Advise

[Suzanna]

Our G2 is not 1 yet and has been flying for 2 months now. We are thinking of trimming her wings. She is constantly flying onto our quaker parrots cage which bothers the quaker parrot. If they are out at the same time she will go in the Quakers cage. 1 of our 4 dogs is now trying jumping up at her when she flies. Dog doesn't try biting her just jumps up at her. G2 still constantly flying on top of our heads. Been training her not too. But hasn't gone well. So I am really torn about if I should go back to having her wings clipped.

 

[JLcribber]

That would make it that much easier for the dogs to get her that's for sure.

Handicapping is not a long term permanent solution. Adapting and changing the environment so these things just can't happen is.

A little heart to heart advice. You are only at the beginning of this very long journey of owning a cockatoo. You're going to realize in time that keeping this bird and making things work for everybody is going to require a lot more sacrifice than you thought. You WILL need to change physical things and the way you do things.

 

[CheekyBeaks]

I agree with John, clipping her wings may make life a little easier for you but is not good for either her physical or psychological health.
Changes in the environment she is living in and they way you do things are going to be a better option for her.
Have you though about if she is clipped and falls to the floor, she will have no way of escaping your dogs?

 

[LunaHestia]

My first bit of advice would be to put your dogs away when the birds are out. Jumping at a flying bird is one step away from catching the bird. I don't care if you think your dogs would never hurt the bird, so did everybody else whose birds were killed by a dog that would "never" hurt it! Second I would work on some clicker training and redirecting her to land someplace else. There are plenty of solutions besides wing clipping

 

[Bokkapooh]

I agree with what everyone else has said.

I also suggest having playstands for your bird. Spending time oit of the cage ONLY on its cage is boring. Makes sense as to why she is flying to your Quakers cage.

She's bored!

You need to invest in acquiring several playstands for her away from her cage.

 

[Hankmacaw]

I'm very serious when I recommend that you NEVER have your dogs out with your birds. Also, if you clip the G2's wings she will not be able to get away from the dogs.

 

[saroj12]

everything above and if you invest in some hanging gyms, she will fly onto them

 

[Suzanna]

Every time she flies on our heads we put her down and say "not on our heads". But she is relentless and keeps doing it. Any suggestions on that? Also she is molting and itching all the time little down feathers are every where. I gave her a bath in coconut milk and have been giving her extra protein any other suggestions to help her not itch?

 

[JLcribber]

I use the "duck" method. You duck at the last second and literally take away the landing spot, forcing them to land somewhere else or change direction and go back the way they came. An option on that is to carry a T stick to put up as a block. Now they have a "choice" to either land on that stick or land somewhere else. This is also the importance of having strategic "landing stations" in all areas of the birds world where they can land (and learn, and eventually choose instead of you). This is just a fact of life if you have flighted birds.

Every time she flies on our heads we put her down and say "not on our heads"

This is a drama reward and will actually increase the behaviour.

 

[Monica]

Teach her to fly to your hand or arm instead of your head. If you have to, put your hand above your head and if she lands on your hand, praise her for doing so.


Teaching her "where not to land" doesn't teach her "where to land", so you need to teach her where to land and encourage and praise her for doing so. The more she's rewarded for desired behaviors, the less likely she is to perform undesired behaviors.