G2 first night excitement

[Taprock]

We ended up adopting Jasper the Goffin I had asked advice about. To recap he was a breeder until age 15 then the past two years at a zoo/aviary but without interacting with people. He runs from people and contact. So the owner grabbed him with gloves and put him in the travel cage. We got him home and into his cage. He growls at both me and the dogs if we get close. While I was setting things up I discovered what she didn't tell us and I SHOULD have known with a cockatoo, he's an escape artist and great flyer. He circled the whole house floor plan 2 1/2 times and ended up in my husband's shop. The door is always closed but of course not tonight! Jasper waddled though a puddle of oil, petroleum based, dragging his tail behind. (I'll come back to that.) We got him out and he took off again so it was a fun chase. A bird who runs from people and doesn't know to step up. Think under the couch, behind tv and into any small spot he could get before we toweled him. We wiped off his feet and tail and put him away, hopefully securely. He was out of breath so after he had a drink I turned off the light for the night. So what do I need to do in the morning to clean his tail up before he tries to clean it? You can see it in the one picture. I feel I'm off to a bad start as a cockatoo owner!

 

[coopedup]

dawn dish soap...it's what wildlife rescues use

 

[reddawg]

Lol.. I know I shouldn't laugh but just the description of him waddling always makes me laugh, same goes when I see my little man waddle his way to me.
Yes most definitely Dawn would be my choice also.
And I wish you and your new birdie project much love and happiness!! The little stinkers certainly have a way of changing the best of our human plans!! Glad you were able to catch him and you both are resting safely!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T377A using Tapatalk

 

[ToMang07]

So.....how'd it go? lol

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

LOL.. (sorry for laughing! ) I HAD a Goffins also..Jonesy was quite the character,unfortunately his mouth was 100 times bigger than he was and I rehomed him.
I used small padlocks on his doors,a PITA when it came to feeding,but it kept him home when necessary.

I agree....dawn dish soap would be my choice..it works great on greasy/oily stuff.


Jim

 

[Scott]

Welcome home, Jasper!! So glad you adopted this little clown; he lived up to the reputation as if on cue!

G2s are skilled and very nimble flyers. Chances are he won't crash into walls, windows, or mirrors. You can bet he will try to defeat EVERY lock on his cage; you'll need something strong and durable. While many cages can be secured from the outside, he will likely figure out everything standard on a cage from the outside. You will need a mechanism he cannot reach with a foot or beak to secure him inside. Trust me, they can flip levers, rotate smooth handles, etc! Somewhere I have a video of one of mine unthreading a nut on a 4" bolt. Gabby learned to continuously roll the nut with his tongue, a process that took a good 3 minutes!

What are your expectations given Jasper's status as an ex-breeder? He may be more of a challenge to tame, but it is possible. While I never clip my G2s wings, you may need a light clip to help establish a fleeting sense of dependence. Give him plenty of time to acclimate and feel comfortable in his new and strange surroundings. They are very astute observers and he will quickly draw some conclusions.

Definitely Dawn Dish Soap, the go-to standard for de-greasing!

Let me know how things progress and if you have other questions!! Good luck!!

 

[wrench13]

Another vote for Dawn. I got a HUGE glob of mayonaise on my Bee Bee parrot Max one time, and managed to push it into his feathers more when I tried to wipe it away. Tail feathers and feet should be easy. I had to deal with his back and the shoulders.

 

[Scott]

dawn dish soap...it's what wildlife rescues use

Another vote for Dawn. I got a HUGE glob of mayonaise on my Bee Bee parrot Max one time, and managed to push it into his feathers more when I tried to wipe it away. Tail feathers and feet should be easy. I had to deal with his back and the shoulders.

Just curious should I ever need to do this.... roughly what concentration of Dawn to H20 is best? Is it carefully massaged into the affected area or sprayed, using caution to avoid orifices?

 

[Taprock]

Today's events, Jasper came with his cage which had a dowel Perch, two baby teether/rattles and a swing that he seems terrified of. So the plan was to let Jasper come out and while he was out put in two more perches, and two new toys. Then I would towel him and we would wash his tail. So he came out of his cage, took off flying, hit the window...thankfully not head on, took off again and got tangled in the ficus tree. At that point I put on the leather gloves and caught him. My husband set up his cage and washed his tail. I just put dish soap in a bowl, added water and had my husband use a tooth brush on his feathers and then rinse and pat dry. I have several good pinch marks to show for it but he is clean and climbing all over the new perches.

Scott my expectations are pretty low at this point. It will be great progress if he doesn't run and hiss at me when I walk up. Longer term if he would take a treat from me, set up on a perch so he can be moved and learn to play with his toys it would be huge! He has not said or made any noises since we brought him home. I may regret saying it but at this point I'd
love to hear his voice. He's been sitting in his cage no toys and no interaction for at least two years that I know about. His behavior isn't all that surprising.

 

[Scott]

If he's been cage-bound for so long, his learning curve will be a bit flatter. Flying into the window kind of surprises me, but possibly due to a lack of recent flying + a bit of panic.

Both my wild-caught G2s were in a breeding situation for around a dozen years before the nest was removed. They always took treats by hand and were civil with hands in the cage. While there is individuality with any species, I am confident Jasper will acclimate and feel welcome. Seems he was treated poorly but should respond to a better home.

 

[Freebird1969]

Sounds like you have your hands full with this one, well done for taking him. Cockatoos, especially ones that have had trauma and lot of change in their live can take a long time to settle into a new home. I would say a minimum of 6 months, and up to 2 years.

You just need to be very patient, sit close to his cage, talking to him until he gets used to you. As he gets closer you can entice him with favourite treats through the bars. As he is so scared of everyone, does he have a place to hide/retreat? You don't want something too enclosed but a place in the cage that is his safe place, where he can feel really secure. I cut up a baby mosses basket for my U2 and joined it together across the top section. Because it's made of natural material is completely safe to chew and makes for a huge cozy place. I will take a picture so I can share it with you. Oliver my U2 was a very timid bird when I first got him, although he was more hands on than your Goffin. Good luck.

 

[Taprock]

He always retreats to a food dish ring that he used as his main perch until I put more in. When he is stressed he makes me think of tigers a the zoo pacing. He goes along a perch up the side over the top and down to the perch on the other side and does laps. His cage is only 2'x2'x3' so there isn't a lot of room but I'm willing to try whatever to make him comfortable. A picture would be great. I think once his quarantine is up I'm going to try find a secure feeling place where there is more activity.

I was thinking We needed to more flight practice. He is in the basement. He is in the large open room 13'x52' with two 9'x5' Windows and a set of French door. I was thinking if I wait until dark that the Windows would then look like walls and he may not be as likely to crash. I want him to learn but I don't want him to hurt himself.

 

[Scott]

Pacing in this situation is definitely a sign of stress. The rigors of quarantine will narrow your options, but once clear, a larger cage would be helpful. Goffins enjoy the largest possible cages and are powerful chewers. Mine will demolish large blocks suitable for macaws.

A member recently described a territorial "briefing" for a new bird. Walking around the area and allowing physical contact with walls, mirrors, doors, etc helps to acclimate. Granted Jasper is not hand tame, but perhaps this can be done in a carrier? They really are superb flyers!

 

[Freebird1969]

Ok I have attached 2 pics, one close up and another so you can see where it’s placed in his cage.
He definitely sounds very stressed, I don’t know much about his history apart from what you have mentioned at the beginning of this thread, but he sounds like a parent reared bird, especially if he has been used for breeding and has not had much interaction with people. He is going to take a very long time to settle down properly and I would not advise you letting him out of him cage until he loses some of this fear with you. If you have to towel him to get him back into the cage you lose any kind of trust you are trying to create with him. You need to work very, very slowly with him, I would also recommend a much bigger cage as soon as possible. Cockatoos love to chew so give him as much chewable stuff as possible, but at the same time you also need to be very careful when introducing anything new to his cage. You don’t want to stress him out more than necessary. Try hanging any new toys outside of his cage so he can get used to them slowly. As time goes on he will gain more confidence and introducing new toys etc. should get a lot easier. It will take a lot of time though, if he is a parent reared bird and used to an aviary he may never really settle down as a pet bird. I wish you lots of luck with this guy, I think you really have your work cut out here.
To start with you could also keep a small corner of his cage covered to make him feel less vulnerable. You don’t want to do too much at this stage to stress him out. Good luck again and do keep us posted to his progress.

 

[Taprock]

Thank you for the pictures. I'll have to try do something. He did not seem nervous about the new perches and toys I put in. I haven't even seen him touch a toy. He had nothing to chew on in his cage and it doesn't appear that he has touched the ones I put in. I just find that weird. He also hasn't made a sound besides the hissing. I have plans for a larger cage but I figured I shouldn't change everything on him at once.

On the plus side he tried his fresh veggies, he's been on zupreem pellets only for the past two years.

 

[Freebird1969]

Great that he likes his veggies, I bet its a real treat if all he has ever had is pellets. Yes definitely don't change everything at once.

Sounds like he doesn't know what a toy is , I'm sure he will soon learn. When the quarantine is over will he go somewhere he can see your other birds? Cockatoos pick up things from other birds so quickly, my Coco is always watching Oliver, she picks things up from him all the time. Its so funny to watch them. If he sees what your other birds do with their toys, it will hopefully encourage him to have a go .

 

[Scott]

You will have so many options post-quarantine. They are indeed extremely keen observers of their environment and should learn from your other birds. Flock creatures to the core, I have seen one Goffin initiate a behavior and the others soon follow. No reason to believe Jasper will not assimilate from other species.

Definitely continue a slow approach. My hunch is he will acclimate in meaningful ways sooner than later.

 

[GaleriaGila]

The Rb once jumped into one of those wide, wok-like containers of Simoniz car wax and flapped around in it. He was a mess, and Dawn worked a nice, quick miracle.

I love that picture... tugs at my heart. I'm so glad this little dear will get your love and care now.