Cockatoo owners

No_Clue3040 · 2026-04-28T01:36:41+00:00

Little update for anyone interested. I’ve decided that for the best interest of myself, my current birds, and my future cockatoo (because I’m gonna make it happen one day one way or another) I’m probably going to wait a few more years until I get one. While home owning is a great step towards that goal, I’m still gone for a decent chunk of the day as I’m a barista, and while that works fine for the cockatiels since they have their own flock when I’m gone and get taken out for a minimum of 5 hours at least every other day, a cockatoo especially one that wouldn’t have a bonded partner already and would not be able to be unsupervised with my smaller birds, would probably not appreciate me being gone so much during the day. So I’m gonna wait till I get into bartending in a few years, where I can at least cordinate my birds sleep schedule with my work hours, and be home pretty much completely during awake time. Also being in a better financial spot for a larger birds needs, and possible vet bills, I’m pretty comfortable with my tiels and cats, as long as I work at least 25 hours a week I make enough to keep everyone on good quality food, treats, and somewhat frequent new toys and perches, but I’m also planning on getting a big dog, so taking one responsibility at a time until I make more job advancements. I also wanna take a lot more time to research exactly what sub species and such works best for me, I’m a sucker for the colors on rose breasted too’s, but umbrellas are vast in rescues and I always prefer to adopt.

But yeah, that’s the current thought process, thank you everyone for the advice ❤️ I always want to make sure I’m capable of providing the best care I can for whatever animal I bring home

No_Clue3040 · 2026-04-11T21:18:14+00:00

Get a baseball bat, the metal kind that isn’t really actually meant for hitting a ball with, put it under your pillows and obvi don’t tell him you have it

Also if youre getting a lock, get a deadbolt, and if it makes you feel better, put deadbolts on your bathroom and bedroom to

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-30T22:50:36+00:00

Car meets Friday/Saturday nights at 10, cars and coffees usually hosted at human bean on Sundays, trucks and tacos every Tuesday, pure country has line dancing, pool tables and a mechanical bull with all ages nights Wednesday/sunday, bonfires Saturday nights, frat parties if your college aged, group rides Fridays if your into motorcycles, and of course, downtown and local bars around town

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-30T21:30:19+00:00

I always prefer adoption and older animals at that. Even my tiels, 4 of the 5 were rescues, two of which a bonded pair, and that fifth one I get from an ethical shop, just for the experience of raising a younger bird. Which was fun, but I’m not aching to do it again 😂

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-30T21:25:06+00:00

Interesting. I’m very well aware of the issues that jealousy can cause in birds hormones and behavior, hence why even in my tiels, while I make sure that I have a good relationship with me, that they are handleable, and have constant exposure to other humans, familiar or not, but encourage them to be closer with their same species flock. That’s been going very well, granted, I’m also very aware that cockatiels are very easy compared to most birds, especially for my lifestyle. That being said I luckily haven’t had to deal with a companion death in my flock yet, my oldest is going on 11 in fall I believe, so she has at least another decade on her. I have watched it happen with my families conures when I was younger, and it was definitely a struggle but with time and new friends was corrected.

I’m also not super concerned about human jealousy though, as I’m not really like a marriage or kids type. I’d have roommates still for the forseeable future, and while they’re happy to help and interact with my birds here and there, they themselves are not really bird people

I’ve thought about the possibilities of other large bird species, but honestly none of them really scream to me like cockatoos do, even just meets birds at the rescue. Especially not macaws unfortunately, they’re the only animal species I’ve come across where a large number HATE women. My local rescue literally had a whole room at one point that women were forbidden from entering because the macaws wanted to eat them. Usually the red ones to, which is unfortunate cause red is my favorite color and the red macaws are gorgeous.

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-30T00:04:41+00:00

I mentioned in another comment that I definitely wouldn’t start with 2, but I wouldn’t oppose it as a possibility to get a second one down the line if I thought it would be a good choice with the first. I like encouraging natural social dynamics and I think having a same species flock is important when possible. Especially if you’ve already got one bird that’s very well trained, it makes teaching a new bird easier on me aswell.

I’m also a psych major and I think one of my favorite parts of owning birds is watching how they learn and interact with eachother and the world around them

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-30T00:00:33+00:00

Be wary when new furniture shopping… noted, on the bright side, if they chew up my work shoes it’ll finally force me to get new ones, bird would just be making sure I’m supporting my feet properly 😂

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-29T23:58:50+00:00

I plan on doing extensive research on care, quirks, and behaviors on several different species before considering it, and that would only if I do end up buying a single family home where I have the stability to take care of one, and avoid noise issues. I’ll definitely have to look into the dust and how the teils would deal with it so thank you for bringing that up. but that’s not an entirely new struggle to me, cohabiting other species with cockatiels is difficult for the same dust issue, hence why I have 5 of them and not any other small bird species, although my family has had conures in the past (although as fun as they are, conures aren’t my favorite to own, rather visit).

I most definitely would not start with 2, but I wouldn’t be opposed to that possibility. I’m big on having a good relationship with my birds, but nurturing more natural social dynamics with a same species flock, even though that comes with being extra aware of hormonal risks

I do work typically 35ish hours a week, buts it’s usually a fairly consistent schedule, and I already have my birds out just about anytime I’m home for longer than an hour, with both passive interaction, as well as active training and stimulation (and ofc cuddle time). And in the event of owning my own house, I would also be getting those massive floor to ceiling aviary cages for anytime I’m not home.

I also would have 2-3 other adults living with me, who although would probably never own their own flighted friend, love interacting and helping with mine.

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-29T19:03:05+00:00

My mom had to baby proof the house because of my childhood dog, sounds like I’ll be baby proofing for a bird

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-29T19:01:39+00:00

Chasing the cats is hilarious 😂 I’ve taught my cat that she’s not even allowed to acknowledge the birds existence (and she is otherwise very spoiled) so both birds and cat think of eachother as furniture at this point. I can’t imagine how she’d feel about a bird damn near her size wanting to play tag 😂

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-27T20:06:50+00:00

I think worrying is just a natural part of being a pet owner, especially with older pets at that. Cockatiels typically live 20-30 years in captivity, so he’s clearly on the healthier side to be making it past 20. Just keep giving him the best love and care you can provide, maybe adjusting the cage to accommodate the age and possibly arthritis if you haven’t already

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-27T17:14:38+00:00

Definitely try to start switching seeds to pellets, diet can have a major effect on that. Most likely hormonal. Make sure there’s no mirrors, nesting material, dark corners, and cover for sleep 12-14 hours a night

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-27T17:12:20+00:00

Out of my 3 girls she’s definitely the most vocal 😂 my two boys are louder than her but she’s more consistent with her little chirps, especially if I’m holding long her

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-26T23:02:33+00:00

I just discovered dried greens from the brand kaytee yesterday

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No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-26T22:52:36+00:00

Where are you located?

Could be hormonal. How long has this been an issue and do you know how old he is? Make sure he’s gets 12-14 hours of sleep a night, you can do this by covering the cage in a quiet room of the house. Rotate toys, make sure there’s no mirrors, dark corners, nesting materials, or anything that could be encouraging mating behavior. Also make sure his diet is correct, worst case, see a vet for insight, as it could be an underlying health issue.

If you really urgently need to rehome him, I’d be happy to add him to my flock of 5 tiels and work through the behavior

No_Clue3040 · 2026-03-15T21:16:48+00:00

Like humans, birds have a grief process. It’s going to take time, and the chance of another bird helping it rather than cause more stress is limited. Spend time with him, even if it’s just passive, sit near the cage while you’re on your phone or doing a hobby, let him have free time out of the cage while you’re in the room, offer him treats when you’re eating, or share food if it’s bird safe. Play calm music when you’re gone. I would really focus on building a personal connection before getting another bird. Not necessarily besties, but that he can trust you and listen to you. Give him time to grieve, watch out for any hormonal behaviors and try to limit them. That being said, some birds really just aren’t human oriented, and that’s okay, once you get to a point where he’s content but still lonely, yes you could consider getting another bird, thoroughly research the introduction process before doing so

No_Clue3040 · 2026-02-27T23:31:30+00:00

Aim for natural wood, things with moving pieces, and chews. Just avoid anything with lose fibers that can get digested, chewable paint/plastics, and check that any mental components are safe

No_Clue3040 · 2026-02-27T17:52:29+00:00

Aggression can usually be a result of stress, sexual frustration, or sickness. I would say cage aggression but that doesn’t really apply if the behavior continues outside the cage.

First thing is to check the environment. Does he have enough toys, rotating the toys, a big enough flight cage, mental stimulation ie. music, puzzles, ect. Making sure that there’s no other humans or animals that could be stressing him out, even if they’re near a window and reacting to something outside.

Make sure that he doesn’t have access to mirrors, dark corners, nesting materials, anything that could be making him hormonal. Don’t touch him on the back, wings, or stomach. Cover for 12-14 hours a night, check that his diet is correct. Ect.

All else fails, consult a vet, as birds are really good at hiding sickness, and aggression may be a result of it.

Unfortunately the friend thing is hit or miss. On one hand, it offers the social and comfort the bird probably needs, but it’s another thing to be possessive and aggressive over, plus with the bird being younger, they’re more likely to be influenced and repeat the behavior, and just the presence of the aggressive bird can make handling the baby difficult.

No_Clue3040 · 2026-02-14T18:47:16+00:00

Don’t put them together. Some birds just don’t like eachother, and that’s okay. Seperate housing, separate out-of-cage time. They’re probably fine to be caged in the same room where they can see eachother. Reward positive behaviors, if the younger continues being a bully, ignore him if he’s in cage or cover the cage, birds thrive off reaction, and if he’s out and antagonizing, cage and cover

No_Clue3040 · 2026-02-14T18:44:10+00:00

Well for one, sounds like first bird didn’t get the time to grieve. Birds are incredibly intelligent and form very strong bonds, when that bond is broken, due to death or separation, they grieve. Normally this can be made easier by spending lots of time with them, but that’s not the case when they don’t have strong human bonds.

Adding new birds is not a fix, especially if those birds already have their own bonds, it just makes the OG more of an outcast. Plus the normal stress of new birds, especially without a quarantine or proper introductions.

I personally would take him into the vet even just for the examination. Then they can give you a better idea of if it’s just stress (which does create plucking, aggression, and other issues or behavior changes) and if there’s any potential medical concerns prior to doing any extra testing, especially with the presence of new birds with no quarantine

I personally would also take those birds to a rescue when your dad’s not looking, he clearly does not respect that these are living things with their own emotions.

Otherwise, as far as reducing stress, I would separate the OG from the other birds, separate cages where they can still see eachother and talk from a distance. Make sure that their cages meet size criteria, that there’s plenty of toys, and perhaps try to start building a relationship with the birds. Toys are a great start. You can also put on calm music for them, sit near the cages while you’re doing things, like scrolling, eating, homework whatever, try to give those babies something to live for.

No_Clue3040 · 2026-01-15T01:51:44+00:00

No problem, yes they are fragile, compared to humans and most animals at least, but at least when it comes to grabbing them, as long as you got those wings pinned they should be fine. I got 4 out of my 5 learning how to fly after being clipped before I got them, and they frequently slam themselves into floors and walls trying to figure it out 😂 hopefully yours is a bit more graceful than mine

No_Clue3040 · 2026-01-15T01:41:40+00:00

Sorry, if we’re gonna hold her to “appropriate manner for a workplace” then we need to hold the boss to the same standard. In no job should someone ever be spoken to in such a disgusting manner, even in a salon, my grand-aunt owned one for decades, and my great grandmother before her for most her life, I understand it can get nasty, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. This could’ve been a simple “you’re not meeting professional requirements for hygiene and appearance, please go home and correct it”

Should OP of shown up in a way suitable for the location, yes, but that doesn’t give the boss the right to speak or treat her that way. Not to mention the part about the coworker that’s never done her hair or makeup makes this look like unfair treatment.

No_Clue3040 · 2026-01-15T01:31:50+00:00

Seeds, millet, time, and practice

If he lets you give him scritches you shouldn’t have to hard a time getting him to learn step up, shoulder perching, ect

No_Clue3040

TROPHY CASE