Zoey....The great adventure begins....

Casper223

New member
Apr 27, 2019
327
2
Gulf Coast, Louisiana/Mississippi State Line S/E
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo "Zoey"
Hey Everyone…. Finally have the kids safely/securely tucked away for bed, and I’m exhausted, but wanted to take a moment to start a story. The story begins two weeks ago. I received a text from my breeder saying Zoey was finally weaned. Zoey was refusing her formula, and had been eating whole raw food, seed, pellets and a variety of tree nuts. My breeder further stated, she wanted to wait until the end of the week, which would give Zoey a couple of weeks on a full whole food diet, and if she continued, she would then make arrangements with me to get Zoey to me. Of course I had a surgical procedure scheduled for that Friday, which had been scheduled since before Memorial Day, as I was waiting for an opening to get the procedure done. My breeder sent me a grocery list of Zoey’s current fresh Diet, because my breeder and I have been working on strategies since the decision was made to adopt Zoey after weaning. Monday morning I received a text message from my breeder with the air way bill and Zoey’s itinerary for Tuesday. I wasn’t able to travel yet after the procedure, but was able to get to the airport to pick Zoey up.

Tuesday Morning, I was able to fill Zoey’s fresh grocery list, and received texts from Delta, first noting Zoey had arrived and was checked in at the airport, followed by my Breeders text noting the same. All through the 5 hour flight, and check in’s, Delta was fantastic about tracking Zoey’s movements, along with my breeder. Finally at 5 pm, Zoey arrived in New Orleans….. and I had been waiting for about an hour for her flight, at the air cargo department. I should have taken pictures while being at the air cargo place of Delta, as a lady purchased a Great Dane puppy, and showed up in a nice late model Cadillac sedan to retrieve her pet. I could see the panic on her face as she expected a poodle size dog, and received a Shetland pony sized fur baby. She could get the dog out, and get him in the car, but that crate wasn’t fitting anywhere on that car, and Delta assured her she couldn’t leave the crate their. She had to borrow tools to disassemble the crate in order to get it in her trunk, and this was just one of the several stories unfolding at the air cargo. Finally the lady behind the counter said, your bird is here, let me go get her, and she was laughing and cheerful, then I heard her scream from in the warehouse, and employees ran to her from out of the office, I thought something bad happened to Zoey, but found the young lady was young, and evidently didn’t know any better, so she stuck her finger in Zoey’s travel crate, and the sight of her finger was ugly!! Her co-worker brought Zoey to me, set her on the counter and said to me, Your bird is mean, it hissed at his female co-worker then bit her. The lady came into the office as I was trying to visually check Zoey for injuries, but Zoey was fluffed up, and hissing at everything and everyone. The woman said with her hand in a rag and blood dripping from her finger, your bird is mean and bites. I should have taken pictures, but thought that would be adding salt to the wound. Zoey appeared to be fine, not injured in her first attack. I mean she just left everything she knew, was put on an airplane, with strange people, and probably around other pets, flown for 5 hours, changing flights in Atlanta, arrived in New Orleans, to a stranger poking her finger inside the cage at her. Zoey’s cage had mesh screening across all the windows, and was tie wrapped by at least 8 tie wraps, so the Lady from Air Cargo, had to work hard to get her finger into the crate, and I really think she got off light, and hopefully learned a valuable lesson. I immediately contacted my breeder, who promptly contacted Delta, and was able to register a complaint through her account.

After getting my car cool inside, I placed Zoey in the car, still in her crate. We were now in rush hour traffic in the middle of New Orleans. I began talking to Zoey, trying to allow her to hear my voice, trying to calm her down. She finally stopped hissing, and to my total surprise, I heard a toy “Ray Gun” then a laugh. I’m thinking, this is strange, she is only 6 ½ months old, and I can’t imagine her mimicking these noises so soon. But she was, and did lol I talked to Zoey all the way home, hearing her from time to time in the crate chewing on something. Every now and then I glanced into the window, which had screen covering it, to see little Ms Zoey looking at me. I finally got the young lady home, and walked her into the living room, and placed her crate on the coffee table, in order to remove the screen, duct tape, and the tie wraps from her cage. I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t worried about being bit like the lady from the airport. I opened her travel crate, still talking to Zoey, and then I backed off, and allowed Zoey to come out on her own. After talking to Zoey, and backing off, I guess about 10 minutes went by, when Zoey finally emerged and surveyed her new domain. My breeder had clipped Zoey’s wings, not much, but she was clipped. Zoey can fly level, and downwards for a soft landing, she just can’t get any height. Zoey took flight after a couple of minutes, and decided to start exploring lol. After about a half hour, I walked over to Zoey, offered my hand, and instructed Zoey to “Step Up” in which she immediately did. I was now able to place Zoey into her new cage. Per my breeders instructions, the only Items in Zoey’s cage were perches, food and water bowls. Our strategy was to wait until Zoey became familiar with her Food and water before introducing anything else to her cage. Zoey went almost two days before eating anything, and it was this point me breeder asked me to be patient, because I was surely worried about Zoey. After two days, Zoey finally went to her seed bowl, which is about a 2 cup bowl, per my breeders instructions, Zoey has two kinds of pellets, plus seeds mixed in 3rds, mixed up real good then placed in her cage. After two day of Zoey not touching anything but her water, my breeder asked me to pours her seeds and pellets into a large bowl, then add a handful of tree nuts, and a handful of sunflower seeds, mix it all up again real well then place it back in her cage. After adding sunflower seeds, and tree nuts, Zoey went from eating nothing to emptying her bowl in the next 2 days, lol I still haven’t made much progress with Zoey’s fresh bowl, She gets a few sprouts, a beet or two, and usually nothing else. Zoey is weighing in at 515 grams, and is tall and slender built.

This week, I’ve been working hard at trying to build in a routine for Rocky and Zoey. Zoey seems very fascinated by Rocky, which Rocky has never seen a bird up close, and Zoey has never seen a fur baby at all. I’ve been trying to have Zoey out of her cage, a couple hours in the morning, and a couple of hours in the evening. During this time I’ve had Rocky crated and Zoey on her tree, or Zoey in her cage and Rocky on his recliner. Again I’m working on a strategy of allowing Zoey to see me interact with Rocky, and allow Rocky to see me interact with Zoey. I’m hoping that in watching the interacting points they learn through observation that there’s no danger in one another. At this point in time, every time Zoey sees Rocky, she drops whatever she is eating and goes to her high perch. I’ll wait until Zoey continues to eat while Rocky is around before I move foreword. I’m not in the least bit remotely worried about Rocky hurting her, although I am concerned that Zoey will nip at Rocky in a defensive maneuver. I do believe this is the only strategy, my breeder and I haven’t spent much time on, as my breeder doesn’t have other fur babies in her facility, only birds. It seems so far, Zoeys favorite toy to interact with, has been a skewer. It’s a pet skewer that hangs within her cage, and I’ve been able to skewer, apples, okra, beets, peppers, and banana’s on it, and see Zoey attacking it throughout the day. She especially likes anything with seeds, like peppers, and okra, that I cut in half long ways leaving the seeds, I notice her eating the seeds from the core all within the day. I haven’t seen her in her fresh bowl much at all. Her daily routine was Red Beets, Bell Peppers, Papaya, Honeydew, mango, apple, kale and banana’s, and to that I’ve been adding sprouts, and organic, unsweet coconut, also shredded carrot. She hasn’t cracked any walnuts yet, but if I start them and place them in her bowl, she loves to eat the nut out of them, and almonds she easily shreds for the nut.

Yesterday, she flew down from her tree, and walked across the living room, and perched on my foot as I was sitting and reading. I lifted my foot and she ran across to my lap, and ran up my shirt, and snuggled under the crease of my neck. I scratched her head and neck, and talked with her for about a half hour, while she lay contently, snuggling. As I talked to her, she made a noise like woody woodpeckers laugh. After about a half hour, I placed her back on her tree, and as I turned around to walk away, she flew back on my shoulder. Again I scratched her head and neck area for another 15-20 minutes, and at this point I moved her into her cage, although she wouldn’t perch on her perch, rather just ran up my arm to get back on my shoulder lol. Finally, I was able to talk her into getting on her perch, and cover her cage so she could get a good nights sleep. After getting into her nut and seed, pellet bowl real good, I noticed her shredding a perch in her cage, so I placed a toy inside her cage to allow her to play and chew on. I’ll add a few pictures of her, and as time goes on, I’ll try to add to this story, and add pictures as well.

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noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Shes adorable!! Congrats!

Bananas were the first fruit mine would eat...Raspberries were also a hit (but they stain and look like blood, so beware LOL!)

I would try to get rid of sunflower seeds if I were you. They are super fatty and practically addictive and keep a close eye on her when she eats nuts in the shell-- mine ate some of it once and I had to take it away. Apparently it is fairly common for them to do this and they can get a blockage. If she doesn't eat the shell at all, you should be okay, but watch her to make sure.

Also--- I know they are cuteness overload, but try to set boundaries early on for your little "velcro-bird" (an adult too trying to latch on isn't nearly as adorable haha).

I am happy things are going well!!!
 
OP
Casper223

Casper223

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Apr 27, 2019
327
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Gulf Coast, Louisiana/Mississippi State Line S/E
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo "Zoey"
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We did the sunflower seed because they would attract her to her food sources, and they did that really quickly. The sunflower seeds were only about an â…› th of her food supply, and because she hadn't eaten in 2 days, the breeder asked me to include them. However now that she has gotten into her pellets, and seed very well (whoosh what a relief) the sunflower seeds will be removed and only used as a treat.
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Man, I wish mine were that easy-going! She still fights me on pellets--- I guess that is one of the advantages of starting them young :) / :(
Mine wasn't a baby anymore when I got her.
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Congratulations, welcome home Zoey!!

Your early discussions with the breeder were promising, seems they fully delivered and more! Looking forward to more pics as the adventure begins!!
 
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Casper223

Casper223

New member
Apr 27, 2019
327
2
Gulf Coast, Louisiana/Mississippi State Line S/E
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo "Zoey"
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Congratulations, welcome home Zoey!!

Your early discussions with the breeder were promising, seems they fully delivered and more! Looking forward to more pics as the adventure begins!!

Scott, two weeks ago, I read a Cockatoo page on facebook, I'm sure others read it too. The jest of the two post just a day or two apart were they just received their baby cockatoo's, one was a Goffins, The other was either a Moluccan or an umbrella, However on the 3rd day, both owners were in full panic mode, neither bird was eating after their breeder said they were weaned. One was 8 weeks old, because I remarked to myself, this isn't a puppy, the other wasn't much older. In my next phone conversation with my breeder, she explained to me umbrella Cockatoos, Moluccan Cockatoo's were a process to wean, The Goffins wasn't much better. My breeder said she personally fed her babies formula until they refused to take formula and were eating pellets, seed and nuts. In the package she sent to me was a bag of sunflower seeds, of course we discussed sunflower seeds, and I knew their was a lot of controversy over them, but the reason she sent them was just incase Zoey decided to stop feeding and tried to revert back to formula. Well Zoey never screamed from hunger, but she wasn't eating either, and I was weighing her every morning and every night, to have and keep record of her weights. She came to me that evening weighing 513 grams, and by the second day was either 501 or 503, and she wasn't interested in feed at all. When my breeder said put a palm full of sunflower seeds into her bowl, but mix them up real good so she could see some on top but would have to go through the bowl to get to the others, it made all the difference in the world, it was like throwing a light switch. Zoey absolutely made a pig of herself, after she started she easily went â…“ of the bowl that 2 days evening. The next morning she easily went â…“ of the bowl again. One of her pellets has little red hearts shaped into pellets, and she loves them, and the other is a baby formula pellet, which is all different shapes and size pellets but especially made for baby's. I just weighed her again a couple of hours ago, and she weighed 515 grams. Now getting back to the two baby's I read about on social media, both instances, both babies were rushed in for emergency avian vet visits, and I haven't read back anything from either, so I have no idea of their outcomes, but both parents were very disappointed in a day 3 emergency avian vet, and both birds were screaming for formula. My breeder mentioned something else, you'll probably know more about this than I do, but she said the Goffins were the worst, they made a moaning sound in the mornings and evenings to be fed. She said the moaning sound they made was absolutely pitiful.... She said the umbrella babies and Moluccan baby's would scream for food but the Goffins moaned. Does that sound familiar as a noise they often make after growing up when they want something Scott?? Anyway, as you remember, we had discussed strategies for nearly everything, and were both on the same page, she just didn't clue me in on the sunflower seeds, and why she included them, and I really didn't ask, thinking they were treats. We had a cage strategy, toy strategy, transition strategy, I had a binder full of strategies that I had taken notes on, then she sent more I just printed and added to my binder. I feel were over the hump as far as eating, and am still working on her fresh diet. Zoey's nibbling at her sprouts, and hitting the Okra hard along with the beets. I do realize she will like some more than others, but will persistently keep pushing variety. After she started chewing the (Manzanita) perches, and after starting to eat her seeds and pellets, I added a toy in her cage, just one, and she is enjoying it. I found a beach hat the other day made of straw at the grocery, and got it as well, I put it on top of her cage, and she swings upside down and chews on the straw pieces that look like they've cam loose around the brim. She loves this. After her little Dracula incident at air cargo, I have to admit, I was skittish of our first interactions, But so far, she's been nothing more than loving, after being shy for the first day or so. Her flying down from her perch and running too me was the sweetest thing I've seen her do yet. She's got to where now, if she's on one side of her tree perch, and I walk to the other side, she runs across the perch to get close to me. She really likes being petted, but I keep the scratching to her head and neck, but she still turns around with her tail facing me, and semi spreads her wings. At the end of the month she will be 7 months old. She mimics a toy ray gun, and mimics a laugh, that makes me laugh at her laughing. Even though at the moment, I have all day to spend with her Scott, I'm trying to only hold and handle her for about an hour each day, with about 4 hours total out of cage, usually broken into two sessions, so that way when I go back to work, she's not use to constant petting and attention. Every day, she does something new and different, showing me new things or making new noises daily, something unexpected. Oh the other strategy, my breeder sent me two big 9 pack packages of Chinese finger traps. When I asked her what they were for, she said, when Zoey starts chewing on buttons or things she wasn't suppose to be chewing on, use the finger traps to distract her from unwanted behaviors, lol I'm telling you, this breeder thought about most everything, and I couldn't be more happy with a baby as I am Zoey. Of course like you said, I am enjoying the honeymoon process, as for the most part, she's pretty quiet. When I speak to her, she hollers back, but other than that she is pretty quiet. When I leave the room, I see her watching to see where I went, but she hasn't started hollering yet, and I hope she doesn't.....But I'm guessing that's just wishful thinking. So far, it all seems pretty good, I'll grab more pictures as the opportunities present themselves, and will gladly post them here so everyone can keep up with her growing up, and maturing.
 

Scott

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Aug 21, 2010
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Have not read the account you described, but sadly the weakest links are breeder and new parront. Pressures of economics and ignorance force poorly weaned or maladjusted birds upon the willing. The high re-home rate of cockatoos proves the point.

You are in the best possible position, having chosen a phenomenal breeder and schooled yourself. Yet you know Zoey will present challenges and have a great support system!

Actually my goffins were easy to wean and are very well adjusted adults. The short backstory is all three offspring were abandoned by parents within days of hatching. The first caught my mom by surprise as he (Gabby) was cold and gray during a well-check day 3. A minor miracle he survived and was test case for Abby and Squeaky. They never experienced parental feeding so were accustomed to human care from the start. My mom woke at 2-3 hour intervals and was able to take them to work for continued round the clock feedings. To this day they seldom show "begging" behaviors will scream when they want something!
 

GaleriaGila

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I am so excited for you. I love new beginnings. I wish you as rewarding a journey as the one I have had with the Rickeybird. I always feel a little like a grandma here, ya know. And in this case, a very proud one. :)
 
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Casper223

Casper223

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Apr 27, 2019
327
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Gulf Coast, Louisiana/Mississippi State Line S/E
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo "Zoey"
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I want to add a few pictures this morning, a Toy I had built for Zoey, seems like the designer had these what he called poppers built for conure and smaller sized birds like budgies etc... I thought Zoey would really enjoy this too, knowing Too's enjoy climbing, so in tossing the idea at the designer, he assured me he had never built one of that size before, but would give it a shot. It's a PVC Cube with Sisal Rope tied all through it's kinda like cargo netting. I attached the popper to Zoey's tree (from The Parrot Wizzard) and allowed Zoey to play on her tree, and much to my Amazement, Zoey jumped off of the tree directly onto her popper, and hasn't looked back, she really loves it. Her activity level throughout the day has really increased..... I know there's a procedure to introducing new toys etc...to our birds, But Zoey just isn't afraid to try anything. She takes to new Raw vegetables really well, new treats and healthy snacks too.

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Yesterday, she found her way inside the cube, and played for a while, although she loves her wood & leather play toys, She seems to really be enjoying her cargo net cube (Popper). Especially when she hides inside of her cube, and chews and attacks a hanging toy attached to another perch. She is hilarious. Seems to be really enjoying herself.
 

Ellie777Australia

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Apr 12, 2019
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Queensland, Australia
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SI Eclectus Female, Ellie; RS/SI Eclectus Male, Bertie (both adopted as rescue/re-home)
I want to add a few pictures this morning, a Toy I had built for Zoey, seems like the designer had these what he called poppers built for conure and smaller sized birds like budgies etc... I thought Zoey would really enjoy this too, knowing Too's enjoy climbing, so in tossing the idea at the designer, he assured me he had never built one of that size before, but would give it a shot. It's a PVC Cube with Sisal Rope tied all through it's kinda like cargo netting. I attached the popper to Zoey's tree (from The Parrot Wizzard) and allowed Zoey to play on her tree, and much to my Amazement, Zoey jumped off of the tree directly onto her popper, and hasn't looked back, she really loves it. Her activity level throughout the day has really increased..... I know there's a procedure to introducing new toys etc...to our birds, But Zoey just isn't afraid to try anything. She takes to new Raw vegetables really well, new treats and healthy snacks too.

ipu52D9.jpg

Fc8f4N4.jpg


Yesterday, she found her way inside the cube, and played for a while, although she loves her wood & leather play toys, She seems to really be enjoying her cargo net cube (Popper). Especially when she hides inside of her cube, and chews and attacks a hanging toy attached to another perch. She is hilarious. Seems to be really enjoying herself.


Awww...she's precious and seems to be having a ball:D
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
9,789
San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
What a terrific toy! Some cockatoos are terrified by most anything new, but Zoey is well adjusted and confident. Definitely a great breeder and you've done a great job since arrival.
 

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