# new cockatoo



## hasseian_313 (Oct 31, 2009)

just adopted a umbrella cackotoo 3yrs old lil fee but so worth it he cuddles and vary tame but has a mind of its one i think its a female but idk lol does any one kno the best way to give it a bath lol will pot pics 2marrow


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

hasseian_313 said:


> just adopted a umbrella cackotoo 3yrs old lil fee but so worth it he cuddles and vary tame but has a mind of its one i think its a female but idk lol does any one kno the best way to give it a bath lol will pot pics 2marrow


I have a Mollucan (salmon crested) Cockatoo.........Cockatoo's are "love bugs" 
She likes to be "misted" with warm water from a spray bottle. You have to do it regularly (at least weekly), as they have alot of feather dust!


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## Remarc Lofts (Nov 13, 2007)

Be sure to take a look at this site. Don't be scared right off the bat. There is tons of very good information on the care and needs of cockatoos.

Good luck and congrats on the new addition.

Spray bottle are great and mine loves the shower.

http://mytoos.com/


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Remarc Lofts said:


> Be sure to take a look at this site. Don't be scared right off the bat. There is tons of very good information on the care and needs of cockatoos.
> 
> Good luck and congrats on the new addition.
> 
> ...


Excellent site! I haven't finished reading it yet (I bookmarked it), but I will 
I got "Lexi" when she was 3 months old, from a breeder that had polyoma virus hit her birds. She was one of the "surviving" babies. I worked for the vet that was treating them, and she gave her to me. That was 17 years ago, and "Lexi" is a "carrier" of polyoma virus. I periodically have her blood tested, and she is STILL shedding the virus! Therefore, she can NEVER come into contact with another psittisine (sp) bird.
She is my "baby" (my kids are grown and out on their own now). She's like having a 4 year old child...FOREVER. And so far what I read on your site is absolutely TRUE! She has a strict routine (I don't travel), no bad vices (feather plucking or "screaming"), bedtime is 8 o'clock (and she tells me when it's 8 o'clock!), and her pelleted diet is supplemented with *whatever I eat*


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

Good website! 

There is so much people need to know before they commit themselves to this kind of responsibility. There are way too many birds in rescues.


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## hasseian_313 (Oct 31, 2009)

yah i kno i like africang grays 2 man if i had the room it put averies of parrots i think mines a girl but anyways so use a spray bottle got it


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## windmill Ranch (Sep 18, 2009)

If your unbrella has black eyes it is a male. If the eyes are red it is a female. Haggen makes a extruded pellet for parrots. It is fantastic. My Blue front is 27 and has been on it all of his life. My umbrellas breed better and stopped loosing feathers. One bird would only eat sunflower seeds


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

windmill Ranch said:


> *If your unbrella has black eyes it is a male.* If the eyes are red it is a female. Haggen makes a extruded pellet for parrots. It is fantastic. My Blue front is 27 and has been on it all of his life. My umbrellas breed better and stopped loosing feathers. One bird would only eat sunflower seeds


I was told that about my Mollucan. 'He' has the deepest black eyes.......When 'he' was 11, 'she' layed an egg! 
I don't think 'that' system is quite accurate.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

my umbrella has pretty dark eyes too and she is def a girl.
i just adopted her this summer and man am i in love, but oh boy can she scream! as soon as it gets dark she lets me know in no uncertain terms she wants to be covered.
it just part of having a too.
you can always dna her it's only about 20bucks at avian biotech.
yes mist bottle and get a shower perch and start getting her used to showers, 
it's the best thing for them to get a real good soaking, just go slow with her it if she's scared so you don't turn her off to it forever.
yaya's previous owner sprayed her with a spray bottle when she screamed so she hates water.
every couple of weeks i have to pin her to my chest in the shower and give her a good soaking even though she hates it, not fun


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

altgirl35 said:


> every couple of weeks i have to pin her to my chest in the shower and give her a good soaking even though she hates it, not fun


Brave soul! Are you wearing a kevlar vest when you do this?


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

altgirl35 said:


> every couple of weeks i have to pin her to my chest in the shower and give her a good soaking even though she hates it, not fun


AHHH NO THANKS! lol 
Mollucans are a little BIGGER! ouch!


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

no she's sweet, she gets upset about it but she's a real good girl.
the only time she has bitten anyone is when she gets rowdy and overstimulated and it's pretty rare.
i can file her nails with a dremel and clip her wings without restraining her also.
my other parrots? forget about it, i would be in the ER getting stiches


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## hasseian_313 (Oct 31, 2009)

ya the all sweet


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

altgirl35 said:


> no she's sweet, she gets upset about it but she's a real good girl.
> the only time she has bitten anyone is when she gets rowdy and overstimulated and it's pretty rare.
> i can file her nails with a dremel and clip her wings without restraining her also.
> my other parrots? forget about it, i would be in the ER getting stiches


Lexi doesn't bite, but her toenails are HUGE! When she gets nervous, she puts a death grip on my arm and hand........toe nail punctures...OUCH! Even when their trimmed...a bigger puncture!
I tried the shower thing when she was young and she never took to it  so she gets misted


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## abluechipstock (Nov 26, 2010)

i had a goffin that i adored but i didn't have enough time for her and she began to chew her feathers, my friend has her now and she's doing great, one thing is she was extremely loud and i'm a night shift worker i had to run a fan to drown her out but she was absolutely wonderful, never would bite and would cuddle like a puppy, she would have been a great pr bird because she loved everybody, she would stock my cats and play ball with me, it's so sad that a lot of these birds are abused for their natural behavior, i miss her but my friend supplies a much better environment, good luck


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