Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well i got a 2 year old sweet heart of a cockatoo who is usualy good but every so often gets on a rant of screaming but mainly when your fav tv show is on only lol. anywhos she is in a large macaw cage loaded with toys and i was wondering if she would be able to have another parrot in there of some sort as a new buddy? if so any suggestions on kinds that would work good to be housed with her/him if any. also what are some good puzzle type toys for parrots i havent been able to find many at all most of the ones i see that say stimulating etc are a hard plastic bell or somethign odd like that where there is no point in it. anywhos need good ideas on making smart toys since the stores dont carry anythign that would work good for her. BTW her toys change often every month or two ill take somethign out re arange things put somethign new in etc. oh also she is a really picky eater mainly eats a very bad diet of what i have to make for her. sunflower seeds are her fav mixed with corn and zoopreme fruity smellin stuff lol then she gets tidbits of my sandwiches when im eating and she is out playin and she loves macoroni noodles without anythign on them any other foods i could try to add in as more of a staple in her diet? she gets loads of exercize and play

I'm going to answer your food question first. Anything in your fridge. Carrot, apples, oranges, tomatoes, brocolli, asparagus, peppers, bananas (for treats, because they get really messy in the bowl.) You 'too may like cooked foods, or grated foods, try serving carrots cooked on day and raw another to see what he eats. Stay clear of the avacato though, my employers say it is of no harm and they have fed them to their parrots, but I would not take any chances.

As far as a friend, this is a toughy. The sulfur crested at my work, really likes his umbrella friends. It's really hard to say, take my bird for example, she loves cockatiels, so I bought her one, took it home to her, and she HATES her. My pionus only likes cockatiels when they are not hogging me, because she gets very jealous. Perhaps a goffins cockatoo? Or maybe another sulfur crested. Hopefully someone else could give you advise on this. All I know is the sulfur crested at the aviary I work at is caged with 5 moluccans 6 or 8 umbrellas, and a pair of goffins. And they all get along fine.

I wouldn't suggest getting a companion for your bird unless you are ready for twice the mess, twice the cage cleaning, twice the screaming and the very real possibility that they may HATE each other which means even more screaming, possibly aggression towards you for paying attention to the newcomer and no possibilty of sharing a cage. If you don't mind two large cages and the time, money etc for this then go for it but make sure that the bird is for you not just a buddy for your present cockatoo. It has been proven by many specialists in the avian field that a bird does not necessarily need a feathered companion as long as they are getting plenty of attention from their people flock. Birds thrive on attention and as long as they have flock mates of either variety they will lead a full happy life.

If you do decide to get another bird I would suggest one of the same species. If you get a bird of a different size say a cockatiel or caique etc then there is a big risk of injury if your birds don't get along. The same goes if you get a bird that is a lot larger than your present cockatoo such as an Umbrella cockatoo. If you are worried about your bird having someone to spend time with and interact with it would be easier in a bird of the same species since they will have many of the same vocalizations (even though scientist think birds of the same species may have different "dialect" etc) and will more than likely have the same type of behavior. If your bird is a hyper attention getter it is more likely he will get along with another hyper attention getter instead of a quiet bird who likes nothing better than to be left alone so a birds behavior is something else to watch for.

Sorry to ramble on so but hope this helps.

As parakeet said a variety is great and most things you eat your bird can have too although many things should be in moderation. If you are a fast food junkie then this wouldn't be very healthy for your bird but probably wouldn't hurt as a very occassional treat. If you are a person who likes to eat healthy then this is great because your bird will learn to adjust to this as well. Either way fresh vegetables, grains, and fruits are wonderful. If your bird is on an all seed diet I would suggest introducing pellets and slowly doing away with the seeds. Seeds are okay as a treat or mixed in with a healthy diet but should not be the basis of your birds diet. For anyone who says birds eat seeds in the wild, well they do but not only seeds. They eat sprouts, buds, fruit, veggies and a great variety of other foods but they also exercise much more than birds in captivity do which gets rid of the excess fat found in seeds.

Try introducing foods in different ways. Your bird may be like many and be willing to try anything new as long as you are eating it. Or your bird may be picky and not want anything but what it is used to. You can try removing her/his seed bowl and offering a bowl of fresh or cooked foods for certain periods of the day. Watch for when your bird is usually doing the most eating (usually early morning, early evening or bedtime) and do the switch during those times. Try offering foods on a skewer. Or try mixing different colors in. Try sprinkling seeds in with some grated veggies so your bird actually has to at least dig through the other foods to get at the seeds. Experiment. Try grating them one time, then maybe if that doesn't work try cutting them in slices. Maybe try hanging big chunks on the skewer. Keep trying until your cockatoo shows the most interest and you have him/her hooked. Some birds will not pay any attention to new foods for the first few days but if you are persistent eventually he/she will become curious.

Just make sure to avoid chocolate, avocado, rhubarb and alcohol. Some suggest avoiding onions (if you do offer onions make sure it is minimal amounts such as if you have a salad with onions in it then giving your bird a bit is not going to cause a serious problem) tomatoes are okay on occassion but are very acidic and usually cause loose stools. Many fruits cause loose stools and again are great as treats but should be fed in moderation with other healthy foods.

she gets pizza crust with no sauce or anything on them only one piece of crust every so often thats her main treat or a bite of a sandwich or somehtign along them lines but nothign to often i was holding her one day well she was just kinda playing on me and i was eating spaghetti and she came over tried it didnt like it made what i call a sour face lol and came back for more and did the same thign over and over again the she barely touched anythign with her beak lol i have one odd silly bird she is a wierdo

i already have a extra cage on hand i bought one that would be fitting size for my small cockatoo but then i found a huge cage for cheap i was thinking of a african grey or the orange crested cockatoos i forget there name of them. i really want a macaw but not sure how they would work together before i would get any bird for a buddy my bird would come with me to wherever to help me find one that worked or atleast seemingly works i wouldnt just up and buy one my bird gets to choose i just wasnt sure on what kind would even be thinkable with mixing with each other. im not a smart bird person when it comes to mix n match and etc im a reptile guy

I definitely wouldn't suggest a macaw under any circumstances. Macaws have problems with the dust from cockatoos and not always but very often will have respiratory problems because of this. As far as taking your bird to meet the others that is great in theory but could cause problems. Many places that you would go to purchase a new bird whether it be a breeder or a pet store can be carriers of parasites, viral and bacterial agents which can cause great harm to you bird just by visiting. Even a very clean, vet checked place can have unknown problems that might affect your bird. As long as you have a different cage and are fully prepared for the extra work, noise etc and don't expect them to necessarily interact with each other I would suggest another dust producer only such as another cockatoo or possibly an african grey. Many times with work and supervision these birds will be able to get along while out of their cages just as long as they don't see the other as taking over their "territory". If you were hoping to have them in the same cage at some point and time I would definitely only suggest one of the same species as the one you already have.

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