There's a million things that could cause the feather plucking, but my guess is due to lack of love and attention. Take him to the vet, get some blood tests done and see what's going on with him nutritionally, provide it.

Post some pics!! ^__^

 

[richiec82]

How do you post pics?

 

[Atwee921]

I agree with what Leahzebelle said. If your really commited to having him, then you can stop him from plucking. Give him plenty of toys and love.

 

[richiec82]

Also can anyone recommend a good avian vet in Ireland preferably southern ireland?

 

[suncon97]

How do you post pics?

http://www.parrotforums.com/technical-support/6287-how-post-pictures.html

 

[richiec82]

He gets plenty of love and to be fair he is very friendly we only have him 2 weeks and he will come out of his cage come into the sitting Room sit with us cuddle in and look for petting. He was quiet in his cage so we brought him in It was me my boyfriend and our dog minature chiuaua who is extremely quiet and friendly. The bird was on my my arm and was cuddeling my boyfriend and I were having a conversation when my attention was turnded Harry climbed on the couch paced up and down the couch talking and screamed.then he jumped on my shoulder and screamed again and he nuzzeled into the side of my head with his body and head he then started nibbeling around my ear but as he came around my neck it began to hurt I put my hand up for him step onto my hand but he locked onto my hand to which I didnt react I just sad it's ok Harry trying to be calm but it was sore he bit me numerous times on the hand breaking the skin. When we got him off we both left the room with the dog. When we returned to the room he was on the ground we called him and he walked out of the room after us and followed us to his cage and climbed on to the cage. To be honest I was shaken after this and have been nervous a to have him on me since. He had been great up to this I would have had him out around 5 times a day id play with him and ball he would be on the cage he has also been constantly trying new fruit and veg. This was the first time everything and everyone was relaxed in the room I feel i left him to be part of the family and he tried to dominate the room. What is the best way to handle the situation and take control of him?

 

[mele]

Im sorry to hear about the bite. They can be very painfull and scary.

First, I dont feel any bird should be on shoulders. Even the most tame bird will bite out of fear. This birds still needs to adjust and get a feel for you and his new home. He may have been spooked and biting your hand was out of fear and uncertainty.

When I get bit I too leave the room and and check my injurys. Its hard to stay calm but the last thing you want is to make biting an exciting game that makes you scream or squeak. Stay confident and keep telling him No and be gentle when he bites. Also I try to keep the same tone in my discipline NO.

My U2 was a plucker when I got her. She will still pluck from time to time but it is a working progress. I spray her with a cockatoo/macaw spray that helps with itch. It seems to help. I was also told by a fellow cockatoo owner that bee pollen helps so I sprinkle it on her fresh foods.

Good luck

 

[Leahzebelle]

I agree with mele, no shoulder, and be confident and stern. My little green cheek was quite the piranha when we first got him. And he only became worse when he learned that if he bit, id draw back and leave him alone. It got to the point where simply opening his beak and extending his neck forward was enough to get me to draw back.
I finally got sick of being dominated by this tiny little feather ball and started to push past the bites. If he tried to get me to draw back, i'd be even more persistent. You have to be really stern with them, show them whos boss (don't ever hurt them ofc). Just let them know that when you want something, it's gonna happen wether they like it or not, no matter how long it takes. Don't give up unless your bird is getting visibly stressed out and upset, you don't want negative experiences surrounding you.
That's what worked for me anyway. I also read that direct eye contact is important when putting up with a fiesty bird.
You could also just shower him with treats to keep his beak busy and make your arm and hands really positive. There's alot of ways to discourage bad behavior.

 

[richiec82]

Ok no shoulder but what is the best way to stop him going on your shoulder how do you stop them doing anything in general. He seems to always want to be on my shoulder all the time when I'm walking around or sitting down. What is the problem with him being on your shoulder is it that he can bite your face or is it a height or dominating thing for the bird?

 

[Mayden]

Ok no shoulder but what is the best way to stop him going on your shoulder how do you stop them doing anything in general. He seems to always want to be on my shoulder all the time when I'm walking around or sitting down. What is the problem with him being on your shoulder is it that he can bite your face or is it a height or dominating thing for the bird?

A bit of both really, it's usually for the owners safety, you don't want a big cockatoo beak going for your eye now do you?

Every time he goes on your shoulder just put your hand out and get him onto your hand/arm, praise him and keep him there, just rinse and repeat and eventually (might take a while) he'll get the idea that if he goes on your shoulder, he'll be taken down immediately.

I also rescued a ducorp fairly recently, I'm glad to hear yours is such a sweet heart, good luck, they are fantastic pets.

 

[mtdoramike]

You should NEVER HAVE BOUGHT THIS BIRD, it's clear you have no bird experience. I hate it when pet shops sell birds to people who have no experience with them, especially with this type of bird. This bird comes with issues and it should have been a signal since he had been there over a year. Yep. Cockatoo's have one of the nastiest bites and one of the loudest screams of the avian world. Were you aware of this BEFORE you bought him?

You should have bought a hand fed baby from a breeder. But I agree with the above posts. They are giving you good advice.

 

[Molcan2]

You don't want him on your shoulder, you simply don't know the bird yet. From the sounds of it you may never want this bird on your shoulder. Some birds get dominant when put up there, hence the biting when you want him down (he feels empowered up there). You have to make him get down. If he bites, you have to work through it and act like he isn't even biting you (ANY reaction to a bite is positive reinforcement for future bites). I don't suggest using gloves, usually encourages more biting behavior. Anytime he starts to try to get on your shoulder, put him back down on your arm. He is going to keep trying over and over again, just keep putting him back down on your arm and he will eventually get the picture. Persistence and patience will pay off in the end. Make being on your arm a good thing and reward him by petting and cuddling when hes on your arm. Also don't put him on the back of the couch when you sitting on it, that is going to encourage him to be on you shoulder.

Do you know how old the bird is? I would also take him to the vet. Find an avian spe******t that you can go to. Do a DNA test find out if male or female. Also do some blood work to rule out any physical problem that could be causing the plucking.

 

[Molcan2]

Oh and if the plucking is a mental thing, then never expect it to really go away. Be happy if it does but don't take it personal if it doesn't. You can provide the best environment possible but if the bird came to you already plucking then it is something that you need to prepare yourself to deal with for the rest of the birds life. Look at it like an addiction, its going to take time to get over and there will always be relapses. Plucking is the birds way of coping with stress. Since you don't really know the bird's history then you don't know how long this has been going on. He could of been doing this in his previous home for years or this could have been from the stress of being in a pet store. Either way it is an already formed habit. My Romeo is a shredder, she came to me that way. When I first got her she didn't touch her feathers, they were almost completely in and then one day she just destroyed them - all of them. At first I was devastated and thought it was my fault, after a lot of helpful advise I have now excepted her behavior and I try to prevent it but I understand that it will never really go away. If you have this mindset it will help a lot. Provide a lot of toys that are destructible (i.e. wooden ones) to help keep the bird busy and its mind off of plucking. One thing that has helped with me that another person in this forum suggested is to provide a phone book for them to shred. Romeo loves it, and will shred them to tiny little pieces.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on you new addition. With a little structure, time, and patience your bird should come around. Its also going to take a while for him to fully settle in and during that time he is going to continue to see what he is allowed to do and what he can get away with. Set your ground rules now and stick to them. Be consistent and he'll pick up quick.

 

[suebee]

The bird was on my my arm and was cuddeling my boyfriend and I were having a conversation when my attention was turnded Harry climbed on the couch paced up and down the couch talking and screamed.then he jumped on my shoulder and screamed again and he nuzzeled into the side of my head with his body and head he then started nibbeling around my ear but as he came around my neck it began to hurt

no shoulders is good at this stage, i've a feeling the bite was from the bird feeling a little left out while you were cuddling, so don't cuddle infront of it!!

also sounds like the hunnymoon period is over so expect a bit of naughtyness!!! try an keep to routine out of cage times for now, with my experiance with nut, we let her out for about 3hours aday and that is working out better when she was out when ever some1 was in! she is alot less aggressive now!

how does the bird behave when its just you or your boy friend about?? also do not leave your dog alone with the bird, unless bird is in cage!

you've done a good thing taking on the bird, and coming for adcive!! but as soon as you can pic's please

try not to stroke down the birds back as that is sexual and will lead to problems

 

[mele]

In regards to stopping the bird from getting on your shoulder, I use the thumb hold method. When you pick him up hold down on his little toes with your thumb. When he escapes, block him with your other hand and repeat the hold and block. Also keep your arm down so the climb will be steep.

Be persistent

 

[richiec82]

Thanks very much for all the advice. We are really just getting used to him and he has been very good since the last time. Being honest from what i have read through the forms he seems to be extremely well behaved and friendly 95% of the time we just really wanted to know if it was to happen again how to handle it. We have harry booked in with the vet now to get a DNA and blood test done.

 

[suebee]

95% of the time is excellent!!! :0 your bird is still new to you so just watch its body language, too's just move so differently to my nut, i'd not be able to read the body language! an give advice for that!

normally birds do give a clear (when you know what to look for) signal of interest or i'm gonna remove them limbs!!! nut does an it does help with not getting bit!
so maybe some1 with a too could post a body language comment!

 

[kobe629]

Good luck with your bird doucorp are nice it's hard to find at petstores..

 

[Kim444]

here's another tip I've just recently heard, for any overly affectionate birds, meaning birds that get jelous or want you 100% of the time. Give only 5 minutes of cuddles and playtime at a time, then put back to his perch or cage for a bit. Then do it again after a quiet period. This makes them realize they will be taken out often, for short periods of time, but they must behave in between. it also does not allow them enough time to get so excited or jealous which reduces the bite chances.