Anyone have Cockatoos ??

[amyparrotflock]

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Hey Horsefeathers, next time you're there go into the harware section and buy a stainless eyebolt and carabeener. I hang it just the way it is in the cage, one of the cheapest most destroyed toys around here. My macaw LOVES having at a 4x4 like that. For your smaller birds 2x4's may be better. If you have the ability to cut and drill, you can make pretty cheap foraging toys 2x4 with drilled holes, take a rubber mallet and pound some nuts in the shell into the board, I take the 4x4 andcut slices into it to fit dry treats in it (or peanut butter)

 

[amyparrotflock]

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New cages can have this problem as well. Especially the ones made in china. It seems as though nothing is safe these days, but there are simple tests you can do to see if there is heavy metals in it.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

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Hey Horsefeathers, next time you're there go into the harware section and buy a stainless eyebolt and carabeener. I hang it just the way it is in the cage, one of the cheapest most destroyed toys around here. My macaw LOVES having at a 4x4 like that. For your smaller birds 2x4's may be better. If you have the ability to cut and drill, you can make pretty cheap foraging toys 2x4 with drilled holes, take a rubber mallet and pound some nuts in the shell into the board, I take the 4x4 andcut slices into it to fit dry treats in it (or peanut butter)

Great ideas but please, please be very, very careful with carabiners - many parrots will get hung up in them. I know of a few birds who have broken their necks after getting the carabiner opened and clipped on thier beak.


We have a great supply of ss chain, quick links and eyebolts. I just wished it took them as long to destroy the toy as it takes me to build.

 

[amyparrotflock]

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My macaw gets his extra fat requirements from nuts. I just don't see why anyone should feed sunflower seed based diet, unless it is heavily mixed with other foods and there are few sunflower seeds.

And no, the number one ingredient in Harrison's is Ground Hulled White Millet the Second is sunflower seeds (I checked on their website). And that stuff is EXPENSIVE!

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Very Very true. I have the carabeeners that have the extra screw shut feature on them, they can't open them, and he is a large enough parrot that he can't get his head in there.

 

[CityChicker]

You and I are going to have to just agree to disagree on this one. My experience has shown me that sunflower seeds are not all bad. It's okay, you don't have to agree. LOL

As far as Harrison's pellets:

Their formulations for large parrots have now and always have had sunflower seeds as the number one ingredient or close to it. I just rechecked their website as well. The “High Potency Coarse”, which they recommend (at least short term) for medium to large parrots most definitely has sunflower seeds as the number one ingredient. The mash does as well. The “Fine” and “Super Fine” have sunflower seeds as the number two ingredient (still pretty significant). Their “Lifetime” formulas now have less Sunflower seeds, but they are still a primary ingredient in those formulations as well.

Moving on to their recovery and handfeeding formulas, these all have sunflower kernel or sunflower oil as a primary ingredient as well. The fact is, sunflower is a very prominent ingredient in almost all of their products. Again, I don’t recommend sunflower seeds as a primary ingredient in most bird’s diet, especially cockatoos. That said, this line in particular is touted by numerous avian veterinarians and it makes significant use of sunflower seeds.

Every Avian veterinarian that I know sells Harrison’s pellets. It is like the “standard” for premium bird feeds sold by Avian vets. I, personally, think there are better choices, but I am also not about to say that sunflower seeds are all bad. They’re not.

 

[monathequeen]

OK , I just got home from work and couldn't believe all the GREAT responses I have had on this topic.
I have bought so many books on raising cockatoos and I never seem to find any real answers on so many questions I may have.
This forum is so great because we are living with these wonderful creatures and ultimately, we have the best answers. Thanks guy's and gals.
Now back to the questions....
She dosn't get very many sunflower seeds in her bowl. It's just a thing we tried with her and she loved cracking them open. I dont worry about obesity. Her weight and bloodwork came back normal and the Vet said that she was healthy and to keep doing what we were doing. I trust this Vet as he has treated all of my animals and has worked extensivly with exotic birds. (we had her sexed and she is a Female.) I havn't heard of Harrisons pellets but if it is so popular, I might ask our Vet about it.
The reason she has been stressed out is because I have been working different hours lately and my roomate has been out of town during the week so she has been alone more than usual. He is her prime owner but she settles for me when ever He's gone. I'm the only other person she will let handle her and she actually dosn't care which one of us is home as long as one of us is there.
I handle her everyday and she knows how to manupulate me as well...so this change of being alone during the day has got her feathers ruffled. (literally)
We put her in the shower and let her stand on the rod when we shower and she runs back and forth and whistles and has a hoot. She will climb up on the shower spicket and get somewhat wet but she wont let the water soak her so we mist her with a water bottle and get her wet that way. It is held about 12 inches from her and I spray upward so the water falls on her instead of pointing the spray dirrectly at her.
I know they say to not do that as this is usually used as a punishing tool but we NEVER , EVER do that as a way to punish her. She has to bathe somehow and this is the only way we can get her absolutely soaked. I agree with the lack of humidity in the winter and it makes sense to buy some kind of humidifier or misting apparatus. Where can I buy such a machine and will it be wise to have her feathers damp during the cold weather ?
We keep the temp. @ 75 degrees when she has had a shower until she is completely dry..

 

[Melissakins]

I brought my Quaker in for a checkup to my avian vet and he was pronounced FAT. He ate sunflower seeds like candy. The vet "prescribed" Harrisons High Potency, fine which much to my amusement, the second ingredient is ground sunflower seeds. Basically, I changed the seed mix he'd been eating (Volkmann's Super Hookbill) to the Parrotlet diet (no sunflower), added the Harrison's to his diet in addition to the Roudybush Pellets (Fine) and incorporated MORE fresh veggies to his diet. He's still a little chunky, but he's eating SO much better now than he had.

I also make a mash that I freeze in ice cube trays and store in freezer bags in the freezer. Pop a few of those in the nuker for a minute, stir and add water if needed, then heat a little more til I can stick my finger in it and not get burned and spoon feed everyone. One of the Macaws likes to still be handfed.