I am stealing Monaco's idea and using this as a little journal for Pascal and our progress haha nobody around me likes birds so you guys are the only ones I can talk to about them! Also this way I am not blowing up the ekkie board with a million threads haha
I brought him home on Monday feb 4th. He stayed in his travel carrier for hours (with the door open). I stepped out of the room for a minute and heard fluttering and walked back in. He was on the top of his cage haha a few minutes later he flew a circle around the living room and kitchen and landed on the drop down door of his cage. He hung out there for about an hour before hopping into his cage. Whil he was on the door he took a few almond slivers out of my hand. Since then he has eaten some apple slices and almond slivers out of my hand but will not step up. I'm not pushing him though! He has flown onto the ground 4 times. The first two times I held him for a little while, then put him on his cage before he got antsy. The 3rd time I held him and then placed him on one of his stands. He immediately flew to the cage. The last time I held him and then put him on his stand. He acted like he wanted to get to the cage so I stuck my arm out for him to step up. He put one foot on me and then seemed to realize what he was doing and hopped off really quick. He flew back to his cage a few minutes later.
He is hand shy. Even when on my arm he was attacking my hand (the hand attached to the arm he was standing on haha). I updated the breeder on how we were doing and was told I was letting him get away with stuff. She said I should force him to step up. If he doesnt want to i should pull his foot off the porch and put it on my hand. Then cover his feet with my finger so he cant escape.. so I imagine that is why he hates hands. I am working with him a few minutes each day trying to get him closer to my hand with almond slices and apples!
The breeder also originally said she weaned onto fresh foods, but when I went to pick him up I found out he had been eating pellets. She said he didnt really like fresh and just picked at it. That day he had eaten some cucumber she said. I was worried about how hard it was going to be to switch him over! Well he is loving it. He dives right in. And flings it everywhere! I thought my cockatoo was a messy eater. WRONG
he is also eating sprouts although he tries to pick them out. I feed him around the same time each day. This morning I could tell he was getting used to it because when I walked in and he saw me he jumped down to his perch in front of the spot where his food bowl goes. He sat there and watched me while I chopped everything and got it ready.
The breeder told me he loves baths with a spray bottle. I have tried a little each day but could tell he did not want it. I figured he was still settling in and he didnt trust me enough to let his guard down and bathe. Today i was vacuuming and he was letting loose! He was chattering away to himself and puffing up and holding out his wings. I have read many things that say the sound of a vacuum makes some ekkies want to bathe so I filled the spray bottle and dropped the top door of his cage. He hopped right out and was ready to go! I was spraying above him and he was really getting into it! He kept trying to shove his face directly into the spray bottle haha he got good and soaked and hopped back in and started preening. He is looking like a little drowned rat
Anyway we are making a very small amount of progress but progress is progress
I brought him home on Monday feb 4th. He stayed in his travel carrier for hours (with the door open). I stepped out of the room for a minute and heard fluttering and walked back in. He was on the top of his cage haha a few minutes later he flew a circle around the living room and kitchen and landed on the drop down door of his cage. He hung out there for about an hour before hopping into his cage. Whil he was on the door he took a few almond slivers out of my hand. Since then he has eaten some apple slices and almond slivers out of my hand but will not step up. I'm not pushing him though! He has flown onto the ground 4 times. The first two times I held him for a little while, then put him on his cage before he got antsy. The 3rd time I held him and then placed him on one of his stands. He immediately flew to the cage. The last time I held him and then put him on his stand. He acted like he wanted to get to the cage so I stuck my arm out for him to step up. He put one foot on me and then seemed to realize what he was doing and hopped off really quick. He flew back to his cage a few minutes later.
He is hand shy. Even when on my arm he was attacking my hand (the hand attached to the arm he was standing on haha). I updated the breeder on how we were doing and was told I was letting him get away with stuff. She said I should force him to step up. If he doesnt want to i should pull his foot off the porch and put it on my hand. Then cover his feet with my finger so he cant escape.. so I imagine that is why he hates hands. I am working with him a few minutes each day trying to get him closer to my hand with almond slices and apples!
The breeder also originally said she weaned onto fresh foods, but when I went to pick him up I found out he had been eating pellets. She said he didnt really like fresh and just picked at it. That day he had eaten some cucumber she said. I was worried about how hard it was going to be to switch him over! Well he is loving it. He dives right in. And flings it everywhere! I thought my cockatoo was a messy eater. WRONG
he is also eating sprouts although he tries to pick them out. I feed him around the same time each day. This morning I could tell he was getting used to it because when I walked in and he saw me he jumped down to his perch in front of the spot where his food bowl goes. He sat there and watched me while I chopped everything and got it ready.The breeder told me he loves baths with a spray bottle. I have tried a little each day but could tell he did not want it. I figured he was still settling in and he didnt trust me enough to let his guard down and bathe. Today i was vacuuming and he was letting loose! He was chattering away to himself and puffing up and holding out his wings. I have read many things that say the sound of a vacuum makes some ekkies want to bathe so I filled the spray bottle and dropped the top door of his cage. He hopped right out and was ready to go! I was spraying above him and he was really getting into it! He kept trying to shove his face directly into the spray bottle haha he got good and soaked and hopped back in and started preening. He is looking like a little drowned rat
Anyway we are making a very small amount of progress but progress is progress
he’s going to have such a good life now! Dont stop posting pics, you two look adorable together, such a team allready!
I think you two are going to have a very special relationship.
