Little Bird needs a new cage

[mica21493]

One of my worst fears came true today. We had thought our cats were messing around with Little Bird's toy bag because she was innocently sitting in her cage when we came home. However, it took only a few seconds to realize that she had escaped her cage while we were out, chewed through her cage heater cord (which was thankfully unplugged) and chewed through a pen (didn't break the ink tube). It seems that while she was out she mostly went through her toy bag which I save for when she is out of the cage (it's a gallon size ziplock bag that is full of toys and it was mostly empty and chewed).
I am still beside myself with worry over what could have happened and very thankful she seems okay. I have an older Kings cage with the bolts and triangles and somehow she unscrewed a bolt and got out through the food bowl door. As I am sitting here and typing, I just saw her reach her beak through the bars and try to twist the bolt, I never even realized she could reach it.
I am going to be searching cages today, but if anyone has a specific cage recommendation for a Goffins Cockatoo please let me know.

 

[wrench13]

While I have no direct knowledge of Goffins, I do know that parrots are like horses. If a horse figures out a way to escape, you need to completely change the way its locked up. They ain;t smart ( most of them) but they have great memory. Its why they have the old saying "If you get thrown by a horse, get right back up on him'. Its not for you. its so the horse won't remember bucking off some one and not having to finish off the ride with a human on its back. Make sure your new cage locks different and has lockable food doors, or no food doors and use the bolt on type.

 

[mica21493]

Thank you, very good advice. Never knew that about the saying about the horses. I ended up ordering another kings cage, bigger and with the new locking system. I hope it ships soon. She's tried to get out several times since I got home. We've tightened the bolts and taped the triangles up and out of her reach so she has been unsuccessful so far.

 

[SailBoat]

Thank you, very good advice. Never knew that about the saying about the horses. I ended up ordering another kings cage, bigger and with the new locking system. I hope it ships soon. She's tried to get out several times since I got home. We've tightened the bolts and taped the triangles up and out of her reach so she has been unsuccessful so far.

Clearly, she has found and knows that she can get-out and will keep pushing that and like areas, looking to repeat her escape.

Interesting that you didn't get a ship date when you placed the order. If you are dealing directly with King Cage, the only reason that you didn't get a shipdate was likely that cage style is either in transit from China or not yet schedule for shipping... Or, you ordered after-hours and it will be Monday when they enter your order.

May need to increase her out of cage time?

 

[Laurasea]

they are smart. And Goffins are good st tool use
Get that beak doing more foraging!
Soooo glad cats didn't mess with her. That way I can enjoy the funny part of the story!
I had county cats that could hunt and take down rabbit and other large critters

 

[mica21493]

Oh sailboat, I was worried about that. I couldn't figure out why I didn't get a follow up email and worried I got scammed. I did order it this evening though. I may just call Monday and see about it. I did order directly from the king cage website. It did say on the site that shipping may be delayed due to covid. They were also sold out of a lot of models.
I usually have her out three times a day for a minimum one hour each time where she gets a variety of things to chew and play with. I will try to increase out of cage time. I had just received a new shipment of toys yesterday and replenished and reorganized her cage.
Laurasea, me too!! This could have gone wrong in so, so many ways. I'm thankful I was a bit paranoid today and unplugged the cage heater. I hope the cats are never tested like that again either.

 

[Betrisher]

ROTFLMAO!!! I know, I know: it's not funny and I shouldn't laugh. But they're *so* clever and so bloody innocent-looking when you find them out of their cage with no apparent means of getting there. Rosetta got out through her food bowl door and went for a walk on the wild side (ie. in Nature, since her cage was outside at the time). Thankfully, she was afraid and flew right to us when we called her.

Padlocks are your friend. My son has Rosetta's cage almost bandaged in steel cable with huge padlocks every foot or so and the food bowls with their own small padlocks, just to be certain. She won't be going anywhere in the near future.

PS. If, for any reason, one walks away and leaves the padlock with the key in it, Rosetta will begin to manipulate the key because she has learned that it's the secret to opening the lock. Y'can't be too careful with these guys!

PPS. My son has also fitted short lengths of stainless steel chain that 'tie' round the cage doors and are padlocked in front.

 

[mica21493]

Oh she was so innocent looking sitting in that cage!! My husband actually started shaming the cats until I yelped and ran to her cage after seeing all the bits that the cats couldn't produce! And then, while I was sitting and frantically scrolling through websites looking for sturdier cages, she quietly as you please reaches that little beak through the bars and uses the tip to try to spin the bolt. I made the mistake of looking at her and she immediately stopped and found her food bowl quite interesting. Sneaky little thing.
I'm not sure how I would do it, but I'll look into the padlocks too until her new cage gets here. I can totally believe that Rosetta tries to use the key to open it when the opportunity arises. And I'm glad she came back to you when she got out!

 

[Scott]

Goffins are literal Houdinis and capable of extraordinarily clever maneuvers to break free. Once outside the cage they can unlatch complex spherical locks, undo screws and C-clamps, They are smart enough to cease when they know you are watching and adopt the most innocent stance, but the moment you turn your back.....

Over the years my Goffins have learned to turn a nut hundreds of times to unthread a 3" bolt as makeshift door lock. I purchased thin-gage stainless steel wire to permanently disable various doors and hatches. Amazingly, the delicate dexterity involves the beak and tongue with precise grasping with feet.

 

[wrench13]

Goffin owners - I had no idea they were so mechanically adept. I had thought blue throat macaws held that particular attribute award ! I know someone who has two of them and he had to weld the cage panels together because they kept disassembling them. I am gonna have to visit one of you to have my transmission fixed!

 

[Betrisher]

Scott, one of my birds' favourite toys is a set of stainless steel nuts and bolts screwed through holes in a thick cardboard cylinder. They spend ages painstakingly unscrewing the nuts from the bolts to get the bolt out and fling it about.

PS. It's as well to buy a *lot* of nuts. They tend to get flung so far you can't find them!

 

[SailBoat]

And, while we are covering the escape artistic abilities of those magic Goffins. Let us not forget the Lawyers and Engineers of the Parrot World: Those magic Amazons!

Our Julio earned his free life style by simply dismantling his 'entire cage' multiple times! Nothing like coming home to him in the center of those massive sections with what I swear was a smile on his face. Kind of like, yup, I did it all my myself.

I'm still trying to understand how he defeated those doubled niloc nuts...

 

[Laurasea]

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/science/parrots-are-a-lot-more-than-pretty-bird.html
The wonderful intelligent parrots flying primates!
" Dr. Auersperg and her colleagues have found that Goffin’s cockatoos are among the most spontaneously inventive toolmakers ever described, and that the birds can learn how to fashion the latest food-fetching device after just a single viewing "

 

[Scott]

Old video of Gabby unthreading a nut. Cage and hardware stainless steel! I tried hard to stifle a laugh, meanwhile he pauses a bit to reposition. Sound near end is ET the Timneh sort of cheering him on lol.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9C5YuRxOYk&feature=youtu.be"]Gabby unthreading a nut! - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Scott]

Scott, one of my birds' favourite toys is a set of stainless steel nuts and bolts screwed through holes in a thick cardboard cylinder. They spend ages painstakingly unscrewing the nuts from the bolts to get the bolt out and fling it about.

PS. It's as well to buy a *lot* of nuts. They tend to get flung so far you can't find them!

Love this idea, need to fabricate similar!! Should be a fun project, will buy bolts by the dozens lol.

 

[mica21493]

Love the article and love the video! You know we had actually bought little bird a bolt set when we first got her to play with and she didn't bother with it at all, so I was more than surprised to see how she got out of her cage. Watching Gabby do it with ease both amazes and terrifies me, lol. I will be thoroughly examining her new cage for potential escape routes.

 

[Scott]

Love the article and love the video! You know we had actually bought little bird a bolt set when we first got her to play with and she didn't bother with it at all, so I was more than surprised to see how she got out of her cage. Watching Gabby do it with ease both amazes and terrifies me, lol. I will be thoroughly examining her new cage for potential escape routes.

The cage Gabby was playing with had every latch dismantled by one or more Goffins. Background: There were 4 Goffins, one each Timneh, Citron, and Moluccan in that room when filming. All got along well and were rarely caged. The nut/bolt was an effort at locking the main entrance, but Gabby was already out and just having a good time.

 

[mica21493]

That is so amazing that they all get along and are able to be out so much. Awesome job with them. That article talked about how quickly goffins learn from each other, that it only takes one to start something. Was one of yours a master at that and the others learned or did they all kind of gravitate toward taking things apart?

 

[Scott]

That is so amazing that they all get along and are able to be out so much. Awesome job with them. That article talked about how quickly goffins learn from each other, that it only takes one to start something. Was one of yours a master at that and the others learned or did they all kind of gravitate toward taking things apart?

Thanks, they are the reason I often muse having Goffins in small flocks probably best! They are fully capable of intense relationships with their parronts yet remain fully "parrot." That may be a reason they enjoy tactile handling yet don't see humans as mates.

Each has vastly different personality. First-born Gabby is master Houdini, followed by brother Squeaky. Other brother Abby not very inquisitive. Father Popcorn is rather crafty, especially with wood toys. Mother Peanut sweet and voracious chewer. (both parents wild-caught)

 

[mica21493]

Aw, they sound great!! I love how different their personalities are. I really should go back to Little Bird's initial post and put an update in there, she has some crazy quirks, lol.
Great news about her new cage too! We are able to go pick it up tomorrow morning and they were so wonderful, we chatted about our birds for a bit and they are even including some bonus gifts!
I plan to set it up in the same room so she can get used to it before moving her in. She is so nervous about some stuff and couldn't care less about other stuff so I guess we will see which it will be for her new cage tomorrow.