Just wanting to know who has them and what difficulties youve encountered ? I just purchased a 4 year old Goffin .

I do not have one. I wanted one so bad until I heard you have to cook for them too.

I got mine cage and bird for around 1,000 , which isn't too bad. I already picks a card , and can tell me which cup has the SPIKE . It is so smart and can say lets dance.

Cockatoos are real smart parrots. I just got mine not long ago and teaching it various tricks already.He is picking up fast BUT He is super noisy and wants 100% attention.
He is so picky that he do not want to eat the food unless I feed him..Oh My...

:lol:

I was "lucky" to have one given to me. I didn't know it at the time, but they have the reputation for being the loudest of the parrots. Their screaming is just unbearable sometimes.

However, it is all true about their intelligence. Very affectionate too.

I noticed they are real loud by being at my friend's house. When I come over, they know I am a visitor and make loud noise.

Would anyone worry about having a cockatoo outside during a performance? The reason I mention that is because getting one is still in my mind, but will one fly away as easy as a dove?

The way it was explained to me is, they will not fly away unless something startles them. But if by chance they do, there goes hundreds of dollars plus a lot of your time in training it.

I will not risk it. My outdoor customers get a duck instead.

Yep, that makes perfect sense. Thanks.

I use a Mollucan Cockatoo in my parrot from sketch pad. When produced, he extends his orange crest proudly and looks much bigger. "Trix" is very affectionate and well behaved during shows. He doesn't know how to fly. Yes, he often gets noisy at home when there is no attention.

Mine is very loveable and YES does want a lot of affection. he has full flight wings and already does a return flight 100% of the time , which could work well in large theatres. outdoor shows will get duck bucket routine , not the cockatoo.

You can potty train a cockatoo, so there is no bathroom action on the stage. They go about every 20 minutes.

First, train him at home by watching for his signal that he is about to go. It's real easy if he poops as soon as you take him out of the cage. You just hold his tail down until you have him perched on the back of a chair(newspaper on floor). Then tell him, "Poop".

It may be harder to see his sign. But, he'll always do it before he raises his tail. Once you can reliably see his signal, try to distract him from pooping yet. Take him out of cage with hand holding down his tail. Put him on a chair back and tell him to poop, until he does so.

The Gofin is quite smart. If you want to train him with food, find out what he really likes a lot. My Umbrellas liked audiences very much. A lot depends on personality. One of my three would display, wings open, crest up, for an audience.

It's hard to say how hard he will try to please you, at 4 years old. That's why I mentioned using his favorite foods. That's young in Cockatoo years. But, all my experience is with hand raised babies. Try to socialise him to the sounds of stage life by taking him to work with you in a carrier.
For show:
Remove his food 2 hours before show. Let him poop when you arrive. Then, keep him in his carrier at the show site until performance time. Put newspaper down, on the floor by a chair. Perch him on the chair, with tail over newspaper, and say "Poop!" until he does. If he turns, putting his tail over the chair, turn him back around. He'll catch on.

Good luck! These big birds get a great response. I hope yours has the personality to want to learn! He should. They are smart enough to need activities, so your chances are good that he'll be receptive.

For props: I taught a 4 year old how to work, concealed in a Fire to Cockatoo box. For bagging temperment: Wrap him in a towel when you are reading or watching tv. That may tell you if he can be bagged. If so, PM me if you want to buy a big bird bag or a nice big bird production.

Good luck!
Paula

So... there are LOTS of opinions on handling the larger parrots. We have a Macaw though we have had many friends with, and been friends with many, 'toos.

All the large hookbills are *very* smart. We are talking 2 to 3 yr old human level. They are also complex emotionally, generally on the level of about a 2 yr old human being.

'toos are noted for begin among the most affectionate and human-centric of the large hookbills. They are ALSO the most emotionally dependent on their human partners. They really *need* constant affection and reinforcement of your presence. A good friend who had one for many many years referred to her 'too as "the love sponge." that's about accurate.

So 'toos in general are easy to train because they want to please, but they are also high maintainence. I hope somebody told you this before you acquired the bird. I can leave my Macaw in his cage to play with his toys and just chat with him a bit on most weekdays and he's happy. A 'Too will need more.

I would challenge whoever told you that toos are the loudest though. Macaws are especially noted for their volume and have a "where are you" call that can travel for miles outdoors

The potty training thing is debated and the vets I have known have recommended against it, at least for pet birds. The reason is, if the bird is deprived of their paper, or whatever they have been trained to go on for too long, they can and have injured themselves trying to hold it in. Bird turds are not very objectionable. they don't smell and they are easy to wipe up. If they dry there is a magic cleaner you can get at the pet store called "poop off" that will take it right off. Myself, I don't think its worth the risk to the bird.

Btw... UNLESS it was maltreated before you got it, I would expect the 'too to bond to you pretty quickly. Particularly if your his or her only option. My wife and I *have* noticed a tendency among hookbills to prefer the human of the opposite sex if given a choice. Never quite understood how they know. We adopted our macaw at age 6. It took him some time but he is QUITE bonded to us now.

Let me suggest three good resources to you:

(1) A book. "Guide to a well behaved parrot." Pickles was our first large hookbill and this book, recommended by the shop we got him from ,was invaluable. Get and read it. Particularly if you don't have a lot of hookbill experience. The psychology of these fellas is very different from cats and dogs and you need to understand it.
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Well-Behaved......64110306

(2) Bird Talk Magazine. You can get it at the pet store but its cheaper if you subscribe. A year of getting this and reading it will immerse you in bird husbandry. Its also fun with lots of pictures of pretty birds!

(3) The Womach's bird training DVDs. If you are going to try to train this fellow (or lady) then I highly recommend this series. They aren't cheap but they are *fantastic*.

Btw... I haven't had the time (or until recently the knowledge) to train Pickles to return fly. We clip his wings when he goes to the vet but since its awhile between vet visits I never entirely trust that.

What I HAVE done is more or less trained him to accept a "feather teather" bird harness. This is sort of like a kitten-harness but for birds. It attaches to a leash and I keep him on that when we go for walks. He has never tried to fly away from me in the 6 years we've had him, but I am taking no chances-- for both our sake and his.

Posted: Jul 16, 2010 10:20pm
Oh one more thing I hope someone told you before you bought the bird.

This is a lifetime commitment you've just made. These guys have basically human lifespans (60 to 100 years) and he or she will ALWAYS be a 2 to 3 year old. If the bird is only 4 now, it is quite likely when you get on in years that you will have to think about who will care for it when your gone.

When people ask us what owning (I always find that an inadequate word) a Macaw is like we tell them "imagine having a permanent three year old who comes with built in wings and a bolt-cutter."

Like children he is often a chore, often a challenge, and often an absolute delight that my life would be poorer without.

Posted: Jul 16, 2010 10:32pm
Ken,

The Womachs have some suggestions for screaming. I have their DVD for Macaws... I don't remember if it covers 'toos or not nad, given a 'toos emotional needs, I'd make sure this is okay or that there isn't a better way.

BUT we had a shouting problem with Pickels for years. The Womachs suggestion was make a 'time out' corner in the basement that's bird safe and has a bird stand. When the bird screams, take it there and shut the door. Don't come back til it stops.

We couldn't do that but instead got the idea to use a blanket as a large "time out cover" over Pickels' cage. When he starts carrying on, the cover goes on and stays on for 3 to 5 minutes after he stops. (This is based on a human training suggestion that a unruly child be made to take a timeout of 1 minute for every year of life. We are treating him like a 3 yr old human which seems to work.)

In just a week or two the disturbances have almost completely vanished.


Um. If you don't want to be doing that the rest of both your lives you probably want to stop it.

These guys ARE smart and you need to be sure you are training him, not the other way around

The book and DVDs I recommended to the OP might be useful.

Carl,

I've been thinking about your original post (and your most recent. CONGRATS! on the return-flight, already.) You wondered … what drawbacks were encountered, and what we did about them …

I came up with a few samples. In my act, 3 Cockatoos were produced in the 1st 3 minutes (only one from a box). Two of them flew in the show, and they did other effects. Cockatoo behavior is something I can contribute on somewhat, since a big investment of my time was in that area, for years.

But, I wondered … With all you’ve taught the bird, and your mention of the theater, I assumed the Goffin will be in your act. Assumptions can be wrong. You might want a pet who does tricks. A working bird, naturally, is your pet. But if he is to work (or “play”, as they think of it, most of the time), it’s a bit more complex.

I need to organize the thoughts that I stuck in your file, and post to this thread.

Knowing what direction you want to go - as much detail as you feel like giving - can really help our creative process in writing.

Keep on discovering all the things your crazy friend can do! I remember it with fondness and a lot of laughs.
PP

p.s. Sometime in the next few days, I’ll be posting a Bird Illusion in the General Magic For Sale section of Magic Café’. I also have a Flame to Bird that I can’t post, yet. Plus I’m scratching together a whole page of $16 items. (It would be $15 each, but Pay Pal wants a piece of the action.)Plenty of stuff for someone who is new, and just can’t afford to get all the magic they want. A couple of things even the hip will say, “Nice deal!”

Umbrella Toos are without a doubt one of the loudest Toos but Sulphur-Crested Toos are better behaved. The Sulphurs are like little Engineers, they have to figure out why everything works or how everything works in their cages. Load up their cages with plenty of puzzle toys like the pirate chest that has 2 handcuff keys to open it and they will have it open in less than 10 seconds once they figure it out, just amazing. In Puck's act Hopie does a great fly out over the audience and returns which always gets a great reaction from the audience. I clip the 1st 7 feathers on each wing on mine because I just don't want to take a single chance of him flying away, to me it's not worth it. My macaws are trained to stay on their stands except when told to step up. Hope that helps some.
Bill

Posted: Jul 29, 2010 2:37am
Mike,
cooking for Tropical parrots isn't a big deal unless you have problems making toast:):):) Just messing with ya.
We usually cook up vegetables for a day or two ahead of time, put it in a container in the refrigerator and then for the next day or two take it out, microwave it and they chow down, takes less than 10 minutes...I wouldn't let the cooking thing keep me from owning a great pet like a parrot.
Bill

We feed all our birds primarily pellets. Our Macaw gets ZooPreem chunky, mostly. Our Cockatiel is on Harrisons pellets which are fantastic for smaller birds, if you can get them to eat them. (Hes a diabetic but the pure Harrison's diet 100% controls his symptoms.)

Our parakeet we got too late to set her diet and she was on the worst thing she could be-- pure seeds. We've gotten her moved to Nutriberries which are at least a seed/pellet mix, but that's the best we've been able to do with her.

Our Macaw also gets little treats of things we are eating. A bit of fruit. Some table vegetables. Occasionally a tiny bit of cheese or lean meat.

I purchased a goffin cockatoo in May. He is seven years old. He is very, very scared and nervous. He always backs away or tries to bite me when I try to touch him. I wonder if his previous owner mis-handled him.

I am able to hand feed him.

I do not know if he will ever be trained for a show. If not, at least he is a good pet of mine.

Hey Mike,
Sounds like when he was in his cage little kids poked things at him and since he was in a cage there was no escape, nowhere to go.
That can be overcome with some patience on your part. He might just be cage territorial so that anybody that comes close to his cage gets attacked. What happens if you open the cage door and let him out inside the house, does he just climb out and on top of his cage?? If so, try getting him to step up using a stick and his favorite treat so you don't get bit trying to figure out what happened to him. I highly recommend either the Womach videos or there is another guy in Florida that actually takes in rescue parrots, rehabs them and puts them in his show, Joe ????? can't remember his last name....
My Sulphur crested Too is my buddy, has never bit me and just loves women. He was my first rescue. They named him Sophie but DNA test came back as a male.
Your being able to hand feed him is a great thing, trust on his part with you. My Amazon won't step up when she is in her cage, but once you open the cage, the little Diva wants to climb out and get on top all by herself, then she will step up for any of her favorite treats. Food is a wonderful thing to use to get them to do whatever you want. We feed all 5 of ours Harrisons pellets, Zupreen colored, lots of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Healthy, healthy, Healthy.
Hope this stuff helps ya.
Bill

Mike, my Goffin is a total sweetie. It took her about a month of frequent attention and playing to feel comfortable and safe with me. She bit me pretty good a couple of times during that first month. I stood my ground and kept working with her - bandaids are cheap and I was usually faster at ducking than she was at biting. usually...

It's been almost a year now and she hasn't bitten me since. She is extremely cuddly and independent.

Be patient and let your Goffin become comfortable with you. Reward her with scritches and treats when she does something you want to encourage. Pet and scritch her often. Never back away or leave when she bites you - this reinforces the behavior. Stand your ground and show her who's in control. She'll eventually come around.

Like Bill, I feed her Harrison Pellets, fresh cherries, orange slices, broccoli, and a variety of nuts. She loves to play hide & seek (I hide - she seeks) and this is her main reward for a good training session. Her favorite training treats are almond slices, millet bits and plain Cheerios.

Her main cage is in the living room so that she's always around us. I have a play gym for her in my office for when I'm working. As you've probably noticed, they love attention. When we're home she is always out of her cage and allowed to roam. I also let her stay out overnight - which was VERY nerve wracking for me the first few weeks, but she pretty much stays on top of her cage or her play gym. Each morning she always returns to her cage and waits by her food dish for breakfast.

When I go out, I always pet and talk to her just before leaving. The first thing I do when I get home is pet and talk to her and let her out of her cage. When I'm gone, I leave a light and a soft radio on. She seems to like old rock and classical music.

The Womach videos are great. Chet's website is http://www.BirdTricks.com . So far, she does the basic tricks (Wave, dance, bob, etc) and she can find a select card, find the pea under the shell and place colored rings on their matching pegs. I'm currently working on getting her to raise a flag up a flagpole.

My biggest problem has been getting her to do her tricks on my command. She is an independent little diva who performs when she wants to - which is usually when no one is watching.

I am very fortunate to have a chapter of the Caged Bird Society here in Raleigh. They meet once a month and everyone brings their healthy birds in. I joined and the members are always there when I have questions and that helps a lot! Look around your area.

One word of warning in case you haven't heard, Mike. Be VERY careful using Teflon anything around your bird. The fumes from these pans can kill your bird in seconds. I replaced all of my Teflon (including my iron) with cast iron and stainless steel. Even then, my stove exhaust fan is always on when cooking.

Oh yes. NO Teflon. Also, NO aerosol deodorants. Fabreeze in particular is a bird killer but they are ALL dangerous to these fellas. Scented candles can be problematic as well. They don't have lungs, but air-sacs and those sacs are quite sensitive to many things we happily shrug off.

In general, if it goes into the air, its potentially dangerous and you should check with your vet or other reliable source before using it.

On the behavior, the poor thing sounds like it was mistreated. These guys are prey-creatures and naturally fearful to some degree... trust is something that only comes with time. If he/she is taking food from your hand that's a good first step.

The next key thing to get your bird to do is to "step-up" to your hand on command. This is very important because, without this behavior, it can be very hard to handle your bird and get him or her help when they really need it-- because that's also when they will be the most afraid. I echo the sentiment on recommending the Womachs' training DVDs. The book I mentioned above might be of help as well. 'toos tend to be more eager to please then, say, a Macaw, but if this one has issues you and he/she are going to have to work through them. You will need to establish trust while also establishing that you are the dominant one in the relationship. Time and patience, and the rare bite, will get you there.

Good luck, all I can say otherwise is that Pickles came to us at age 6 and had some readjusting to do, but is worth every minute I put into building the relationship and every nip I got during the process.