Poor Jet My black cockatoo

[Juliejet]

Hi
6 weeks ago I bought a beautiful red tail cockatoo (Jet) and he seemed good at the start he was 4 months old wasn't eating much so I rang the person I got him from and he said that is normal till he gets use to his new house ,took him to the vet 2 days later for a check up and all is good but a little under weight.we came home with lots of info and food ( sprouted seeds,pellets went and bought lots of fresh food ,he loves nuts but he can't have to many of them,he did eat and nibble on a lot of it but as time went on he was eating less so as a worried mother I was trying all different things to get him to eat and he slowly started to beg and cry for me and as time went on,he had plenty of toys and chewing things that he did use but in the end he was just crying all the time and not eating all day till his dinner it consisted of potato Mash,rice,pumpkin and that would be the only time he would stop crying cause he was full.so a week and a half I took him to the vet and he said leave him in the cage for 2 hrs in the morning with healthy food and I'm wasn't to give him food with my hands and he will realise that he should eat the food on offer ,I did that and he cried all day whenever he could see me ,and didn't eat all day till dinner,I did this for 2 days it was doing my head in cause I new he was starving I felt so bad for him.i took him back to the vet and he seen how bad the crying was and decided to keep him in boarding for a week and they will try and get him to eat the good stuff.i nearly cried cause I know I had done this myself some how all I was doing was trying to get him to eat.the vet and I think he was not fully weaned.well I hope that it works he is eating a little pellets and nibbling on some fresh food he isn't stressed and is loving everyone there I know it will be a long road when he gets back but I'm up for anything he needs.today we mad a great big play stand for him I have a few Q do I put the swing high or low and how many toys do I put on it he doesn't go crazy when I give him new things,I know this is a long post but I felt you should know the whole story that if u can understand it lol tried to say so much in a short way and I will try and figure out how to put pics up ant advise is welcome even if it's not what I want to hear lol

 

[MikeyTN]

Didn't I tell you in your prior post I don't think he's weaned yet....I would put some on there and not too many to the point he can't move around. You can always add more if necessary. Or you can always switch them around.

 

[Freespin]

Poor little guy, my boy always cries for me to feed him too although he generally still eats on his own too so he copes with just a warm mash at night.

 

[Juliejet]

Yes Micky you did but I guess I was hopeful I could get it right but I didn't and he is paying the price just hope I can get it right when he comes home I miss him so much hope he doesn't take it the wrong way and still loves me when he comes home thanks for the response I have decorated the stand hope it's not to much there is all different pine cones that I bought and put on as well don't know if you can see them let me know what you think

 

[Juliejet]

hope this is the right way up

 

[KimKim]

Poor baby, how come they don't just give him a little formula still and start over on the weaning process? ( I don't know much about weaning, but this sounds better than forcing, IMO). I hope he gets to come home soon

 

[Juliejet]

That's what I expected the vet to say he did say if that after the stay if he doesn't start to eat enough we may need to do that I just hope this works when he gets home I will put a pic up of him he is handsome I don't have a pic of him would you believe cause all I have is videos of him lol

 

[MikeyTN]

You can post a video of him on here! Just load it through YouTube, photobucket, etc.

Have you had a talk with the breeder about the weaning issue???

 

[riaria]

A lot of babies need comfort feeds after they've gone to their new home, some just at night and others more regularly. There's no risk of the baby "forgetting how to eat on it's own" or anything like that, it's just a natural process. Weaning takes time, often more time than the breeder will allow (because sending the baby home as soon as it eats in it's own is easier, and means that new babies can take it's place).

So from what you've described, there's nothing wrong, nothing that needs "fixing". He just needs to be hand fed for a while longer; it's perfectly natural. A good breeder would either offer to take the baby in for a while longer, or would offer to teach you how to hand feed. The risks of doing it yourself is smaller when the baby is that big, and you don't have to worry so much about the correct formula or the correct temperature. Our (adult) birds still love to be fed luke warm oatmeal or even baby food.

Cockatoos are, from what I understand, maybe more prone to taking longer to wean and needing comfort feeds when home than the average parrot, and the whining will probably go away when he feels secure again (though, some do it for a year or longer, I've been told, so may have to do with age as well).

So yeah, sounds like your bird doesn't need any more unfamiliar environments, or any force feelings. He just needs to be fed a bit longer, nothing wrong with that

 

[Juliejet]

Thanks Micky I will try and figure that one out with the Utube as for the breeder I got Jet from a pet shop well recognised here I think he said jet was there for only a few weeks I will ring him and ask for the breeders info but I get the feeling he will put the blame on me as I know that's the fact any ways.The vet gave me my Dailey update and Jet is going well he put on a few grams over night as he had lost 10 grams the 2 nights before that's only with having a few sunflower seeds and some nuts and still only a few pellets of cause they are offering fresh greens as well and he is nibbling them as well I must say that's what he was doing for me except at night he would fill up on the potato mash rice and pumpkin at night ( that's what they want to change.i get the feeling that he will be coming home on some formula as well,
Riaria what you r saying is what I thought black Toos take up to 2 years to wean I have fed formula to a cockatoo and I feel confident in doing that but with what I have been reading from lots of different places there is so may different opinions on what to do that's why this happened I feel better now after reading your post that if he needs formula he will not want that for the rest of his life believe me I was only doing what I thought was best for Jet and I failed but hope I can make it better when he comes home.
Thanks again every one

 

[MikeyTN]

I would think the pet shop would do something if one of their customers is saying to them that the baby is not weaned. Black Cockatoos are pretty expensive birds, I would think they don't want bad news about them selling unweaned babies to unsuspecting clients as it would make them look bad. Have a chat with them and see what they say.

 

[Juliejet]

Today's update from vet ,Jet lost another 10 grams last night the vet said Jet only ate a few seeds and nuts so he will see how he goes with breakfast,the vet says he has been trying to coach him with the foods he likes then offer the pellets and other health stuff but Jet seems to be stubborn and the vet now appreciates why I was trying so hard to get him to eat,so if no luck with breaki he may need to give a little crop feed (mind you that's what I wanted to do )but I can only listen to the advice the vet gives me it's worth a try,I can't wait till Thursday when he comes home hope he likes his new play gym and spruced up cage.

 

[Juliejet]

Forgot to respond Mikey
The thing is I think they will just stick to the fact that they think he was weaned and that maybe it was my fault (which it prob was) they had a female the same age there as well I wonder how she has gone.