New cockatoo owner

[Mauim2]

My family recently adopted a 3 year old m2. We have been doing tons of research on how to properly care for him to give home the best life possible. He's good with stepping up with me but wont do it with anyone else. We would like to know how much time per day is quality playtime with our feathered friend. Is him sitting on a perch with us talking to home enough? Don't get me wrong I pick him up 3-4 times a day but their are days that after only a few minutes of playtime that he will bite me and more recently it's been a hard bite. I know not to react but the last few bites have been extremely painful. The painful bite do not deter me from playing with him later on in the day. I'm just wondering if I am going about the playtime all wrong. At what point should I put him back in his cage to prevent the biting. I should add that as long as we are home that his cage is open. Please help me out by giving me any tips to curb this bad behavior

 

[plumsmum2005]

Hi, welcome. Here are some links for you to read and get you started.
http://www.parrotforums.com/cockatoos/
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/
Top 10 hazards for companion birds
Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

http://www.birdtricks.com/Cockatoos/moluccan-cockatoo-care.html

 

[itzjbean]

Hello and welcome! Birds, especially the larger species like cockatoos, need at least a couple hours EVERY DAY of quality play time and one-on-one time. They are very social, interactive creatures who are very intelligent and love things to do!

A few minutes a day won't cut it. These are birds that don't do particularly well hanging out on a perch all day. They like to be with you, interact and play.

 

[Kiwibird]

Lots of new cockatoo owners lately. Must be something in the air:33: Cockatoos especially NEED routine. She needs to know when to expect meals, when to expect to be alone, when to expect to be playing with the family when to expect to wake up/go to bed. Parrots are very similar to small children and without a lot of structure, they act out and behave badly. They also need predictable reactions to both positive and negative behaviors. A treat and praise for good behavior, being ignored or getting a time out for bad behavior. Consistency is key.

Specifically when she bites you, what are you doing with her? Are you petting her or is she sitting on your leg with a toy or are you about to put her back in her cage etc....? What is going on preceding the bite? Parrots bite for many reasons, the more information we know about what happened before the bite the more clues as to what kind of bite it was and how to best remedy it.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums! M2s are high maintenance but high reward parrots. Please read all of the links generously compiled by plumsmum2005! Consistency and dedication are absolutely required to properly socialize and hopefully prevent the "one person" syndrome.

I would also suggest reading the following despite the reference to "macaw" in the title. http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56384-big-beak-o-phobes-guide-understanding-macaw-beaks.html

Good luck, please ask questions and keep us advised of progress!