Charlie The Rescue Too!

[wrvgirl]

We currently have an IRN, who is about to turn 7 weeks old...I love him to distraction, and I take him everywhere with me

We were in Walmart a week or so ago and a the check out girl asked me if I wanted a cockatoo...I thought she was joking, but it turns out that her mother has a Triton or a Lesser Sulfur [they don't know which she is] and due to her new job, she's not home and the bird has started screaming...

They offered her to me, because I guess they like the fact that I take my IRN everywhere with me!

So Charlie will be joining us this weekend!

Any suggestions as to how I should help her settle in?

What should I do? What shouldn't I do? I just want her to be happy.

 

[Safira]

My suggestion is to try to let her settle in and get into routine with her. Get her use to you refilling her food bowls, cleaning her cages, talking to her. Scratching her through the cage bars if she lets you, but don't push the interaction if she doesn't.

I would be careful about giving her too much attention at first. A lot of screaming problems and behavioral issues happen when a new bird comes home and they get loads of attention. Then as schedules change or the 'new' and 'cute' wears off, they get less and it's hard for them to understand why.

That's not saying don't give her attention, by all means do, but with cockatoos especially, make sure it's around the times she'll normally get attention during a work (or school) week.

For example, my birds come out every evening when I'm home from work. I stick to this routine even on the weekends (though I may bring them out a little earlier.) Because they don't expect to come out during the day, they play in their cages and eat and nap and preen until I take them out to play on their playstands and with me.

 

[wrvgirl]

The owner has mentioned that she has been living in a pretty small cage 2x3x4, and that she doesn't like big cages.

My dad suggested that before I move her into the big flight cage I bought her [6x3x8] that I keep her in the smaller cage so that she doesn't have the room to back away from me and hide, he says that once they realize that they don't have to interact, and that hiding is an option that it will be harder to bring them around, especially in a new home.

The owner says that Charlie sleeps in a retrofitted dog crate [with a perch and all] she said she's willing to give me the crate when they bring her over...

My dad has been breeding and raising birds for 30+ years, so I'd like to trust him on this, I guess I'm just worried that I'll make mistakes with her...and negatively impact our relationship.

Our IRN and I have a routine, breakfast at 0630, play time with me going in to play in intervals throughout the day, lunch time I take in fresh fruits and veggies and we play and do clicker training, in the evening he gets dinner, comes out to hang out with us while he eats, and we sit on the couch and cuddle. Bedtime is 9pm and he goes into the crate to settle in for the night.

 

[Jtbirds]

Well on the big cage topic I find cockatoos that have to much room do not know how to express themselfs and get it all out as they can move and wind them selves up even more then they normally are. So I'd suggest a normal like 40 in by 30 in cage for this cockatoo triton or lesser sulphur.

As stated keep attention to a minimal as cockatoos get to attached to attention. And demand it very easily. This demand is expressed in screaming and biting most of the times. Do not pet anything below the head as this can become sexual quickly. If you must let once or twice down the back and done but I strongly suggest no. We do not do this with our cockatoos, and you are getting a rescue so whatever behaviors he's had in the past he is likely to show.

The first couple of days you will have a honeymoon period and you will see the amazing well behaves side of your cockatoo, then the stage will end and you will see the true cockatoo. So take advantage of the first days to a week and teach manners and schedule to the bird. He is more likely to respo d in these first few days as he is vulnerable to learning. After this he will still learn obviously it just may be slightly a longer process.

Cockatoos must be entertained by tons of toys, this means a variety of all types, chewing, shredding, forgaging, preening, etc.... A lot of the toys can be made at home cheap and bought as well. Teaching your cockatoo to entertain itself will be the biggest thing. When we first got our m2 he had no idea how to keep himself entertained so he screamed a lot. By showing him how to make his own games and play it lessened the screaming then I did a method I use and it has pretty much got the screaming down to flock calling behavior.

As stated make sure the attention you give is consistent every day or this brings more screaming to the table. I give my cockatoos about 10-15 minutes of direct attention and then it is on playgyms of cage tops for the rest of the time( my birds are out 6 hours a night).

Feel free to ask anymore questions or if you need another opinion on something I have posted.

-thanks, justin

 

[wrvgirl]

Thanks JTbirds. That's a wealth of information! lol. Our giant cage is too big for our house I can't even get it through the doors so I'm in the process of trading it for one that's 36x30...I can't believe that I didn't bother to measure the cage and my house before I bought it. Sheesh...

 

[Jtbirds]

Your plenty welcome and the 36 by 30 cage sounds like a better option. Hope it all works out feel free to post if you need any help I'll be around.

 

[wrvgirl]

Do you think it's normal to be this freaked out?

Charlie is coming today and I'm more anxious and nervous than I am excited about it. I'm worried she won't work out, I'm worried she's going to attack my little one [Apollo] I'm worried she's going to scream 24/7.

I was so excited about this just a few days ago, but now that it's becoming a reality, I'm not sure I'm even ready for this

Oh, and the cage fell through. The lady didn't even have the decency to call me or text me and tell me that she changed her mind. I hate craigslist for that reason.