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My new cockatoo

Spirit Warrior

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Hey guys
I just got a 3 month old cockatoo. Is it normal for them to make a whining noise. He makes it quite a bit. Is this fine or does it mean he's unhappy

Thank you guys
 

Hankmacaw

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He's begging for food. Many parrots do this when they first come home and feel insecure. Get some baby bird food and feed that guy.
 

finchly

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Congrats on your new companion!
 

Spirit Warrior

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He is now home and eating parrot food and stopped the whining
 

Mockinbirdiva

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Did the person you bought this cockatoo give you any instructions? What is the parrot food you are feeding it? There are a lot of cockatoo people here that will help you and give you great advice on how to properly care for your baby. Welcome to the forum and share a photo when you can.
 

MahaSarah

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Isn't three months way too young to be weaned? What information did the breeder give you on him?
 

Spirit Warrior

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They said ( think now a she) feed her budge food (which I'm not I'm giving her pellets and elite parrot food which she is eatting fine) she is hand reared from the egg. "She is very happy when making the whining noise" they said but she's happier when she's not making that noise.
 

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Mockinbirdiva

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What brand of pellets are you feeding this bird? And I think you were referring to "budgie" food? I can't even begin to imagine someone would suggest that as a diet for a cockatoo. Was this a breeder or pet store? I'm curious. You need some good information on the proper diet for your bird to grow up healthy.
Have you visited the section on this site titled Cockatoo Causeway yet? There will be some information for you there to read and I've tagged a few people here who have cockatoos that may be able to help you get the little one on the right path to healthy living.

@JLcribber
@cassiesdad
@Danita
@iamwhoiam
@Just-passn-thru
 

MahaSarah

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The breeder that told you "he is very happy when making the whining noise" is completely wrong and sounds like an awful breeder. When they whine that means that he is hungry. He isn't fully weaned because a cockatoo doesn't wean at 3 months. He is begging for handfeedings, so please feed him some formula. Be careful when handfeeding as so many things can go wrong. The formula needs to be at a certain temperature and you need to monitor his weight by a gram scale. I also suggest an Avian vet for a checkup.
 

Spirit Warrior

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Yes I meant budgie food lol. It was a breeder. I will be feeding her nutri pellets elite parrot food and a range of nuts and fresh fruit and veg. Same as my boyfriends African grey and his dad's macaw. Thanks for the tags and I will be doing lots of research on this site on cockatoos
 

Marvel_ous

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She's a cutie, but that breeder sounds AWFUL! I hope they didn't charge you that much! If you still have their information, make sure to at least leave a review or something warning other people. An AV checkup is a must, they can also instruct you on hand-feeding. Good luck with your sweetie!
 

JLcribber

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Abundance Weaning and Fledging

Wilhelm (Bill) Kiesselbach

Permission granted March 31, 2009



There is absolutely nothing more important for the healthy emotional and intellectual development of a young parrot than Abundance Weaning and Fledging. The term "Abundance Weaning" was created and trademarked by Phoebe Greene Linden of Santa Barbara Bird Farm. She has written extensively about it and subsequently, the term has been adopted by bird behaviorists as identifying the single most important contributing factor to the birds' emotional and physical health. As opposed to "forced" weaning where birds are on a specific schedule and, usually based on their age, the breeder decides when they ought to be weaned, "Abundance Weaning" leaves that decision to the bird.



Supplied with a variety of foods ranging from fruit and vegetable tidbits to pellets that should be available all the time, the bird is continued to be hand fed. A properly weaned bird learns to trust humans through the actions of it's caregiver. It gains self-confidence, learns to accept different foods readily and is comfortable in a changing environment. While initially "Abundance Weaning" is exclusively needed for nutrition, eventually it turns into the need for emotional comfort. The word "weaning" in this context implies an awareness of the bird's needs. It goes beyond the mere satisfaction of nutritional requirements. "Weaning

implies love, caring, emotional support and the application of simple, elementary rules. It implies knowledge of the early very distinctive stages in their maturation and the birds' individual changing and very specific behavioral patterns.



The Poultrification of parrots is an expression coined by Sally Blanchard and refers to the indiscriminate breeding of parrots on a large scale expressly motivated by profit. While there are even breeders who incubate eggs on a large scale and then ravage feed the babies without individual attention, emotional support or even a modicum of "Abundance Weaning", the worst case of poultrification is the bird breeding program by Petsmart. They breed birds by the thousands and then distribute them into their sales outlets. Everything Petsmart and volume breeders do literally flies into the face of everything we know about the emotional and

intellectual needs of a young parrot. Birds "produced" in this manner are very likely to develop very serious behavioral problems. In many cases, breeders and pet shops will even offer a discount to those who are willing to buy an unweaned bird, a clear indication of a breeder or pet shop who doesn't care beyond the "jingle" in the cash register.



While the consequences for this lack of care won't be apparent when the birds are still babies, it will be very evident when they mature. They are prime candidates for seriously dysfunctional behavior. This, of course, is not to say that an Abundance Weaned bird is guaranteed to become a wonderful companion. A lot of knowledge, work, understanding, respect and love are still necessary. Abundance Weaning merely represents the vital foundation on which to build.

Cage bound birds which are suspicious of changes in their lives, who reject their caregiver, who become phobic or even feather pluckers most likely have not been properly Abundance Weaned.



It is a fact that in the wild, African Greys as well as Cockatoos for instance, are "Abundance Weaned" long after they have fledged. 2 year old Cockatoos have been observed being fed by their parents and other relatives. Greys are being weaned and taught the "ways of life" for a number of years to prepare them not only to survive in a hostile environment, but also for the rules of behavior within their very own flock. Bobbi Brinker the noted breeder has instituted a system of "Nanny Birds" which helps her raise her babies. She has the reputation of producing healthy and well-adjusted parrots. (The title of her latest book: "For the Love of

Greys*)


At this point, it may be interesting to recount the stunning behavioral difference between wild caught African Greys and captivity raised birds. While African Greys have the reputation of being feather pluckers, there has been almost no incidence of feather plucking observed in wild caught birds. While being trapped, caged and transported must represent a level of trauma to an intelligent and sensitive creature that is hard to imagine, these birds clearly came emotionally equipped to deal with that. On the other hand the birds bred in captivity, cared for, fed and never subjected to the tremendous stress of their wild caught cousins are

historically more prone to becoming phobic. The answer seems to be that they are ill prepared to deal with the uncertain, ever changing circumstances of a life with a bunch of mammals who don't even begin to understand them. Something was missing in their upbringing — in all likelihood they have not been properly weaned is a major part.



There is another component in successfully growing up: Learning to fly. Birds must learn to fly. Their sense of self-confidence and emotional well being depends on it. They must be able to maneuver and land safely. While the pure act of flying is a vital part of their development, it has been suggested that letting them learn to fly may even impact their eating habits. When a bird gets ready to fledge, it will instinctively reduce its food intake. That is to loose some of the accumulated baby fat and make it lighter. Many times loving caregivers become extremely concerned about lack of eating and weight loss. It has been suggested that our birds must

fly to lose their focus on losing weight and regain their "normal appetite". Even though we may later clip their wings in order to protect them from injuries or escaping, they must fly first. Once we decide to clip them, we have to make sure to do that correctly. There are very clear guidelines on proper wing clipping which are based on bodyweight, size and general agility and are different for every species. Properly clipping is important and won't harm the bird's self esteem; doing so improperly can be devastating, physically dangerous and cruel.



Finally, "Abundance Weaning" is entirely the breeder's responsibility. There is no question that the bird's future behavior patterns, his/her ability to relate, the levels of socialization and emotional health are very largely dependent upon the care it receives early in its life.


The battle cry among all those dedicated to the well being of our companions parrots is: "Don't buy an unweaned bird" —and for a reason: Doing so clearly supports those who are in this business without regard to for the well-being of the creatures. We all should know the difference between a good breeder who cares for the birds and a bad, unscrupulous breeder. The entire future relationship between the buyer and the bird may very well depend on the breeder. A good breeder will never sell an unweaned bird and the bad breeder should be put out of business.
 

Spirit Warrior

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She is being handfed as she is not fully weaned but getting there. I'm feeding her wet nutri pellets and she's nibbling at elite parrot mix. I'm in the UK not the USA
 

cassiesdad

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I think breeders selling non-weaned birds is horrid...most people haven't got a clue how to hand feed. I know I don't know how to do it...and I've had birds for over 30 years.
The fact is the only "hand feeding" I've ever done is giving meds by syringe.
She is being handfed as she is not fully weaned but getting there.
This is good news...remember, the whining means your little one is hungry.
Another great idea is get a good scale...you need to be weighing your little one everyday...

What is your little one's name?
 

Spirit Warrior

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I think breeders selling non-weaned birds is horrid...most people haven't got a clue how to hand feed. I know I don't know how to do it...and I've had birds for over 30 years.
The fact is the only "hand feeding" I've ever done is giving meds by syringe.

This is good news...remember, the whining means your little one is hungry.
Another great idea is get a good scale...you need to be weighing your little one everyday...

What is your little one's name?
She is called echo and it eatting well from a tea spoon eatting mushed up pellets and making friends with my boyfriends African grey
 

cassiesdad

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eatting well from a tea spoon eatting mushed up pellets and making friends with my boyfriends African grey
...very good news!

Welcome to the Avenue, Echo! :)
 

Nancy B

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She's so cute, so little! :hug8:
 

aooratrix

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If you read some of Katie McElroy's articles, you'll find that babies with their parents don't cry: they're fed and full. If they do solicit food by whining, they are fed.

I tried to find her site and provide a link, but her site is down? Hope she's okay! I'll try to find an article.
 

M_Riddly

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It dosent always mean hungry FYI. My baby whines when he wants attention or is getting it and super happy. Eggs and oatmeal are some great baby foods that Leo really loved/likes. It's also really healthy for them so I suggest that. Now is a great time to socialize your bird while it's still learning what life is. I began Leo's socialization the first day I got him. I had a neighbor (who had an African grey until he passed away) come over and pet him and hold him. Good to start young so they think that's just how life is.
 
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