misbehaving sulphy too

[Sulphy Too]

Hello all : I am the owner of a 12 year old sulphur crested cockatoo since he was just a baby bird .He is a really happy bird and goes with me wherever I go including to work on the farm(s) I work on. When at work he sits a top a ladder with a branch on top to chew or I sit him in a tree . He absolutely hates other birds , especially the wild cockatoos , and on occasion when one lands on his ladder he'll peck until the intruder flies away .During apple harvest he loves to chew and destroy numerous apples just to get at the seeds and he loves to ride on my shoulder while I drive the tractor . As long as he can see me everything is alright in his eyes but if he loses track of me he calls out to be picked up . He loves being picked up and cuddled and have his legs , ,back , wings and head rubbed or patted or loves to play hide and seek under the quilt on my bed with me . He has a cage he waddles to from the bed for food or water or to play with his toys . He was a pretty quiet bird for the last ten years but lately he has become a lot noisier to the point he starts to drive me crazy for short periods of time . I know almost all his unique squawks, screams and growls He growls when he wants to be fed his favorite food - minted peas which I feed to him by hand to fill him up before I leave with him to go to work , or gives out happy screams when he is happy - dancing side to side and flicking his head. However recently he gives out little short irritating squawks when I'm in his presence that drive me mad .I normally would put him outside in a tree till he chills out , but I can't do this if I am staying in a hotel and he appears to do this when he is relaxed and at rest with his cheek feathers covering his beak . Other times he squawks angrily just for no reason . The other thing he does is lash out and bite when I'm giving him a pet for no apparent reason . People tell me he is a spoiled rotten bird and I have to agree with them because he pretty much gets what he wants . Any idea what has changed or has changed his behaviour ?

 

[MagpieDragon]

I'm not sure, but considering you've had him since a baby, be may be starting to go thru puberty, meaning that he may become more rambunctious, loud and hormonal.
There are many ways to manage/ reduce this kind of behaviour by training, changing sleep routines and a better diet.

Good luck, and welcome to the forum!

 

[Sulphy Too]

Thank you Magpie Dragon . I like taking him to work with me so he can burn off some energy , not to mention save money on toys. I was thinking of contacting this woman fom Fort Lauterdalewho could help me solve my bird's behavioral problems. Usually he makes annoying squawks when I forget to feed him or haven't given him some pick up and play time , but sometimes he goes a bit crazy even during the winter months .

 

[MagpieDragon]

Ha, ha! Good to hear about the great bond you have with your 'too
Sometimes, crazy is just normal for birds, especially cokatoos, if u get what I mean
Goodluck with the behaviourist!

 

[Icey]

We used to have one that was super affectionate too. She absolutely loved my hubby and would lay on his chest and sleep, play, or just cuddle up.
She loved doing the chicken scratch on him and burying her head into his neck.
Unfortunately we had to rehome her when we moved to the UK.
She could be fiesty though and would sometimes attack for no reason, but overall she was an angel.
Glad to hear you have such a good bond with yours and hopefully you can find out what is causing her behaviuoral issues.
She sounds like a sweetheart when she's not misbehaving

 

[Sulphy Too]

And just think -I wanted to get a macaw and a quaker .I used to have a quaker but lost him on the train track the same day I spent a pile of cash taking to a bird vet to get him well . When I bought my too I never thought birds would be this much work and would live to 85 or older . I hope his next owner treats him as well as me .Speaking of other birds I have a lawn table outside in the yard outside the house I live in and I feed the birds sunflower seeds in the winter. I've counted up to 23 birds on the table at one time . Crimson rosellas ,gallahs and king parrots . After a while the king parrots become quite tame , sitting on my hands , arms , shoulders and even my head .The rosellas are to skittish nd the dallahs are not game enough . I love the sounds the king parrots make .They are so cool .

 

[cassiesdad]

Might be hormones. He probably considers you as his "mate."

Be careful of the body rubs or pats...they are stimulating in a sexual way.

It sounds like you have a great bond with your 'too...what's his name?

 

[Sulphy Too]

Sorry for taking so long to reply to your post Cassiesdad. I've been going flat out during the apple season , and now that it's done I can relax a bit . I named my bird Buster , but call him "Big Bird " most of the time . Anytime I say the word "Bird " he knows I'm referring to him . I'd have to say he's my best friend though he can certainly drive me crazy at times .I If he plays up during the day I put him in a small but tree in the yard and leave some sunflower seeds on the table close by to attract other birds. It keeps him distracted for a while till evening when I take him inside .Putting him in the trees at work saves me a lot of money in toys .I have tried all types of toys but the best I have found the he likes the best and last the longest , while also being the cheapest are made of loofthah sponge .

 

[cassiesdad]

Well...Welcome to the Avenue, Buster...or Big Bird, if you prefer!

I have tried all types of toys but the best I have found the he likes the best and last the longest , while also being the cheapest are made of loofthah sponge .

Sometimes they're just like human kids, preferring to play with the box a toy comes in, rather than the toy...

 

[Nancy B]

No matter what I get Freddy he prefers ABC cube wood blocks and paper rings cut from paper towel rolls! I have bought baby rings, rattles, and other things good for foot toys, even a small pink stuffed rabbit and the only time he touches them is to throw them out of the basket! I have seen birds throwing around child safe stuffed toys but he doesn't seem to have that much energy. At least right now he's very low key.

 

[JLcribber]

People tell me he is a spoiled rotten bird and I have to agree with them because he pretty much gets what he wants . Any idea what has changed or has changed his behaviour ?

He sounds like alate bloomer.

Insightful reading.

Site Name - Articles - Behavioral - Sex And The Psittacine

 

[Sulphy Too]

I'll post a few pictures soon of him with me at work .I have one from a few years back with him on my my shoulder as I was pruning apple trees on the platform . Sometimes he just wants to be with me and makes a huge fuss on his ladder until I pick him up and take him up on the platform or on the hydraladder(cherrypicker). Funny thing is he's scared of the machines from a distance but he isn't afraid if he is sitting on them or on my shoulder while I'm using them .

 

[Sulphy Too]

Another strange quirk he has is that he gets extremely angry if he hears me taking a shower and he is not with me perched on top of the glass shower enclosure .My roommate sometimes takes him when he takes a shower also .If not he will scream angrily until someone takes him or the shower is shut off . When perched there he puffs up - sitting on one foot , with the other curled up close to his body and looking comfortable ,really relaxed and contented. I think it must be the sound of the water that puts him in a relaxed state of mind .

 

[TikiMyn]

I would love to see pics of him!
He sounds like he knows what he wants Henkie, my lovebird, insists on taking showers with me too. If I get my towel he Will fly after me to join me. He doesn’t really shower either, he just takes in the steam. Fëanor, my other lovie, doesn’t mind not coming with me, but if I don’t take Henkie he Will be a bit angry with me

 

[Nancy B]

Well...Welcome to the Avenue, Buster...or Big Bird, if you prefer!

Sometimes they're just like human kids, preferring to play with the box a toy comes in, rather than the toy...

I think this is dead on. They are EXACTLY like human kids. It's uncanny! Maybe Bird likes the humidity of the shower. Lol that's so cute! How in the world were you able to trust him to stay with you? I think you have a cool situation. Certainly great for Bird! He gets to be outside every day!

 

[Sulphy Too]

Hi Nancy: He just trusts me completely .I bought him as a baby bird at a pet shop for $150 not knowing what I was getting in to . He tried to fly away inside the house the day I bought him , but through feeding him by hand and a lot of scratches and rubs he really took to me . Even today I lay on my side in bed and hold him against my chest like when I first got him and he just loves putting his head under my arm sometimes .I used to clip his wings but then after a while I did not bother anymore .He can still fly , but for only short distances because I'm sure his wings are weak .For example he got a scare while riding on my shoulder on the tractor and flew about 30 or 40 yards before coasting to the ground and waiting there for me to pick him up again, He loves car rides because he knows he gets hours of pats when he sits on his box on my lap ,or he goes to sleep on my shoulder (I'm the passenger) .I know he trusts me completely because once when he was suffering from worms the vet gave him a needle in his breast area and got me to hold him because he told me it was going to hurt. He hardly flinched . Unfortunately that treatment did not cure him and I made 4 trips to the avian vet to try to get him cured .On the last visit the vet said I should consider putting him down if he kept vomiting the way he did . I was in a bit of a panic mode when he stated throwing up again . Luckily I read about this new vet from out of town who was supposed to be really good and paid her a visit .I gave her all the paperwork from the avian vet and she asked me if I de-wormed him .I said no so she gave me a $20 bottle of Avitrol dewormer and that was what was needed to cure him .That was back in 2010 . Contrast that with the $4500 I had spent with the avian vet who I consider a crook and a liar telling me my bird had zinc poisoning even though I made sure nothing was made of zinc in his cage ,and on another occasion he had swallowed a small metal piece. Everything worked out alright but as you can see me and my bird have gone through quite a bit .

 

[Nancy B]

Geez what an amazing story! I can't imagine all that with a bird! I'm so glad everything turned out ok. But you're right, what a crook! Deworming is a pretty basic thing for a vet to recommend, something he should have done first thing. I had a lovebird that would come to me when I whistled, and would sleep in my arms. I probably could havefree flown him too but...no courage lol

 

[Sulphy Too]

Worst thing is that vets collude with one another .I wanted to get new copies of my bird's medical records and the vet would not give then to me citing a certain state law prohibiting him from giving them to me but said an out of state vet could request copies and he/ she could give them to me . So I went to get a check up for my bird back home and requested the records.She denied my wishes saying she phoned up my former vet who had told her that he did not want the records to be turned over.Looking at my old copies I can see why , but at the time I blindly trusted him and just paid .In addition to the x-ray showing my bird had supposedly swallowed something metal from his cage he had repeatedly administered the same treatment 3 times including doing a beak and feather disease test on each occasion costing $200 each time . Vets in country towns charge half that and I noticed that at least one bird boarding place I checked out only charged $15 . As far as I'm concerned the vet is a crook who takes advantage of owners' of birds love for their pets .

 

[Sulphy Too]

Hi Cassiesdad : I think you are right when you say he thinks I'm his mate because I have spoiled him rotten with too much cuddling and attention .I'm going to resist the urge to give him a cuddle in the evenings for more than a few minutes on the bed and slowly clicker train him to stop his screaming .My vet Rebecca was not wrong when she said my bird has ME trained really well . Nancy C wondered how I could trust him to stay with me .It kind of just happened that way . At first I cut his flight feathers when I took him to work , but after a while when I noticed he never even tried to fly away I never bothered to cut them anymore .The only time he flies is when he is frightened . He is really funny because he does not know how to put on the brakes and has crashed into objects .Most of the time he just coasts onto the ground and waits to get picked up . I'll post a few pictures real soon of him on his ladder and on the pruning platform with me on my shoulder .

 

[cassiesdad]

Another strange quirk he has is that he gets extremely angry if he hears me taking a shower and he is not with me perched on top of the glass shower enclosure .My roommate sometimes takes him when he takes a shower also .If not he will scream angrily until someone takes him or the shower is shut off . When perched there he puffs up - sitting on one foot , with the other curled up close to his body and looking comfortable ,really relaxed and contented. I think it must be the sound of the water that puts him in a relaxed state of mind .

Milton is obsessed with water and showers. He will sit under the spray as long as you let him...and he'll talk to the objects in the shower, like the "blue soap" (it doesn't matter what color the soap is!) and the washcloth.
When he comes out, he yell, "I'M WET, YOU'RE WET, WE'RE BOTH WET"...on and on.

Last year, Milty discovered rain was "WET"...which he thought was a hoot...