Conference 7.286::pet_birds

    To keep your hands scratch free, you need to keep the toe nails
    trimmed.  I do this by clipping the tips of the toe nails when they
    seem to be getting sharp.  I have purchased a hand held sand stone
    and it works wonderful.  You will find that your Moluccan will be
    the joy of your life.  They are loving and playful birds.
    
    Joyce Lewis
    DTN 296-3504
    BPO1
    

    I owned a Moluccan Cockatoo (along with other different birds at
    the same time) and I might be able to give you some advice.  Her
    name was Petu and she had quite a personality, but she didn't make
    as much noise as I was led to believe she would (lucky for me).
    Just like any other pet bird, their personality will surface in
    no time.  Of all the birds I've owned, the Moluccan was the only
    one who truly wanted to be patted/preened/cuddled, etc.  She would
    fall asleep on her perch while I was patting her.  She would lift
    her feathers (especially her crest) so that I could gently scratch
    the skin and base of the quills.  Once you get this far with your
    cockatoo you have made a friend for life.  
    
    One word of caution!  Petu was always on top of her cage with never
    a problem.  But when she was outside she wanted to fly and climb
    trees.  She just forgot everything and went a little wild.  Freedom
    at last, I guess.  Thankfully with the help of many friends, and
    the Harvard Tree service who were kind enough to lend their services
    without charging me, we were able to catch Petu atop the tallest
    tree in the neighborhood.  She was never allowed outside again!
    
    Well, Good Luck with your new pet and please write to me if you
    have any questions.  
    
    Janet

    peter, i have a domestic hand fed mollucan who is about 18 weeks old
    now and is just about weaned from the food injections. He is starting
    to say hello and will give me a kiss. In response to your nail problem
    i would sugjest to just clip the very end of the nail and the using a
    nail file, carefully file each nail so it appears to have a rounded 
    look to it. please reply with updated info on your new bird.
    
    stan obiwan::woods
    

    We named the bird Teun and it was shy during the first few days.
    He is beautifull. The condition of bird and feathers is top class.
    Thest I have seen sofar.
    After the first days he became more friendly to me but not to my
    wife yet.
    He started to make louder noises too.
    The cats and dogs are now accepted and don't seem to frighten him
    at all.
    He is as destructive as a large cockatoo should be and has the matching
    voice volume.
    Hope I can control the screaming.
    As soon as he hears but not sees me he protests in the loudest of
    manners. Yeah I know, don't reward it by appearing into his view
    and all that but it is really loud! Just hope I will be able to
    get it down. Too early to tell yet.
    He eats almost anything. Out of our hand too.
    In about a few weeks he will have settled and the I will probably
    have someone clip his primaries.                               
    The present cage 6'x5'x2' seems to suit him.
    
    Thats all for now.
    
    Peter

    I have a hand held sand stone that I use for my birds.  It works
    great for the beaks and the toe nails.  I do bird grooming as a
    side job and enjoy it very much.  The sand stone really works fast
    and is less stressful to the bird. I used to use and emery board
    but that got really time consuming and very stressful to the birds,
    espically on the largeer birds beaks.  In going to the house that also
    keeps the stress down because the bird is in its own enviornment.
    
    I have a customer that when I come over to do the grooming and the
    bird hears my voice it makes a high screech and goes to the bottom
    of its cage and tries to hide.  He knows we will be doing his
    bi-monthly grooming and he does't like not being able to fly.
    
    If I can be of assistance please give me a call.  Rounding off the
    tips is the correct way to keep you from getting scratched and to
    keep the birds nails short enough so they don't get caught on the
    cage and toys.
    

    I purchased a wild caught Moluccan Cockatoo last March when I was in
    Calif.  When I first got her home she was frightened and would scream
    and stomp her foot whenever we were around her, but gradually over a
    2-3 week period, I would talk to her every evening for about 1/2 hour
    and make a point of spending as much time as possible alone with
    her, just standing by her cage.  I found that she was petrified fo
    of hands so at first I kept mine behind my back.  Gradually I would
    slowly rest my fingers on the bars low, near her perch.  Slowly
    she accepted me and would come close to the bars when she saw me.
    After a bit she would play with my fingers, nibble or put her 
    claws on them.  Then one morning I woke to find she was sitting
    on top of her cage!  I went over to the cage and she put her head
    down next to me.  I reached up and she let me pet her! From then
    on we have been best of buddies - Note: She still hates my
    husband with a passion and screams whenever he tries to befriend
    her.  They are very cuddly birds and love attention! and scream
    when they don't get it at times.  Also very Destructive with wood!
    WATCH OUT WHERE YOU PLACE HER!  They have extremely long necks
    and reach at a good distance.  My mouldings in the dining room
    prove it!!
    
    Let me know how you do!!  Good luck,  Denise

    I bet it's a male ?  Our male Grey dislikes me intensely but gets along
    great with my wife, whilst the female Grey dotes on me and chases my wife
    round the room.
    
    Jim Burke

    I'm not certain.  I was told it was a female.  The only distinction is
    the density of the eye.  I thought that If i could make out the pupil
    that it was a female (pupils should be noticably darker) but I have
    since seen a female at the pet store and her eyes are much lighter than
    my bird's.  My bird's eyes are very, very dark.  From a distance they
    appear black.  I have second thoughts now.  You may be right Jim.
    
    Thanks for the info.
    
    Denise

                               { Help }
     Howdy Bird owners, I recieved an Umbrella Cockatoo a week ago,
           and I am having trouble with him having me as a friend
           still will not have me pet him, & not taking snacks
           yet, he has not even made a sound, Fred is Two years
           old, when I got him he was in a small cage, but now he
           is in a big cage, boy did he love that when I was putting
           him in, he jumped right in & his eyes were big & dark like
           saying thanks but do not touch me.. Help Help   WIZzard
      

    	Even a friendly parrot can take weeks to accept you. You cannot
    push it.  We have had a male Grey for about 7 years, and he still hates
    my guts - he will never change. It is normal for a parrot to favour the
    opposite (human) sex. Expect it, unless it is a very tame & friendly
    parrot.
    
    	The 'dark eyes' you describe sound very much like dilated pupils to
    me. This means that the bird is AFRAID, or at least is 'on-guard'. It
    certainly is NOT 'at ease' or happy in any way. If his eyes work like
    our Greys, then it is when they recede to a black pin-hole, that they
    are truly at ease. When he is snoozing on one leg, then he is relaxed.
    If he is alerted, then watch the eyes dilate and the second leg come
    into play !
    
    	Putting it into a new cage/environment will unsettle him for 
    several weeks - maybe months.
    
    	My tuppence-worth: play it cool - he will let you know when he is
    interested in you. You can't hurry him. This is a big bird with a fair
    ration of brains/likes/dislikes/preferences/etc. They take moods, go
    into the 'huff', etc. 
    
    	If this is your first parrot, then I'd strongly suggest that you
    get another parrot-owner to give advice, INCLUDING checking the cage
    situation, etc. No draughts, no direct sunlight, etc.
    
    Best of luck - the 'umbrella' is a beauty.
    
    Jim Burke

                                                               
    How-dy, I am still having trouble with my Cockatoo, Here I had him
            for Two months & he still will not be cool, When I give
            him his food he hisses & when my wife tries to pet him
            he bite, Someone told me not to feed him till he takes
            to me but I have not tryed that yet, Any Help from you
            all bird owners,,          WIZzard
              

If you haven't yet had his wings clipped you may want to try this.  It tends
to settle a bird down quite a bit and may be all you need to get him to know
and trust you more.  I suggest finding someone who has clipped wings before or
take him to see a reputable vet in your area.  Don't attempt it yourself the
first time until you are shown the proper way.

Good luck,

...Ed

    
    
    1. Two months is NOT a long time....I had my macaw 6 months before we
    became friends.  You just have to be patient and keep trying.  I have a
    few scars from the process.
    
    2. DO NOT "quit feeding him until he takes to you".  Not only is that
    dangerous, unhealthy for the bird, and generally cruel, it won't work
    in my opinion.  You need to establish that you are the gentle,
    nonthreatening, source of all food an good things.  What you're trying
    to do is build trust.....starving the bird won't do that!
    
    3. Definitely have the wing(s) clipped.  My macaw changed her attitude
    significantly when she figured out she needed me to be mobile.

    My macaw seems to be mobile no matter what kind of clipping we do.
    Very disheartening, and it means we can't leave her out on a perch,
    because she takes wing to wherever she feels like going.
    
    Even though my B&G is hand-fed, she still has given me a few scars
    and LOTS of warning pinches.  I think in part she is just beak testing,
    but it still hurts.  Sometimes she grabs on purpose, and I get pretty
    teed off at her.  I *hate* getting bit.  Sometimes I wonder about
    this bird hobby :-).
    
    Ed