new to parrot's not to birds and needing help

[jay50n]

i have just rescued 4 parrots, 2 umbrella cockatoos, a blue and gold macaw and a goffin cockatoo. i have had cockatiels, lovebirds and various finches so i know a little about birds.
ok....i am going to need a lot of help with these 4 new birds. if anyone can help me then i will post all the bad things these birds have gone through and why i had to rescue them even though i may not be very well equipped or experienced with parrots.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Wow. I hope you know what you are in for... that's a lot of bird to care for.

We're definitely here to help though.

 

[FlockMom]

Wow, you took on a lot if you haven't had much experience with the bigger guys. What kinds of problems are you having?

 

[jay50n]

well, the reason i have them is a friend who rehabs raptors gave my number to a lady who wanted him to take the birds. guess he knows i am a pushover with any animals. i went to look at the birds, a 3 hour drive. i only intended to look. well the lady had rescued them herself and was now in a position to be rescued herself, due to illness. the birds, although in general high spirits we in a poor hygene environment. 3 inches of poop in the cages, and spilt seeds everywhere so bad you couldnt see the floor. well i took them right away. the cages are a great size and the lady cried like a baby when i took them but she knew i was going to spoil them.
ok....here we go....
the blue and gold macaw looks like a bold chicken....she rescued him "mac" from a negligent pet store and had to pay $800 to get the store to release him. he talks all day but when he has his out time he wants to fight......dogs, cats other birds he dont care....so for this reason he gets let out alone. and i saw him beat up a cat when i picked him up...and he doesnt like my wife....he bit her bad and crushed her finger and drew blood.....am i always going to have problems with him?????
ok....that was just the macaw.........posting new reply on other birds

 

[jay50n]

ok....next is one of the umbrellas. he is almost blind. he had his wings broken, beak broken and his claws mashed in cage doors by some other owner a while ago. he is around 30 and he is already getting used to me and will come on my hand. he cant fly but is in great health and love to chew on wood. he cant crack nuts but loves walnuts i crack for him.........so he isnt really a problem.........just letting you know some history

 

[jay50n]

next is a 8 year old umbrella. also hand tame and like to cuddle and not been abused....the only problem is......i think he was spoiled and when we go out of sight...he screams all the time. if he can see us then he is ok. i bought all of my parrots new toys and a new lock for this guy.....mr houdini...really. he escapes from everything........i know they are in a new environment and i think they just have to get used to their new family...am i right?

 

[jay50n]

and last but not least...a goffins cockatoo. female and a lovely little girl. no problem at all. and no real history on her.
as i said i am new to parrots but not an idiot.........i have the biggest heart you will ever find. i dont kill any animals. my land is set out for wildlife with no hunters welcome.

what i really want to know is.....if i build a real big avairy, and by big i mean just that. heated and cooled roost....can they all live together?????

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Can they all live together? ... Most of them probably could, eventually. But I'm not so sure about Mac - he may need his own cage.

Have you had a vet check them all out? Coming from those conditions I'd HIGHLY recommend this ASAP if you have not already done so.

Other than that it sounds like you're going to be on track: time, patience, and a healthy environment can do wonders in such situations.

For the screamer (ie separation anxiety bird) do try to compromise a bit by staying in sight when you can; but when you do leave DO NOT respond to any of her screaming. Just completely ignore it, and only come back in the room (or into sight) when she is calm.

For the aggressive Mac... he may be a challenge. Its worth asking how much you really want to CHANGE his behavior versus just dealing with who he is and giving him the happiest life you can. Certainly you should expect that he'll behave better for your wife and family in the future but whether he'll be able to interact with other birds.... well that may not be in his cards. Nothing is impossible with the right amount of work but that just might not be a goal to take on.

 

[jay50n]

well ty for the advice. i am going to be posing all new questions now i found somewhere that i can.
these guys i picked up never asked to be abused...hopefully they can forget the past and have a happy future be it with me or someone who will love and help them.

 

[FlockMom]

Wow! Okay. The Blue and Gold. Any idea of his/her age? And did you mean bold chicken or bald chicken? Is he a plucker? It sounds like he will be a one person bird and he may get to a point where he tolerates the other animals. As you know, whenever he shows you bad behavior you want to ignore it. No matter what it is, do NOT react. At most, when I have received a good bite, I will put the bird in his cage and walk away. Okay, back to basics. The first thing you are going to have to do with any of the birds is probably to establish trust. With what they've been through that could take some time. Don't rush it. You might begin by letting them watch you go about your day. Each time you pass his cage you will want to say something to them. The next move is to sit in front of his/her cage and talk. The next step is to get them to take a treat from your fingers, etc. I have some really good links all about this and will post that to you when I dig them out. But it all starts with trust.

Hope this helps.

 

[FlockMom]

Okay, the screaming Cockatoo! I have one of those. What seems to be working is ignoring him. Usually it get to the point where I can't take it anymore and end up giving in and giving Max attention. Lately I decided that enough is enough. No matter how long or how hard he screams I ignore him. His outbursts are getting shorter and less frequent. I think I'm on the right path. Of course, with this going on, I make sure to reward his good behavior. When he starts singing or just chatting, etc.

 

[jay50n]

i know i got to build up trust with these guys but to be honest and all they been through, the 3 cockatoos are all happy to come on me with no hesitation. i have a radio playing in their room to help with the noise. it seemed to work for half the day....lol
the macaw will when i need for him to get back in his cage. and yes i meant BALD....lol he plucked himself. he has started to recover and grow some feathers back. he loves peanuts and thats my bribe to him.
i would like to post pictures for all you guys to see....can i do it in here or another section?

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Sounds like you've got them on the right track then, keep it up.

You could post links to pictures in the discussion here. But there is also a photo gallery section where you can upload the photos. (See the "Photo Gallery" button along the blue bar near the top of the page).

 

[jay50n]

i posted a few pics in the photo section

 

[Spiritbird]

I have no suggestions for such a complex bird family. I wanted to say God Bless You and your Wife for your love of animals and willingness to help the needy birds. You will find lots of good people here who can help you. I am too much of a novice but do recognize good people like you.

 

[Ecclipse]

Your an amazing person - bless you! I feel so sorry for those poor parrots for what they went through. Luckily they have you - you sound dedicated and willing which is wonderful - yey!!!! AD is right - you need to get them to the vet because you dont know what they might have picked up. Any bacterial or viral disease can spread quickly through your flock and you dont want to have to be treating them - I know all bout that and I only have 1 parrot - lol. Pellets, fruit, veggies, fresh water, toys, enough space and the love and time - you have already improved their lives a 100%. It took my parrot about 1 month before he settled properly - he was very scared and bit badly. He doesnt bite anymore - only when he wants something NOW! but he is still young but dont give up on Mac not biting and being civil to your wife. He might surprise you and come round and if he doesn't then at least you can still handle him and he has a loving home. You'll see when they settle, they will begin to love the attention and affection and begin to respond in a way that makes them feel comfortable. Go through the forum and check out all the info - it really helped me.

 

[jay50n]

ty all for your kind words. i got many issues that i have to get my head around. i know i have bitten off a lot more than i could chew, but saying that......i am not going to quit on these guys because if i dont help them, then who is going to?
well i let mac out today....as well as the others but he is now coming on my hand to get out. unfortunately his claws are like talons and drew blood and basically ripped my arm to pieces........and no not on purpose and i guess it is my fault for not noticing his condition. so i have been looking how to trim the claws...lol and i think i got it covered for tomorrow.
also i just bought another cage for the umbrellas. twice as big as their last. so i hope they are happier.....

 

[norenekay]

I agree with Auggie's Dad and Flock Mom. Establishing trust is utmost and it can take a long time. Mac has big needs issues and with so many birds you can't possibly have enough time to give him the time and attention he will need to rehabilitate. Actually,you shouldn't be trying to handle any of them yet. It's only been a week or so? I cover my birds every night; it makes them feel safe and they need to have a good 12 hours of quiet, sleep time or they get over stimulated. I think giving Mac his own section of the aviary is the best route and he will interact with the other guys in their section. Good luck, when I had a B&G (I babysat for 6 months) he and my Moluccan cockatoo had screaming contests. Amazing their screams have been compared to jet engines.

 

[jay50n]

so does anyone know a way to sex cockatoos (umbrellas) without the dna tests. i know that it may be inaccurate but i can accurately sex lovebirds and they need testing.
reason i as is that my cockatoos were mating today. ceasar and mickey.......now i am thinking mickey is a girl or do cockatoos just go through the motion with any sex?

any help welcome

 

[Greydad01]

I was wondering the same as Mom, If the B&G is a plucker, you'll need to find other things for him to chew on. Aside from all the chew toys they sell at PetSmart, you can create some yourself.

Go to an 'Arts & Crafts' store, such as Michael's, & get some 'untanned' leather cord, 'undyed wood shaped pieces(varying sizes), then start collecting as many empty paper towel rolls as you can.

Cut lengths of leather cord to about twice as long as a paper towel roll, then tie wood pieces to ends of cordsmaking sure the piece at one end is small enough to slide pt rolls over, making other end large enough to hold them in place.

You can cut the pt rools to whatever size you choose, mostly depending on the size of the bird. Then slide them onto the cords & hang(or lay) where you choose.

These will give the bird ssomething other than its own feathers to chew on, & cost less than store toys in the long run, because the bird concentrates mostly on the cardboard rolls& not the leather, & wood(which are still safe to chew on if they decide to).