Need help-Goffin Cockatoo

[Brian's birds]

Our 6 year old started to honk and show odd behavior a couple weeks ago and last Saturday now all of the sudden is afraid of my wife (she is his main person) she can't get him out of the cage, he moves to the corner and shakes. If I bring him out he will fly away from her if she is in the room. When in the cage she can at times get close with door shut.

What is she to do? (I am able to pick him up and get him out. Have kept my distance over this past week)

 

[expressmailtome]

Had anything happened between them recently?

 

[Brian's birds]

nothing out of the norm. Behavior had somewhat started couple weeks ago where Levon would be in the side room with my wife and he'd be a little freaked out and run away...but than she'd still be able to hand out with him and get him from his cage.
Last Saturday she got her nails done (all black) and when she came home and went to get Levon, he freaked out and has been afraid of her since. She has had color on her nails before and unfortunately can't remove the gel on her nails for a couple weeks.

 

[Macawnutz]

Sounds like you answered your question there. Just about the time your sweetie gets used to it, she will get them removed.

 

[JLcribber]

Sounds like you answered your question there. Just about the time your sweetie gets used to it, she will get them removed.

Yup.

No more coloured nails and and I would highly recommend no one changes their hair colour down the road either. (You will become a stranger).

Always a good read because your bird is at the age where these things are going to become evident.

Site Name - Articles - Behavioral - Sex And The Psittacine

 

[Brian's birds]

Has anyone gone through this though with one of their own? Tips on what to do/not to do and how long did it take until the relationship was restored?

 

[JLcribber]

Probably a week or so. After you get rid of the coloured nails.

Or a number of weeks if you want to condition the bird to the new nails. Until there is a colour change again and you start over.

 

[Macawnutz]

Birds are weird. My BG flips out if I wear my glasses.... I'm a completely different person. Of course, my husband gets new glasses and he is okay.

 

[msplantladi]

I would try some avicalm in his water-its all natural and will calm him a little-it is hormone season so you are dealing with that also. She is going to have to pretty much start over rebuilding trust. Birds are their most hungry in the morning-try hand feeding some of his favorite treats & just talking quietly. If he isn't used to seeing a dark color that could be the trigger so he will have to relearn to trust those hands again. I don't even go near my birds for a couple hrs after getting my nails done because i smell different.

 

[Brian's birds]

Thank you all. Very stressful time for my wife who just wants her bird back

 

[expressmailtome]

Unfortunately, there is no way to know what will set off a particular bird before you do it. Sometimes it is the fact that it is something new that triggers the bird, and other times it is that something reminds them of a person/event that scared them in the past.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

How sad for your wife and stressful for your bird. Surely their must be a way to remove the black? I know nothing about nails, but that would be the easiest eolution.

 

[faislaq]

Could she paint over them until she can get the color removed or changed? My husband got a haircut and it took almost 8 months for Buzzard to stop hissing at him.

 

[hrafn]

I have pastel pink and blue hair, and recently touched up my roots and dyed them mint green. Most of the fids didn't notice or care, but boy oh boy was Taco ever mad.
He hissed and struck at me nonstop for two days, and I count myself incredibly lucky that he wasn't upset for longer. I don't know if I had become a stranger or if he just wasn't into the colour (lol) but he got over it when he realised it was only me.

 

[faislaq]

I have pastel pink and blue hair, and recently touched up my roots and dyed them mint green. Most of the fids didn't notice or care, but boy oh boy was Taco ever mad.
He hissed and struck at me nonstop for two days, and I count myself incredibly lucky that he wasn't upset for longer. I don't know if I had become a stranger or if he just wasn't into the colour (lol) but he got over it when he realised it was only me.

I wore a scarf in my hair for the first time this week & my baby Buzzy started rocking side to side with heart wings. It only took me a moment to figure out why, but it hurt to see him act that way towards me. I had to cuddle him for several minutes and bribe him with an almond in the shell to make it up to him. It was only brief for me, but if that's what your wife is going through I feel horrible for her @Brian's birds. Maybe a lighter color would be less scary to him?

 

[cassiesdad]

Milton does not like my BiPAP machine, mask, and plastic tubes that connect them together....luckily he's covered when I'm using them...

 

[Brian's birds]

The nails are acrylic/gel nails and takes about 4 weeks before they can come off..one week down
Any advice on what she should and shouldn't do until the nails can be removed?

 

[JLcribber]

The nails are acrylic/gel nails and takes about 4 weeks before they can come off..one week down
Any advice on what she should and shouldn't do until the nails can be removed?

Keep her fingers out of target range of the beak. A bird can only bite if you "provide" the opportunity. By then she won't need to get rid of them anyway.

 

[Brian's birds]

She can't even get to him because he jumps around in the cage if she opens the door. If he gets out around her he flies/runs away.

 

[JLcribber]

Paint those nails natural pink and start over like it's a brand new bird.

 

[Brian's birds]

Wife removed her nails on Saturday and nothing has changed. He still shakes. Wife can sit next to the cage and he is fine but when she gets up to move he runs to the corner. What to do?