Meredith0708
New member
Hello! I have acquired an 8-year-old Goffins cockatoo and need quite a lot of advice. She has been through a few home changes and as far as I can tell from reading on this forum, her diet is all wrong and her behavior isn't appropriate. She is under duress and has been picking at her feathers enough that she actually had quite a lot of blood in her cage one night. That was a few nights ago and hasn't happened since. She is still picking but not as bad. She has a few bare spots under her wings where I can see the quill in the skin. I am also inexperienced when it comes to this type of bird. The good news is she seems to adore me and I am more than willing to learn the proper way to take care of her. She has a wonderful personality and I have become attached to her already. She doesn't show any aggression and loves to ride on my shoulder as much as possible. Her previous owner allowed this and I didn't know it wasn't advisable until reading this forum. Part of my problem in figuring all of this out is I'm not sure how to change her already-established habits without stressing her out further. I have read a lot of good advice in these forums, but not sure how to introduce them given the stress she is under. I am wondering if there is a book anyone could recommend that really goes into the tiny details of what daily life should be like with this bird. I'm not sure how long she should be covered, how long she should be allowed out of her cage, how much socializing I should do with her, and how to actually socialize with her. I know I need to get her playing with toys so she plays with them instead of picking on herself, but any attempt I have made at introducing toys have not gone well. I have tried putting them out across the room and gradually moving them toward her, but she runs away from them or shows absolutely no interest. I know this is a long post and I am asking a lot, but I appreciate any advice I can get. I would even welcome phone calls to discuss Lola if available. Thanks so much!!