New 'too

[Siobhan]

A friend rescued a cockatoo on Friday but realized she wasn't the right home for him so she called her crazy bird lady friend (me) and he's here. I have two Quakers, two cockatiels, a budgie, a pigeon, a starling and a canary. So I know birds. I even know parrots. I just don't know cockatoos. He spent a large part of the afternoon trembling but by evening he was eating and talking and pooping (I thought my pigeon's poops were huge -- she's a rank amateur next to Rocky). He even treated us to a few screams so we'd know what we'd gotten ourselves into.

I'm going to have a million questions but I know the basics. I went straight out and got him some decent food and some new toys. His few toys were old and worn out but he wasn't pleased at the idea of me taking them out so I didn't. He already ate some of his pellets and said "oooh" after each one, which seems to be his word for stuff he likes. His feathers are in appalling condition but I hope with good food and security that will improve. We offered fruit and peanuts for treats and he ate a few peanuts and turned up his beak at the fruit. He's apparently had six or seven homes in his life and the people we got him from said he was 10 to 15 years old. He's very calm and affectionate in spite of that, though of course he's still a bit wary of us. He stepped up for me and I started to take him on a tour of the house, but he got scared when he couldn't see his cage, so I took him back to it.

 

[Allee]

Hello and a very warm welcome to you and your wonderful flock! So happy you joined us.

Congratulations on your new adoptee! How sad that Rocky has changed homes so many times already, but I have a feeling he finally landed in the perfect spot. What kind of Too is Rocky?

Ask away, we have a nice community of friendly members willing to share their knowledge and experience.

My flock sends happy Hellos to you and yours!

 

[Siobhan]

He's an umbrella cockatoo, and thanks for the welcome. I certainly hope we can make him happy and figure out how to juggle him and all the others. LOL I'm sure in a week or two I'll have figured out some of his signals that are mysteries right now.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Welcome! and congrats on your new 'Too! Maybe we can help each other with questions lol.
Today, I just adopted a goffins 'too from a friend. Jonesie didn't get along with Pookie,my friends umbrella,and last week I lost my poor Grey of 27 yrs from a heart condition so my friend,needing a home for Jonesie,was wondering if I'd be interested in him. I of course said YES! I never had a 'Too,but I have a blue front for 25 yrs,and my poor Smokey.
So Jonesie came this morning. He was scared,his world being turned upside down. He has started to settle in a bit. He has been eating and I can get close to his cage without him freaking out. He has said a couple words. His first words to me were " I'm a good cockatoo mannnnn" lol I almost crapped myself lol.
He will be going to the doc Friday along with my amazon for a check up. The poor guy looks ragged from previous plucking. I will post pics asap. Good luck with your Umbrella.


Jim

 

[Siobhan]

Rocky was pretty scared all day, too. He trembled for hours, even when we were petting and talking to him. He's had three homes in three days if you count the one we rescued him from and my friend who took him home for the weekend and then decided her home wasn't right for him. The first thing Rocky said, when he saw our dogs, was "It's a DOG." LOL But he relaxed by late afternoon and said lots of things. He has the funniest laugh.

 

[Allee]

Cockatoos can be emotional, don't be surprised if the shivering lasts for a while.

A good way to start bonding with a Too and feeding him or her a healthier diet at the same time, is a batch of chop for breakfast and dinner. Here's our Wendy's basic chop recipe and instructions.

http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/22594-cook-portion-freeze-my-recipe.html

Birdie bread is always a welcome treat. There are lots of great recipes and ideas in our diet section.

Parrot Food, Recipes and Diet - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

Toos are known for being cuddle bugs and they are, but until you know your Too, you may want to limit your touching to the head and neck, otherwise your new friend may get the idea you are a potential mate.

If your Too has been trained to stay off shoulders I would keep it that way, if your Too has been allowed on shoulders, I would train him to stay on your arm instead, at least until you know your Too and can tell when he is overstimulated. They have big beaks and until you can trust them that close to your face, I wouldn't take the chance.

Toos are world class escape artists and once free, they can wreck a room before you can blink. A big supply of soft wood blocks to keep those beaks busy is a good way to protect your sanity and your personal possessions. Toos have no respect for other people's property. They shouldn't be left outside their cages without supervision.

Expect to hear flock calls morning and evening just like other parrots, only much, much louder.

If you don't already have one, you may want to invest in an air filter, Toos are dusty. Frequent baths or showers help reduce the dander and will also improve your Too's skin and feather health.

Toos love to play, they like puzzles, foraging and shreddable toys, animated movies, paper, music, and above all companionship. They may want your full undivided attention twenty four hours a day, but that isn't wise, possible or realistic. It's much better to supply them with toys and encourage them to happily entertain themselves.

Toos take a little extra work, but IMHO they are so worth it.

 

[Siobhan]

We've already been treated to the flock call. LOL He is LOUD. And I thought Quakers were noisy. He doesn't seem inclined to sit on shoulders and won't even step up much yet. He's still in terrified mode for the most part, though he does like having his head petted. He's watching the wild birds out the window and preening his feet right now. I offered him some banana and he looked at it like he'd never seen any before. So I ate some (royal taster, you know) and he still shrugged. He doesn't have but one perch in his cage. I was thinking of a boing. Would he like that?

 

[Allee]

Poor Rocky, he may be pretty traumatized over his recent relocations. Food may take a while. At least he's eating his pellets.

Yes, he would probably love a boing! They climb like monkeys.

 

[Siobhan]

He's eating them and he's a dunker, so now I have two making pellet soup. I brought Clyde in to meet him (at a distance) and both of them were supremely uninterested. I just don't know if adding him to the flock in the birds' room is a good idea. Benjy the budgie is a moron who doesn't understand he's so tiny and if he went buzzing around Rocky, in spite of Rocky's calm personality, it might end very, very badly.

 

[Allee]

Knowing where to locate Rocky's cage is a tough one. Does Rocky fly?

Poppy shares a room with Harry. They are good friends.

My other birds have a separate room of their own. Zeke and Poppy ignore each other but Sweet Pea, my tiel would get up close and personal with Poppy if she had the chance.

Haha, sounds like my little buddy, Benjy is still as daring as ever. The little guy is an adrenaline junkie.

 

[Scott]

What Allee posted!!

I hope your Umbrella has found his "forever home." Given a history of multiple residences and the parrot penchant for being extremely keen observers of their environment, it will take some time for him to feel comfortable. Only then will the true personality emerge!

 

[Siobhan]

Right now he just wants reassurance. He asked to step up a little bit ago, laid his head on my shoulder and just snuggled for so long my arm went to sleep. I stroked his head and kissed him and he just sighed and relaxed. Poor baby. I know we'll have days when we ask ourselves WHAT were we THINKING??? but I can't imagine uprooting this bird yet again. Someone has been mean to him at some point. Sudden noises upset him and even a wild bird squawking outside shook him up. My promises that no one is going to be mean to him anymore don't convince him. Only time will do that.

 

[Flboy]

Right now he just wants reassurance. He asked to step up a little bit ago, laid his head on my shoulder and just snuggled for so long my arm went to sleep. I stroked his head and kissed him and he just sighed and relaxed. Poor baby. I know we'll have days when we ask ourselves WHAT were we THINKING??? but I can't imagine uprooting this bird yet again. Someone has been mean to him at some point. Sudden noises upset him and even a wild bird squawking outside shook him up. My promises that no one is going to be mean to him anymore don't convince him. Only time will do that.

An angel just received it's wings because of you!

 

[Siobhan]

He's just a darling. I don't know how anyone could help loving him. He likes to have his cage door closed when he's eating his pellets so he can walk across it to dip them in his water. So, I closed it a bit ago and went out of the room to clean fish tanks. He yelled a couple of times, then sat down on a perch and is perfectly fine. My Quakers would be raising the roof.

 

[4dugnlee]

Congrats on your new U2 and bless you for giving him his forever home! Before I brought my U2 home I read everything I could find, mostly negative, but it really helped me to know what "could" happen. I have my Peanut's cage in the living room so she can be in the midst of the action. She, too, was mistreated and every single day we ask ourselves how ANYONE could be mean to her??? Can't wait to hear updates and see pics of Rocky!!

 

[Siobhan]

Since Rocky was a rescue, I didn't have much time to research before bringing him home. I'm really a small parrot person. I know my Quakers and tiels and budgie (and the pigeon and starling and canary). I don't know what to do with a big parrot. But I hope he'll teach me. Here's a pic I took yesterday. Today he destroyed one of his new toys and showed off his earsplitting flock call.

 

[Allee]

Valerie, Rocky is stunning! I know some female Umbies that would dearly love to meet him.

Poppy, Peanut and all the other umbrella girls, don't look at a computer screen until summer.

I'll never tell Clyde and Jade you called them small or for that matter, any of your other flock members. You'll do fine, quakers train their servants well. Think of Rocky as a large white chicken and keep an eye on the beak.

If I remember, you buy lots of toys for your birds? You may want to think about making your own. Start with a cord of soft, untreated wood and sisal rope. Toos can destroy a room full of toys before breakfast and laugh at you while you sweep up the debris.

I think in a few weeks, you'll be amazed at how easy it is to read Rocky's body language. They communicate their emotions with their feathers.

 

[Siobhan]

I follow a FB page devoted to a grey called Felix (you should check it out; it's hysterical) and Felix really likes to tear up phone books. I'm going to give one to Rocky Too tomorrow to see if he'd like to destroy it. We get lots of junk mail and catalogs and that would be a good use for them if he's so inclined. The toy he destroyed today was really more suitable for a Quaker or tiel than a 'too, but the store was low on big bird items. I had to order him a couple of perches online because they didn't have any stout enough for a 'too. I bought him one each of the two toys they did have that were suitable for a big bird and then this littler one because I thought it was cute. So did he. It's the first one he went for. There's a bird fair next month and I intend to go and see what I can get for him there.

 

[4dugnlee]

Rocky's beautiful! Peanut is my biggest parrot also...but she is also my sweetest parrot! Welcome to the "too" adventure...it is an awesome ride!

 

[Scott]

Rocky is a handsome guy and in very nice feather! You are both so lucky!!