calling all moluccan owners!!!!!!

[shesocalifornia]

Ok so I just adopted a moluccan and she is very very sweet and slightly spoiled. She has pulled out her chest feathers and inside her wings and her legs and so she has some behavioral/nutritional and possibly hormonal issues. I have only had her for four days. Last night she was playing with my husband and then running back and forth on the couch. My husband put her back on her perch to see if she needed to potty. She got down and sped across the coffee table and jumped on me as a was adjusting my pillow. My hair fell forward and she tried biting it and then pinched the inside of my other arm. Immediately afterwards she buried herself under my arm. I covered her with my blanket and let her calm down. She seemed happy under there. We smuggled a little and then my husband snuggled with her a little. She kept running at me but not always biting. It was the first time in this room and the dog was next to me on the couch. So I am not sure what triggered the bite. Anyone can give me some insight to what you think it was?? I know moluccans are not for the fain of heart. I have three other parrots.....a umbrella he is awesome, a goffin, and a B&G macaw who I adore. So I do have large bird experience.

 

[Kiwibird]

It would be my *guess* she may have felt she was being punished being put up on her perch and/or was not ready to leave you guys side yet and someone was going to pay for that (and you happened to be closest). Next time perhaps try giving her a small tray or toy and verbal praise for going on the perch so she understands its not a "bad" thing

 

[shesocalifornia]

Good suggestion...although I was the furthest person away.

 

[shesocalifornia]

Update!!! So after biting a small child on friday and breaking the skin I thought she was just startled. Then she attacked me twice over the weekend and both times she rushed at me and bit me when I was sitting off by myself. Today she bit my bather pretty good when she tried to put her in her cage. She broke the skin on her hand and two places on the back of her arm. She seems like she feels good....eating good and not plucking. She has tons of new feathers coming in. I have only had her since last wednesday. She seems to like men and everyone she has bitten has been female. We are trying to find out if the last owners were smokers or if this has been a problem in the past. She seemed ok with everyone at the park but there was a lot of wing stroking going on that day. I want to give this bird a good home and a help her but I can't have her biting everyone.

 

[MikeyTN]

That's a typical behavior of Cockatoos!!!!

First of all, did you practice quarantine????

I had a U2 that started out light biting then went full on attacks. That was the main reason he had to leave cause he was trying to hurt everyone including my other animals and that is not ok with me. People I can understand as I keep them away and deal with him on my own but my other animals is a big no no.

His previous home was heavy smoker and he plucked his chest feathers pretty good. But after having him for over a year and changed his diet for the better he stopped plucking and grew them all back. So it's just gonna take time for yours to recover if she was in a smoker's home. But bird lover smokers knows better too by smoking outside like we do.

It will require you to have a daily training routine, it can be done but needs hours of training as in fun training, they don't tolerate well to being told no to or to be disciplined as they will come back with a vengeance. When training, you must be alone with no one else present, even other animals!

 

[shesocalifornia]

Thank you for your reply....she was actually was housed with two cockatiels when rescued and never once tried to hurt them. I just found out the last people were not smokers but did neglect her terribly. Had her on a diet of sunflower seeds and cockatiels food. No cage liner because the mountain of poop rotted it away. She was never let out of her cage ever. She received no baths and had no natural sunlight. So a lot has changed. Yep she is quarantine at my shop during the day and the rest of the birds are at my house. I work all day while she hangs out on a perch beside us. I found out her favorite food is cheese after she stole some off my plate. I give her a tiny bit of cheese when she comes out of her cage and when she is put away. I think they had her on junk food and fed her whatever they were eating. I have her on pellets in which she eats very well after dunking it in her water. She is also offered fresh veggies fruits and nuts which she won't touch. I made her some organic scrambled egg and she ate that pretty well. As well as being out on her perch else 8 hours she gets snuggle time and gets to go outside for some sunshine! She loves to talk and whistle. (She sounds like a cockatiels). I think she has potential to be a awesome bird!!! But sheddoes have some bad habits! Screaming when she wants attention which we ignore. And believe it or not it is working and she has been quieter lately. I gave her fresh branches to shred and new toys! Lots of preening toys which she loves! She has had two baths. Just wasn't sure where this aggression was coming from all of a sudden but I suppose I should be patient. After all being in dark cage with nothing to eat or do has to make a sane bird kinda crazy.

 

[shesocalifornia]

The rewarding while going into her cage and getting out has curbed her biting for now. I am just going to keep things mellow for awhile....so she can gradually adjust.