Cons of owning a Galah Cockatoo?

[Jayyj]

Sorry, that ended up a bit of a rant! 'How dare anyone tell you not to get a galah, but seriously, don't get one!' That wasn't what i was aiming for - they really are wonderful birds and if you put the time in and provide the enrichment they need, the rewards they give you are incredible.

 

[strudel]

Ok, so you're in America. Cockies (as we call galahs) are as common as muck over here. Just about evferybody had a cocky when I was a kid and lots of people have them now. Every man and his dog wouldn't bother with them if they weren't good pets. I don't know what they are on about. Of course you can't stick them in a tiny cage and ignore them, they'll go stir crazy, same with any pet, there's a commitment and you have to like them, their noises, smells, habits, etc.

On the internet you'll get responses but you don't get the full picture. People whose expectations might not have been realised for whatever reason may have a negative opinion. It may be valid for them, but not as a general rule.

Also, every pet is an individual. You might get a "problem child" but you've no idea about the rest of the breed/species. One of my dogs has "issues" but I'd not tell people not to get a dog just because of him. He's not representative of other dogs, let alone all other dogs. Nor is any individual cocky.

We also influence what we get by our own foibles/inadequacies. My sister got a dog that she just had no idea about handling and it was a "nightmare". A male friend adopted that dog and I used to see them about the place and it was a wonderful dog with that guy.

(MY cocky is the best thing, ever. EVER!*
(*apart from the budgies, weiros, dogs, cats and bunnies)

 

[aether-drifter]

Excellent post, strudel....to some degree, it's just a matter of perspective! Dogs aren't easy pets, either, though they are domesticated.

And honesty, I don't think getting a galah as a first bird would really be a disaster, unless someone does zero research and just buys one on a whim because it's cute. Personally, I don't like the idea of "beginner birds" -- if someone knows the bird they really want is a galah, I don't think they should "settle" for an easier bird just to get practice. In an ideal world, someone wanting any kind of bird as a first bird would volunteer at a rescue or spend some time around various individuals of that species. But, that's not always possible. That's where the internet comes in! Its the next best thing. Talking to people who have experience with that species, reading up on training, diet, behavior, housing, enrichment, etc., go a long way. And YouTube videos are useful to demonstrate how a particular species tends to vocalize our behave in general. I believe a "newbie" who does a lot of research and is serious and committed, might be a better home than someone who's had birds for years (simply having experience doesn't make someone the best owner). Besides, there's always going to be a learning curve with your first bird of any species. I don't think having budgies or tiels really does THAT much to prepare someone for having a cockatoo. Research can be just as effective.

 

[Birdman666]

To me they are the easiest and best of the toos...

I don't know where you got your information, but I disagree.

Having read those comments now, one of those birds clearly has developed too "spoiled bird syndrome" AND HASN'T LEARNED TO SELF ENTERTAIN which is all about HOW THEY WERE RAISED. And, that, frankly, is a nightmare scenario... (HUMAN CAUSED!)

That's not the bird's fault. That's the fault of the person who held the bird all the friggin' time when it was little, and catered to it's every little whim... so now the bird can't be set down or left alone EVER! Without throwing a hissy fit...

HE WAS PATTERNED TO DO THIS!

 

[Helenor]

So far, my galah is well adjusted (plays with toys, doesn't scream for attention) and acts like a bigger, albeit louder version of my cockatiel. He/she loves head scritches and will always ask for them by poofing up his/her face.

 

[strudel]

which is all about HOW THEY WERE RAISED. ....

HE WAS PATTERNED TO DO THIS!

Just another comment on this aspect. We can "mess up" pets if we don't know what we are doing and ingrain behaviours or reinforce them inadvertently by incorrect "training", but it can also happen from not accepting that it is a relationship with an individual and dealing with who the parties to that relationship are.

You HAVE to accept the personality of YOUR pet. You might have wanted a "Fargo" who will lie there while you stroke his tummy, but if your bird is less "laid-back" or just doesn't LIKE that after you've given training a decent go, YOU have to adjust your expectations and figure out what you can both enjoy in your relationship with your bird that isn't tummy rubs while lying on his back, but something else.

You can't force a shy, quiet type into a Hollywood entertainer and if you've got a sociable noisy demanding bird you have to understand that he/she isn't going to sit there quietly while you knit. I think you need to be flexible and adaptable and listen to what your pet tells you what it likes and is happy with.

When people say "don't get this pet" sometimes all they are saying is that their expectations/wants weren't met. You have to bear that in mind when you adopt and be prepared to change those expectations. If you do your research beforehand so you don't mistakenly choose completely the wrong thing, you might succeed with what you want by being patient and training.

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

I wouldn't even worry about that - don't forget that the birds choose us, not we are choosing them! I completely believe in this - there is something mysterious about the way that birds come to us. If you are meant to have a Galah you'll have one, I'm sure! The only species that I "wanted" in my flock are my cockatiel and budgies, all others were random. Just a tiny example how things happen in a weird way: I really wanted a budgie or two to make Parry a company, but when I called the lady selling them on CL she told me she sold all the budgie babies, but has a young lovebird for only $20. I wasn't sure, but decided to take her. Guess what - the day I went to pick up my lovie the lady gave me two budgies for free because somebody had returned them the night before, and their parents plucked their heads bare! So now I have them all! You never know…

That makes sense to me.
I don't want to just take the first Galah that I find on my path, I want there to be a real connection! I think that it will happen someday.
Isn't it odd how things like this work.

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

Ok, so you're in America. Cockies (as we call galahs) are as common as muck over here. Just about evferybody had a cocky when I was a kid and lots of people have them now. Every man and his dog wouldn't bother with them if they weren't good pets. I don't know what they are on about. Of course you can't stick them in a tiny cage and ignore them, they'll go stir crazy, same with any pet, there's a commitment and you have to like them, their noises, smells, habits, etc.

On the internet you'll get responses but you don't get the full picture. People whose expectations might not have been realised for whatever reason may have a negative opinion. It may be valid for them, but not as a general rule.

Also, every pet is an individual. You might get a "problem child" but you've no idea about the rest of the breed/species. One of my dogs has "issues" but I'd not tell people not to get a dog just because of him. He's not representative of other dogs, let alone all other dogs. Nor is any individual cocky.

We also influence what we get by our own foibles/inadequacies. My sister got a dog that she just had no idea about handling and it was a "nightmare". A male friend adopted that dog and I used to see them about the place and it was a wonderful dog with that guy.

(MY cocky is the best thing, ever. EVER!*
(*apart from the budgies, weiros, dogs, cats and bunnies)

Agreed! Nicely put!

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

I want to thank everybody who replied! You were all very helpful.
I'm also very glad that I started this thread, for I received some great, useful information. Everybody has made perfect sense with their comments and explanations. I looked at the bad comments about Galahs as a species, instead of an individual bird. And I know now that these bad comments were made by people who were not prepared in any way for this parrot.
I'm so glad I'm here to do all of this learning, I feel like a sponge!

 

[igloo9201]

Hahaha. Just saying...I go through an "I-can-survive-without-having-a-galah-someday" phase...and then I come to this darn forum, see all the pics of them, and fall in love all over again. DANGIT.

But, as someone who's worked with several 'too species, I reiterate what everyone has said; galahs are the best toos.
They are low noise, less psychotic, manageable size, manageable beak....lovely birds.

My #1 con would be that they seem a bit...attached/needy. Meaning if you leave them, they have a tantrum. XD
But this comes from a zoo galah that wasn't..."raised" per-say. So I'm guessing that with the proper upbringing, a galah could be less clingy.

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

Hahaha. Just saying...I go through an "I-can-survive-without-having-a-galah-someday" phase...and then I come to this darn forum, see all the pics of them, and fall in love all over again. DANGIT.

But, as someone who's worked with several 'too species, I reiterate what everyone has said; galahs are the best toos.
They are low noise, less psychotic, manageable size, manageable beak....lovely birds.

My #1 con would be that they seem a bit...attached/needy. Meaning if you leave them, they have a tantrum. XD
But this comes from a zoo galah that wasn't..."raised" per-say. So I'm guessing that with the proper upbringing, a galah could be less clingy.

If it makes you feel any better, I don't have one yet either! I am simply learning and planning for now
Hearing this does put me at ease. Thank you!!

 

[strudel]

a galah could be less clingy.

My galah is not remotely "clingy". She's quite happy on her own and quite happy to have company. She's "cool" with anything.

It's obviously something that could be a problem when you are dealing with a sociable and friendly bird. Instead of just liking company and attention, they might learn to demand it or not to cope well with their "me" time. As Birdman said, we can ingrain the wrong behaviours if we approach training the wrong way, or don't bother with any training at all. I'm sure you're right in saying that upbringing will influence this potential down-side.

 

[Beckyymayy]

I have had a Galah for a year now and he is such a well behaved boy. He has only ever bitten me once and made me bleed because we were rough playing.
Even tho he is attached to me he gets along very well with all the members of my family and even visitors. Like all toos galahs like to chew on everything and anything that they can get their beaks on so you just have to keep a close eye on them when they are out of the cage.
I have read a lot about people complaining how loud too's can be. I love listening to my galah scream as he plays with his toys or trying to call for me.
Also he's an excellent talker and picks out on words easily.
I haven't done a lot of training with Nigel, he knows how to step up and that is all but he is still so well behaved !!!

I defiantly would recommend a Galah to anyone, I love them

 

[carolflan]

I've been doing more research on Galahs; searching through forums, reading articles, etc.
I've read multiple comments saying how much they dislike Galahs, or how they would NEVER recommend one to ANYBODY.
I know that these must not be easy parrots to keep (and I'm okay with that, that's why I'm here to learn!), but can they honestly be that bad? Are these people who just didn't know a thing about them? Didn't train them, didn't raise them the right way? Accidentally reinforced bad behaviors/habits?
I'm not expecting an "easy ride" with a Galah. But these people make them sound like they're terrible. I know that must not be the case.
Maybe they're simply not birds for everyone?

I have a Galah cockatoo and have to say this is the biggest load of drivel I've read to date , they are wonderful quirky birds yes they like attention and they do like to destroy things but supply them with paper and wood to destroy and u don't have a problem, mine isn't noisy at all , speaks beautiful, loves to play, entertains herself when in her cage and she loves the shower and eats her pellets and vegies or anything I offer , I love my Galah cockatoo.

Sent from my SM-T560 using Tapatalk

 

[plumsmum2005]

If you read the full thread I think this comment was
a) for a reaction
b) given some good replies back which knocked their nonsense into the long grass
c) opens a discussion about Rose Breasted Cockatoos, some good, some not so.