Hello!
We have a sulphur crested cockatoo named Cocky. My dad has had him since he was 8, and Cocky is now 45 and still living happily with our family.
He's not very tame, we can't handle him but he doesn't mind being scrathes or hugs every now and again (he adores my mum and my brother, they really have no problems!
)
Anyhow, he has a cage which we move around our backyard depending on the weather and such. He has lots of wild bird friends (mostly galahs, pigeons, lorikeets and other cockatoos), so he's not anti-social (though he loves tricking the pidgys into his cage. He can't fly but he walks freely around the garden as he learnt how to open the door!)
Anyhow, recently he's started picking his chest feathers. It's basically non stop all day except when he's eating or sleeping...(or squaking)
We're getting a little concerned with him doing this because it's been relentless. We think it may be because we had to start chasing off the wild cockatoos (they were leaving behind the baby ones basically to be looked after by him, and ocasionally diseased ones wouldn't leave either and we didnt want to risk him becoming ill and us looking after 20 more cockatoos)
Do you think his plucking behaviour is related to us shooing of his pals, or could it be more serious?
If you think it is related to his lonlieness, would possibly getting him a companion help make him happier again? (He used to have a gallah buddy called Polly many years ago, but she died long before me)
Thanks for your suggestions guys
We have a sulphur crested cockatoo named Cocky. My dad has had him since he was 8, and Cocky is now 45 and still living happily with our family.
He's not very tame, we can't handle him but he doesn't mind being scrathes or hugs every now and again (he adores my mum and my brother, they really have no problems!
)Anyhow, he has a cage which we move around our backyard depending on the weather and such. He has lots of wild bird friends (mostly galahs, pigeons, lorikeets and other cockatoos), so he's not anti-social (though he loves tricking the pidgys into his cage. He can't fly but he walks freely around the garden as he learnt how to open the door!)
Anyhow, recently he's started picking his chest feathers. It's basically non stop all day except when he's eating or sleeping...(or squaking)
We're getting a little concerned with him doing this because it's been relentless. We think it may be because we had to start chasing off the wild cockatoos (they were leaving behind the baby ones basically to be looked after by him, and ocasionally diseased ones wouldn't leave either and we didnt want to risk him becoming ill and us looking after 20 more cockatoos)
Do you think his plucking behaviour is related to us shooing of his pals, or could it be more serious?
If you think it is related to his lonlieness, would possibly getting him a companion help make him happier again? (He used to have a gallah buddy called Polly many years ago, but she died long before me)
Thanks for your suggestions guys
