Goffin Owners, I had a few questions pls :)

[mnkeastman]

Hi I suppose most of you have seen my post in the welcome thread. After all the information I have found here I am considering stepping back and not putting my deposit down on the Goffin baby that is due to hatch in the near future.

I do have some questions though. I see most of the behaviors that make me question my decision are due to their experience in a home or at least that is what I am understanding so please help me because I do not know and am basing my decisions on research like this.

Constant screaming- I work at home on the phone so I can't have this, some chatter in the background is fine but not all out rooms away they can hear it screaming. Feather pulling and just mutilation due to depression and being lonely or thinking I am its mate which I am told can be prevented by not petting it anywhere but on its head.

Can these be prevented in a new Goffin by simply having it on a schedule so it becomes more independent? For instance I work in 4 hour shifts. So have a scheduled playtime before my shift starts for an hour or so, then after my shift is over Birdie is able to be out of cage (full of toys of course) and under my supervision is able to toddle around and get cuddles, interactions and such for say 6 hours before being put back into cage to rest for the evening and covered so I can pull my 4 hour shift that I do at night.

My work hours are usually from 11am to 3pm and again from 11pm to 3am about 3 days a week. Then another 4 days per week I just work the evening shift from 11pm to 3 am.

During my 4 days I am just working nights I can leave it on the same in cage independence time that I would on my 3 days that I work during the day just to have the consistency if it is better for the bird since it will know what to expect.

We do not travel often, maybe a trip or a year if that. I have a yorkie that is my baby and I frankly haven't done a vacation in over a year just cause I can't stand the thought of being parted from him.

The only thing we do make sure to do is a cabin rental not far from here in the summer time for a week with the kids. I take my dog with me for this and the bird would be welcome there as well.

I could also board him if needed with the breeder as she offers this service and is about 1.5 hours from me.

I guess I am holding onto the Goffin idea so hard because of that sweet one at the store. I realize things will change as it matures but if I could compensate by doing it the right way from day 1 then maybe we would be ok? Or maybe this is not reasonable to expect from a Too, even a supposedly milder form of Too? That is what I am here to find out.

Sorry for the long posts but I am trying to make an informed decision and would not want to set the bird or me up to fail in my home.

 

[roxynoodle]

Can someone please help this poster? She wants to know if a "too is the right bird for her family and can use any advice she can get.

How about you owners of 'toos other than Goffin's? We told her people here would help and no one has answered her post. I know we have 'too owners here and there are similarities between them.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

I have 15 cockatoos (6 are goffins). I am a breeder, and when all this first started the birds were in my house. I raise babies in the house now, and so there are just a lot of 'toos around regularly.

First, if you don't have a way to shut at least 2 doors between you and the bird during your phone work hours, don't bother getting any kind of white 'too. Second, if you do, and you get a goffin move play time after work to a little later (leave at least a 30 minute buffer time between when you are done and when you go play with the goffin) otherwise the bird will start getting excited at the end of your work day and scream non stop in anticipation of seeing you soon.

If it were me (and I love 'toos) I would not get a 'too on the hope that I can keep it from screaming.

'Toos scream.

Goffins are almost a worse first time cockatoo choice than a moluccan or umbrella. Goffins get spoiled in unexperienced homes VERY easily and become nightmares to live with.

Please don't buy a goffin simply because they're cute....

Buy a bare eyed, or a slender billed, or a rose breasted, or maybe a lesser sulfur crested... all good even tempered cockatoos and less likely to get spoiled and loud.

Good luck.

 

[mnkeastman]

I have 15 cockatoos (6 are goffins). I am a breeder, and when all this first started the birds were in my house. I raise babies in the house now, and so there are just a lot of 'toos around regularly.

First, if you don't have a way to shut at least 2 doors between you and the bird during your phone work hours, don't bother getting any kind of white 'too. Second, if you do, and you get a goffin move play time after work to a little later (leave at least a 30 minute buffer time between when you are done and when you go play with the goffin) otherwise the bird will start getting excited at the end of your work day and scream non stop in anticipation of seeing you soon.

If it were me (and I love 'toos) I would not get a 'too on the hope that I can keep it from screaming.

'Toos scream.

Goffins are almost a worse first time cockatoo choice than a moluccan or umbrella. Goffins get spoiled in unexperienced homes VERY easily and become nightmares to live with.

Please don't buy a goffin simply because they're cute....

Buy a bare eyed, or a slender billed, or a rose breasted, or maybe a lesser sulfur crested... all good even tempered cockatoos and less likely to get spoiled and loud.

Good luck.

Thank you so much for your information. I do not have 2 doors to close between me and where the bird would be considering my house is so small so I will not attempt this. Maybe after I am a bird owner for a few years and/or move into a bigger home I will be able to have a Too.

Thank you so much,
Kim

 

[NuttyFeathers]

A great place for real info on the negatives is All About Cockatoos - MyToos.com

That said, I'm an owner of a 9yr old Goffins who I rescued because of her "intolerable screaming". Truth be told? It's just her usual noise, nothing excessive (during the day atleast). White 'toos just scream for fun, out of sheer excitement for being alive. Biggest thing is do NOT give her more attention as a baby than she will have as an adult. Make sure your breeder doesn't wean them too soon, and even when you get her home offer he spoon feedings from time to time to give her confidence in you and a strong sense of security. Babies are tricky, we wean them far too soon in captivity where in the wild they would follow their parents for a year. Personally I would never buy a baby from a breeder, but I'm of the following that they really aren't appropriate pets for your average owner and there are FAR too many in need of homes.

Please just do all of the research you can. Perhaps something like a timneh african grey would be perfect for you. They are much much quieter and enjoy interactions. The timneh are well known for their stability, and often don't engage in upsetting behaviors such as feather plucking or screaming. While it's not 100% it is FAR less likely then a Goffins. They are quieter, less demanding and JUST as loving. 'Toos are only cute and cuddly til puberty. Then all those "cuddles" can be interpreted the wrong way and all of a sudden you have a frustrated angry bird who can't figure out why you, her "mate", won't engage in the appropriate "activities". There are many fantastic species out there that demand far less then a too!

 

[mnkeastman]

A great place for real info on the negatives is All About Cockatoos - MyToos.com

That said, I'm an owner of a 9yr old Goffins who I rescued because of her "intolerable screaming". Truth be told? It's just her usual noise, nothing excessive (during the day atleast). White 'toos just scream for fun, out of sheer excitement for being alive. Biggest thing is do NOT give her more attention as a baby than she will have as an adult. Make sure your breeder doesn't wean them too soon, and even when you get her home offer he spoon feedings from time to time to give her confidence in you and a strong sense of security. Babies are tricky, we wean them far too soon in captivity where in the wild they would follow their parents for a year. Personally I would never buy a baby from a breeder, but I'm of the following that they really aren't appropriate pets for your average owner and there are FAR too many in need of homes.

Please just do all of the research you can. Perhaps something like a timneh african grey would be perfect for you. They are much much quieter and enjoy interactions. The timneh are well known for their stability, and often don't engage in upsetting behaviors such as feather plucking or screaming. While it's not 100% it is FAR less likely then a Goffins. They are quieter, less demanding and JUST as loving. 'Toos are only cute and cuddly til puberty. Then all those "cuddles" can be interpreted the wrong way and all of a sudden you have a frustrated angry bird who can't figure out why you, her "mate", won't engage in the appropriate "activities". There are many fantastic species out there that demand far less then a too!

Thank you for your post and interest in my thread. Things have moved on a lot since I asked the question. As I stated in one of my above posts because of the information given here on the forum to me by caring Birdkeepers and breeders and the websites shared with me like mytoos.com I decided against bringing any 'Too home unless I get a bigger house and a lot more bird experience under my belt as much as I would love to have one my home wouldn't be the right place for a 'Too right now.

I am currently waiting for the beautiful white capped pionus baby you see as my avatar to come be a part of my family